Meet Ayesha Samji, a yoga teacher from Tanzania, who highlights the power of inclusivity, intentionality, and the transformative nature of yoga. Ayesha's dedication to bringing yoga to her country serves as an inspiration for others to explore the practice and discover its profound impact on their own lives. Welcome to yoga in Tanzania! Tanzania Yoga, Yoga in Tanzania, Tanzania Yoga, Visit Tanzania, Mukti Wellness, Yoga Around the World, Global Yoga, International Yoga, Wild Yoga Tribe, Yoga Teacher, Yoga Teacher Story.

EPISODE #87 – YOGA IN TANZANIA

Meet Ayesha Samji

Meet Ayesha Samji, a yoga teacher from Tanzania, who highlights the power of inclusivity, intentionality, and the transformative nature of yoga. Ayesha’s dedication to bringing yoga to her country serves as an inspiration for others to explore the practice and discover its profound impact on their own lives. Welcome to yoga in Tanzania!

Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast Episode #87 – Inclusive Yoga: Yoga in Churches, Mosques, and Temples – Yoga in Tanzania with Ayesha Samji

Welcome to Episode #87 of the Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast! My conversation with Ayesha Samji, a yoga teacher from Tanzania, was so beautiful as we dove into how yoga can bring presence, meaning, and connection. We talked about caring and giving, and the necessity of filling your own cup.

If you’re looking to tune into a podcast episode that is all about planting seeds that can grow into bright and beautiful ways beyond your own circle into the larger community, into your country, and into the world then this is the conversation for you.

Tell me more about Ayesha Samji

Ayesha Samji is a yoga teacher from Tanzania with 20 years of experience in wellness. Her focus is yoga, counseling, mindfulness, and holistic therapy. Ayesha is also the CEO and founder of Mukti Wellness Center in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, and an NGO: Yoga for Wellness Africa through which she is able to provide training programs to people from all walks of life. These resources allow her to carry out her vision of sharing and making wellness and holistic healing available to the larger populace.

Ayesha Samji’s purpose is to guide others toward their innate capacity for growth and wholeness. Asking for help in navigating life struggles is both a vulnerable and courageous step in one’s own self-care. Through the secure base of the therapeutic partnership, she can assist her clients in discovering how to live with a greater sense of calmness, presence, confidence, meaning, and connection in daily life.

What to expect in the Yoga In Tanzania episode of the Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast

Meet Ayesha Samji, a yoga teacher from Tanzania, who highlights the power of inclusivity, intentionality, and the transformative nature of yoga. Ayesha's dedication to bringing yoga to her country serves as an inspiration for others to explore the practice and discover its profound impact on their own lives. Welcome to yoga in Tanzania! Tanzania Yoga, Yoga in Tanzania, Tanzania Yoga, Visit Tanzania, Mukti Wellness, Yoga Around the World, Global Yoga, International Yoga, Wild Yoga Tribe, Yoga Teacher, Yoga Teacher Story.

In this podcast episode, Lily Allen-Duenas interviews Tanzanian yoga teacher Ayesha Samji, founder of Mukti Wellness Center and Yoga for Wellness Africa, an NGO that focuses on yoga teacher training programs and community work. Together they explore the transformative power of yoga, and its ability to bring presence, meaning, and connection. Ayesha shares her inspiring journey of how yoga came into her life and the profound impact it had on her well-being.

A pivotal moment in Ayesha’s life came when her father was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and she became his caregiver during a nine-month hospital stay. It was during this time that she discovered the deeper aspects of yoga, including its ability to provide solace, healing, and connection within a community. This experience led her to shift her focus from the corporate world to the world of yoga and wellness.

Ayesha’s passion for sharing the benefits of yoga with her community in Tanzania led her to establish the Mukti Wellness Center and Yoga for Wellness Africa. She and her team actively promote yoga by conducting sessions in diverse spaces, including churches, mosques, and temples, to create a welcoming and inclusive environment. Their intention is to demystify yoga, build curiosity, and make it accessible to people from all walks of life

Through their efforts, Ayesha and her team have successfully cultivated a Tanzanian yoga community that not only practices yoga but also trains as teachers. The podcast episode highlights the power of inclusivity, intentionality, and the transformative nature of yoga. Ayesha’s dedication to bringing yoga to her country serves as an inspiration for others to explore the practice and discover its profound impact on their own lives.

