Scholarship & Grant recipients have been selected for 2012! Here you can get to know who we are supporting and who they are supporting. It's a beautiful ripple effect, it'nt it? Proceeds from all of our events and programs benefit our Annual Grant Fund which in turn benefit others in our community, in this case yoga instructors. 

Grant Recipient: Michelle Warren

How she'll use the grant: Teach kids at Carmen High School in MPS

In her words:

Over the past 2 years I have had the pleasure of working within MPS with a number of highschool students, as well as some staff, within the city of Milwaukee. A brilliant experience this has been, for both myself and the kids. Unfortunately, due to funding, the program came to an end. I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue with the schools, if only for a short amount of time. Any who has had the privilege of working with this demographic can appreciate the need for yoga in their lives...Carmen High School is a large population of wonderful kids who would otherwise never experience this opportunity. My relationship with them deepened my appreciation for yoga. The classes I taught provided for them a safe place wherein they could experience themselves inside their own bodies. Amazing really, when you see these kids so detached from their own self or using their body as an object. I do believe the school will welcome free yoga with open arms, as they were sad to see it go and could not afford to keep it going.

Grant Recipient: Ann Laatsch

How she'll use the grant: Teach residents at Capuchin Apartments, a supportive housing program for adults who have histories of homelessness, incarceration, addiction and mental illness.

In her words:

Whether or not I am awarded a grant, I will continue to volunteer at the Capuchin program each week. I would, however, be humbly grateful to have the support of the yoga community to do so. It is also my desire to teach a women-only class at Sojourner Truth House (http://www.familypeacecenter.org/index.htm) or the Milwaukee Women's Center (http://communityadvocates.net/women/), and to work with women who are healing from domestic abuse. If I am awarded a grant, I will commit to teaching at least 20 classes at one of the Milwaukee women's shelters.

Scholarship Recipients

Scholarship Recipient: Marlis Moldenhauer

Teaching Developmental Goal:

I would like to understand more about- Deceptive Flexibility, Treating Pain, Vichara Training, and teaching kids. My dream is to become a medical yoga therapist.

Scholarship Recipient: Heather Baker 

Teaching Developmental Goal:

I am interested in further exploring yoga through my studies as a graduate student and would like to conduct research on yoga, trauma/mental health, and public health. I am also interested in pursuing training in yoga therapy (both physical and energetic), as well as ayurveda, to be able to assist students to live a wholistic lifestlye.

Scholarship Recipient: Ali Modell 

Teaching Development Goal:

Looking forward, one of my main goals as an instructor is to become proficient enough to teach and bridge the gap between western and eastern mindsets in the world of anatomy & physiology and philosophy, and integrate these themes into the yoga classroom. I am currently putting myself through school studying Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which includes acupuncture, herbal studies and bodywork, so my continued inquiry in these fields has already helped me to grow along these lines. I am also interested in yoga therapy, and hope to offer specialized programs/sessions for clients based on their personal needs using diagnostics from my current training with Tias Little and in TCM. Essentially, my aim is to serve the community through my diverse skill set as a yoga teacher/therapist, acupuncturist and herbal medicine practitioner so people heal through natural means on all levels.

Scholarship Story (how the oTY scholarship was applied):

The program I recently completed was The Art of Teaching of Tias Little’s Prajna Yoga 500 hour program.  Its main focus was on integration in teaching--the weave of asana, living anatomy & physiology, and wisdom--to create an in-depth practice that allows for inquiry and insight.  I not only selected this course to complete my 500 hour teacher training (I still have to take a test, actually), but also to challenge myself to develop richer experiences for students.  It was less content based and more practicum based, meaning we were required to teach the group and received feedback from Tias.  This was a catalyst for me to break some old teaching habits and develop new ways of sharing information.

A few main ideas that were strongly reinforced included: less is more; the extraordinary is found in the ordinary; trust the technique; and time, space and silence are all necessary for processing and integration.

My intention in my own practice and in teaching is to continue to create experiences that foster a beginner’s mind and allow for growth on multiple levels.

Scholarship Recipient: Ali Szarzynski 

Teaching Development Goal:

I would like to develop my understanding of anatomy, alignment and the ability to assist people based on their personal issues, injuries, needs, etc. I would also like to strengthen my role as a teacher by teaching with a more holistic approach. I’m interested in delving deeper into yoga off the mat so as to give people the tools they need to help themselves have happier and healthier lives. I’m passionate about learning as much as I can in order to bring it back to my teaching.

Scholarship Recipient: Christa Runde 

Teaching Development Goal:

The therapeutic aspects of yoga and meditation are my passion- whether its cancer, Alzheimer’s or children’s yoga. In order to understand the needs and requirements of the students with and without cancer I would like to expand my knowledge of how cancer/illness affects their daily lives, their physical wellbeing, as well as emotional health...I would like to balance the study of therapeutic yoga, with practical experience to strengthen my awareness so I can apply this information to meet the needs of the student, and hands on practice to transform this information to knowledge. The more you drink from the well of knowledge the greater the thirst.

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Scholarship Recipient: Stephanie Panosian

Teaching Development Goal:

I would like to teach more! I have just started my own business being a mobile yoga insructor. I am undergoing a career change due to being laid off from my previous employer and I am a full time student. I like to teach "everyday" people who may not go into a studio or are new to the yogi way of life. I want to bring yoga to the masses so they can have a better appreciation for themselves and for this wonderful ancient philosophy.

Street Yoga Scholarship

Recipient: Katharina Hren  

Teaching Development Goal:

I am working on my confidence as a yoga teacher, and this has evolved through teaching in different environments. I recently saw a video on Facebook about a combat vet who was turned down by many teachers when he asked for help. I would like to think that I wouldn't have turned him down, but before I took my Trauma Sensitivity Training, I think that I would have been overwhelmed by his situation and thus preoccupied with my ego. Rather than trying to be a "good yoga teacher" from a place driven by my ego, I want to be able to offer yoga to anyone who asks for and is ready for help from a place of authenticity. To me this means finding a balance of strength, grace, confidence and humility, while showing up consistently on my own mat, facing my strengths and my weaknesses while being transparent.