about

Leia Layus is a yoga teacher and integral therapist whose work integrates somatic movement, Eastern philosophy, and modern holistic wellness. Her approach is based on the understanding that the body, mind, and spirit are deeply connected—and that healing occurs through presence, attunement, and mindful care of the nervous system.

Leia teaches a range of modalities to meet the body in different states of need. Her Satya Yoga is a meditative, subtle practice designed to support lymphatic flow, release fascial tension, enhance circulation, and gently restore the body with minimal strain on the joints. Her Vinyasa classes are alignment-informed, cultivating strength, mobility, and fluidity through intentional sequencing. She also offers Restorative Yoga, a deeply supportive and passive practice that invites profound rest, regulation, and recovery.

In addition to her movement work, Leia holds a Master’s degree in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and is currently an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, CA Lic #129720, at Heart In Balance Therapy, supervised by Jeanette Shelby, LMFT, CA Lic #127144. Her therapeutic background informs a nuanced, trauma-aware, and emotionally attuned approach to teaching—supporting clients not only physically, but psychologically and energetically.

Her work is deeply influenced by Zen Buddhism, Taoist philosophy, and Chinese Medicine theory, cultivated through her ongoing study and practice of tea ceremony with the school Global Tea Hut. These traditions, alongside her continued devotion to yogic philosophy, shape a teaching style that is both poetic and precise—inviting clients into a slower, more refined relationship with their bodies and inner landscape.

Leia has trained in Vinyasa and Hatha Yoga in the San Francisco Bay Area, studied the Yoga Sutras through The Yoga Well Institute, and learned from East-West mentors like Stacie Overby and her main teachers, Tias + Surya Little of Prajna Yoga. Her work combines ancient wisdom with modern understanding of the subtle body, offering a holistic approach to movement, healing, and embodied awareness.

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Isaac Newton

I acknowledge my formal training below to honor the lineages and mentors who have greatly supported and shaped my journey. From the heart, with sincere gratitude, thank you.

Training

  • 200 HR Vinyasa Yoga

  • 200 HR YogaWorks

  • 200 HR Prajna Yoga
    From the Ground Up | The Fluid Body | The Subtle Body

  • 300 HR Prajna Yoga
    Art of Hands-On Adjustments & Sequencing | Art of Teaching| Restorative: Art of Healing

  • Prajna Yoga: SATYA Yoga Training Level 1, 2, & 3 Sensory Awareness Training for Yoga Attunement

  • MA in Integral Counseling Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies

Continued StudiES

  • Yoga Sutra - Ongoing study of the Yoga Sutra with The Yoga Well Institute, following the lineage of Sri T. Krishnamacharya as passed down to his son, Mr. TKV Desikachar.

  • Zen - Ongoing study of Zen, Taoist, and Buddhist concepts through Cha Dao, ‘The Way of Tea,’ with Global Tea Hut.

  • Qi Gong: Leia has supported her interest in the Internal Arts by studying Qi Gong with the Moga Dao Institute and with Brea Fischer.