Yoga for Mental Health Teacher Training Online, 2020

The intention of this course is to help yoga teachers practice and teach yoga in a way that supports their own and their students' mental health. This course reorients the focus from the teaching of poses and practices to using poses and practices as opportunities to sense internally, to explore curiously, and to respond compassionately to challenges and opportunities as they arise. This course is not a certification in teaching yoga for any particular diagnosis, nor is it about herding people with mental health problems together into a class. This course is about understanding mental health from a yogic framework and from the framework of recovery, it is about understanding how yoga works on a scientific and experiential level, and it is about knowing how to create a safe, ethically responsible, trauma informed environment in which to offer yoga. 

​Online versus in person trainings:
In person trainings offer a live, intensive, group experience. However they require travel and accomodation expense, and sometimes the intensive aspect of live group immersion can be intense and doesn't leave time for integration.  Online trainings let you go at your own pace, listen to lectures again, and integrate the material into your practice.  I am hoping that this online course gives us the best of both: time to digest pre-session lectures and to practically apply your knowledge in your own teaching and practice, and the live coming together of a group with the teacher.  The led practices, live lectures, questions and discussions means the material is catered to the understanding of the group and doesn't feel generic. This is the first time I have run a course online, so I am sure that there will be lots of learning for me, and I assure you that participants will be given access to any innovations or improvements that emerge from the course.  The first online course will be limited to 20 participants (not including course assistants).

Requirements for Registration: 

• 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate, or  Health Professional with clinical experience.
• minimum 6 months teaching experience or relevant clinical experience​
• Short Statement of why you want to undertake this training and what you intend to do with it. 
• Please note: this course is directed to teachers and therapist who want to offer yoga that supports mental health. It includes using yoga for self care and self regulation, but cannot, in such a short space of time, or with a group of this size, offer the continuity or personalised support for a person who is acutely unwell or in crisis. ​

Course Content:​

• The Yoga for Mental Health Teacher Training is designed to educate and support yoga teachers to offer classes that train resilience, self-regulation and self-empowerment through yoga. In a safe environment, with a supportive teacher, yoga is a means of finding and cultivating a positive healthy relationship with ourselves.
• The concept of Recovery in mental health and the Yogic framework for mental health
• Scientific explanation of how yoga supports mental health
• Bottom up versus Top Down approaches are explained and explored in practice
• Evidence based approaches and practices which support resilience, recovery and self-regulation.
• Important contraindications and guidelines for anxiety and depression.
• A definition and explanation of trauma informed care (this training does not focus exclusively on trauma sensitive yoga) and how to implement it in practice.​​

How will the course run? 

• The course will be delivered via pre-course material (lectures and optional reading) plus 5 x 3.5 hour live online sessions via Zoom
• Live online sessions will be Sunday mornings 9am-12:30pm AEST (Sydney, Australia time) with a twenty minute break built in.
• (For those in the USA, this is Saturdays 4pm-7.30pm Pacific Time / Saturdays 7pm-10.30pm Eastern Time).
• (Click here to check your local time zone).
• Each live session will start with practice, followed by a presentation on the underpinning theory. (Maria's teaching and lecture will be recorded for you to download, or watch at a later time if you are unable to attend live).
• The session will conclude with questions, and sharing of ideas on how to apply what you have learned in your own practice, your classes and your work with individuals. (This portion will not be recorded to protect the safety and privacy of the group).

​
Sample Structure of Sunday Live Sessions:

• Intro and questions (Opening Circle first session)
• Practice led by Maria  (recorded)
• Break
• Lecture / Presentation by Maria (recorded)
• Discussion and practical application  (not recorded)
• Homework:  plan a short session or class that applies what we have learned. (Not assessed, but important for your integration of the material)
• Closing circle final session

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When will the course run? 
​Online course Round 1 is full: 

• Session 1: Sunday 21st June, 9:00am-12:30pm AEST
• Session 2: Sunday 28th June, 9:00am-12:30pm AEST
• Session 3: Sunday 5th July, 9:00am-12:30pm AEST
• Session 4: Sunday 12th July, 9:00am-12:30pm AEST
• Session 5: Sunday 19th July, 9:00am-12:30pm AEST. 

Europe friendly course hours:
​Sundays 9 am- 12 noon GMT
​Online course Round 2 is taking applications: 

• Session 1: Sunday 5th July, 6:00pm -9:00pm AEST
• Session 2: Sunday 12th July,, 6:00pm -9:00pm AEST
• Session 3:  Sunday 19th July: 6:00pm -9:00pm AEST
• Session 4:  Sunday 26th July 6:00pm -9:00pm AEST
• Session 5:, Sunday 2nd August 6:00pm -9:00pm AEST ​

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• ​Pre- course material for Session 1 and PDF manual sent on enrolment. Other preparatory material for each session sent subsequently.
• Pre-recorded lectures for each session (not more than 2 hours) must be listened to before the online sessions. They will provide you with familiarity with the key concepts that will be discussed.  You do not have to learn them in detail, just listen attentively, and make note of questions you have. All the connections and context will be provided in the lectures.
• All live zoom sessions are in Australian Eastern Standard Time which will work for the U.S.,but not for the U.K. or Europe. If you are in Europe and want to enrol, please contact me and I can potentially create times that will work for you.
• PDF certificates sent by email.

Supporting Materials:

• Comprehensive, referenced Yoga for Mental Health Manual

Do I need a mat and props?

• If you have props, great. If you don't we will learn to improvise with what you and your students have at home. 

What will I receive on completion of the course ? 

• A certificate from Yoga for Grownups for 25 hours in Teaching Yoga to Support Mental Health.

*While this training is being offered online, Yoga Alliance has made temporary amendments to their policy regarding online training and contact / non-contact hour requirements for teachers due to current social distancing requirements. Please click here for details. Graduates of this training who are Yoga Alliance registered will be able to log the hours for Continuing Education as ‘contact hours’.

• Maria is ERYT500 and YACEP with Yoga Alliance and a Registered Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Australia, so all contact hours can be used for continuing education points. 

Need more information or want to ask a question?

• email: maria@yogaforgrownups.com

Registration Process: 

• Complete Application Form below then await application approval email. If all places are filled you will be given the option of being placed on the waitlist. The course will be limited to 24 participants (not including my assistants). 

 Cost: 

• $600.00 AUD
  
• Upon receipt of approval email, deposit course fees to confirm your place in the course: $600.00.
• Direct Deposit to Account: please use your last name as the identifier. (It gets confusing)
  • Maria Kirsten
  • BSB 082 522
  • Acct 36 571 5279
• ​or pay via credit car or PayPal  ​

Yoga for Mental Health Online Training

A$600.00

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