Polly Liontis

Short Bio
Polly is fascinated by the healing arts, performing arts, visual arts, and the art of storytelling. She makes her livelihood as a Shiatsu Therapist, Yoga/Meditation Instructor, and improvises new melodies on old chants. Her greatest joys are cooking for her family and friends and her most prized possession is a mobile of Origami Cranes made for her by her children many years ago.
Long Bio:
The quest for truth and beauty have fueled Polly’s journey from her earliest memories to the present moment. Polly’s last 18 years as a Yoga Instructor and Shiatsu Practitioner have been a deep exploration into the health and deep wisdom of the body, mind, and spirit.
Polly’s passion is expressing the loving-kindness, compassion, light, and beauty inherent in the spirit through her teaching. This is the meaning of “Shree” – luminosity, shining, and brilliant.
Polly began this journey into the wisdom of yoga when she completed the teacher training program at the Himalayan Institute led by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait at the Glenview, Illinois Ashram in 1999. Polly was initiated into the lineage of Swami Rama of the Himalayas by Pandit Rolf Sovik with her own personal mantra in 1999. Polly also studied with Sandra Anderson of the Himalayan Institute. Sandra Anderson and Rolf Sovik are authors of the book, “Yoga: Mastering the Basics”.
Polly is deeply committed to teaching all 8 limbs of Raja Yoga (also known as Ashtanga Yoga):  Yamas (Restraints), Niyama (Observances), Asana (Posture), Pranayama (Control & Expansion of Energy through the Breath), Pratyahara (Sense Withdrawal), Dharana (Concentration), Dhyana (Meditation), and Samadhi (Self-Realization). These practices help us to gain control over the body and the mind for the purpose of living a mindful, conscious, joyous and purposeful existence.
Simultaneously Polly also attended the Ohashi Institute, studying under Sensai Wataru Ohashi, and became an AOBTA Certified Shiatsu Practitioner and Instructor.  Shiatsu is a Japanese form of bodywork which is based on thousands of years of Chinese Medicine and works on the acupressure points and stretches for the Chinese Medicine Meridians in the body. She has been a Shiatsu Practitioner since 1999 and taught Shiatsu at the Zen Shiatsu School in Evanston since 2001. Polly then became a Licensed Massage Therapist in 2003.
Polly was a founding member of the Integrative Medicine Program for North Shore University Health System at Park Center in Glenview since 2000 and currently gives Massage Therapy and Shiatsu Sessions there as well as teaching Therapeutic Yoga to the patients. For the last 18 years, Polly has seen the healing power of Yoga and Bodywork in treating very ill patients with a variety of symptoms – Oncology patients, Cardiac patients, and many patients with Auto-Immune Disorders. Polly’s journey into the healing arts grew out of a desire to develop a philosophy for living that promoted healing for herself and others.
Polly’s teachings bring the wisdom from both traditions – Yoga and Chinese Medicine into her meditation classes.
Polly specifically teaches Yin Yoga Classes, Ashtanga-based Vinyasa Flow Classes, Hatha Flow Classes, Gentle Yoga Classes, Therapeutic Yoga Classes, and Meditation and Yoga Nidra Classes.
 At this juncture, Polly’s great joy is sharing the philosophy of the great Wisdom Traditions of Yoga and Chinese Medicine.