Tanaya Yoga

Tanaya Yoga is a welcoming community yoga studio in Chicago’s South Loop founded by Joy Nakayama, offering mindful practices and classes designed to empower children, families, and adults to connect with their greatest selves through yoga, meditation, and community building. The studio creates a cozy, supportive, non-judgmental home atmosphere where people of all ages can find peace and grow to reach their fullest potential – truly a retreat in the middle of the city providing a space to find center and calm.

Joy Nakayama, the creator and founder, is a dedicated yoga instructor with over 20 years of experience who discovered yoga during her fashion modeling career as a way to stay grounded and healthy while traveling the world. As a co-founder of Imazaki Dojo and black belt in Kyokushin karate, Joy found her passion working with children and was inspired by her own two children and students at the dojo to create specialized programs combining her loves of yoga and youth empowerment.

The studio offers family yoga classes where parents and children practice together in an environment that honors yogic philosophy as much as the poses, using movement as a fun and healthy way to connect to higher consciousness. Kids yoga classes provide age-appropriate instruction helping young students build confidence, self-esteem, decision-making skills, and physical fitness. The signature Girl Power Circles create a safe space for girls to share thoughts and ideas, learn new things, be creative, and develop inner strength while supporting one another. Meditation and mindfulness practices are woven throughout all offerings, whether in 15-minute sessions or hour-long classes, making these essential tools accessible to everyday life. The studio emphasizes creating genuine connections within the community where people come together to feel truly supported.