Funding Teacher Training

Do you know of any federal grants or private foundations that offer assistance for funding yoga teacher trainings? How do most people do it, especially while taking time off from work?
— Gloria

Dean Lerner's Reply:

Dear Gloria,

Wouldn't it be nice if there were federal grants for yoga teacher training rather than a huge budget for the military-industrial complex? There may be such federal grants available, but I do not know of any. However, a number of sources offer scholarships and grants to yoga students and teachers, both for yoga study in general and for teacher training specifically.

Here are a few sources to investigate. I will leave it to you to find their contact information, which is readily available online (try google.com) or in various yoga publications. In fact, some sources may be contacted directly via their Web sites. Iyengaryoga.org offers both scholarships and grants for Iyengar yoga teacher training. Feathered Pipe Foundation, located outside of Helena, Montana, offers scholarships for both yoga teacher training and for intensives of various styles of yoga. Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, It's Yoga (Columbus, Ohio), and Openmindbody.com all offer scholarships, grants, or both for teacher training and workshops.

This list is not exhaustive by any means, but it will get you started. Additionally, it is not uncommon for studios, institutes, or individual teachers to offer full or partial scholarships, work-study discount opportunities, or a payment plan when a student expresses sincere need.

Everyone's situation is different. In addition to the options mentioned above, find a way to save money and "vacation" time to attend the type of yoga training you desire. No effort is lost on the path of yoga, and money cannot be spent in a better way.

Certified Advanced Iyengar instructor Dean Lerner is co-director of the Center for Well-being in Lemont, Pennsylvania and teaches workshop across the United States. He is a longtime student of B.K.S. Iyengar and served a four-year term as president of the Iyengar National Association of the United States. Known for his ability to teach yoga with clarity and precision, as well as warmth and humor, Dean has conducted teacher training classes at Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana and other locations.