Teacher training and Yoga mentoring Prospectus.
‘athayoganushasanum’
‘and now we begin the study of Yoga’ Yoga sutras 1;1
To become a Yogi in today’s world is an immense challenge and privilege.
Through our partnership ‘athayoga’, we are committed to nurturing
confident, creative and responsible Yoga practitioners and teachers. We
offer students individual or small group learning and a practical and
versatile curriculum which includes the foundation stones of good practice
and the potential to develop specific areas of interest and study. We
respect all Yoga traditions but believe that students, practitioners and
teachers should be able to maintain independence and integrity.
This course is for those people who wish to become Yoga teachers or for
those who wish to broaden their Yoga practise. The ethos of the course is
to provide a good practical foundation in the philosophy, methodology and
practise of Yoga. The course is structured through personal study, practice
and workshops with us, together with independent learning. We aim to
offer a flexible learning timetable which can dovetail into students’
existing responsibilities, with a two year completion period for teacher
trainees.
Our core belief is that the study of Yoga must be immersed in practise. It
is from our own personal practise that our understanding of Yoga develops
and our ability to become teachers is inspired. The course therefore
reflects this through three largely practical modules and a ’Journal’ which
informs and clarifies the process throughout. Each module also has an
academic assignment to ensure that integration of theory and practise has
taken place. On completion of the full course students become qualified as
Yoga Teachers at the 200 hour level. The course is accepted by ‘Holistic
Insurance Services’ and allows both students and graduates insurance to
teach Yoga classes.
Assessment
Practise – Yoga ‘practise’ forms the backbone of this course. You will be
expected to explore your own Yoga practise in detail and establish clear
parameters to your own sense of what ‘practise’ is for you. This will be
cultivated through tutorials, workshops and your personal recorded
practise hours. Your practise will dovetail into work on the Journal, the
group workshops and your assignments. Ongoing assessment will ensure
that you remain committed and reflective in your practise.
The ‘Journal’ – This is a broad scope piece of work which runs
concurrently through the whole course and provides students with the
opportunity of reflecting on their learning through a multi-media
approach. The Journal will be contextualised at the outset of the course
and is designed to be a vehicle for personal expression, reflective
experience and self study. Text, photo, video, art etc are all potential
media. You will asked to show us examples of your Journal from time to
time, demonstrating that this process remains ongoing and relevant.
Module one – In this introductory module you are required to explore
your own experience and interests in Yoga and draw on materials from
the course to complement this. Ongoing assessment of ‘practise’ and
‘Journal’ will be consolidated by an assignment that asks you to look at
your own perception of what being a ‘Yogi’ means to you.
Module two – Module two is crafted around the core assignment for the
course which will be an exploration of Yoga from a particular perspective
based on your experience of module one and your developing interest
within the spectrum of Yoga. This piece of work is supported through the
workshops, tutorials and group tutorials and brings context to your
practise throughout the module.
Module three – In this final module Yoga mentees can explore their
practise in depth and teacher trainees can continue on to the ‘certification’
level of the course. Assessment for trainees is through a final written
assessment, two teaching practises and reflective self practise and
continuing Journal work. Time taken for completion of the course will vary
depending on your personal circumstances but will be within a year of
beginning the final module.
Practicals
We attempt to mix flexibility with structure. The majority of our input will
be through personal contact with us, together with a range of other
teaching methods grounded in the development of an ongoing personal
practise. Students from outside Cornwall will need to arrange to spend
time with us and we will attempt to do this is the most cost and time
efficient way as possible. Depending on the numbers of students taking
the course at any one time, delivery of modules may be in either small
group or on a one-to-one basis. Attendance at our classes and workshops
will be a part of the course. Timetable for study will be set out clearly at
the beginning of the course.
At the completion of the Teacher Training course you will be qualified at
the 200 hour level. This is recognised and validated by the
Independent Yoga Network and entitles you to Insurance and a
listing on the national Yoga register.
Anatomy and Physiology
Depending on your previous experience, you may need to undertake a
recognised A and P qualification to complete teacher training
‘certification’.
Practise
The term ‘Yoga practise’ can include many things. Throughout the course
your ‘personal practise’ will evolve to reflect your own personal
motivations and interests. From the beginning we would expect you to
have an understanding of the context of your practise. Your ‘asana’
practise will form the foundation of all practises and in that respect you
will develop skilfulness in creating, maintaining and developing a practise
that is consistent with the Yogic ideals of ahimsa and Swadhaya.
