We Won 🎉🎈🍾 Favourite Yoga Studio - Om Yoga Magazine Awards 2024 🏆

So, yesterday (Saturday 19th October, 2024), the Akram Yoga crew, including some of our fabulous teachers and a few of our more "expressive" students, headed to Alexandra Palace for the OM Yoga Magazine Awards 2024. As some of you might recall, I felt a little robbed last year when we didn’t win the "Favourite Yoga Teacher Training" award. I really thought that award captured what goes on behind the scenes and the insane amount of work that goes into a teacher training program. The truth is, most trainings I’ve been part of (and even guest-taught at) barely cover half the material we do, so it felt like a well-deserved nomination. But alas, we didn’t win. Wise Laura—my personal oracle—told me not to hit the bar too hard afterward in case I kicked off 😂

Fast forward to this year... we strolled in casually and BOOM!💥 We won the awards for Favourite Yoga Studio 🏆 and Favourite Yoga Teacher 🥇 (yours truly). I’ll be honest—when I accepted the award, I was fully expecting a Kanye moment, with someone who takes Laura’s class running up on stage to say she was robbed and that it should’ve been her. Leaving me hanging like Taylor Swift. But no, that didn’t happen. That being said, I do feel like Laura should have won, and honestly, every teacher at the studio deserved that award more than me. Alli, Emma, Lyn, Lindsey—they’re all better at this than I am. Maybe the award reflects the stuff I do outside the classroom—that’s the only explanation. Well, aside from the whole diversity thing I mentioned before. Anyway, I hobbled up to accept my award, pretending my lower back wasn’t on fire after walking around all day. Seriously, the show had everything—from teeth-whitening stands to psychic readings. So much for "manifestation" and "the universe." 😂

Anyway, Emma, Laura, and Lyn (sadly, we were missing Alli) went up to accept the studio award and brought a bit of class to the place. Laura was shocked by how cheesy her grin was the whole time. It was so cheesy I half-expected to find her stuck in a mousetrap after.

Honestly, I can’t thank everyone enough—students and teachers alike. Where do I even start? Too many names to mention. Some of our students, like Yvon and Sangeeta, have been with us since before the Woking days. So many of you followed us from Woking. So many of you trusted us with your teacher training. You’ve seen me evolve—from the grumpy guy behind the desk to being married, becoming a dad, and, let’s be honest, slightly less grumpy. I truly can’t thank you all enough for investing in our studio. There was a time not so long ago when I was ready to close the doors and move on, maybe get a job at a petrol garage with other brown people who have even worse customer service skills than me.

But it was Laura, the teachers, and our loyal students who kept this place alive. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me have a job that’s so rewarding and fulfilling.

And really, where would I be without our incredible teachers? Without you, I’d just be the angry guy arguing at the front desk. You’re the ones who make the magic happen. Alli, Emma, and Lyn—you all trained with us, and I couldn’t be surrounded by better people. Thank you for everything you bring to the studio. 🙏🏾❤️

Special shoutout to Lindsey, who’s been with us since the early Woking days. Your loyalty means the world to me. 🙏🏾

To our amazing cover team—Rich, Carly, and Laura Gibbo (all trained with us too!)—thank you for choosing our studio to be your place to grow. 🙏🏾

Back to the event itself... it was a bit odd, not gonna lie. Welcome to capitalism, right? I still find it funny when people with American accents talk about the commercialisation of yoga and how the mainstream has "ruined" it. Let’s be real—where would any of us be if it weren’t for yoga becoming commercialized? There’s a balance to be found, for sure. But without yoga turning into a business, most of us wouldn’t even know what it is. So in some ways, we should be thankful for it. But that’s a blog for another day.

Once again, a massive thank you. Akram Yoga Studio—OM Yoga Magazine Studio of the Year 2024. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? 😊

Zahir Akram - Eternal Seeker