Ashtanga and Yin Teacher Training 2014 with Melanie Cooper and Norman Blair

Yoga Alliance registered 200-hour Teacher Training and Practitioner Intensive

Dates Five-day intensives: 1-5 May 26-30 November Weekends: 31 May-1June 21-22 June 12-13 July 2-3 August 6-7 September 27-28 September 18-19 October 1-2 November

Venue Zolder Studio, London, N22

Cost £3000

Summary o Spaces limited to 12 o Taught by two teachers with nearly 30 years of yoga teaching experience between them o 26 days of tuition and training o Experience in live classes o Support and training after the course

Details This 7-month teacher training programme is designed to be a practitioner’s intensive as well as a training in the basics of teaching yoga. Our focus will be working with Ashtanga Vinyasa and as tools for teaching and practicing. We will also look in depth at other practices, such as , , , chanting and bhajans.

The teachers Melanie Cooper has been teaching Ashtanga since 1997 and teacher trainings since 2008. Her first book is ‘Teaching Yoga, Adjusting ’ (2013). Norman Blair began teaching Ashtanga in 2001, Yin Yoga in 2002 and has taught Yin since 2007. Together, Melanie and Norman will look in depth at the – the anatomy and alignment, how to teach beginners and more advanced students, how to deal with injuries and modifications, how to adjust. Melanie will primarily be teaching Ashtanga and Norman Yin but there will be some crossing over.

Sessions taught by other practitioners:

Ruth Westoby will be teaching yoga philosophy and her sessions will be supplemented with discussion groups focusing on philosophy as a way of living. In 2010 Ruth was awarded an MA in Indian Religions and Philosophy from SOAS with Distinction and has been studying Sanskrit at SOAS since 2011. She started her yoga practice in 1995 and began teaching full-time in 2007.

Stuart Girling (anatomist, bodyworker and long-time yoga student) will be teaching the anatomy with a strong focus of how anatomy is relevant to asana and how we can use the knowledge in our practice and teaching.

The course During the course, you will deepen your understanding of the asanas and their alignment, develop your own practice, and learn about hands-on adjustments, communication skills for teachers, yoga philosophy, anatomy and physiology, pranayama and meditation and good assisting skills. You will be learning the importance of reliability and skills for self-reflection, the ‘how’s’ of teaching yoga as a business and the process of personal growth arising from consistency. There will be space to evaluate and examine practice as well as receiving a qualification to teach yoga.

You will be learning not only in the teacher training environment but also be working under guidance in public classes with Melanie and Norman in London. This will give you real-life experience of teaching the public.

Although a teacher training will give you the basics, teaching yoga well is a lifetime’s commitment. After this course, you will receive support and training. Each student will individually receive three one-hour sessions of follow-up guidance and supervision. Melanie and Norman also run adjustment workshops, teacher supervision groups and a philosophy discussion group.

The course is spread over seven months with two five-day intensives. These intensives start the course off and wrap things up at the end, and there are eight weekend sessions in between. This course will be demanding and difficult as well as inspiring and insightful. This course is a major commitment of time. Yoga is a transformative practice. Your practicing will go deeper and that is often challenging and intense – so please seriously think if you are ready to make this step. There is a requirement of dedication and enthusiasm. In return, we guarantee to give you our best in terms of teaching you how to teach yoga. We are both long-term practitioners with a great deal of experience that we will be sharing with you – with openness, kindness and clarity.

Pre-Homework – to be handed in at the first session

Find ‘students’ (your friends or family or work mates) and teach them five classes. Then write a 500-1000 word report on how it went – what worked, what didn’t, what you learned.

Write a 500-1000 word report on two books from the reading list. Focus on what you liked or disliked – if you learned anything interesting, how it is relevant to you.

Homework – to be completed before the end of the course

Prepare a five-minute presentation on one of the yoga sutras. Look at different translations, how it fits into the overall structure of the sutras and how it relates to your life or yoga practice.

