Bonita L. Riddle Memorial Scholarship

Tree of India School of Yoga at Oxford Community Yoga offers 50% scholarships to qualifying BIPOC individuals for our Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher Training Program. These scholarships play a crucial role in the ongoing process of decolonizing yoga and promoting inclusivity within the Western yoga community.  

 

Yoga, which has its roots in ancient South Asian traditions, was historically practiced and developed by people of color. However, the modern Western yoga landscape has often perpetuated cultural appropriation and exclusion, with limited representation of BIPOC voices. These scholarships are a meaningful step towards rectifying this historical imbalance.

 

By providing financial support and opportunities for BIPOC individuals to become certified yoga instructors, this program helps diversify the pool of yoga teachers and leaders. This, in turn, allows for a broader range of perspectives, experiences, and teaching styles to be incorporated into the Western yoga community, fostering a more inclusive and equitable environment where all voices are heard and respected. In doing so, these scholarships work to ensure that the true spirit and essence of yoga, which transcends cultural boundaries, can be authentically shared and celebrated by a more diverse community of practitioners.