If you’re seeking an uplifting podcast episode that explores the power of yoga to create positive change beyond individual circles and into the larger community, Yoga in Tanzania with Ayesha Samji is a must-listen. It will leave you feeling inspired, motivated, and eager to embrace the transformative potential of yoga in your own life and beyond

Favorite Quote From Ayesha Samji

“Obviously when I was teaching in a temple, people would not know I was teaching in a mosque. And when I was in a mosque, people didn’t know I was teaching in a church.  So like within that year, two years people from the church were joining us at the mosque and from the mosque, joining us at the temple. It was wherever they could make it. They knew it was there and it was accessible, and it was open for all.”

What’s in the Yoga in Tanzania?

Feel like skimming?

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The importance of yoga worldwide

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Community work and mentorship

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Yoga for Wellness Africa

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Yoga in mosques, temples, and churches

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Inclusivity, intentionality, and the transformative nature of yoga

PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION

Read + Reflect + Respond

Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast Episode #87 – Yoga in Tanzania Transcription

[00:00:00] Lily Allen-Duenas: My conversation with Ayesha Samji, a yoga teacher from Tanzania, was so beautiful as we dove into how yoga can bring presence, meaning, and connection, and we talked about caring and giving and the necessity of filling your own cup. If you’re looking to tune into a podcast episode that’s all about planting seeds that can grow in bright and beautiful ways beyond your own circle, and into your larger community, into your country, and into the world beyond, then this is the conversation for you. 

Family and welcome back to the Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast Today I am so excited to welcome Ayesha Samji onto the show today. She’s a yoga teacher from Tanzania and she has 20 years of experience in wellness. Her focus is yoga and counseling, mindfulness and holistic therapy, and she’s also the c e o and founder of the Mukti Wellness Center in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, and Yoga for Wellness Africa, which is a nGO and she’s able to provide yoga teacher training programs to people from all walks of life through that NGO and through the Mukti Wellness Center. So I’m so excited to dig into that, to learn more about Ayesha and just to be here with her. So thank you so much, Ayesha, for being here with me today.

[00:01:29] Ayesha Samji: Thank you so [00:01:30] much. I’m honored.

[00:01:31] Lily Allen-Duenas: So just to get started, love to hear more about you and how yoga came into your life.

How Did Yoga Come Into Your Life? 

[00:01:36] Ayesha Samji: Yoga was something that I had actually started when I was in the corporate world. I was about 19 when I got diagnosed with fibroids and at that point I was actually studying in Canada and I went to a lot of doctors and I had a lot of menstrual cramps and pain, and it was very difficult for me to continue with a normal, quote unquote life during the time of the month, it was definitely very painful.

I’d have to take a lot of time off, I was trying to figure out what to do during that time. I bumped into a nurse, and I clearly remember this when I was coming out of the clinic and she said to me that, I’ve been overhearing the conversation and I feel as though, you need to start yoga.

And at that time it was like what do you mean yoga? This is like you, you took talking about 30 years ago. And I said, okay, give it a shot if it’s really gonna help. And I signed up for 10 classes immediately. I didn’t know what type of yoga it was.

I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. And that’s how my journey started when it came to me practicing yoga. And then, years went by and I continued and then I decided, 10 years in practicing that, I think I’m going to do a teacher training program just to understand my body a little more.

And I had done [00:03:00] that And and it was great, the occasional teaching friends happened and diving deeper into what yoga was and understanding. That it’s not just the physical side how the breath is connected to the mind and the respiratory and how it affects you neurologically and your hormones.

And so it was all coming together at that time. And then in 20 12 my dad got diagnosed. He had ulcerative colitis and we ended up, Having a little bit of a complication. So both him and I were in the hospital during that time. Obviously he was getting treated, but I was the caregiver during that time and I was in the hospital with him for nine months where I took one day off and I started teaching, the nurses and we started working on breath work and there were other patients that were around.

