MARION SCHELTEMA

Yoga Teacher & Founder of Happy Yoga Tanzania

Starting with her first yoga practice at the age of 18, intensifying her practice in her 30s when she moved from Holland to Tanzania, Marion completed her first 100 hour Hatha Yoga Teachers training in her 40s and joined an 8 week Mindfulness training. In 2016, she started teaching at Ibuka Dance Foundation in Arusha, offering yoga sessions to the dancers, and the wider community. Through self-study of the traditional integral yoga, she adapted her teachings, creating an integral style of yoga, where all different aspects of yoga would be offered. Besides the physical practice, yoga philosophy (with different themes for a sequence of sessions), mindfulness, mudras, pranayama, different meditation techniques and yoga nidra are now presented in her yoga classes.

In 2017, Marion began setting up a group of yoga teachers, aiming to spread the knowledge of yoga in Arusha and Tanzania. Under the name of ‘Happy Yoga Tanzania’, Tanzanian future teachers were selected, to first join her adult sessions. After a couple of months, Marion organised a 90-hour Kids Yoga Teachers Training in Arusha, with teacher trainer Femmy Brug of Kidsyoga and Yogafocus from Holland, teaching yoga to children according to the Satyananda style. Tanzanian and expat students got certified to become Kidsyoga teachers, and the Tanzanian teachers started teaching at local communities, local and international schools and sports clubs under further guidance by Marion. The Tanzanian teachers were able to start making a living out of teaching yoga, although also outreach (free) sessions were offered at local schools and communities.

Since 2016, more than 300 children are joining weekly Kidsyoga sessions in the Arusha area offered by Happy Yoga. Marion’s aim is to guide the Tanzanian teachers slowly towards becoming qualified adult yoga teachers. In 2019, Marion reached out to Emma Bonnici to lead a Kanga Yoga Teacher Training in Arusha. 100 hours took place in Arusha and later 50 hours online with the teacher in Rishikesh. Having finished 150 hours of the course, Happy Yoga Tanzania teachers are looking forward to joining the final 50 hours in 2021. Marion is now offering Kids and Teenager Yoga sessions as well as Kanga Yoga to students in and around Arusha.

LOCATION: Arusha, Tanzania
AVAILABILITY: In-Person & Online