OM meets...
TANYA SAVITRI POPOVICH
OM catches up with Tanya Savitri Popovich to learn more about Shri Gaia Yoga Institute and its ethos and plans for the future
How did you first get into yoga?
I actually began my journey not with yoga asana, but with Transcendental Meditation, at the age of 14. This was only two years after my family had fled war-torn Sarajevo. At the time, we were living in Greece with refugee status, and life was profoundly unstable. My parents, who were already practitioners, came across a teacher who could initiate my brother and me into TM. Their intention was simple but profound: to give us one stable reference point in life, something internal, something that could not be taken away by external circumstances.
Looking back, I can see how deeply formative that experience was. While the world around me was quite literally falling apart, meditation helped me cultivate inner steadiness and resilience. That inner anchor has stayed with me ever since, and it laid the foundation for everything that followed.
What does yoga give you personally?
Yoga gives me connection. First and foremost, it is connection to self: the most important relationship we will ever have. From there, it naturally extends outward: connection to my environment, to the people around me, and to the living world as a whole. For me, yoga is about tending the relationship to self, and through that, tending our relationship to community and to Mother Earth. It is an ongoing practice of listening, relating, and remembering our place within a much larger web of life.
“Shri Gaia Institute embodies the belief that yoga practice has little meaning if it does not serve something beyond the individual”
The name Shri Gaia itself points to our core philosophy. Shri denotes reverence, and Gaia refers to Mother Earth. At its heart, the Institute embodies the belief that yoga practice has little meaning if it does not serve something beyond the individual. In this spirit, we draw from ancient wisdom traditions, rooted particularly in the Indian Vedic lineage, which has informed much of our foundation. We also explore the teachings of Ancient Greece and Egypt, as well as indigenous European and South American cultures, honouring the breadth of human spiritual heritage.
A guiding principle for us is found in Patanjali’s sthira sukham asanam. We interpret this not only as a physical instruction but as a relational one: our connection to the earth, to others, and to all living beings should be steady, mutually supportive, and joyful. When our relationships are grounded, respectful and life-affirming, only then can we truly thrive together.
How can yoga and breathwork contribute to mental resilience and emotional wellbeing in today’s fast paced world?
I will start with breathwork, as it is more specific and deeply supported by modern science. The way we breathe is a direct reflection of the mind: an agitated mind produces an agitated breath, and a calm mind produces a calm breath. What is powerful is that this relationship works both ways. By consciously regulating the breath, we influence the nervous system and, in turn, the mind.
Slow, conscious breathing lowers heart rate, engages the parasympathetic nervous system, and creates a felt sense of safety and grounding — all of which are essential for resilience and emotional regulation. Yoga, however, extends far beyond breath alone. Whether we are practicing asana, meditation, or applying yogic philosophy to daily life, I often return to the concepts of abhyasa and vairagya from the Yoga Sutras. Abhyasa is the commitment to show up, to make sincere effort, day after day; while vairagya is the practice of non-attachment: letting go of fixation on outcomes. Together, they cultivate resilience: we act with integrity and effort, yet remain humble and free from self-blame when life does not unfold as planned.
How can yoga and conscious movement create a positive ripple effect beyond the individual?
Conscious movement begins with awareness. When we turn inward — feeling the breath, sensing the body moving through space, observing sensations and emotions — we begin to understand our internal processes more clearly. This self-awareness naturally extends outward into our relationships. As we become more conscious internally, we become more conscious in how we relate to others: in our families, workplaces, and communities. We start to recognise our motivations and patterns, gaining the capacity to respond rather than react.
When yoga is practiced sincerely, not as a performative or goal-driven activity, it helps us cultivate empathy, presence and responsibility, creating ripple effects that extend far beyond the mat.
If someone feels curious about wellness but intimidated by yoga, what advice would you offer?
Yoga is an incredibly vast field, encompassing many paths: chanting or devotion (bhakti yoga), self-inquiry (jnana yoga), meditation and breathwork, or physical practice (asana). Most often, when people feel intimidated, they are referring to yoga asana — and I understand that completely. In today’s performance-oriented culture, yoga has often lost its essence. There is a strong emphasis on effort and achievement, and very little emphasis on surrender, intelligence and self-care. Yoga, as I understand it, is not a sport. Being ‘advanced’ to me means meeting yourself where you are, practicing with sensitivity and responding intelligently to your body in each moment.
I would encourage people to seek out teachers and schools that are non-dogmatic — spaces where students are met as they are, and where practices are adapted to the individual. When yoga is taught this way, it becomes accessible to everyone, and people inevitably fall in love with it.
What do you do when you’re not doing yoga?
If we mean yoga asana, then I do many ordinary, beautiful things. I work, travel, explore other forms of movement, and spend time in community. For over 15 years I have travelled extensively, teaching and learning from people all over the world. I deeply value time with my family, my friends, and my dog Nilo, who has been my loyal companion for 15 years. I also cherish my relationships with my nephew and my niece.
At the same time, I don’t really experience yoga as something separate from life. Yoga, for me, is how I walk on this earth, how I relate to people, how I conduct my work and how I try to live with integrity and care.
What are your plans going forward for Shri Gaia Institute?
This year marks my 30th year of practice and 22nd year of teaching. For much of the past 15 years, I have lived largely on the road, sharing these teachings globally and building a deeply connected international community.
While this has been profoundly meaningful, it has also come with sacrifices, particularly the absence of a stable home and routine. I now feel it is time to cultivate more rootedness and calm in my own life. This means gradually stepping back from constant travel and creating a more sustainable rhythm.
Shri Gaia Institute is now supported by exceptional senior teachers who have studied with me for many years. I see this as a natural evolution: giving them the opportunity to lead, while I remain involved in a more spacious and intentional way. I’m also excited to dedicate more time to writing, reflection and nourishing my personal relationships.
Anything else?
As an educational institute, we offer 200 hour and 300-hour teacher trainings, as well as a wide range of continuing education programmes. One thing that is very important to me is that students who train with us are welcome to return and repeat the same training without paying tuition again. Yoga is a lifelong study. Many of us, myself included, have taken countless trainings over the years, deepening our understanding through repetition and lived experience. We want to offer our students that same opportunity — to return, refine and, just as importantly, to remain in community. In our trainings, community itself is at least half of the practice.
Tanya Savitri Popovich is the founder of Shri Gaia Institute, which runs workshops, retreats, international yoga teacher trainings and spiritual journeys. Find out more at: shrigaiainstitute.com
QUICK Q&A
Favourite yoga or spiritual book?
There are many, but I’ll recommend the one that is required reading for our 200 hour training: Fire of Love for Students of Life for Teachers of Yoga by Aadil Palkhivala. Go-to health food or drink? Since I am often in the tropics, it will be fresh, chilled king coconut.
Favourite quote?
Probably all by Ram Dass, but here’s one: “If you think you’re enlightened, go spend a week with your family,” as it points to the relational aspects of yoga practice.
Favourite yoga pose, and why?
None and all — yoga teaches equanimity, not preference.
If you could take a class with any teacher, past or present?
Take classes with many teachers, and then return to your inner teacher, the highest guru of all
Om Magazine
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