Prepare a five-minute presentation on your least favourite posture. Look at the reasons why you do not like it – physical and mental/emotional, the anatomy of the pose, ways of working on the posture and anything else that appears to be relevant.

Observe five classes (we can supply details of teachers who are willing to have their classes be observed) and write a 500-1000 word report of what you learnt from this observation of teaching in action.

Practice asana! As a yoga teacher, it is vitally important that you have a daily practice and go to other classes. As soon as you decide to do this course, if you do not already have one – start a daily practice. Start to use your practice as a resource for teaching. When are you inhaling or exhaling in a pose? What are you engaging? What is lengthening? Where is broadening? How can you explain what you are doing using clear, concise language? What adjustments feel good to you?

Reading List

Essential

BKS Iyengar Light on the Yoga Sutras of Melanie Cooper Teaching Yoga, Adjusting Asana David Swenson Ashtanga yoga: the practice manual Leslie Kaminoff Yoga Anatomy Insight Yoga Yoga and the quest for the true self Mark Singleton

Recommended

Bernie Clark The complete guide to yin yoga David Coulter Anatomy of Larry Rosenberg Breath by Breath John Welwood Towards a psychology of awakening Gregor Maehle Ashtanga Yoga: practice and philosophy Teaching Yoga Bruce Lipton The biology of beliefs John Tarrant The light inside the dark Threads of Yoga Jill Bolte Taylor My stroke of insight Edwin Bryant The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Laurie Patton The Bhagavad Gita Richard Freeman The Yoga Matrix (audio CD)

You must read all of the essential books and at least three of the recommended.

Assessment

Assessment will be ongoing throughout the course. There will also be a final teaching assessment, and two open-book exams, one in Anatomy and Physiology and one in Philosophy and General Principles of Yoga.

Graduation will be dependent on completion of all written work, attendance to all sessions and payment in full of course fees. If you fail to attend any of the sessions, you will be required to pay a fee of £30 an hour to make up the time.

Requirements

You have a consistent and dedicated yoga practice for more than three years that includes an understanding of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system;

You must have a recommendation from your regular teacher stating you are ready to attend an intensive training course;

You must be able to make the commitment to prepare yourself for the course by keeping up your regular practice, completing the pre-homework and understand that the course itself is long hours and will take a lot of energy;

You must be open minded and prepared to learn different techniques and approaches to teaching and learning.

Application Form

Please write using the following headings:

Full name and contact details, including email and telephone number.

Describe your experience with yoga so far. Why did you start? What do you enjoy about it? Why do you still do it?

How long have you been practicing and what is your experience of practicing Yin Yoga?

Who have been your main teachers? Also list any other teachers that you regularly do workshops or classes with.

Describe your yoga practice eg style(s) you practice; how long you have practiced; where you currently practice; how many classes you attend each week.

Why you would like to become a yoga teacher and what special qualities you think a good yoga teacher requires?

Do you currently, or have you ever, taught yoga or taught other body-based disciplines? Please give details.

This course will be limited to 12 students allowing for individual attention. What do you want to accomplish through attending this course?

This course is intensive and involves hard work and preparation beforehand. Do you see any problems with completing the pre- homework or having enough energy to get through the course?

Describe your professional background outside of yoga and any training you have had that might be relevant to this course.

Describe your level of physical fitness and clearly inform us of any physical conditions, disabilities or injuries. Please also inform us if you are currently taking any medication for physical or psychiatric conditions of any nature and if you are under care or observation for any such conditions.

Please give two reference contacts (emails please). One is your regular teacher and the other is a friend or colleague who knows you well. These references will be contacted so please ask their permission beforehand.

Payment Details

If the application is accepted, we require a deposit of £500 to secure your place. This is returnable up to two months (2 March 2014) before the start of the course. There are payment schemes available. All costs have to be fully paid by the start of training. Please email us for more details.

[email protected] www.yogawithnorman.co.uk [email protected] www.melaniecooper.co.uk