Our Story

Sui began in the heart of New York City as a sanctuary for movement, breath, and mindful presence. Today, it’s a community that expands far beyond the studio — connecting people, culture, and energy wherever they are. Every class, ritual, and moment invites you to reconnect with yourself — and with the rhythm of the world.

A Living Practice of Connection and Wellbeing.

Sui began as a personal vision. Our co-founders, Julie and Sven, wanted to share the practices and rituals that keep them grounded, strong, and fully alive. Yoga, sauna, cold plunges, mindful nourishment, and bodywork are not just practices, they are ways to restore, center, and move fully through life. Together, they created Sui, a space where movement, breath, and community flow naturally, supporting both personal clarity and shared connection.

Sven brings the wisdom of Northern Europe, shaped in the Estonian forests, where heat and cold are essential for strength, endurance, and mental clarity. Julie brings the vitality of the Amazon, sharing South American traditions of movement, breath, and nature-based rituals. Their combined heritage informs every aspect of Sui, creating a practice that is both rooted and expansive.

Inspired by the Latin sui generis, meaning “one of a kind,” and the Japanese word for water, Sui embodies flow, renewal, and transformation. Here, warmth, breath, and movement converge to awaken the body, quiet the mind, and restore the senses. Infrared rooms, saunas, cold plunges, and bodywork guide you into deep restoration, while every detail, from biophilic, nature-inspired design to the communal café, invites presence, curiosity, and connection. Sui is a living rhythm, a place to move fully, rest intentionally, and reconnect with yourself and your community.

From these roots, we nurture a culture of presence, connection, and mindful living, honoring the wisdom of ancient traditions while evolving with the rhythm of the modern world, and inviting all to move with us wherever life leads. Welcome to Sui, your sanctuary to land, return to clarity, and feel fully alive.

The Sui Way

At Sui, we move with the rhythm of life. Every practice, every ritual, every gathering is designed to help you reconnect with yourself, your body, and your community. We honor that every journey is unique and create spaces where presence, curiosity, and growth can unfold naturally.

Flow and Presence

Movement, breath, and stillness as tools to awaken clarity, strength, and calm.

Inclusivity and Invitation

A space for all levels, ages, and abilities—where everyone feels seen, encouraged, and part of the rhythm.

Mindful Connection

Cultivating awareness, empathy, and deep presence on and off the mat.

Strength Through Balance

Harmonizing effort and ease to support physical, emotional, and energetic resilience.

Community and Conscious Living

Sharing rituals, gatherings, and nourishing moments that connect, inspire, and sustain.

Discover Your Path. Connect with Community. Transform Together.

Our Community

Sui Yoga is more than just a studio; it’s a community. We are a collective of teachers, students, and wellness seekers connected by the shared journey of self-discovery and growth. We celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and the joy of movement.

Our Founders

At the heart of Sui are Julie Villa and Sven Schneider, whose curiosity, passion, and intention shaped the vision of this living practice. Guided by their own journeys of transformation and discovery, they set out to create a space where people can move, breathe, and connect with themselves and others in a meaningful way.

Through their shared vision, Sui becomes more than a place, it is a community that moves beyond classes and treatments, where each element is thoughtfully crafted and every experience is fully felt.

Julie Villa

Julie has always believed that movement has the power to change how we feel. Growing up in South America, she trained as a ballerina before continuing her dance education in New York City with the Alvin Ailey and Paul Taylor dance companies. When an injury unexpectedly changed her path, she discovered yoga as a different way of listening to her body and experiencing life.

That experience shaped the mission behind Sui.

Julie believes that practice isn't limited to what happens on a mat. It's found in how we move, how we recover, how we connect, and how we care for ourselves and each other. She is passionate about creating spaces that feel welcoming, inspiring, and deeply human—places where people can come exactly as they are and leave feeling a little more connected to themselves.

Sven Schneider

Growing up in Estonia, Sven spent much of his life in the water as a competitive swimmer, representing his country at international championships. Years of training taught him discipline and resilience, but it also showed him the importance of slowing down, recovering well, and finding balance beyond performance.

Discovering yoga expanded that perspective and eventually became part of the foundation for Sui.

Sven believes that feeling well is about creating simple practices that support everyday life. Through Sui, he builds spaces where people can move, recover, connect with others, and keep coming back because it feels good to be there.

As Co-Founder of Sui, Sven brings together his background in athletics, business, and operations to help shape a place where practice, strength, recovery, and community exist as one experience.