Hey fam. My name is Abiola Akanni! I’m a first generation, Nigerian-American yogi. The practice found me over 10 years ago, during a time where I had little sense of self beyond my own insecurities. I struggled with affirming myself and fitting in. As a result, I became hypercritical of my internal thoughts and external reality.
Not only did yoga nurture me through these beliefs, but it also reacquainted me with ritual. Over time, I learned to release my inner critic and honor my body with ease.
As I’ve grown as a yoga educator, I’ve had the opportunity to teach on major yoga platforms, and even been featured in a top publication or 2. During these times, the yoga that was reinforced in popular culture was always performative. It focused on what the practice looked like in athletic bodies, as opposed to what it feels like in diverse bodies. As a result, for me, it missed the true essence of yoga, a return to self through the uniting of the mind and body.
This inspired me to create iya. A platform that celebrates non-performative yoga that nurtures, not critiques. Through iya, I’ve learned to stop trying and start being, on and off the mat. Here, there is no pressure to perform, and there is no place to get to. We guide you through your body in a way that feels familiar, while uncovering the medicine of the practice to help you achieve optimal states of being again, and again. I look forward to taking this journey with ya’ll.