Knowledge of physiology, esoteric anatomy and the various styles of
practise will be developed throughout the course. Pranayama and the
principles of good breathing and relaxation will also form a fundamental
bedrock to the course.
Additionally you may wish to cultivate other directions for your practise.
Chanting and mantra, meditation, and visualization can all become part of
an integrated practise. Understanding how to put all this together is one
of our primary focuses. In order to do this creatively and safely we will
look at you Ayurvedic constitution and the ways in which you are able to
adapt and adjust your practise during injury, illness or other mind/body
changes.
Much of your practise will be done alone so we also look at how you can
maintain motivation and how to reinvigorate a practice that has got stuck.
You will also be practicing in class and with us. This will allow you to
explore challenges and keep your practise vibrant and vital. In the end we
hope that you come to see your personal practise as a foundation to your
life, something that can ever be nourished and supported through
experience and ongoing learning. The balance of your practise may shift in
time, from asana to meditation practises or to include more mantra and
Pranayama. However, the basic constituents will remain and we will
endeavour to help you find a versatile and pragmatic vehicle for self
awareness.
‘Practise’ will remain at the core of everything you do on this course.
Without practise there is no Yoga! Practise is your laboratory, a place
where you can explore yourself, create challenges and provide
nourishment. It is reflected upon in the Journal, cross referenced in
assignments and integral to workshops and tutorials.
The Journal........Evolution and Integration
The journal runs concurrently through the course and is designed to
provide the backdrop to the rest of the course. The Journal can be a multi
–media venture, a scrapbook of practise, insight, reflection and art.
Students can use the written word, audio and visual material or any other
medium for this project. What we are interested in here is how students
can take the basic clay of the course and breathe life into it. There are
three major aspects to the journal.
It is ongoing, providing continuity throughout the course
It is reflective, showing how a student digests the material of the
course
It is based on ‘Swadhaya’, demonstrating that a student is able to
explore self, practise, motivation and experience.
The journal will be reviewed regularly throughout the course. The journal
is a creative enterprise based on Yogic principles. It acts much like an
inner teacher, creating an outlet for insights, self dialogues and reflections
- ways of expressing yourself which might fall outside of the usual.
Throughout the course the journal will also act as an aid to ongoing
supervision, a storehouse of memories, quotes, epiphanies and anything
else that stimulates your process. Our ethos is that to be Yoga
practitioners we also have to be unafraid of being human. This means we
need to find ways of processing emotions and experiences in a way that
will nourish our understanding of self, the world, and the relationship
between the two. Clear guidance will be given at the outset of the course
on the parameters of the Journal, ensuring that creativity stays focussed
and learning digested.
Module one
Body, mind and soul..........enquiry, reflection, meaning
In module one, we begin with some fundamental questions and then use
the broad spectrum of Yoga to bring light to some very modern problems,
dilemmas and challenges. Yoga is an ancient tradition and there is little if
nothing in the human condition that hasn’t been addressed at some point
by someone in the yoga community. So, as an introduction to Yoga
philosophy we take you on a journey through time and place. We explore
the mystic Upanishads and the Yoga sutras of Patanjali, drawing out the
themes and perspectives which are pertinent to our daily lives. Here we
mix theoretical study with application and ask how a knowledge of the
gunas, kleshas, yamas and niyamas might have relevance for us today.
We also peer through various lenses at the Yoga landscape and take a
good look at the many Yogic approaches to age old spiritual problems and
aspirations. What do the wisdom of the Jnana’s tell us about who we are?
How does an understanding of Samkhya and Vedanta philosophy bring
clarity to the ways in which we struggle for meaning in our lives? What
help can Yoga be in the moral and ethical minefield of contemporary
society? Module one is therefore about context; about where you see
yourself in relation to the Yoga traditions.
Our aim here is to take what can become dry philosophy and work with it
in ways that become creative, relevant and enlightening to us. As you will
find time and time again over the lifetime of this course our Yoga
understanding doesn’t take a linear path. It weaves in and out of time and
place, making sense here, confounding us there. Our knowledge becomes
cumulative, interactive and evolutionary – perhaps even revolutionary.
But if it isn’t useful then what’s the point? This module seeks to underline
the fact that knowledge of Yoga can make a difference to our lives and
that the study and practice of Yoga was always intended to be practical
and dynamic.
