Relief Funds for STL Yoga Teachers

St. Louis Yoga Week believes the practice of yoga is an invitation to take action. We recognize there are two big issues impacting our community right now.

The primary intention of the St. Louis Yoga Teacher Relief Fund is to support yoga teachers in the greater St. Louis area who have been deeply impacted these last few months, either by financial struggles caused by COVID-19 disruptions, or the traumatizing impact of institutional racism in our country.

Most Yoga teachers act as independent contractors, which has made relief funding especially challenging in some cases. Many teachers who share yoga and meditation in under-resourced communities may receive little to no income from teaching in order to keep the practice financially accessible to yoga students.

Additionally, the Black community is hurting deeply from the trauma that is a result of the long history of institutional racism and white supremacy in our country and in our city, and many are turning to yoga and meditation as a way to cope and take care of their health at this time.

As a way to support, we have established the St. Louis Yoga Teacher Relief Fund to create grant opportunities for two eligible groups of individuals:

* Those who have experienced a significant financial impact in the midst of COVID-19 disruptions

* Black yoga teachers who continue to share the practice focusing on the Black community for self-regulation and resiliency