More Than Teaching Yoga: A Founder’s Story
Before yoga was aesthetic.
Before reels, mats, and matching sets.
There was Joanne stretching on the floor, following instinct, and quietly changing her life.
This is the story of iYoga, and the woman who turned mindfulness into a movement in Melaka.
From Instinct to Identity
Joanne didn’t discover yoga.
Yoga found her.
As a child, she was drawn to movement copying performers, stretching intuitively, listening to her body before the world taught her to ignore it. Growing up in Melaka, yoga wasn’t trendy or even easy to find. There were no fancy studios. No curated playlists. Just raw practice, carpets instead of mats, and learning through observation.
What she built back then wasn’t flexible.
It was discipline. Awareness. Inner strength.
Yoga became her constant through studies, work, travel, motherhood, and the messiness of real life.
The Bold Leap That Changed Everything
In her 30s, Joanne took a risk most people only talk about.
She opened her own yoga space.
No big safety net. No perfect timing. Just years of lived experience and deep respect for the practice. That space first called Inner Living was built on courage, not convenience.
Then life tested her.
After her marital dissolution, Joanne became a single mother and the sole force behind the studio. Pregnancy. Parenting. Business. Training. Healing. She carried it all without quitting.
She later earned her 200-hour yoga teacher training certification, rebranded the studio as iYoga, and never looked back.
Today, iYoga is one of Melaka’s most trusted and active yoga communities, with multiple branches iYoga Centre Kota Laksamana and i Fitness Studio Pulau Gadong alongside her business partners CK Chong and Pui Ying. It has a loyal following and students who have stayed for over a decade.
Yoga That Goes Deeper Than the Pose
At iYoga, yoga isn’t just a workout.
It’s a reset.
Yes, strength matters.
Flexibility matters.
Alignment matters.
But what Joanne and her teachers truly teach is awareness.
Breathing with intention.
Staying present when the mind wants to escape.
Responding calmly instead of reacting emotionally.
Through practices such as Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, breathwork, and sound healing, students don’t just stretch, they soften. Anxiety eases. Sleep improves. Stress loosens its grip.
In a world that never slows down, iYoga teaches you how to.
Safe. Inclusive. Humans.
One thing sets iYoga apart: technique with heart.
Joanne trains her teachers to see students, not just instruct them. Clear guidance. Safe alignment. Thoughtful adjustments. No ego.
There is no competition here.
No pressure to “look advanced.”
Progress at iYoga isn’t measured by how deep a pose goes.
It’s measured by how balanced you feel when you walk out.
For many, yoga doesn’t just become a practice
it becomes a lifestyle.
Creating Teachers, Not Followers
Joanne’s impact doesn’t stop at the mat.
Through teacher training, workshops, and global collaborations, iYoga has become a launchpad for the next generation of mindful teachers. Her students carry the iYoga philosophy wherever they go technical skill, compassion, and deep respect for individual journeys.
One teacher at a time, the ripple grows.
More Than a Studio. A Way of Life.
Joanne will tell you this herself: yoga changed who she is.
From restless and reactive to grounded and clear.
From frustration to observation.
From surviving to truly living.
iYoga was never about building a business.
It was about building awareness.
Seeing students move with confidence.
Sleep better.
Breathe deeper.
Smile more freely.
That is the real success.
The Soul of iYoga
iYoga feels like home because it is built like one
warm, honest, grounded, and real.
In a world chasing balance, iYoga reminds us that it starts within. And with the right guide, it can grow into something powerful, shared, and lasting.
This isn’t just a yoga studio.
It’s a story of resilience.
A culture of care.
And proof that when passion meets purpose, impact follows.
This is iYoga.
And this is Joanne.
