Monkinya's creator, Merve, is a trauma-sensitive Yoga Alliance Certified Children's Yoga Teacher RCYT and RYT-200 Yoga Teacher with 10+ years of experience working with children and families in various environments, including schools, daycares, studios, and hospitals. 

Merve is also a certified Mindfulness Teacher in Method Eline Snel, trained by the Academy of Mindful Teaching (qualified according to the internationally acknowledged Mindfulness-Based Teacher Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC) as well as a certified Life Coach (Canada Coach Academy) and is passionate about helping parents integrate mindfulness and yoga practices into their lives in a fun & light-hearted way.

She has a daughter named Iris (named after the Goddess of Rainbow in Greek mythology) who loves practicing yoga (downward dog and happy baby poses mostly), dancing and playing ukulele with her. 

When Merve is not on the mat (either teaching or practicing yoga with Iris), she can be found drawing mandalas, hiking in nature with her family or writing in her cocoon.  

After living in 3 different countries over the last decade, Merve is now settled in New Westminster, British Columbia (Canada) and brings her love for nature, art and mindfulness into every class she teaches.

She is also the founder and creative force behind One Brave Space, a community-focused platform for all women to rediscover their authenticity and connect with their true selves.