OM meets...
om body
Pablo Imani, the founder of Afrikan Yoga, as well as author, massage therapist
and holistic health coach, shares his journey with OM
Pablo Imani
How did you irst get into yoga
I’ve been doing yoga since childhood but only realising this in
adulthood when I was stretching one day preparing for martial arts
training in the backyard of a friend. I was introduced to the system of
hatha yoga at 19. However, it really started when I was about four-
years-old. We had two family cats in our home and I used to watch
them stretch; I would copy their movements, stretch with them,
play with them. I’d watch them intently, to see how they’re hunting,
relaxing, observing their ability to deeply relax, purring in stillness
and calmness, every muscle in a state of de-stress. The cats were
my irst teachers in the yogic arts; I copied them the way our ancient
ancestors studied various animals in order to develop their martial
arts and yogic sciences. They are exceptional teachers and this
experience in childhood became a ritual. In fact, cats are my spirit
animal, and in my teachings, Bast and Sekhmet, the ancient feline
energies of ancient Egypt, are prominent.
As I got older, my older brother’s girlfriend, Iva, who was a hatha
yoga teacher, as taught by Vanda Scaravelli, started showing
me stretches when I was about 19. Prior to that I had an interest
in dance and martial arts, and I trained in Muay Thai. Hatha was
my irst taste of the Indian yogic system. As time went on, I also
practiced other forms of martial arts, African/Caribbean martial arts
including capoeira and Win chung and Tai Chi.
Alongside teachings I had received from my Sui master I started
doing more yoga postures, from a particular system of yoga,
Egyptian Yoga, by Dr Muata Ashby, who later became my mentor.
I did about four postures particularly for my bad back at that time
and I inished doing those for a week, my back problem had gone
completely. I thought this was incredible and decided that I wanted
to ind out more about yoga and also to learn from an ancient
African perspective.
I was a part of a Sui order initiated back in 1996, learning breathing
techniques and chanting. But I was completely ignorant these were
yogic practices until one day my master said this is Egyptian Yoga. I
started getting into diferent yoga styles like ashtanga, kundalini, but
mainly focused on Egyptian Yoga from Muata.What does yoga give you personally
Yoga gives me clarity of thought; it opens a portal to the mental
reservoir and allows me to receive inspiration in a kaleidoscopic way.
Physically, yoga maintains my general body function and systems,
it cleanses, refreshes and rejuvenates. As a result, it keeps me
looking younger and feeling more alive and aware. Yoga, particularly
Photos: Moud Imhotepmeditation, calms me down. Even though my life may go through