The three components of module one take the form of ‘body’, ‘mind’ and
‘soul’ discourses. Students will be encouraged to see the ancient and
complex notions of oriental thought as living canvasses which light up the
background of their daily practice. Presentation of this module will be
through workshops and tutorials which will include practise on the mat,
presentation, dialogue and reflection. This reflects our ethos that body,
mind and soul must live in harmony. Too much talk can scramble the
mind; a lack of reflection leaves us just going through the motions. The
emphasis here, as elsewhere on the course, is on integration. The list
below gives an indication of the areas covered but is not exhaustive and
personal interests and avenues can be explored.
The body of Living philosophy - What does it mean to be a Yogi?
The course framework; the yoga language; Understanding the spectrum.
Jnana, karma and bhakti yoga; Samkhya and Vedanta philosophy; Prakriti
and the Gunas; modern Yoga traditions; Ayurveda and yoga; Mantra and
sound in Yoga; Tantric traditions. Contemporary influences and the
meeting of East and West.
Patanjali and the Yoga sutras - Do you know your own mind?
A Baedeker for the mind; emotions, habits and other irrational things;
what’s the point of being good anyway? – Ethics; obstacles, models of the
mind, manas and Buddhi; working with emotions; karma; Samadhi; the
ways of meditation.
The Upanishads – Songs to the soul?
The origins of Yogic thought; a meeting with death; mystical traditions,
the Self; the Bhagavad Gita; non attachment; the pranas; the subtle
body; exploring OM; other Mystic traditions; working with intuition; more
meditations; Bhakti yoga;
Assessment and supervision throughout module one is aimed at ensuring
a basic understanding of Yogic contexts. A short written assignment
exploring your personal relationship to Yoga together with focussed
attention upon the Journal process will ensure a firm foundation is
established before module two. Completion of module one also includes
logged self practise time, attendance at workshops and a commitment to
the tutorial process.
Module Two
Practise, practise, practise.......being playful, creative and
pragmatic
In this module we move from the abstract and philosophical and further
into the territory of application. In this module theory and practise are
interwoven. This module presents six areas of practise and study which
aim to get us to think about and explore the real implications of Yoga
practise; How it affects our body, how it relates to our minds, how it
impacts upon our lives. Although these components have a specific theme
it should be understood that each perspective illuminates and informs the
others and are worked with as a whole. Ayurvedic insights inform asana,
asana knowledge tells us about the subtle body, subtle body awareness is
essential for relaxation. In this way each of the components melds into
each other, building, nourishing and developing our whole practise. Once
again the six areas of study are outlines only and reflect the overall
direction of the module.
Ayurveda and Yoga;
Doshic temperament and practise; Working out our own constitutional
type; working with elements; asana styles; Pranayama needs; food for
the body and the mind; Subdoshas – Prana, Tejas and Ojas; Bringing it
onto the mat, sitting with it on the cushion, taking it into life.
Asana;
Core postures and building a personal practise; What postures to practice
and why; sequencing; anatomical considerations; Postures for specific
requirements; using metaphors and imagery; Yamas and Niyamas in
asana practice; Grounding postures; energising postures; posture flows –
Surya Namaskar; Joint freeing movements; quietening practices; working
with the elements.
Prana;
Five Pranas and practise; Working with energy; how knowledge of prana
is used in practise; Pranayama; Prana and the mind; knowing your subtle
body; prana meditations; sensitivity; Prana flow practice – trusting.
Relaxation and Meditation;
Mind body connections; Benefits and techniques of relaxation; meditation
methods; putting it into practise; So Hum practice; the physiology of
relaxation; balancing the nadis; visualization; ways of working with the
breath; Nirguna/saguna meditation; Samkalpa – positive thinking; Finding
the witness; beyond the Gunas.
The subtle body;
The layers of human experience; Koshas; Nadis; chakras; imagery;
Marmas; Elements and Gunas revisited; subtle body language; sensing
and exploring subtle energies; archetypal influences; self massage.
More Asana;
Adjustments, modifications and variations; analysing posture; building
strength; learning to play; meditations on movements; Bodywork inputs;
how to find stability; Agni practices; cleansing the body mind; Building
from the core; awareness; creating space and length; Bandhas; Mudras;
Assessment of module two will be ongoing and again input into the
Journal and recorded self practise will be an essential element of this
process. The assignment for this module is developed throughout the
workshops and tutorials and asks you to explore Yoga from a particular
perspective or interest that you may be developing.
Mentoring
For students who do not wish to become Certificated Yoga teachers we
offer Modules one and two, together with the Journal, as a Mentoring
scheme. To complete the full teacher training qualification you will need
to complete module three. However, mentees who wish to remain on the
course are welcome to attend the workshop/retreat elements of module
three without going through the certification process.
