Inspired and deeply honored. That’s how Amaury and I felt after reviewing the 2020 Ayurveda School scholarship contest applicants.
Thank you for all your soulful and love filled participation.
Thank you for all the enormous vulnerability, honesty, and effort you poured into your submissions. We watched every single one!
Making the selection is not easy. We do not take this lightly. Nor do we take who you are, the time you put in, and the vulnerability you share for granted.
As a fellow spirit woman, I have so much respect for you. I want you to know something from my heart to yours:
You are worthy. You are capable and you have the power to bring your heart’s dream to life.
Whether you’re able to join us for Level 1 Ayurveda School or not, my support is not going away. I’ll be here each week through The Ghee Spot podcast and the blog.
Without further ado, here are the recipients of the 2020 Ayurveda School Scholarship:
Jamille Henry | San Antonio, Texas | @goddessjamm
"My name is Jamille and I am from San Antonio, Texas. As a scholarship recipient, I would really like to learn and reconnect with nature and use this knowledge to improve my own health and the health of my family. This also blends beautifully with my studies in nutrition. Doing Shakti school and working toward my degree at the same time, I am seeing how the Western and Ayurvedic sciences connect and it is incredible! I can’t wait to see what other ways I will be able to incorporate the knowledge I gain here."
Amanda Rezenda | New York, New York | @mujerlilith
“My name is Amanda Rezende and I'm from Caracas, Venezuela. Last year, I found the Shakti School scrolling down on my Instagram feed and immediately fell in love with Katie's message. Every time I saw an email from Katie talking about the Ayurveda School my heart beat fast as if it knew that I was prepared to receive that knowledge. I had no doubt, I needed to be part of this, so I applied for the scholarship program; as I recently launched my women-focused online content platform www.mujerlilith.com (soon to be launched in English) to offer holistic information that empowers women in Latin America, Spain and the rest of the world; and couldn't afford the course, due to all the expenses a project like this could result in. I'm on a mission to keep empowering women with the tools I learn and I definitely think being in this course will be an amazing add-on to the library of my life. A library that's in constant service of women around the world as I, undoubtedly, believe we women have a mission to elevate this world's vibration in the next centuries to come. Thank you Shakti School, Katie, Amaury and everyone who works on this beautiful initiative to bring Ayurveda to more women. May your message and knowledge be multiplied for thousands and thousands of generations.”
Marion Martin | Tucson, Arizona | @Solcozy
“I am a diverse explorer, a curious single parent & a passionate desert dweller here in Tucson, AZ. I was raised in South Georgia but have fallen in love with the desert mountains, the sunsets & sounds. I previously studied Hebrew/ Judeo-Christian texts while living in Israel. I am drawn to & inspired by the multifaceted layers of meaning and encouraged discussion surrounding Sanskrit and Ayurvedic philosophies. In 2014 I helped open a 300bed shelter for unaccompanied alien children in Tucson. This work triggered some traumas in me that I am still working to create sustainable healing from. In 2016 I became pregnant & searched out mainly DIY Ayurvedic learning but I also found Shakti school. This scholarship learning opportunity means so much to my own internal support, my ability to parent & hopefully share with my community to offer support. I hope to cultivate my passion for learning Ayurvedic life skills and healing mechanisms along with creating a healthy community & financial stability. I am stoked to learn along with this beautiful group of lovely humans this year.”
