Welcome all,

I am Subia, author and writer turned yogi. My life has many creative paths but two most notable: The art of writing and the art of yoga. To unite the two as creatively as life will allow is my professional and personal aim. Whether I an writing for newspaper publications, blogs or my own books, to teaching a gentle strength yoga class or creating a new yoga curriculum, I try to start with mindfulness and sense of purpose.

I am a byproduct of an early childhood in Karachi, Pakistan where yoga lay quietly in the background. It’s where avid and novice yogis practiced their asanas at parks and in the open grounds of monuments and mausoleums. It’s where I remember hearing the ladies from the women’s club swapping recipes and discussing the best yoga postures for better digestion and a healthy glow. For the people in the region, yoga is not a religious practice but is deeply appreciated for its healing and awareness of the self.

I moved to the US at 9 years old and immersed seamlessly into another unique culture which has become a part of my diverse identity. More specifically, growing up in progressive California, ones’ natural focus is often on health, wellness and always welcoming new ideas. Living in California has been an immeasurable blessing, one I can count every day. I remember seeing yoga books for children at my elementary school book fair back in the late 80’s when yoga hadn’t made its way into mainstream and popular culture. This was my inspiration for writing my second children’s book, which is all about California and the beauty of yoga.

Books have always been a part of my life and books on yoga have continuously made their way onto my bookshelf. Books on Avicenna, Ayurveda, meditation and the power of yoga from the perspectives of various different cultures and faiths; drawing especially from Sufism of South and Central Asia. Its principals are apparent in each of the classes that my instructors and I teach; Silk Road Yoga classes are one of our most graceful and centering adult classes. It’s also through my admiration of Rumi (poet/scholar) and his inclusive teachings that I created Alif Yoga – an east meets west yogic experience made accessible to students of all ages in various spaces. Which means we’re not confined to a studio. “We bring yoga to you” means we offer yoga at schools, in the workplace and private group/individual sessions out in the open or at our partner facilities.

Besides my writing and yoga instruction, my educational background is in Sociology and Child Development with a focus in an anti-bias curriculum. I am also a mother, wife, daughter and have been an expert self-depriver. I pulled myself out of the later so I wouldn’t lose myself in the balancing act and fortunately found myself on my yoga mat wanting more for myself and became technically trained in the art and science of yoga. To deepen my knowledge, I trained under the tutelage of Dr. Nancy Weil of the Yoga Education Institute in Westlake Village, California at the Health and Longevity Institute. With years of teaching, study and practice, I have become and E-RYT (Experience registered yoga teacher) and also and YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider) where I teach other teachers: The Importance of Sanskrit Terminology/Language for Yoga Teachers and How-to Effectively Teach Children’s Yoga.

Today, Alif Yoga teaches 400 students of all ages with a special focus on children’s yoga in schools throughout Southern California. With my talented instructors, we are the only mobile yoga business that brings yoga to you – at your schools, workplaces and private groups in the location of your choosing. While you may see Alif Yoga in various spaces, we are grounded in yogic teachings and our cohesive curriculum.

Here I have summed up my path on creating Alif Yoga but now I would like to hear about your path to yoga, no matter your stage. Reach out and connect with me to let me know how I can be a part of it.