Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Angela Polynin of North Phoenix

We recently had the chance to connect with Angela Polynin and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Angela, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ince breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Absolutely — one that stands out was during our Bring Your Dog to Yoga event. My dog Jax totally stole the show. He had the biggest smile on his face the whole time, just soaking up the energy and love in the room. Watching him move from mat to mat like an unofficial therapy dog, greeting everyone with tail wags and cuddles, made me laugh and feel incredibly proud. It was this perfect, joyful moment that captured what Vets & Pets Yoga is all about — connection, healing, and unconditional support, whether it comes on two legs or four paws.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Angela Polynin, founder of Vets & Pets Yoga, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans through free, trauma-informed yoga classes and by pairing them with emotional support animals. Our mission is rooted in the belief that healing happens through connection — with our bodies, our breath, and the animals who love us unconditionally.

What makes us unique is the way we blend movement, mindfulness, and animal companionship to create real, lasting impact for those who’ve served. I started this from my own health journey, after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in my twenties. I discovered firsthand how powerful yoga and the bond with animals can be — and I wanted to share that with others, especially those who’ve sacrificed so much for our country.

Right now, we’re growing our emotional support animal program and expanding access to classes in new communities. It’s grassroots, it’s heart-led, and it’s deeply personal — and I’m incredibly proud to be building something that’s not just healing, but hopeful.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me I had to be strong, guarded, and constantly pushing through, I was a soft, light-hearted person at my core — someone who led with positivity, compassion, and curiosity. But over time, through trauma, a difficult health journey, and the weight of being “resilient” in ways that left no room for gentleness, I lost that part of myself. I got stuck in grief over the life I thought I was supposed to have and carried bitterness and anger for a long time.

Yoga brought me back to myself. It helped me reconnect with who I truly am beneath the pain — and reminded me that softness is a strength. That’s what I now try to share with others through Vets & Pets Yoga: the space to heal, to feel, and to return to the parts of ourselves we were told to leave behind.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
It wasn’t one single moment it was a slow, often painful process. For a long time, I felt like I had to hide my pain to be “strong” or to not be a burden. But eventually, that armor got too heavy. What really shifted things for me was yoga, not just the movement, but the stillness it taught me to sit with. It gave me permission to feel everything I had been pushing down, and in doing that, I realized my pain wasn’t something to be ashamed of, it was something I could build from.

When I started sharing my story about my health struggles, about grief, about healing, I saw how it helped others open up too. That’s when I realized pain, when shared honestly, can create connection. And that’s powerful. It’s what Vets & Pets Yoga is built on, the idea that our hardest experiences can become the foundation of real healing, not just for ourselves, but for others too.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely. I’m authentic almost to a fault — love me or hate me, I always show up as who I truly am. I believe that genuine connection can only happen when we’re honest and real with each other. Especially in the work I do with veterans and animals, authenticity builds trust and creates the safe space people need to heal. So yes, what you see is the real me, with all my strengths, struggles, and heart fully on display.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m with my four dogs and my boyfriend. Their presence grounds me like nothing else — their unconditional love, playful energy, and quiet support remind me to slow down and just be. Whether we’re all together sharing a simple moment or out enjoying nature, those times fill me with calm, joy, and a deep sense of belonging.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vetsandpetsyoga.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetsandpetsyoga/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vetsnpetsyoga/