And I realized that there’s so much more to yoga than just the movement and getting into a class it’s all almost connecting at a different level especially in that space. And so when I was in the corporate world during that time, and I’d taken that nine months off when I came back, I just couldn’t get back into it.

I just decided that, this is it. I’m going to try and figure out my journey in wellness and providing Yoga and different forms of healing and techniques that would be available for people in Tanzania where we don’t have a lot of [00:04:30] that and there’s not as much awareness, especially at that time. And that’s how my journey started. And that was my first teacher training program. And then I just have been going on.

[00:04:41] Lily Allen-Duenas: that’s amazing. It’s not unique to say, oh, I was in the corporate world and then, came to yoga, but I. It is unique to, to have taken nine months off to be with your father and to care and give care in that way, ayesha. Wow. And I could only imagine how through all of that and how exhausting and how much burnout can happen with that type of giving situation, but also, the cherished moments, the love, and it goes both ways. But then to try to reenter the corporate world, I imagine everything just felt like pointless going back in that.

A Change of Direction: From the Corporate World to the World of Yoga

[00:05:18] Ayesha Samji: Absolutely. That was exactly it. It did seem that way. I thought that there was more value to life almost. Not to say that, I loved what I did at that time, but I think I transitioned and I had changed as a person and I could go back into that. It was almost as though my.

My direction had changed. I’d taken that right turn and been with a lot of people who needed to receive and being someone who was providing that little bit of giving here and there was something that allowed me to understand the depth of what I was learning and I was doing for myself.

And the importance of people being aware [00:06:00] that it is accessible and it is out there and allowing them to experience it, and giving them that space to do so and knowing that it’s okay to do it.

[00:06:09] Lily Allen-Duenas: Yeah, that it’s okay to do it. So does that mean that there was some reason or cultural response that it wasn’t okay to do yoga?

Yoga in Tanzania

[00:06:19] Ayesha Samji: So in Tanzania, when we started there was one little place that was running occasional yoga and there was a larger expatriate community. We have a lot of people from all walks of world who travel to Tanzania for work, for the multinational companies. And so during that time, There was like this small studio where we would have space for about 10, 15 people and there were a few classes that were happening, but nothing that was welcoming, an understanding for the larger Tanzanian populace.

And so I started Mukti which was in 2015. We realized that this is what I wanted to do. And a friend of mine and I decided that, okay, let’s get into this. But we knew that we wanted to give to the community, and that required us to be able to perhaps look into the education side and the training side.

So we wanted to do teacher training programs, and we decided that what we would do [00:07:30] is for every person who actually paid for a teacher training program, we would have someone who would be able to do it for a minimal cost and be able to do a teacher training. And so when we started, we were trying to promote something called yoga, and it was something that no one really knew about.

And because of that we were going into various community centers. We’ve been to the mosques, the church, the temples, and we would start doing sessions open to everyone, and large spaces and just, welcoming people to just understand what we’re doing. The first question that a lot of people would ask us is this a religion?

Because we chose to do it as well in a lot of, like a temple and a mosque and a church. And and the reason why we chose to do it there is because it allowed people to just be in a larger space as a community where they were already comfortable and almost connected to a form of spirituality that already exists within you. So we started welcoming everyone and people started slowly bringing that awareness of yoga. And we now have a large Tanzania community that actually not only does yoga and comes to participate, but are teachers now as well.

[00:08:46] Lily Allen-Duenas: Oh, that’s amazing. That’s a beautiful idea. So you were thinking to bring yoga into spiritual spaces, because then maybe it would demystify the spiritual elements, or you were incorporating [00:09:00] different faith-based practices into the yoga. I’d love to hear a little bit more.

