About Nina

biography

Nina’s yoga journey began in London in 1998, where she first discovered its transformative power. Her first practice was Ashtanga Yoga, and her first teachers were Gingi Lee, Hamish Hendry and Liz Lark. After moving to the U.S., she earned her first yoga teacher diploma in 2004 with Paul Toliuszis in Miami Yoga Centre and began teaching soon after. In 2006, she returned to Europe and opened Sangha Yoga Studio in her hometown of Zagreb, Croatia (2006-2019). She continued expanding her practice by attending workshops and trainings worldwide, eventually completing a 300-hour yoga teacher certification with Shiva Rea. Her studies with many of today’s most respected yoga teachers deepened her understanding and inspired her to develop her own unique approach to Vinyasa Yoga. By 2009, Nina was ready to share this approach through Yoga Teacher Training courses. She established a school offering 200- and 300-hour programmes, as well as Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training. She led YTTCs in Croatia, Milan (Italy), Sri Lanka, and Portugal.

Nina’s passion for mental health led her to undertake Body-Oriented Psychotherapy training (Core Evolution with Siegmar and Cornelia Gerkin), which she completed in 2018, along with advanced courses in trauma work with leading professionals in the field. She earned her psychology degree with distinction and began integrating this knowledge into Yoga Teacher Training modules, including Somatic Awareness and Trauma-Sensitive Yoga. Alongside this, she pursued yoga therapy training, gaining deeper insight into yoga’s potential as a healing modality for a wide range of health challenges. To better support her clients, she also completed a course in plant-based nutrition in clinical practice and is currently completing a Master’s degree in Applied Neuroscience.

Today, Nina continues to channel her passion for holistic health as an educator, leading advanced training programmes through the Spanda Institute, developing new curricula, and mentoring the next generation of lead teachers. She is committed to handing over the reins to the talented students who have studied with her for many years, ensuring the Institute’s vision continues to grow and evolve.

In addition to her work as a therapist and educator, Nina is the author of Embodied Calm and Safe Space: Trauma-Sensitive Yoga. She also writes on a wide range of subjects - from yoga and psychology to sustainability, nutrition, and plant-based cooking. Through her books, writing, and work, she remains committed to supporting others on their journeys toward a balanced, thriving life.

She lives in Lisbon with her partner and their dog Seeta. Apart from her work with clients and with the Spanda Institute, Nina and her partner are currently developing a yoga retreat centre on the Portuguese coast.

education

(Yoga and other holistic disciplines)