Yoga Teacher Training Bursaries and Scholarships

At the Shala, we welcome people of all ages, with all levels of experience and abilities. We build our team from people in the local community who themselves come from all walks of life. Yoga is about inclusivity and we aim to cultivate this within our training school and yoga centre.

As an independent yoga studio, the Shala focuses on creating positive change and providing a sanctuary within for our community; a place of healing and nurturing for all who come through our door. In keeping with this, we are committed to fostering inclusivity, diversity and accessibility within yoga and within The Shala and it’s affiliated training school, The Shala School of Yoga.

As part of our commitment to inclusivity and creating positive change, the Shala offers a 50% bursary on each of our modules for those from marginalised groups, vulnerable groups and/or those from currently underrepresented ethnic groups within the yoga/wellness industry. We ask that all applications for our bursary / scholarship scheme share our intention and aim to use their training as a force for positive social change.

WHO CAN APPLY FOR A BURSARY

All three of the following criteria should apply:

If you meet the application criteria for a Teacher Training or CPD course
If you are from a marginalised group, vulnerable group and/or from a currently underrepresented ethnic group within the yoga/wellness industry
If you are unable to attend the course due to financial circumstances

WHEN SHOULD YOU APPLY FOR A BURSARY

We recommend applying at least 6 weeks before the course for which you are applying starts. Depending on how many applications we have for that bursary, we may still accept late applications up to 4 weeks before the course start date but early applications are recommended. If you would like to check whether a bursary has already been allocated please email us.

Please note that for our 200-hour Bursary the deadline is usually 30 June.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Complete our our Shala Scholarship / Bursary Application Form. You will be asked to write a personal statement detailing your eligibility for this bursary and why you deserve to be the recipient. Please note that this is Diversity and Inclusion Bursary – we encourage applicants to include information about background (ethnic identity, culture, religion, sexuality, gender, etc.), your personal financial need, and how you intend to use your training to make a positive social impact. If you would prefer to submit a short video of yourself talking your answers to our questions, then please return the form with a link to a recording.
We may invite a select number of applicants to a short, informal interview via Zoom.
Applications will then be shortlisted and the final place will be randomly selected from that shortlist.
The successful candidate will be notified 3-6 weeks before the start date of each course.

In addition to this bursary, we do offer discounts for those in financial need on a case-by-case basis. To enquire, please email teachertraining@theshala.co.uk.

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you are offered a place, the place will be held open for you for 7 days. On accepting the offer, you will need to pay the course deposit and confirm in writing your acceptance of the place. The second instalment payment will be amended to reflect the discount
The Diversity & Inclusion Bursary offers 50% discount on the training.
A student may only be granted bursary discount for 1 module/ course
If you are offered a Bursary place, which you then do not accept, please note that it is not possible to reapply for a Bursary with us, unless there are extenuating circumstances for not accepting the place.
If you are eligible for the Bursary and your application is not successful, you are welcome to reapply for a different Bursary.

Please note that in the event you cancel your Bursary place on a course, the deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable and your place on the course is guided by the Shala School of Yoga T&Cs HERE
You will receive a pre-course email closer to the start of the course
At the end of the course, we require Bursary recipients to fill out our short course survey and write a few words about their experience. If possible we would be grateful if this could be shared with a picture (portrait, or something abstract if you prefer) so that we can share this on our website where we would like to create a section about our Bursary Recipients. This may also be shared with your permission on our social networks. If you prefer to remain anonymous that is also fine.

Bursary Testimonials

"The 30hr yin yoga teacher training with Melanie Cooper provided the fire I needed to get going with my teaching. It was a well structured yet relaxed weekend with lots of hands-on learning with fellow students. Straight away we started with the topic of assists in yin yoga and I liked how there was an expectation that we had already done some background homework via the generous recordings we had access to beforehand. Generosity is definitely a word I would associate with my time on this course - the space was generous, so too were fellow students and staff with their kindness and there was a generosity of knowledge and experience being shared by Melanie which was fantastic. I had only really started practising yin yoga with some regularity last year, and certainly attending the teacher training made me fall in love with it even more."

"I had completed the Yin Yoga course in May 2023. I have practiced Yin for 10 years and after my Yoga teacher training, I thought it would be a useful additional course to complement this. The reason why I wanted to complete the Yin Yoga course was to learn more about the philosophy behind Yin and understands the benefit it can bring to students. I also wanted to share this knowledge and move on to teach Yin Yoga. I am a strong believer of encouraging diversity within the studio space. Therefore, I was pleased when the Shala advertised a bursary for people within the BME communities. I believe in the value of having diverse mix of teachers within the yoga space, and one of the reasons why I wanted to be a yoga teacher is to encourage this. I am now teaching Yin Yoga in a few studios and gyms in London. I am also supporting the Yin workshops hosted by Norman Blair at the Shala which has been an invaluable outcome. "

"Pranayama can be a difficult topic for both teachers and students, at least I know it was not easy for me to understand in depth! So when I found out Melanie was teaching it, I knew I could learn about it from someone who would help me understand it and teach it well. And I was not disappointed! I’ve been following Melanie for a while and did some trainings with her so I knew - and it was like that - that she would teach with empathy, skills and knowledge. Everything was well-researched, so if you are keen on the science side of things like me, Melanie has you covered! Various techniques were explained, including what to do, what to be careful about, when not to practice them or teach them. So I can assure you, you’d finish this course and feel confident that you know how to teach and practice pranayama! Thanks a lot to the Shala for the opportunity! - I am a strong believer of encouraging diversity within the studio space. Therefore, I was pleased when the Shala advertised a bursary for people within the BME communities. I believe in the value of having diverse mix of teachers within the yoga space, and one of the reasons why I wanted to be a yoga teacher is to encourage this. I am now teaching Yin Yoga in a few studios and gyms in London. I am also supporting the Yin workshops hosted by Norman Blair at the Shala which has been an invaluable outcome. "

My 3 days with Anne and the other course attendees was wonderful. Anne is so giving and open and talented! She has a very practical approach to training and we were thrown in the deep end within a few hours on day 1, which was nerve wracking but so good! We all got to know each other within a few hours and honestly the collective energy and willingness in the room was amazing. I feel that this was made easy by Anne, as her ‘can do’ attitude rubbed off on all of us. Anne teaches from the heart and she is so inspirational. There’s so much more to this course than the practicals of learning how to play the instruments. Learning about holding space, ceremonies to make our offerings more authentic and not being afraid to show our true personalities, all the things that will make a difference for sure!

Receiving the bursery for the training has hugely impacted me and my students and the area we are based in. Learning and growing is so important to me, and being the best teacher I can to just be there for students through my learning. What I learn goes directly to them and betters their and my experience each week. Without this help from the shala I would really struggle to be able to afford the trainings, teaching in a low income and diverse area means I keep fees very low and even free for those who need it. The opportunity to be a more confident and knowledgeable teacher (I hope) is directly so I can help those in my community more and I can't express how much I appreciate the kindness and help from you all, and I know those I work with feel this too. Thank you.

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