Shayla (Saluja) Ghelani

Born in the UK and raised in Canada, Shayla was an inquisitive explorer and seeker from a young age. Full of questions about the nature of existence that no one could answer, she found herself drawn to art, reading, writing, exploring nature and learning more about the mystical and metaphysical dimensions of life.

As she grew into an adult, Shayla found herself slipping into the conundrum of conventional life, following societal norms around her and burying existential questions to the back of her mind.

Finally re-inspired after reading “Autobiography of a Yogi” and remembering that humans have much more potential than we’re bred to believe, she decided to leave her limiting lifestyle and embark on a long inner journey.

In 2009, she sold her home and worldly possessions in Toronto and took off on a solo trek to India, to tap into the deeper dimensions of life.

After taking various styles of yoga, meditation, self-development and Ayurvedic courses in India for a few years with her husband (who she met at an Ashram along the way), Shayla travelled to Uganda (her parents’ birthplace). In Uganda, she was fortunate enough to come across the wisdom of self-realized yogi and mystic, Sadhguru. Inspired by his pragmatic and holistic teachings, Shayla went back to India to take Inner Engineering with Sadhguru, and eventually ended up staying on at the Isha Yoga Center in South India.

She spent long periods of time at Isha between 2012 and 2014 taking various courses and volunteering. After experiencing many blissful moments, internal changes, and deep levels of transformation, Shayla realized she had to share these amazing tools with others.

In 2015, she had the life-changing opportunity to become a Classical Hatha Yoga Teacher through their six-month Teacher Training Program (1750 hours). Since then, she has had the privilege to share the ancient science of yoga with other seekers, helping them to transform internally, break through their limitations and experience deeper dimensions of life.

From 2016 to 2023, Shayla taught adult and children’s yoga in various cities around the UK through her own private workshops, through Isha Foundation programs, and at the Isha Yoga Center in London. She has also taught in Ireland, Switzerland and Greece.

Along the way, Shayla worked as the Editor for Align – an online yoga magazine produced as a resource to learn more about the science of yoga. In 2016, she appeared on UK-based Sabras radio’s wellbeing show to speak about yoga and wellness to a wider audience.

You can also catch Shayla as part of a panel of key speakers in a talk to explore yoga and its place in the modern world, which aired during the International Day of Yoga 2020. She also occasionally contributes as a writer to the “Spirit” section of Bali Pure Living Magazine.

From 2020 to 2023, Shayla was based in Athens, Greece where she taught live group, private and online yoga workshops. She has recently moved back to Toronto, Canada after 14 years of travelling, studying and working abroad.