TONIE WARNER
YTT FEATURED ALUM
My sadhana, daily practice is now more meditation and ritual-based. Yoga has never been a static part of my life. It’s an ongoing practice of learning and unlearning that began many years ago and continues to evolve. Embracing a non-linear relationship with the practice has supported my ability to meet my past self with compassion, and to learn from history so I can show up more fully for my community and myself in the present.
I don’t believe my ability to cultivate wisdom or access what feels innate would be what it is today without yoga. The practice has expanded my capacity to see how deeply interconnected everything is, offering a loving form of accountability that keeps me rooted in empathy, kindness, and care.
What are some of the key lessons you learned during your teacher training?One of the words I often use to describe my 200-hour training at Sonic is comprehensive. I came to understand how full and robust the practice of yoga truly is, and how its many lineages are interwoven and inform one another. I left the training with an increased reverence for yoga, along with a deep respect for the responsibility teachers carry in honoring both the practice and the student–teacher relationship.
Philosophy was my favorite point of study; it still is. 🙂
The tenets of ahimsa, non-harming, as well as our interconnectedness and shared humanity, sit at the foundation of my teaching and shape my relationship to myself and to others.
Please tell us about your upcoming event at Sonic, YUJA SOUL: Yoga for Black Women – “Saying Yes.”
I’m thrilled to guide Yuja Soul: Yoga for Black Women at Sonic. It feels very full circle to return here, as I remember speaking about my desire to create dedicated spaces for Black femmes during my 300-hour training at Sonic NYC. Since then, I’ve been nourishing this container for the past six years as an extension of my personal practice and my commitment to challenging the standards of dominant studio culture that often redline yoga away from marginalized communities. At its core, this work is rooted in my belief that yoga should be accessible, affirming, and lived by all.
This month’s gathering, “Saying Yes,” centers on sharing and remembering our innate ability to create. The offering is inspired by the physiology of birthing and the inquiry offered in Uses of the Erotic by Audre Lorde. Remembering our creativity feels especially vital right now, as we are being called collectively and individually to dream up, and welcome new in futures. The practice will weave together yoga and somatic exploration, with particular attention to the energetics of the hip–jaw connection.
