hen you first walk into Firehawk Yoga
Studio you are instantly filled with a feeling
of peace. The vast open area, which is
lit by an abundance of natural sunlight,
creates a space that brings about warm
and uplifted emotions. It is a space that owner
Ona Hawk has used as a means to educate
students and community members on the key to
healthy living.
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The decision to use her knowledge and gifts for
the betterment of others revealed itself after she
made the choice to reshape and improve her
lifestyle. In 2008, Ona began to explore natural
ways of healing and living in order to gain balance, something that was missing from her life. “I
decided to take back the control from other people
and give it to myself. I became more responsible,”
says Ona. This decision set her on a path to
explore healthier options and led her to realize
that we all have power and control over ourselves.
After graduating from Clark Atlanta University, Ona
spent a great deal of time reading and
researching, one of her favorite pastimes. This
allowed her to discover Capoeira, a rhythmic
form of Martial Arts originating from West Africa
which is now practiced heavily in Brazil and has
spread worldwide. Having been inactive since
riding horses competitively as a child, Caopeira
allowed Ona to explore her physicality which
had been dormant. “It shifted my viewpoint and
allowed me to connect the physical activity with
the new nutritional information I had begun
studying,” she says
Following her introduction to Capoeira, Ona
began looking for a holistic practice which would
allow her a smooth transition. “I knew there was
an African-centered Yoga out there, and my
intuition told me to find it,” she remarks. Her
research eventually led her to Kemetic Yoga, a
form of yoga scientifically based on the ancient
African sciences. “It fit perfectly with my studies
and the pre-developed conclusions I had come to
about the connections between our ancestors, our
15 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 AFIYA MAGAZINE