For the love of Yoga!
'Grand Rising loves! My name is Tiona Natilya. Ever since I was a young girl, I have been interested in healing, nature, holistic health, spiritual protection, and mindfully growing. In my late 20s I discovered Yoga and fell in love with Yoga. In 2016, I decided to take a yoga teacher trainer course at Vinyasa Yoga Academy, in Rishikesh, India. My class seemed diverse enough for the location. It was a mixture of ages and countries; we only had a guy in our class for the first two weeks then he decided to leave. During my course we learned about the Indian Philosophy and how it fit into the Yogi path. Even though I enjoyed all my classes, I found myself continuously wondering where or how I could find a community of beings to learn and grow with, who would also understand the challenges of being a Black American/African American in today’s era. It took years to find a community of similar spirits. We may be in different parts of our journeys, but the goal is the same more or less.
Yogis in Melanin Bodies
African Yoga History:
The theory that yoga originated in North Africa is based on ancient
hieroglyphics and artwork. The ancient Egyptians are famous for using
symbols to express their philosophies and ideas. Often carved into the
walls of tombs and caves, the symbolic drawings are better known today as
'hieroglyphics'
African Yoga, also known as Kemetic Yoga or Smai Tawi originated from
ancient Egypt, which was then known as Kemet. The purpose of African Yoga
is the merging of an individuals' lower self and higher self and to
connect with divine or universal consciousness.