5 BIPOC-led yoga classes to try in Stockholm this week

Stockholm doesn't lack for high quality gyms or yoga classes, but with so many options on offer knowing where to start can be tricky. Here are five sessions to try led by BIPOC yogis and yoginis.

Whether it's her work as a yogini or as a sustainable urban planning engineer, Lwam Abraham places a strong focus on wellness in everything she does. "I believe in representation in wellness and urban planning, as social sustainability creates conditions for better health,” she explains.

Her popular Ground Flow yoga courses are offered at Altromondo in Stockholm and will soon be available further afield as part of an upcoming DESTA yoga retreat in Tanzania. 

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Every session is open to beginners and seasoned practitioners alike, with Abraham exploring breathwork techniques, flowing yoga sequences, meditation and journalling as part of the course. After finishing the five week programme, Abraham says that each practitioner should feel comfortable using different daily yoga practices. "I want to spread awareness to show people that it doesn't have to be that complicated and you should have fun while learning," she says.

For those who get jumpy at just the thought of sitting still, Shay Peretz has a way of guiding you through. Specialising in yoga and Zazen meditation, Peretz has been sharing his multicultural approach in Stockholm for the last decade, since moving to the city from California. "Soto Zen, a Buddhist tradition, has influenced me, but when teaching, I draw influences from all the world's content, not one specific lineage," he says. "The word healing originates from 'whole', so I think of the practice as returning to a state of wholeness."

Known for his extended dynamic vinyasa flow session, which emphasises the exploration of mind work expressed through movement, Peretz's classes are regularly filled with storytelling and music. They're also available in several locations across the city — look for Shay Peretz Yoga sessions at Yogashakti, Altromondo and Inbalance.

Maudo Sey started practising Hatha Yoga in the early days of the pandemic. Today, he combines his teaching with his work as a certified ARPF brain longevity and Alzheimers specialist, focusing on cognitive health with a holistic and scientific approach to yoga therapeutics. 

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While most classes in Europe place a focus on physical postural yoga, Sey blends ancient Indian philosophy, Buddhist practices and meditation into his sessions, while also exploring the subjects on his blog, A Meditative Journey. His sessions are delivered online with Live Yoga Teachers, allowing you to undertake Yin Yoga, a slower-paced exercise incorporating principles of traditional Chinese medicine and where each posture is held longer, easing the connective tissue surrounding the muscles, from the comfort of your own home.

"I had long felt that the wellness space, and particularly the yoga community in Sweden, lack representation and diversity," says Weini Smon of her decision to start a yoga course specifically for women of colour. "A big part of my work is to create safe spaces for people of colour."

Her Back-to-Basics course at Ayäm Studio, located in the centre of Stockholm, is beginner-friendly, exploring breath and focusing on alignment — paired with vibey music and a safe, supportive atmosphere. "I want to encourage people to explore different healing and wellness modalities that will work for them," she says.

The Stockholm-based yogi with Eritrean heritage also runs 'radical and intentional self-care workshops', and says that often looking after yourself can begin with some simple decisions: "My self-care approach starts with unplugging from social media, saying no to the expectations and yes to setting boundaries."  

Anna Becker has been teaching yoga since 2009, specifically Bikram Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga and Yin Yoga at Bikram Yoga City, a studio she describes as "a safe space to explore and for self-reflection."

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Also a trained massage therapist, Becker takes students through a 90- or 60-minute programme consisting of a series of standing and stretching postures done in a heated room. “Some days you succeed, and others you don’t — accepting that is part of the practice," she says. "It's an excellent tool, a mental or a physical journey, and sometimes both.”