Yoga in Africa!

After twenty years & numerous Yoga classes and Yoga retreats all over the world, its remarkable to witness how at ease I am in connecting the dots (union, & harmony) between my body, mind & soul, and my souls purpose in the universe. Yet I still haven’t reached the physical stamina I desire. 

"Yoga is not a teaching, an ideology or a feeling. 

It is a technology that consciously obliterates the boundaries that we have drawn with the instruments of our individual mind & body. So as you are able to experience life process, as a union with existence " -  Sadhguru 

The first time I was exposed to Yoga I was living in Seattle, when my chiropractor suggested taking yoga classes to heal my lower back. I felt like I was betraying my Ethiopian Orthodox christian religion, which is the root of my spirituality and faith. Maybe I can say Yoga found me, because from simply stretching for my lower back, which completely healed me, I went on a deeper journey of exploring my connection of my mind, body and soul. I am grateful for the different Yoga instructors from America, to Asia, to Europe and Africa that have inspired me, the various Yoga types I have been exposed to, and my own inner transformation. It even allowed me to grasp on a higher level the mysticism, dogma and kenona of the Ethiopian Orthodox rituals, cultures and faith.

“Change leads to disappointment if it is not sustained. Transformation is sustained change, and it is achieved through practice.” - BKS Iyengar (Guruji)



Yoga in Ethiopia

Although most might think Yoga is a new discovery to Africa, the more I got to understand the physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in India, and learnt that the meaning, “stilling of the changing of the mind” (in an ancient language Sanskrit (DevaNagari), which some linguists say originated from the Ethiopian classical language Ge'ez(Ethiopic)). It was fascinating for me to discovered a parallel resemblance to what I feel during and after Kidase mass (which is mostly in Ge'ez) performed by the Ethiopian Orthodox church I belong to. Kidase for me through intense prayer, giving thanks, meditation, mantra, Hymns & movement of ones body for more than +3hours, you silence your mind, feel energized & positive as well as spiritually heightened. As such, although some would say as a Christian that Yoga & Meditation where strongly against the Ethiopian Orthodox belief, I found the connection. Most of these ancient religious rituals have a profound ability to awaken your consciousness, for those seeking a union of ones mind, body & soul, as well as a connection to nature. If one is not caught up in finding differences, rather if one is open minded enough to seek our similarities of all those that inhabit the earth, as well as seek inner peace, Joy and love from the seat of your soul, the heart. 

I started practicing in Seattle, as I thought it was great to combine the practice with my Zumba classes, to step away from the fast paced Corporate Banking Industry I was in. Later as I transitioned to traveling, living & working in Africa, to my delight I sought & found both Yoga & Zumba classes had reached Africa. In time through the drastic changes of living in Africa, my father/mentors death, & leaving a high paying Corporate job to opening a social responsible company as well as discovering Africa, Yoga truly centered me & assisted my mind, body & soul, and it also challenged me to be vulnerable & open to the universes path. Hence the combination of my upbringing, and my strong sense of duty to walk a path of consciousness, gave birth to my Social Enterprise company, Deldeyoch. I am still living & working in an Emerging market in Africa, having a unique personality & constantly challenging the norm, and focusing on the responsibility of all of us to seek the challenging truth within, so as to share your gift and passion to serve God, the higher power or the universe.


Interestingly when I started out in Seattle, considering that I lived in a city where 90% where white & Asians, and only 8% black people in Seattle, it wasn’t a shock to note that most of the time I was the only black person in any given Yoga class’s. But what was shocking is even in Africa, I was either the only person or maybe another Ethiopian or other African in the classes/Retreats that were black from more than 10 nationalities. Needless to say most of my friends, family and acquaintances found me a bit too daring & open, but sensing my passion & adventure character would simply classify me in the “Not African enough” bucket. Surprisingly though over the last couple of years, my endless posts on facebook, and my constant discussion on spirituality has encouraged a few of my friends & family to be more inquisitive of Yoga and its practice.


In Africa I practiced Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga, Power, as well as Iyengar Yoga, and in the US it was mainly Vinyasa, hatha, Bikram and power Yoga. Now, now, don’t let the names confuse you, I am not going to dive into the definitions as we all know Google can do a better job than me. But for the sake of this blog, I must say that I never really dived into the definitions nor was I interested, I somewhat went with the flow, depending on which Yoga instructor was nearest to where I lived I would be a devoted & loyal client. As for me I just loved the feeling inside of me after doing Yoga & it allowed me to go to places inside of me that gave me peace. And in time, whether being in a Yoga Juicing weekend, an Art of living silent retreat, or Iyengar Yoga weekend retreat, I felt more at ease with my practice & bonding with those similar to me that came to the retreats, and in time I made friends for life. As one of my yoga instructors mentioned, when I told her I didn’t want to practice with anyone but her, its not the instructor in Yoga but your willingness to learn & find what works for you.

So if it’s a quick fix & weight lose you are looking for it ain’t Yoga, but if its challenge, discovery, revelations, and inner shift you seek, as well as finding your true & naked self without your mask, I recommend Yoga.


Hold on tight because Yoga is a life changer, where your body will assist in taming your mind, and connecting with your spiritual being, transforming your view of the universe, and as Iyengar (Guruji) said practice, practice, practice, to sustain the changes you have made.



🧘🏾‍♀️Namaste (The spirit in me sees the spirit in you).

By Dutchess @deldeyoch



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