Doing Yoga in Churches, Mosques, and Temples

[00:09:05] Ayesha Samji: Yeah, so we were trying to do more. Our initial reason was is the spaces that they had already were larger spaces and people were walking in anyway. And it’s almost when you’re doing something like yoga, you are sharing this energy in a space and that presence. When you’re actually there is almost welcoming everyone who doesn’t necessarily need to do it, but it builds a sense of curiosity what’s going on here?

And that’s what we wanted. We wanted to build that sense of curiosity that almost internal purity. Was just coming out that aura, that light that we wanted people to say, okay, you know what it’s not bad. It’s not it’s feeling good.

Let’s try it out. And that curiosity is what we really wanted to try and bring in and cause that space holds that spirituality in itself. It was just so open and welcoming.

[00:10:06] Lily Allen-Duenas: Wow, that was a beautiful idea. And it’s also something I don’t think I’ve heard before, that not even just inside one church, but the church, the temple, and the mosque, all three, like that level of inclusivity, of intentionality wow, Ayesha, I love that.

Inclusivity and Intentionality: Yoga is Open for All

[00:10:23] Ayesha Samji: Thank you. Yeah. Obviously when I was teaching in a temple, people would not know I was teaching in a mosque. [00:10:30] And when I was in a mosques, people didn’t know I was teaching in a church. So like within that year, two years people from the church were joining us at the mosque and from the mosque, joining us at the temple. It was wherever they could make it. They knew it was there and it was accessible, and it was open for all.

[00:10:48] Lily Allen-Duenas: Wow. Oh, that is, goosebump worthy. It is very inspirational that people. We’re showing up in all the different spaces and probably an amazing thing to, for someone who maybe has never been into a temple before, cuz they always are someone who goes to the mosque than to just be exposed to different spaces and conversations or, just different I don’t wanna say religious identities, I wanna acknowledge that it is a brave act to show up in spaces where you haven’t been before and where you’re, you might feel a little bit like the MI minority or you might feel embarrassed I don’t even know the traditions in this space.

And it, that’s very brave of other people to start showing up, and I love that you’re the one who cultivated these spaces.

The Custom of Yoga

[00:11:36] Ayesha Samji: Yeah. I’m just gonna go back to what you said, which was interesting because you mentioned that they didn’t know perhaps the customs or What they would be doing at a temple or a church, or a mosque, if they don’t go there. But that was the beauty of yoga. It was, that was what they were doing.

That was the custom, that was what they were going to do when they came [00:12:00] there. And that’s what made it so beautiful. And that is something that actually came up that when we were there, That a lot of people would come to a part of the mosque and we would be, doing a session and we were doing whatever we were in that space and it was inclusive, it was all of us together, and it didn’t matter what walk of life we came from.

[00:12:24] Lily Allen-Duenas: Yeah. That is such a good point. And yoga, the word, the root yuj means to yoke, to unite. And so this takes the union to an entirely new level.

[00:12:35] Ayesha Samji: Absolutely. It was it beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And we still do run our sessions occasionally, not as often as we used to. We have other instructors who are constantly doing it now, which is fantastic.

[00:12:47] Lily Allen-Duenas: Amazing. So to talk a little bit more about your NGO, I would love to hear more about more about Yoga for Wellness Africa. It’s something I hadn’t heard of before, but I know you’re doing amazing work, so let’s spotlight that.

Yoga for Wellness Africa

[00:13:01] Ayesha Samji: Yeah, so Yoga for Wellness Africa is an NGO that we started about training teacher training programs on an ongoing basis. And what we basically do with the teacher training programs is for everyone who pays for a teacher training program with all the community work that we do, we find people within the community projects that we run to perhaps do a teacher training program if they’re interested, and it’s open to everyone.

So they would [00:13:30] come and apply. So the application is to just write why they wanna do the teacher training program. So with everyone who pays, we would have someone within the community who would be able to do the teacher training program.

The one thing that we add on our teacher training programs is 50 hours of community work. So whether you’re paid or whether you’re paying a minimal amount at the end of the training, the 200 hour or however many hours you’re doing, we would ask for you to do 50 hours of community work. And we would have a mentorship program with that. 

