Teacher Education and Mentorship Programs

After over 25 year of experience teaching across a variety of disciplines, I have had the great privilege of supporting and advising newer teachers as they navigate the yoga industry, seeking to strike a balance between their personal practice, their professional desires, and their students’ needs in a very complex commercial climate. The current certification structure provides precious little in the way of mentorship and guidance for new teachers once they complete their 200-hour trainings. Aside from students telling us how great they feel after class, few opportunities exist to receive constructive feedback or contemplate the art and craft of teaching with peers and fellow teachers.

In an effort to create a resource for teachers and studio owners/managers, I have curated a series of educational opportunities rooted in yoga pedagogy. These include:

  • one-on-one mentorship opportunities for new and establish teachers looking to identify ways to improve and align intention with execution, through class audits and candid feedback sessions

  • consulting and programming for studio owners striving to create a more cohesive teaching staff aligned with their mission to support and grow their unique student community

  • workshops to provide continuing education in the areas of teaching methodology, including why we teach, what we teach, and how we teach it, with specific emphasis on sequencing and practical anatomy, history and philosophy

The following 3-hour workshops can be presented individually or bundled to create an immersive weekend of continuing education. They can also be tailored to serve as key components of 200-hr and 300-hr YTT modules or provide content to explore through one-on-one mentorship. All of the following sessions are designed for groups and include lecture, discussion, creative writing/ sketching, and movement practice.

Past Presence: Yoga History
How did we get here? Understanding more about the history of yoga from its earliest known origins can help instructors to see the key elements needed to craft a sense of union in each and every class. Mentioning the Vedas, the Gita or the Hatha Yoga Pradipika doesn’t make a class better, but understanding their relevance to contemporary practice can make you a more effective teacher.

Practical Magic: The 5 Senses
Learn smart, sensible ways to ensure that your students have the best experience possible from the moment they enter the teaching space until they exit the building From crafting playlists to timing assists, we’ll consider how all five senses come into play for both student and teacher.

Be a Savvy Spin-ster: The Art of Mandala Sequencing
Dana Flynn of Laughing Lotus references whirling dervishes and the spinning devotional dances they perform as the root of her circular sequencing. I’ve always found the worth of such a vinyasa practice in the shaker song “Simple Gifts,” which suggests that “by turning, turning we come round right.” Sequencing around the mat can be confusing for both teachers and students, but in this workshop we’ll breakdown the key elements of mandala sequencing and learn to ensure a practice that feels deep rather than dizzying.

Linking to the Limbs: Yoga Philosophy
A deep-dive into the eight-limbed path offered by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras provides teachers an opportunity to awaken to existing patterns and habits and consider ways to save students from our own bias. The limbs can also provide more clarity around what aspects of instruction a teacher should take on and, perhaps more importantly, which they should not.

Rallying the Warriors: Inclusive Sequencing
Vinyasa yoga classes can be life-changing for folks that have the strength and mobility to transition from down dog to Warrior 1. But to make the practice more accessible, alternate but equally dynamic transitions will provide a greater sense of fluidity and grace. Great for those looking to reach beginners, teach community classes or event-style classes, or find new ways to inspire their students.

Root to Rise:
Intelligent Sequencing to Inversions
Intelligent Sequencing to Arm Balances
In order to offer inversion or arm balance in 60 and 75 minute classes, an instructor must use the dreaded cue “go into it if you know it” or be incredibly precise and well-edited in their sequencing. In these sessions, we will consider the variety of structural and energetic/emotional barriers that students might face when approaching these complex postures, as well as ways to sequence and support growth.

Please contact me for information on booking workshops or with questions around mentorship opportunities.