Ella Milroy
Co–Founder & DirectorThe quiet architect of the Shala – Ella is the one who turns an idea into a room full of people, a practice into a place. A dedicated practitioner for over twenty–five years, she has shaped the Shala Yoga Centre and the Shala School of Yoga into somewhere people come to heal, grow and begin again.
Innovator, creator, lover of all things yoga who quietly makes everything happen behind the scenes
Approach
Ella's contribution to the Shala is felt more than it is seen. She holds the creative direction of the studio and the rhythm of its daily life, shaping an environment of well–being, acceptance and genuine community – a place where people feel welcomed exactly as they are. Her belief is simple and deeply held: that yoga and mind–body practice can fundamentally change a life for the better, and that everyone deserves a space in which to begin.
Yoga has been my sanctuary and my sanity for twenty-five years. Yoga can change a life. I have seen this over and over and over in my 20+ years of running a centre. My work is to create the space and the community for that transformation to happen
Early years
Ella came to yoga in the late 1990s and became a devoted Ashtanga practitioner. What began as a physical practice soon became something far more profound – a steady presence that carried her through bereavement, guided her through two pregnancies, and kept her grounded through the early, sleepless years of motherhood. Yoga has been, in her own words, both sanctuary and sanity.
Training & influences
Ella's path to the Shala was anything but linear, and that is precisely its richness. Before yoga became her life's work, she co–directed a travel and lifestyle book publishing business, then built a career as a communications consultant and events manager – commissioning travel books across the world, coordinating music festivals in Brazil, advising a London architecture firm, and managing humanitarian projects in Mozambique. Each of these chapters left its mark: an eye for design and story, a gift for bringing people together, and a deep conviction that meaningful things are built with care. In recent years her own practice has continued to evolve, drawing in Yamuna Body Rolling, Pilates and a range of yoga styles alongside her longstanding Ashtanga foundation.
Teaching today
After 20 years running the Shala Yoga Centre, today Ella's focus is the Shala School – its creative direction, its community, and the teacher–training programme she established in 2016 and continues to oversee.
Specialisms
Creative Direction – Community Building – Teacher Training – Ashtanga Practice – Holistic Health & Nutrition
Interested in training with Ella Milroy?
Whether you're considering one of our trainings, a specialist CPD, or simply want to ask a question — we'd love to hear from you.