So someone who’s been teaching for a while would come with you and you would start doing the community work, even if it’s for the self. Like a lot of people who do teacher training programs just for yourself, which is how I started. We still would like for you to work with the communities and to see where we’re running our projects and just connecting with different people, even if it’s shorter movements, just focusing on pranayama or meditation and bringing that awareness a little more.

So it’s almost as though when you’ve done a teacher training program and you have 20 or 30 participants, you’re sharing, 10 times more.

[00:14:45] Lily Allen-Duenas: Yeah, that’s an amazing idea and a great concept to continue to sow seeds and, beautiful seeds in the community and to also, I’m guessing, introduce yoga into more diverse spaces. If those 20 people [00:15:00] maybe went into 20 different kind of things they were passionate about, or spaces that they were connected to, like perhaps hospitals or prisons or with educators at schools, I could just see the ripple effects. That’s what I can really see the ripples when you have 50 hours from 20 or 30 students each training. Wow.

[00:15:20] Ayesha Samji: Absolutely. That was our vision and our aim is to ensure that we can actually plant that seed and send it out. Let it grow.

Are People in All Parts of Tanzania Learning Yoga?

[00:15:30] Lily Allen-Duenas: Amazing. And do your students that are in your trainings are they all, would you say, in Dar-Es-Salaam or are they in other cities in Tanzania? So it’s spreading even wider in the country.

[00:15:42] Ayesha Samji: So there are people from other parts of Tanzania that have actually joined as well. So fortunately it’s spreading all over Tanzania. Thank God.

[00:15:52] Lily Allen-Duenas: Great. And I know that you do lead retreats as well. Can we talk a little bit about those?

Yoga Retreats in Tanzania and Beyond 

[00:15:58] Ayesha Samji: Absolutely. So the space retreat that we run focuses on stillness, presence, acceptance, compassion, and equanimity. And so the space retreats that we run incorporate a lot of mindfulness a lot of sound and healing. And the spaces that we select for our retreats, we usually want them to be pure. So an untouched, pure location. The retreats that we’ve been running, even [00:16:30] in India and Rishikesh, we’ve been running with people who are from Rishikesh, and we do it during Diwali time, and that’s the celebration of lights in the Hindu religion.

And so what we do is if we incorporate tradition into that, where we actually go to a family home, We understand what Diwali is, and we have storytellings that happened during that time to understand it a little more deeply and to participate in what activities that happen during Diwali.

The other locations that we pick in Tanzania also are not as popular. And we wanna try and pick places that have a lot of nature, a lot of different sounds can incorporate the Indian ocean that we are so fortunate to have so close to us. And, but we’ll also incorporate the forests and hike and the space retreats also incorporate a lot of silence and sound healing.

So we really spend a lot of time. In silence and stillness and really try and bring that presence. And when we leave from the retreat, we really wanna hold that equanimity and noticing what is in our control and what isn’t, so we can let it go.

[00:17:53] Lily Allen-Duenas: I did not know actually that you are leading retreats internationally as well. In Rishikesh. I have [00:18:00] spent we’ll say near three months in Rishikesh myself over a few years in trips and very special spiritual energy there. So it’s very amazing that you’re, bringing people there and helping them really dig deep and dive into the traditions of Diwali and into probably the traditions and the history and the energy that’s in Rishikesh as well.

[00:18:24] Ayesha Samji: Absolutely. Our next one is going to be happening in November, so yeah, the Diwali time, then,

[00:18:32] Lily Allen-Duenas: Wonderful. And I ask every yoga teacher who is a guest on the show, it’s my favorite question, what is your personal definition of yoga?

What is Your Personal Definition of Yoga?

[00:18:42] Ayesha Samji: My personal definition of yoga is connecting to yourself, being fully aware and present. And bringing that union to whatever is around you.

So when you have that awareness of who you are, where you are, where your space is that day, with all the emotions that perhaps are there and present, pleasant or unpleasant. And being able to share that space with your surroundings and just noticing how that union between the universe and yourself and others heals and changes.

