About the Institute
Detroit Yoga Institute (DYI) is a professional, culturally-rooted, and forward-thinking training ground for yogic education and wellness leadership. Founded by Nilajah Johnson, DYI stands as Detroit’s first Black-owned institute for advanced yoga studies, corporate wellness training, and embodied leadership development.
This is not a traditional studio.
This is a center for transformation — one that blends tradition with innovation, philosophy with practicality, and wellness with real-world application.
What began as a sacred mission to uplift yoga beyond performance has evolved into a growing movement to provide real education, real leadership, and real healing for individuals, teams, and organizations across the globe.
Our Founder
Nilajah Johnson is a master-level yoga educator, wellness strategist, and visionary leader with over two decades of experience in the fields of holistic health, movement education, and mindfulness training. Her unique teaching approach brings together ancient yogic sciences, modern workplace wellness solutions, and high-level educational structure.
With a mission to elevate the field of yoga, Nilajah created DYI to provide the kind of advanced yogic education that many instructors and organizations are missing. Her longterm vision is to expand DYI into a fully accredited wellness university — a place where yogic studies, energy medicine, Vedic sciences, and global healing philosophies are honored at the highest level of academic and spiritual integrity.
Our Core Pillars
Corporate Wellness & Training Programs
Customized workplace wellness programs for forward-thinking companies seeking to invest in employee well-being, executive clarity, and organizational resilience.
Advanced Yogic Education
Curriculum-driven programs for yoga instructors, wellness professionals, and educators seeking deeper training in yogic philosophy, breathwork, trauma-informed practice, and movement science.
Specialized Community Wellness Programs
DYI also offers seasonal programs, children’s yoga camps, adult beginner yoga, and healing centered workshops that serve the broader community with care and intention.
The Vision: From Institute to University
DYI is on track to become a fully accredited, technologically advanced wellness university — offering BA, MA, and PhD programs in yogic science, energy healing, and holistic leadership, alongside certification programs and continuing education.
Imagine a campus with botanical gardens, energy-based healing centers, a state-of-the-art yoga
dome, and global faculty rooted in ancient wisdom and innovation.
This is the future — and DYI is building it, breath by breath.
For Those Seeking More
Detroit Yoga Institute was built to raise the standard in wellness education.
For companies who want real wellness strategy.
For teachers who want real training.
For communities who want real healing.
And for a future where yoga and wellness are honored as the sciences they truly are.
“We’re not here to stretch — we’re here to educate, to elevate, and to lead.” — Nilajah
Johnson