Getting to know Zakiya Bishton

Do you tell us a little about yourself?

Hello, I am Zakiya, founder of Mindwalk Yoga, an online well-being studio that is a social company. I mixed Jamaican and English roots and live in East London. I have been teaching yoga for 12 years, has been practicing for over 20 years and my focus is now on yoga therapy for anxiety, trauma and insomnia.

What does a day in the life of Zakiya look like?

My days are a mixture of teaching for mindwalk yoga, leading the social company together with my great team, a lot of swimming, yoga and as much as possible to see friends and family.

In my free time I read a lot, my favorite authors are Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison.

How did your trip to yoga began?

I started practicing yoga with 17, in retrospect I was a very anxious teenager, so I think that the idea of ​​doing something to find peace. I grew up in Birmingham and at that time there were no yoga courses. I got a yoga book and started my yoga trip at home.

How did the decision to become a teacher?

I trained with the British Wheel of Yoga at 25, it felt like the most natural step on my trip because I had practiced so long and wanted to deepen my understanding.

Tell us about the idea behind your platform - Mindwalk Yoga

Mindwalk Yoga came from the desire to represent black women in yoga and reach people, especially black women who believe that yoga is not for them.

Mindwalk Yoga has a unique offer-we are founded and operated exclusively by black women. While our online studio focuses on and prioritized by black women, we are open to everyone.

You can imagine mindwalk yoga like a boutique version of the Calm app for black women, but with livestream practices and real community.

You work with a collective of women on mindwalk yoga - what does community and cooperation mean for you?

Our community is everything at Mindwalk Yoga. We are an online studio, so they are based in the whole of Great Britain, they log in, combine each other and take time for their mental health. From London to Edingburgh to Yorkershire.

black women who never thought that yoga would be something for them, join our well-being community! We offer Chair Yoga and make our courses accessible to disabled people and people with restricted mobility. We always take time for conversations, chats and exchange before class - this social interaction is really unique and shapes who we are.

How did you get to teach/specialize yoga for fear?

I have been teaching yoga for more than 12 years and have now specialized in yoga therapy for anxiety, depression, insomnia and PTSD.

and I teach from a knowing place. I am afraid and had phases in my life, in which I felt that my anxiety symptoms such as frenzied thoughts, flat breathing and a deep feeling of nowhere to belong out of control. The use of yoga as a tool for self -government has made me specialize in this area.

How did you experience that yoga benefits them to those who suffer from fear?

to support people in dealing with their fear themselves, was the best part of my trip with Mindwalk Yoga. I share practices in classes and long courses that enable people to find their own way. This certificate says everything about an 8-week course.

" I have been in my thirties and have been clinical with depression for about 3 years, but to be honest, I think that I suffered most of my life from depression. I have already worked with yoga as a beginner. I never really "worked" because I felt uncomfortable with the "spiritual" part and was underrepresented in class. What has happened to me since then is a miracle! The peace that I started to feel after I did the homework of the first week felt so good. But I only really noticed it after week 2. I enjoyed doing all exercises as part of my routine and found that I couldn't hear the constant negativity and the humming thoughts in my head so much. I was more concentrated and less blurred

What would your top 3 tips be for someone who has to do with fear?