Module three
The teacher Inside
In module three we bring it all together. We have contextualised Yoga
with an excavation of practical philosophy and consciously developed a
personal practise. The Journal has also helped encourage reflecting on the
Yogic process. We now come to the transition to teacher. In this module
we begin to orientate thinking towards the propagation of Yoga. As
teachers we must use our practise and learn to guide others. This is an
immense privilege and comes with a responsibility of care, sensitivity and
respect for others. This module has five components, each one examining
the process of becoming a teacher in some detail and applying this to the
basics of teaching asana, Pranayama, meditation and relaxation. Because
of the nature of the course the format for these learnings is flexible and
will be a combination of face to face contact, workshops/retreat, teaching
experience and a continuation of the reflective process through the
Journal. Even as teachers we are practitioners first and this final module
reflects that ethos by focussing on practise and then allowing for
extrapolation and integration into the teaching arena.
Intention and ethics;
We begin therefore with an examination of intention and an awareness of
your own personal voice. Why teach, what is your personal motivation?
What do you have to say, what inspires you, what ethos will you take with
you into your classes? These are open questions that can generate a
deeper personal awareness.
We also explore your responsibilities from an ethical standpoint. Some of
the studies you undertook in module one come into sharp focus here. How
do you develop sensitivity to another person’s learning needs? How do
you frame your relationship with students? What does ‘ahimsa’ and ‘satya’
mean in a Yoga class? How do you respond to the challenges of teaching
with integrity?
Teaching;
Now we take your knowledge of Yoga and scrutinise how you are going to
teach Asana, Pranayama and all the other practices you have developed.
This includes a look at understanding your own approach to teaching
methodology. How do you translate your own practise and make it literate
for others? Are you a hands on teacher, a talker, do you like to do
demonstrations of things? Are you going to plan classes and if so how and
why? What is your overall ethos in teaching? What, of your practise, do
you wish to share with others? We look at how to make adjustments,
bring awareness to your students practise and how to guide others
through the kinetics and mechanics of a Yoga practise. How do you work
with contraindications, resistance and catharsis, help people find ways of
practising consistent with their own unique needs, and how to make your
own students feel ‘seen’ and valued? To orientate you in these enquiries
we look at how you nurture your own process, identify your own needs
and integrate your own learnings.
Swadhaya
The ‘self study’ of Patanjalis sutras is brought into the process here. We
are always ‘works in progress’, but to become a responsible Yoga teacher
it is important that you begin to become attuned to and understand the
process of self awareness. Yoga practise is one of the arenas in which we
can create safe and supportive conditions to ask some difficult questions
of ourselves. What are our unique strengths and vulnerabilities? How do
we assimilate change, conflict and challenge into practise and life? How
can we see ourselves in the context of Yoga wisdom, and how can we use
this wisdom to support our own growth? Journal work and tutorial support
will be essential to these enquiries.
Assessed Teaching practise
This is a challenging process and one that few people relish – but it yields
results and gets you to look deeply at yourself and how you articulate
what you want to get across. You will be expected to complete at least 2
teaching sessions. The first will be to a group of peers and friends who will
give you constructive feedback at the end of the class. The second will be
a more formal tutor assessed class, where you will teach to a group of
students and receive feedback from the tutors at the end of the session.
Here, you can fine tune your teaching skills and deepen the process of
Swadhaya.
Integration
This final component concludes the course. Here, we explore your
reflections and learnings throughout the course. You will need to complete
a final assignment to show you have covered all the areas of the module
and feel ready to go it alone. Here we also look at your ideas and ideals
for future development. Have you been cultivating any special interests?
What do you feel are your strengths/weaknesses as a Yoga teacher? How
are you going to approach the ‘practicals’, publicity, insurance, venues
etc? How do you intend to consolidate your learning? How are you going
to get ongoing support and supervision for your teaching? This is, as the
name implies, an opportunity to gather all the strands of the course
together and provide focus for the future.
Completion and Certification
To obtain certification as a Yoga teacher you will have completed;
- Three assignments
- demonstrated the reflective process through the Journal
- completed at least two teaching practise sessions
- attended all workshops and tutorials as required
- recorded over 70 hours of self practise.
You will then receive certification to become a qualified Yoga teacher at
the 200 hour level. As an ‘athayoga’ graduate you will be encouraged to
maintain contact with us as you develop your teaching ethos. ‘athayoga’ is
not a school of teaching but more an embracing idea that supports
independence, integrity and creativity in the world of Yoga.
Cost
Certified 200 hour Teacher Training Course £965 (inclusive of mentoring)
Yoga Mentoring programme £500