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Do you write plans for the new year? I believe written plans for a year allow us to spend time mindfully. It is like choosing an object for meditation and always coming back to it during the practice; you might get lost, but you have a place for a mindful return. I try to live mindfully and wish you the same in 2019. If you are a yoga teacher, I am happy to share something meaningful with you. Namely, three teachers’ certification programs, which I will lead at the Akshara Yoga Institute Austria in Moedling in 2019.
1. YIN YOGA INTENSIVE TEACHER TRAINING
WHY this training? Yin Yoga is a passive yoga style. It gives you a chance to switch from “doing” to “observing” and start paying careful attention to subtle things that fill your time: thoughts, emotions, feelings of tension and release in the body, or changes in your mood. Of course, it is necessary to say that with yin yoga postures you work primarily with fascia, joints, and ligaments (so-called yin parts of the body).
My PERSONAL intention: Personally, I practice Yin Yoga a lot. I would say that this practice is a perfect accompaniment to meditation; they compliment each other and work together very naturally for many students. If you teach a yin yoga class then you have much room to give more depth to the practice: inspire your students, let them relax, calm down, and spend quality time with themselves.
WHAT is inside? This training includes a broad range of yin postures, meditation techniques, “Hands-On” in yin yoga class, improvement of one’s teaching abilities, as well as some very useful advice on how to prepare better classes while spending less time. Here practice is followed by theory with very useful assignments in the form of teamwork or homework with practical, detailed feedback. I believe a great, clear structure is the key for understanding topics easily. Students always receive printed handouts, a list of recommended books and online resources, parts of my lecture presentations, as well as some of my programs that we practice together.
Certification? This is a certification program, it covers 54 hours recognized by Yoga Alliance.
2. MEDITATION TRAINING FOR YOGA TEACHERS
WHY this training? This program is something new and unique. In most programs meditation teachers help you to establish your own practice. There are only a couple of programs to be certified as a meditation teacher. However, most yoga studio clients are not really ready to sit in a class for an hour and meditate. It is not their fault for the misunderstanding of yoga! It is just the way our modern time works; we wish to do something nice for our body and mind, however, we do not want to get used to meditating! So, I asked myself: why not provide yoga teachers with practical methods that enable them to make meditation an indivisible natural part of yoga class, which still excludes long formal sittings?
My PERSONAL intention: Personally, I see meditation as my primary practice. I was not born or raised as a mindful person, but I become the mindful author of my life while practicing yoga and meditation. I keep on a quite excessive meditation self-practice schedule and have searched for input and inspiration from great modern meditators such as Stephen & Martine Batchelors, Jason Siff, Mingyur Rinpoche and Jack Kornfield. For many years, I have been excited about understanding the human brain and mind from both a philosophical and psychological point of view. Now I am happy to share my knowledge in a well-structured modern program.
WHAT is inside? In this training, inspiration to meditate is followed by meditation, old and modern knowledge about the human mind, a broad range of meditation techniques, training to guide meditation, and many ways to integrate meditation naturally into a yoga class of any intensity and pace. Students always receive printed handouts, a list of recommended books and online resources, as well as parts of my lecture presentations.
Certification? This is a certification program and covers 54 hours recognized by Yoga Alliance.
3. MODERN BUSINESS PLANNING FOR (YOGA) TEACHERS
WHY this training? I strongly believe in the power of knowledge and mindfulness. They are both required in this world and yoga teachers have to be heard as a serious source of life-changing knowledge. So, I decided to take a chance and support yoga teachers by developing an easy-to-understand program about self-administration, time-management, and, most importantly, strategic approaches to planning your own teaching activities. Each participant will end up with an exceptionally useful business plan to organize themselves as a teacher or coach.
My PERSONAL intention: If someone asks me what I do, I always reply that I am a teacher. Afterwards, I might explore and add that I teach in two different areas: yoga/meditation and business planning. For me, this mix of professional activities is a strong manifestation of mindfulness in a modern life. I have been working as a manager of strategic planning and currently teach, with passion and ongoing self-improvement, topics such as strategy and communication. Looking at many yoga teachers, I have noticed that most of them have great, deep personalities, however, they cannot reach enough students to inspire and remind them about the possibility of having a “big meaningful life,” which yoga and mindfulness might help us to live. Moreover, yoga teachers often work for less money and make lots of organizational mistakes. As a result, too many people see yoga teaching not as a serious profession, but as a hobby-like evening activity. I believe that should be changed.
WHAT is inside? Only relevant information is included. I intentionally exclude overwhelming business theories and cases, as our goal is correct, professional self-administration and a concentration on essential things: sharing knowledge about yoga combined with meditation, as well as inspiring our students to have “big meaningful lives”. This program is completely unique in its form and content. It is customized, self-administration knowledge for teachers and coaches; for people who deserve much more attention as they teach and inspire! Students receive printed handouts, questionaries’ for self-analysis, check-lists for daily plans and self-management, as well as a list of recommended articles and online resources.
Certification? This program is a certification training and covers 22-hours recognized by Yoga Alliance.
Finally: two thanks and two link
1. I would like to express my thanks to the founder of Akshara Yoga Institute Austria and a highly professional yoga teacher – Mag. Birgit Poeltl, who continuously supports my teaching initiatives. Here, in a large, but still very cozy, studio placed in Moedling, I feel at home.
2. I am deeply thankful to each of my students who turned me into a teacher and let me be for them a source of interesting, unique, and highly professional knowledge. Your attention is the most precious gift for me.
And last, but not least, the links:
1. click here to see the schedule for the three trainings.
More plans are coming. I am proud and happy to share them very soon!
