“When it comes to learning, the fastest way, the most efficient way is total immersion, no question.” Anthony Robbins, Excellence Coach

“The tuition is excellent, engaging, enlightening and entertaining. It is so well structured time flew! It was extremely good value. These are life gifts!” Zenways Teacher, Justine Glenton, resident yoga teacher at the Hale Clinic, London.

I have a confession to make. I never set out to be a yoga teacher. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my yoga, was pretty regular in my own practice and got to classes now and then. Upcoming Yoga Teacher Training Course: 20th November-4th December 2010

But then things turned a corner and…well, before I go into some of the amazing things that have happened to me since I first qualified as a yoga teacher, not long after the millennium, I’m reminded of the thoughts that nearly stopped me going for it: “I’m not flexible enough”, “I love yoga, but I don’t know if I could teach it.” “I’m not the right age to be a yoga teacher”, “I don’t have the time or the money to study”. . Maybe when you consider teaching yoga, something similar comes up for you. I know where you’re coming from. Yoga is a vast and deep discipline, thousands of years old. We’re quite right to think very seriously before we undergo teaching it. But the thing is the world needs yoga teachers. Never have humans lived in such a frazzled, stressful, unnatural environment. People are crying out for help. Every year, yoga gets more popular because it really makes a difference.

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The British Wheel of Yoga

There has been some confusion over the role of the British Wheel of Yoga within the UK professional yoga scene. Some people believe that only qualified British Wheel teachers are eligible to teach publicly. This is partly through the BWY accepting the Sport England title, Governing Body for Yoga”. This title only holds for England, there are other Governing Bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In explaining this title, the BWY states, “..it does not mean that the BWY has or seeks to have control over other yoga organisations as the word “governing” may suggest. The BWY sees its primary role as being an advocate for yoga.” Currently Zenways Yoga is not registered with the BWY because the requirements for entry only cover yoga schools based in Hinduism. The BWY is aware of this anomalous and legally questionable situation and is working to amend its rules so that it can accept the religious and cultural diversity within yoga. In practice Zenways yoga teachers are active in health clubs, gyms and many other situations across the country including, Virgin Active, Bannatyne and Fitness First, as well as elsewhere in Europe and Asia.

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“…very thorough, fun and delivered with great integrity. Daizan’s passion and deep-rooted beliefs are a true inspiration to others.” Zenways Teacher, Charlotte Esme Turner, resident yoga teacher with the UK under 18 Rock Climbing team and the University of the Highlands and Islands.

From the perspective I have now, I can guarantee that whatever your own life experience and state of health, you can find a niche, find people who are grateful for your help and, more than that, are willing to pay you for it. How much can you make? Well, I know a yoga teacher who does two classes a day in Brixton, London. She’s clearing 40 thousand pounds a year. If you want to work in gyms and health clubs, the current going rate is around fifty pounds for a class. Maybe it seems quite expensive to go through the training. No question, even though Zenways is one of the best-value courses in the UK, it’s not cheap. That is, until you work out how long it would take to earn the money to pay back your training costs. If you teach two classes a day (London professionals may be doing anything up to five) you’ll pay for your training in under a month. I don’t know of any other profession where you can cover your training costs that fast.

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Next Yoga teacher training course: November 20th – December 4th. Fully inclusive earlybird Price £2490 residential. Maximum 16 places.

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The other wonderful thing that yoga teaching gives you is time. So many people are cash-rich but time-poor. You’ll have the space in your life to look after the kids, write that book, study, whatever is important to you. Or maybe you love your current job but you want another string to your bow. You want to share something you love and enjoy. Teaching yoga can bring you immense satisfaction. Of course you need the peace of mind to know that what you are offering is actually safe and beneficial to your students and that’s where yoga teacher training comes in. There is a worldwide standards body called the Yoga Alliance who vet yoga teacher training courses. They set two levels of certification. A 200-hour training is for people who want to be regular yoga teachers. 500 hours is usually for people who want to train other teachers. When you take a Yoga Alliance registered course you’re putting yourself in line for international recognition. You get certified, and the letters RYT after your name. Then the doors start opening. You can get insurance, you can get students, you can get teaching jobs. For years now, yoga has been my main source of income. I’ve taught in America and Canada, Europe and various places in Asia. My Yoga Alliance certification has literally been a passport to the world. Now, across the world there are quite a few Yoga Alliance registered yoga schools. Why train with Zenways Yoga? You’ll get the education and support to develop into exactly the kind of yoga teacher that’s right for you, that’s why. Over the years I’ve studied in India, China and Japan. Out of everything I’ve learned, I’m making available a yoga style that will bring you success when you teach (I wonder if I’m the only yoga teacher who actually gets fanmail!) and at the same time will allow you to develop as a person and as a teacher. On top of that, it’s the only course taught by a full Zen Master trained in Japan. That means you can take things just as deep as you like spiritually and you can know you’re in safe hands. Every Yoga Alliance registered course has to include yoga philosophy. Most yoga schools are based in Hinduism. But if you have more of a leaning towards the Buddhist view of life, Zenways is for you. We’re uniquely based in the Yogacara (yoga practice) philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism. Also, you can imagine, having taught in so many places and situations, I’ve got a lot of experience to share. How do you teach in a country speaking another language than your own? How do you teach four-year olds? How do you teach when you have a leg injury? All these questions and many more are covered on the course. Also, the first Yoga Alliance registered teacher training course I taught on was in 2002 so I have a lot of teaching experience. Maybe it’s tricky for you to get two clear weeks in your calendar for your study, but consider this: Researchers into education have made great strides recently in understanding how you learn a new skill. The fastest most efficient method is called “total immersion”. When you put aside your normal concerns for a little while, your learning curve is steeper.

