Background
Olivia N. Atley, affectionately and respectfully known as Libby, grew up in Northeast Ohio where she was raised by her mother, Mona. Mona raised Libby and her two older sisters to be actively engaged in their community; enrolling them in various enrichment and civic-minded programs from orchestra, band, YPD, dance, Girl Scouts, Youth NAACP, UMADAOP, and choir just to name a few.
Libby had a special love for music at a very early age. She enjoyed tapping out rhythms in the car, and tagging along with her mother to choir rehearsal at Jones Chapel AMEC; where she would entertain the adults by singing the latest gospel songs she heard her mother playing around their home. So when Mona signed her and her sisters up for dance lessons at the local YWCA at the age of 6; Libby was more than ecstatic. This only deepened her love for music. The organic union of the two art forms gave her a dynamic way to express her inner thoughts and emotions.
As Libby became more involved in her church and elementary school’s band and choir, she had less time for formal dance lessons. During junior high school Libby became a members of her school’s cheerleading team, and one of the founding members of her church’s liturgical dance ministry. Their group traveled throughout Ohio, ministering at an array of worship services and events.
After middle school Libby went on to Southview High School, which was a performing arts magnet school. Amongst her college preparatory studies, Libby’s areas of focus were instrumental, vocal, and recording music. After graduation she went on to obtain her B.S. in Eduction, majoring in Dance Performance, at Bowling Green State University (May 2000). While at BGSU Libby committed much of work to the understanding of African and Caribbean culture, dance, and history. This included studies in: the Spanish Language, Latin and Caribbean Dance forms (Florida Dance Festival), West African Culture and Dance (Université d’Abomey-Calavi), and Latin History.
One year post graduation Libby was accepted into the M.A. program at The Ohio State University. It is here that she grew into deep interest in yoga...
Photo Credit: Markiesha Johnson Mason
Experience
While in graduate school Libby was required to take an alternative avenue to fulfilling her dance technique requirements her first year. The best alternative they found was yoga. This twice weekly practice gave her extreme mental clarity, physical strength, and over all restoration that she did not expect. Yoga was so vital to Libby during this time that she began studying on her own in her home; researching its origins, history, practices, as well as expanding her asana practice through videos (mainly taught by Rodney Yee).
It was not long before Libby realized that she had a desire to become a yoga instructor. The journey to the point of her teacher trainings was long (15 years) but well worth it. Libby earned each of her yoga-centered certifications at Yoga On High: Pranayama Teacher Training (2016), 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (2017), Sekoia™ Teacher Training 2018, Reiki Level 1 (2020), Meditation Teacher Training (2021), as well as Trauma Informed Children & Teen Yoga (Yoga Ed, 2021), Reiki Level 2 (Untamed Wisdom, 2022)
Each of Libby’s training and certifications have afforded her a wealth of knowledge that bridges together her dance training to provide intuitive yoga practices for the students she guides. Libby looks forward to continuing to grow in both areas, for herself and her community.