Welcome to the Network: Susan Horning

We're pleased to welcome Susan Horning to Yoga Founders Network. Since 2006, Susan has been the founder of Unity Yoga Teahouse in East Vancouver—a distinctive space that weaves together yoga classes, tea ceremony, and herbal wellness into a truly integrated practice. Her approach reflects years of study across multiple traditions and healing modalities, and her work continues to serve a community that values depth, care, and wholeness.

Susan's path to yoga began during her university years. "I found yoga when I was going to University, and found it to be an excellent way to handle stress," she recalls. "When my father was diagnosed with a brain tumour, my mat was the place that held me up as I grieved, grew, and changed." What started as a stress-management tool became something far more profound—a container for transformation during one of life's most difficult passages.

That experience of loss ultimately shaped the trajectory of her professional life. "I left my corporate job to open a yoga centre after watching the tragic passing of my father," Susan shares. "Committing myself to healing practices and aligning myself with a gentle and healthy community was how I found meaning in my life." It was a leap born not of ambition, but of necessity—a reorientation toward what truly mattered.

Unity Yoga Teahouse reflects the breadth of Susan's training and curiosity. With over 500 hours of yoga study spanning Ashtanga Vinyasa, Anusara, Qi Gong, Thai Massage, and Partner and Acrobatic Yoga, she brings a rare versatility to her teaching. Her background also includes an undergraduate degree in psychology from Simon Fraser University, a four-year diploma in Clinical Herbal Medicine, and certifications as a Thai Masseuse Practitioner Trainer, classical Chinese astrologist, and feng shui consultant. Through Unity Retreats and Unity Herbals, she extends her offerings beyond the mat, creating layered experiences that honor the full spectrum of wellness.

When asked about the hardest part of her work, Susan offers a reflection that speaks to the inner demands of teaching. "Healing ourselves is always the hardest part, and looking closely at others as our own reflections." It's a reminder that the real work of this path is ongoing, personal, and often uncomfortable—no matter how many hours of training we hold.

For those who come to her classes and spaces, Susan holds a clear intention. "I want people to notice a shift in their energy," she says. "A balanced and bottomless capacity to give kindness, care and love to everyone they come across." It's an expansive vision—one that reaches beyond the individual practice and into how we show up in the world.

Her counsel to anyone considering their own yoga journey or business is both grounding and liberating. "Yoga isn't a business, it's a humanitarian mission," Susan explains. "If you do not hope for any gain you find more richness than you could ever imagine." It's a philosophy that clearly informs the way Unity Yoga Teahouse operates—as a gathering place rooted in service, not transaction.

You can learn more about Susan's work and connect with Unity Yoga Teahouse through her listing here on Yoga Founders Network.