[00:19:21] Lily Allen-Duenas: Very well said, very beautiful. And Ayesha, I would love to hear your thoughts as well on why do you think it’s important [00:19:30] right now? That yoga is all around the world. It’s spreading. We talked about Russia cash and which is known as the yoga capital of the world. Just that’s the loving phrase.

And there’s definitely very strong ancient roots in India with yoga and Nepal. But for yoga is spreading all over the world. So how do you feel about that? Or why do you think that’s important? Love to hear your thoughts.

Why is it Important That Yoga is All Around the World? Yoga in Tanzania, Yoga in Rishikesh, and Beyond!

[00:19:56] Ayesha Samji: I think the spread of yoga is important because it unites you, not based on creed, religion, where you’re from. It’s really a space where there isn’t judgment. And I think that’s something that all of us, with everything that’s happening around us is really important.

That level of acceptance to one human, to another human, that’s one. And I think the second part of it is the fact that we’re always running. There’s this space that everyone is running to, and I think a lot of the times we don’t know where we’re running to and. Yoga almost gives you that sense of grounding, a sense of pause for you to be able to just say, okay, wait.

Hold on. Where am I going? It’s almost looking at it and if you really wanna look at it, if you look at it that in the morning, they always talk about your cortisol levels being the highest. An hour or two hours after you’ve woken up and that’s the time you should start to [00:21:00] meditate and you really focus on your breath.

So you’re. Your parasympathetic nervous system is activated, so you’re calming your body down because your cortisol levels are the highest. And it’s almost as though that rhythm, that cycle that we have in our life right now, we don’t have that space to bring in the stillness and yoga gives you that.

So it’s not just allowing balance From a physiological perspective but it’s also giving you that sense of physical awareness and balance and breath and connecting with yourself, which I think as we grow and as things happen in our life, that’s the first thing we let go of is us, is the “I” right.

And I always have this thing that I talk about that if your jug of water isn’t full, how are you able to give it to others? How were you able to share that water?

You Can’t Pour from an Empty Cup: You Need to Receive, to be Able to Give

[00:21:57] Lily Allen-Duenas: Absolutely. Those are amazing reasons and I love. Always that metaphor of the empty cup, full cup or the jug of water as well, because the role of giving and giving can feel so good and there can be so many who need to receive. But the act of taking time for the self of self-care of times and stillness of times and self-reflection, those are how I feel that the cup can be filled again with your own energy and your own intention for [00:22:30] yourself and for nourishing and nurturing your connection to your own being, body, and breath. And so we need to have that time. And it was very alarming for me to hear in the beginning when you said you had nine months of being a caregiver when your father was in the hospital and you took one day off. And I was like, oh, that was very, Astounding. Wow.

[00:22:52] Ayesha Samji: And I think that’s where the balance came in. That even in that space I was, I had the level of understanding that. I think naturally came that for my own calm, for me to be the caregiver, for me to give, I will need to take the five minutes or the 10 minutes for myself whenever possible to be able to do that.

And the other thing, I find that within, the space that we’ve built, the community that we’ve built, a lot of people are told that, oh, when you take time out for yourself, it’s almost being selfish. And I think that needs to change. It’s not just about giving, it’s about knowing that you need to receive, to be able to give. And it’s almost changing that around.

[00:23:38] Lily Allen-Duenas: So Ayesha, I’ve loved hearing everything you’re saying. And I know also that one of your focuses is counseling. Are you a counselor yourself?

Life Coach and Mindful Therapist Work in Tanzania

[00:23:46] Ayesha Samji: So as a life coach and a mindful therapist, I work a lot with people who try and find various forms of healing, but my major focus is working with endocrinology as [00:24:00] well. So I really work with the hormones and I work with various different Tools that would be able to find some form of balance and then, introduce various other things like A allowing people to understand how that also heals and the plots that are actually out there as well. And we work on a program and a plan that is suitable for what they do in their life, but incorporating certain aspects that would help and heal. And would benefit them.