Madhu Prana | San Francisco, California | @prana_madhu
“I am Madhu, a visual designer, dancer, and yoga instructor. My early trysts with Ayurveda were during my grad-school days when I would look up Ayurvedic remedies to heal minor health issues. But it is in the last few years that my relationship with Ayurveda truly deepened. I ended up with a painful stomach infection and developed ulcers; it was a very hard time. Doctors put me on antibiotics and while the stomach infection went away, my stomach had become extremely sensitive to all kinds of foods. I could not enjoy a single meal without extreme pain for hours after eating. Around the same time, I had a sciatica nerve injury while dancing as well. That's when I decided to make it my own responsibility to self-heal and started reading more about Ayurveda. I slowly observed and understood my imbalances and made necessary changes to my diet, routine, and started to practice self-care. I was feeling very positive and my energy levels improved significantly. I’m extremely grateful for this ancient healing system that has the potential to transform lives. My vision is to share this knowledge in my own unique way to this world. I consider it a blessing to have found and to learn from a teacher like Katie who is so heartful and passionate about this healing system! I sincerely believe the world really needs love in the purest form which starts with us by loving ourselves and our community <3 Thank you Katie and Amaury for choosing me, I’m soul excited to receive this scholarship and look forward to a magical year with all the wonderful queens of Shakti school!!!”
Alisha Lettman | Vancouver, BC, Canada | @ital.womb
"As a heritage learner, having been gifted this program has been a great blessing. This opportunity to reconnect to such a powerful traditional knowledge system reverberates in my bones, activating a knowing that is bigger than my life. I am inspired to follow this wisdom by continuing on to learn Ayurvedic massage, and incorporate all I've learned in my future Midwifery practice."
Jane Daniels | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | @ncjane77
“Hello, my name is Jane Daniel and I’m mom of three bouncing boys, a holistic health coach, and a female that finally feels like herself at the ripe young age of 42. I was introduced to Ayurveda during my training as a health coach and became more interested in it as I dealt with my personal physical journey of cystic acne, extreme exhaustion, and serious Type A (aka imbalanced Pitta, LOL) tendencies. Through books that fell into my arms, podcasts, and my daily meditation practice that I started 5 years ago, I realized these physical issues were related to images, emotions, and feelings that I haven’t dealt with in my past. I deeply resonate with Ayurveda and want to use this knowledge in continuing to heal myself and intuitively help clients in their own journey of life in a more feminine, fluid way. I love Katie’s perspective and style of teaching Ayurveda and am humbled by the generosity of receiving this scholarship. Thank you for the opportunity and am thrilled to be a part of such an amazing group of women!”
Kelsey Jo Thompson | Twin Cities, Minnesota | @kelseyjothompson
“My name is Kelsey and I am one of the very blessed and honored recipients of the Shakti Scholarship — which, without — being a part of this community would not be possible! I have committed my life to working with kids; teaching them tools to access their own super powers through imagination, playfulness, yoga, breath, connection, creativity, food, and joy! My business is growing as a holistic learning + lifestyle specialist; while I also work part-time as a substitute teacher (preK-12), camp counselor, and yoga + barre instructor. I am an archetypal Pisces who loves the water element and all things associated! If you follow me on IG you will find me at the lake, on the farm, playing with llamas, cooking nourishing foods, or dancing on top of elevated surfaces. I plan to use my Ayurveda education to first heal my own imbalances, and to integrate a holistic health education in the schools by coaching teachers, students, and their families to take control of their own health, too.”
Arlene Salcedo | Temecula, California | @lunasoulwellness
“My name is Arlene Salcedo. I am a Latina who has lived in Southern California my entire life. I am a mother of four beautiful children and a wife to a wonderful husband. I am honored to receive this scholarship to attend Shakti School for the Ayurvedic Wellness Coach Program. Attending Ayurveda school has been a goal of mine for quite some time. I was first introduced to Ayurvedic philosophies during my 200-hour yoga certification training. It was during this time that I fell in love with the holistic approach to health and lifestyle. I am excited to become a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Coach. Upon graduating, I intend to lead Ayurvedic wellness retreats immediately and continue to introduce Ayurveda to my yoga students. I am committed to becoming a healing resource for my Latina community. In leading the practice of Ayurveda in my community, I hope to help facilitate the growth of the Ayurveda lifestyle for future generations. During my practice and growth, I hope to always create a safe and welcoming space for Latinas and other women of color. In the end, my dream is to open my wellness center, where ALL women will feel safe, comfortable, and excited to practice healthy living in the SAME space. I hope to empower all women to be their own healer.”