STORY
Concept
Oca means "home" in the indigenous Brazilian Tupi-Guarani language. In the Indigenous cultures of Brazil, an Oca is a communal house.
Oca is a sacred space to gather, ground and grow, a place for community, connection and alegria. It is a place to come home to ourselves. A space to access the medicine within.
Direction
I am Gabi Ribeiro and I was raised between Belém and Rio de Janeiro two very different but deeply soulful places that shaped who I am. Both of my parents are from Belém, in the gateway to the Amazon and that forest spirit has always lived in me.
I like to say I’m “Parioca” part Paraense, part Carioca and now also a little bit BraziEnglish, carrying the rhythm of Brazil and the groundedness of London in one heart.
I honour the lineage I carry a blend of Indigenous, Afro-Brazilian and European (mostly Portuguese) roots and I hold deep gratitude for all my teachers and for my parents who gave me life. I walk with the traditions that support my path: Umbanda, Indigenous practices and the Celtic calendar that guides me and Oca. This mix lives in my life, my rituals, my way of teaching, and the way I hold space.
Yoga was my gateway, the practice that opened my path. Cacao became my main plant medicine, the one that held my heart, alongside other sacred plants that have supported my healing and remembering.
Site
Oca has been installed in a dedicated space in a former metal printworks in Central London’s Bermondsey. The architecture inhabits the industrial structure, as well as the building's heritage as an abstract art and fashion and music photography studio. The material choices (natural cork, birch ply, steel, and jatoba wood) reflect its past and the roots of studio director, Gabi Ribeiro.
Elements
Every element has been selected and matched to create an environment where practitioners can (re)connect to themselves and to a community. The sound is provided by invisible Sonance speakers embedded in the ceiling, ideal for moving meditations and those spaced out savasanas.
Our Mission
Oca London is a sanctuary for connection, wellbeing and ancestral wisdom.
We bring people together through yoga, movement, ritual, and community, honouring the cycles of nature and the ancestral traditions that inspire us.
Our mission is to nurture body, mind, and spirit, creating an inclusive space where everyone feels seen, supported and empowered to live in harmony with themselves and the world around them.
Core Values: Community, Mind~Body~Spirit Balance, Ancestral Wisdom, Empowerment, Inclusion, Joy / Alegria.