[00:24:34] Lily Allen-Duenas: Awesome. So if someone is listening to this podcast, we have a lot of yoga teachers from all over the world listening. So if there’s a yoga teacher there who’s oh my, wow. Aisha has founded a wellness center, founded an ngo. She leads retreats in her country and beyond, like what advice do you give to someone who maybe isn’t a new yoga teacher, maybe has been doing this for years, but is wanting to expand their offerings? What do you think is something that would be really beneficial for them to hear?

What Advice Would You Give to Yoga Teachers Who Want to Expand Their Offerings?

[00:25:06] Ayesha Samji: Good question. Personally, and I think for every yoga instructor it’s different. It’s different for everyone. But following your path, I feel as though when you, for me, when I became a yoga instructor, there was a direction and a path, and yoga is so vast.

There’s so many avenues, there’s so many fields and that you can go [00:25:30] that you can choose and a direction that you can find. That to eliminate any form of that competitiveness is number one, and to really connect with where your space is when it comes to that. So the reason why we get yoga instructors from all parts of the world who would be interested in doing a teacher training program here is for that reason.

It’s because someone’s journey shall be different from mine, and that journey might resonate with someone else who will find a different path in that same direction. And I think as long as you are comfortable with listening to what your journey is, finding that path and being able to offer and give wherever you feel you can.

 That for me has been something that’s been key. I also really listen to my gut. And that gut feeling that I get that go ahead with it and just do it, is something that really I resonate with a lot. And so with a lot of the times, When I started the ngo, a lot of people were just like, for funding, have a focus, go into just education or go into just health or women with trauma and care.

And when I started, I was very [00:27:00] confused and I’m like, okay, perhaps this is what we should be doing. But as projects came along and people connected with us, we’ve worked with the pediatrics, oncology with the government hospital here. We’ve done teacher training programs in prisons..

We work closely with, the sober houses over here, and we find skills that would help them. We’ve worked with orphanages and the women who’ve been through trauma. And we’ve worked with people in Cape Town, girls who have a home and a women’s shelter. So it’s what has worked for us is listening to my gut and connecting with the people that are present and there, and I felt that for me, once I did that, I was able to give and receive and just share.

[00:27:56] Lily Allen-Duenas: That’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And I love hearing all the different groups that you serve and are involved with and bring yoga or mindfulness meditation, breath work to. It’s beautiful. And so for our listeners, Aisha, who maybe aren’t very familiar with Tanzania, maybe they can point to it on a map, but they’re just not sure really they don’t know too much about your country.

Could you share with us more about what Tanzania is like?

What is Tanzania Like?

[00:28:23] Ayesha Samji: Absolutely. So it’s the east coast. We have the Indian Ocean, so it’s literally [00:28:30] bath water all year around. Fortunately we only have one season, fortunately for me, our temperature during our winter time is about 25 ish, and our summertime is about 35, 38. So that’s the range through the year.

And beautiful, grounding coastal. So I really try and tell people that it’s, if you know the muladhara chakra, it’s really grounding and when you come to Dar it really brings you to that space of just being grounded. It has a lot of soul and it’s simple. It’s a simple place. That’s home.

[00:29:11] Lily Allen-Duenas: Wonderful. And for all of our listeners who maybe have a question for you or maybe are interested in learning more about your offerings, I’m going to link your website in the show notes as well as on my website, wild yoga tribe.com/yoga in Tanzania. But here, just on the podcast itself, would you like to share how listeners can get in touch with you?

How Can Listeners Get in Touch With You and Learn More About Yoga in Tanzania?

[00:29:32] Ayesha Samji: Absolutely. The website has the details. Connecting with me via WhatsApp or emails would be the best. So yeah, just connect and social media. So if you wanna connect and DM via Instagram or Facebook. Absolutely.

[00:29:49] Lily Allen-Duenas: Thank you so much, Ayesha for being with me today. It has been such a joy to learn from you and to hear your story. Thank you.

[00:29:57] Ayesha Samji: Thank you Lily. Wonderful. Thank you. And this [00:30:00] is amazing work that you’re doing that’s absolutely fantastic. 

[00:30:05] Lily Allen-Duenas: Thank you for listening to the Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast. Be well. 

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