Meet Emma Bonnici
Emma Bonnici is the Founder of Kanga Studio Nairobi; a wellbeing sanctuary nestled within Ikigai Westlands on Peponi Road. Through Kanga Studio, Emma and her team invite people into their healing Studio grounded in the teachings of yoga and Ayurveda – truly a space to nurture the mind, body, and soul.
Ahead of the Lunch & Learn session, Emma shares with us her journey into movement and more about her aspiration for Kanga Studio Nairobi.
Where It Began
‘I think my love for what I do began when I was much younger, practicing yoga in my bedroom without even realizing that the poses I was doing were actually asanas (yoga postures).’
Emma has always been drawn to movement and the positive feelings it evoked in her body and mind.
Before founding Kanga Studio, Emma worked in events and marketing. She began her career managing on large scale events such as the Youth Commonwealth Games, the International Indian Film Awards, later supporting a diving company based along Kenya’s South Coast with their marketing efforts.
While she loved organizing events, she consistently found herself returning to yoga, often traveling to Rishikesh, India to deepen her practice and understanding.
In 2010, Emma was invited to teach a yoga class back in India. What began as a single session, quickly budded into more, eventually blossoming into opportunities to share her passion more widely – including writing a yoga column for the Hindustan Times, radio appearances, and presenting at yoga events.
Through this journey, Emma realized her dream: to share her love for yoga through teaching others to support their own healing and offer a skillset to build meaningful livelihoods.
Later, she received an invitation to train a group of Kenyans to become yoga teachers. In 2014, she delivered her first yoga training in Kenya. The impact and growth that followed have been unforgettable, sparking new opportunities and lifelong connections.
Emma’s Motivation
It’s a mix of both, says Emma.
‘What keeps me going is the vision – a clear and beautiful vision of Kanga Wellbeing, Kanga Studio and all the different pieces of it working together to uplift, inspire, and change lives.’
This vision was clear from the first Kanga Yoga and Ayurveda retreat she hosted in Laikipia, Kenya. It planted a deep passion for Emma to bring people to Kenya and share its beauty.
She is deeply passionate about sharing the teachings of yoga and Ayurveda, which genuinely motivates her to create spaces and offer trainings where people can heal, learn, and grow.
What’s Next?
‘Over the next year, my focus is to continue building Kanga Studio Nairobi and the community. We would love to welcome more people into the Studio and support them on their journey.’
In 2025, Emma says she’s made a commitment to putting down deeper roots in Nairobi and focus on growing Kanga Studio Nairobi at Ikigai Westlands. Her vision is to build a centre for healing to support the community. The retreats and weekly yoga practices have been the building blocks for her vision to nurture a space where individuals can experience authentic teachings.
What do you enjoy about your experience at Ikigai?
‘I genuinely love everything that Ikigai stands for – green spaces, community, and a real commitment to wellbeing – and I am so grateful we are in this partnership.’
For Emma, Ikigai is more than a coworking space, it’s an ecosystem. A beautiful blend of attentive thoughtful design, lush gardens, amazing coffee from Roasted Truth, delicious food by Spez Catering, cosy nooks, and the ever-welcoming buzz of community. From the moment you she enters the Space, the warm, positive energy envelopes her.
How do you unwind and find balance?
Balance, she says, is a work in progress – but it always starts with her morning practice, a daily ritual that anchors her no matter how the day unfolds. When it comes to unwinding?
‘Friends, music, and dancing.’ That combination is Emma’s ultimate reset.
We were thrilled to join Emma and her team on Thursday, 26th June 2025, at the Kanga Studio Nairobi at Ikigai Westlands on Peponi Road for a special edition of our Lunch & Learn event. During the session, Emma led us through an experiential breathwork, and deep relaxation practice designed to help attendees reconnect with their true nature and find calm amidst the busyness of life.
If you would like to book a session or connect with Emma or the Kanga Studio Nairobi team, please reach out via:
Kanga Studio Nairobi website: https://kangastudio.co/nairobi/ | Kanga Studio Nairobi phone number: 0759 956 291
Ikigai is a collective of wellness-focused, beautifully designed shared and private biophilic spaces to work, connect and unwind across Kenya’s bustling capital city – Nairobi – with five locations across the city in Lower Kabete, Lavington, Westlands – Peponi Road, Riverside, and Westlands – Brookside Drive. We provide our community and the wider Nairobi ecosystem with beautiful environments that nurture meaningful human interactions.
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