saniya

about

About me

Hi, I'm Saniya Chitre, a yoga teacher in New York. I love teaching, training and practicing yoga, and sharing the mind-body connection that has shaped so much of my life.

Saniya sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat in easy pose, hands resting on her knees, smiling

My story

I grew up learning and training in Indian classical dance, and I hold a bachelor's degree in Kathak from the Nrityanjali School of Dance, where I trained under Ashoka Rao. Alongside dance, I learned Ayurvedic practices and the ideas about balance, routine and wellbeing that come with them. Movement was always part of my life. I did cheer and every form of dance I could find, and being aware of my body, how it moved, what it needed, was always important to me.

Underneath all of it was the connection between mind and body. But it was during a difficult period in my life that I really found the mindfulness and meditation side of yoga. It gave me a way to slow down, steady myself and come back to the present, and it changed how I practice.

Today I love every part of it: teaching, training and my own practice. I want my classes to give people the same space to move, breathe and reconnect that yoga gave me.

My training

I completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training with Risa Gotlib at Tiny Buddha Yoga in Ann Arbor in 2023. Tiny Buddha Yoga is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School (RYS), and I'm a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200). We began with the Ashtanga primary series, then built on that foundation with hot vinyasa, blended vinyasa and yin yoga.

  • 200-hour YTT — Tiny Buddha Yoga (RYS), Ann Arbor, 2023, with Risa Gotlib
  • Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200)
  • Bachelor's degree in Kathak — Nrityanjali School of Dance, trained by Ashoka Rao

Moments from my practice

Saniya in a deep kneeling backbend by a bright window, surrounded by monstera and potted plantsSaniya meditating cross-legged on the sand, facing the ocean and rocky headland at dawnSaniya in a crow pose variation on a mint mat in a sunny room full of plantsSaniya in tree pose with arms raised on a red-rock trail, mountains behindSaniya in tree pose on a rocky outcrop above a forested valley and snowy peaksSaniya balancing with arms raised at a floor-to-ceiling window high above the citySaniya in a standing balance pose in a yoga studioSaniya in a backbend on a glass-walled observation deckSaniya in a standing balance on an observation deck overlooking the citySaniya sitting cross-legged in easy pose on a yoga mat, smilingSaniya in an arm balance on her mat in front of a yellow armchair and a bold floral paintingSaniya seated cross-legged on a mat in a bright mirrored studio

Contact

(734) 377-9702Instagram:@saniyaswellness@saniyachitre