Healium Yoga News: Advanced Teacher Training in Nelson

What's that?! Arm balances are fun!

So, you've taken a teacher training, and possibly two. And you lead a good class. People like you, they like your style.

But then the questions come. "I'm feeling this, what do I need to do?" And "I'd like to get to doing x fancy posture, but how do I get there?" Questions that you can't really answer effectively when you discover that what one person can't do when they have a special need, another person can - flying directly in the face of what you thought you knew about the posture, its indications, its contraindications. And when a student is ready to advance, you realize that you don't have any idea how to do that posture, or how to teach someone else how to do it!

Working crow to handstand.

You can't just tell the special-needs client not do to things, and you can't just teach a workshop on one area because there is one special need in the class. It needs to be balanced - for the individual student and for everyone in the class! And, while you can be honest and tell a student "I don't know how to do that posture!" - the student will seek out a teacher who does, or who can tell them - even when they love you and your classes! Truthfully, they want to continue with you, but suddenly they've simply outgrown you. And if they do stay in your class, how can you effectively advance them, while also meeting the needs of everyone else in the class?

If you've noticed this in your teaching, or you simply just want to know more - a lot more - about yoga and how to effectively teach every student, in every class, every time, then you are ready for the Advanced Yoga Teacher Certificate course!

The course for our Advanced Yoga Teacher Certificate answers these central questions in regards to both kinds of students:

1. How do I specifically choose the right postures for this student to facilitate his/her healing?

2. How do I specifically modify and assist those postures so that he/she has the best possible benefit from the postures?

3. How do I effectively sequence those specific postures - and supporting postures - in order to provide a full, balanced experience for the individual student as well as the class as a whole?

To answer these questions, there are three intensive weekends of workshops with me, going over how all of this works:

Weekend 1. We start with the physical body - discovering anatomy and biomechanics, and diving into how to identify the essential elements of postures, and how to modify and assist for any body at any time!

Weekend 2. We move into the energy body and energetic alignment - studying the chakra system and major movements of energy through the body, as well as how to identify the energetic movement within postures, and how to modify and assist for the maximum energetic alignment for that specific student's body!

Weekend 3. We go into sequencing theory in depth, how to take a student from point A to point B to point C - whether that's taking a beginner with a special need from a deep modification to a more normal or average expression of a posture; or taking a more experienced student from the general, balanced sequences you usually teach into more advanced and more dynamic postures.

In between these weekends, there will be homework and you'll work with your study group to bounce ideas off each other to develop your understanding and have "check and balances" for your work. Your fellow teachers-in-training will test out your theories and ideas and provide you with feedback - and you will do the same for them.

Trikonasana assist.

And all along the way, I'll be providing one-on-one and small-group mentoring (via Skype or email) to help you find your way through this amazing information, to provide more questions to ponder and more context for development and understanding.

And, finally, to make sure it's all sunk in, we'll have a fun, yet intensive final examination: written and oral. In the written exam, you'll be tested in short answer and essay format - to have the opportunity to completely explain and defend your position. Don't worry, multiple answers are usually correct! In the oral exam, you'll be given a posture to describe, modify, assist, and sequence around - and a student to take through the process!

The teacher training is designed to give you optimal interaction with me, but also with your fellow students to create an environment that is supportive of your really learning this material. You'll gather at least 80 and probably closer to 100 hours of advanced training during this course, with 60 hours being contact hours with me!

After all, I want you to know this information! I want a lot of teachers to know how to do this - because yoga chances people. Yoga works. And the more we know and understand how it works, why it works, and how to make it work for individual students - the better it is for everyone, the more life-changing for ourselves and our students!

So, now you're probably wondering about the when, wherefores, and all-important *costs* involved.

I'm pleased to be teaming up with The Life Centre in Nelson to teach this course this spring:

Foundations in Asana: Modifications and Assisting for Every Body, Every Time, 14-16 October;


Understanding and Working with the Energy Body through Asana and Assisting, 11-13 November; and

Integrating Body and Energy: Understanding the Whole, 9-11 December!

Yoga teacher Jenifer Parker.

Sign up for the Early Bird Registration by 30 August, and this amazing course costs only $1000! If you sign up after 30 August, it's $1200. Note that this is the cost for the certification program and doesn't include travel or accommodations in Nelson. But, The Life Centre is happy to help you find a place to stay.

If you want more information about the training you can download the PDF, drop me an email at hi@healium.co.nz or give us a call! For more information about me, you can check out my bio or read my interview on The Yoga Lunchbox.

There are only seven spaces remaining in this training, so contact us and sign up soon! I look forward to seeing you!