Wambui

Wambui Njuguna-Räisänen 

Wambui Njuguna-Räisänen took her first yoga class when she was 16. It proved to be the therapy she needed during rigorous, professional dance training. She continued to practice different types of yoga throughout college and graduate school. 

She came across Ashtanga Yoga in 2008 when she was living in Abu Dhabi. The structure and consistency of the method was the grounded discipline she needed at that time. For the past ten years, Wambui has been immersed in Ashtanga yoga and feels deeply grateful for all what the practice has brought to fruition, both in her personal and professional life.

Currently, in the wake of #metoo and the collective shift towards decolonialization, Wambui’s plans involve teaching yoga through an explicitly trauma-informed, anti-oppressive lens. BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ communities have been the voices most silenced, and are the bodies most left out of the healing space while simultaneously being the most impacted by systemic trauma. Therefore, creating wellness spaces that feel more welcoming, inclusive and accessible is of utmost necessity and importance. Together with her massage training (Chavutti Thirumal) and meditation advocacy, Wambui strives to work at the intersection of social inclusion, equity and wellness.

Wambui was born in Nairobi, Kenya to an English-Danish mother and a Kenyan (Kikuyu) father. She was raised in the United States, has worked and lived in Chile and the United Arab Emirates and is now based in Portugal where she lives with Petri and their two sons.

Visit her website to learn more.