“Malika is the perfect example for how yoga truly cultivates the brilliance within.”-Chelsea Jackson Roberts Chelsea Loves Yoga

 

Malika Omawale began to study yoga and meditation in 2004 while working as a schoolteacher and completing her Masters in Education. She was among the first recipients of the Integral Health Fellowship, an intensive 2-year Yoga Teacher Certification program through the Niroga Institute. When Malika completed yoga teacher training in 2008, she committed herself to sharing and promoting the supportive practices of yoga, mindfulness and healthy eating with underserved populations, in this case, her public school students. She taught in both Title 1 public schools and private international schools for 10 years and continued to study yoga. In 2013, Malika became a Yoga Alliance RYT 200 through her studies and certification with her mentor, international yoga and dharma teacher, Katchie Ananda. She also studied under other excellent teachers from various traditions, including Raja Yoga, Forest Yoga, Anusara Yoga, Ashtanga and Vinyasa. These diverse influences mirror her life experience of growing up in different countries around the world.

 

Malika spent her childhood in her native Jamaica, as well as Mozambique, Thailand, England, Sierra Leone, Yemen and the US. This international upbringing sparked in her an appreciation for the interconnected nature of the world and a love for the uplifting aspects of culture. Malika immersed herself in the diverse dance world of the San Francisco Bay Area. She studied a variety of styles including Afro-Haitian, Cuban Salsa, Samba, Jazz, Flamenco, and Modern. She performed with the renowned dance companies Rueda Con Ritmo, Las Que Son Son and Rara Tou Limen. Malika also earned a Level 2 Zumba certification and successfully integrated her passion for dance and yoga into a unique World Dance Yoga class.

 

OMawale Wellness Rhythms was founded out of the desire to share the grounding practices that supported Malika through several life transitions. Malika continues to share the gifts of her experiences and makes them accessible around the globe through a variety of offerings. She has taught at studios, festivals and retreats in California, Panama, The Bahamas and Jamaica. She integrates her passions for dance, yoga, meditation, world cultures, and wellness into classes, workshops, retreats and wellness programs that support and inspire people to be their healthiest, most vibrant and balanced selves.

 

To learn more about Malika Omawale's journey with yoga, read an interview with 

Chelsea Loves Yoga.