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Next Yoga teacher training course: November 20th-November 4th 2010. Early booking price £2490 fully residential. Maximum 16 places.

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“I feel confident and prepared. We surveyed a lot of traditions and areas so I now have a broad knowledge of what’s out there.” Zenways teacher, Matt Kuke Kane, resident Zen Taiso (Zen yoga) teacher at Bukokuji Zen monastery, Fukui, Japan.

That’s why I teach people to be yoga teachers on a fastrack intensive course. You crash through the barriers to your success much more easily because you have momentum behind you. You’re in an environment where you eat and sleep yoga. You’re surrounded by others on the same path and the teacher is right there for you. In this time, not only will you acquire the skills for your future career, but you’ll probably find you’re going through a supercharged personal growth process. Now you may well be thinking. “This is all great, but really, how can I learn how to be a yoga teacher in only two weeks?” How can you indeed? This is a great question. The fact is, it’s a bit like learning to drive a car. There are some intensive driving courses these days that will get you through your test really fast, but then you spend the rest of your life learning how to drive. Yoga is the same. It’s truly an endless journey, you never stop learning, you never stop growing, and out of this comes something really special that you can share with your students. The next Zenways yoga teacher training course runs from November 20th – December 4th^th 2010. We’ll be at The Beacon Centre, a beautiful and comfortable retreat centre in the Devon. More information about the venue here http://www.beacon-centre.com/Home.html Enquire about the special earlybird price for course fees and full-board accommodation of £2490. There are a maximum of just sixteen places available, so you’ll need to get in early. Your first step is to email me at daizan@london.com. Tell me you’re interested in yoga teacher training, and give me a sense of your experience of yoga and related disciplines and your state of health, and we’ll take it from there. Oh, and some of the amazing things that have happened to me since I began teaching yoga? Well, the list is endless, but how about becoming the breadwinner for a struggling Zen monastery in the mountains of Japan. My yoga classes literally put rice on the table. And as I was coming to the end of my temple study, I was able to train one of the monks to be a yoga teacher so that he could keep classes and the temple support going. I could go on, but actually I’m more interested in your story. How will you make your mark doing this beautiful work? What will teaching yoga bring to your life? I’m looking forward to helping it all unfold for you. Email daizan@london.com.

“After doing the course, I feel it was inexpensive for what has been offered. It was not just about becoming a yoga teacher. It has been an amazing experience. I never thought that signing up for the course would enable me to find bliss. Do it if you think that yoga is more than a keep fit exercise.” Zenways Teacher, Victoria Goody, resident yoga teacher with the Sri Lanka national rugby team.

Freqently Asked Questions

I’m interested in training as a yoga teacher. How do I do it?

The fastest, most efficient way to gain a recognised qualification is to take a Zenways Yoga two-week, 200-hour course.

What is the daily schedule on a Zenways Yoga teacher training course like?

A typical day on the course is like this:

6-7am Guided Meditation

7-7.30 Breakfast

7.30-8.30 Yoga Nidra – (yogic sleep)

8.30-10.30 Physical Yoga – work on asanas

10.30-12.00 Class

12.00-12.30 Lunch

12.30-4.30 Class/academic study/teaching practice

4.30-5.30 Chanting/breathwork

5.30-6.00 Supper

6.00-7.00 Reido (spontaneous yoga)

7.00-7.30 Mudras – the yoga of gesture

7.30-8.30 Meditation

What is the Accommodation like?

The next course (November 20th – December 4th 2010) is at a beautiful, warm and well-appointed retreat centre called The Beacon Centre near Exeter in Devon. We have run a number of successful events at the Beacon Centre and they well understand how to cater for a fastrack intensive yoga course.

What is Zenways?

Zenways is the umbrella organisation fostering the teaching of Zen Master Julian Daizan Skinner. Our work is to bring eastern teachings that promote physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing into the modern world.

Do I automatically qualify as a yoga teacher by attending the course?

No, to qualify you are required to

(1)Attend the whole of a course

(2)Submit satisfactory essays on: Anatomy and Physiology

and The Role of a Yoga Teacher

(3) Teach five one-hour classes and submit lesson plans and reflections on your teaching.

Then you will receive your Teacher’s Certificate and can become a registered yoga teacher (RYT) with the Yoga Alliance.

Can you give me more information about the Yoga Alliance?

You can find out more about The Yoga Alliance and their standards and registration process here:

http://www.yogaalliance.org/Standards.html

How much can I earn as a yoga teacher.

It depends on you. I met a London teacher recently, based in Brixton, who teacher two classes a day and makes £40000 a year. There are essentially two routes inyour teaching, one in which you are employed – I make anything between about £50 and £90 an hour and a half class on an employed basis, and self-employed in which you organise your own class, advertise and charge your students directly. In this situation, the limits are simply what your students will pay and the capacity of your venue.

How Much is the Course?

The 2010 tuition cost is £1990. Accommodation costs are extra. For example the November 20th – December 4th 2010 course at the Beacon Centre has an accommodation charge of £860. Each retreat centre has different accommodation charges. We are committed to keeping the course affordable and Zenways Yoga is one of the best value Yoga Alliance registered courses in the UK. When you consider the earnings potential, yoga teacher training is excellent value for money.

If I have to cancel my booking what is your refund policy?

If you cancel more than two weeks before the start of your course you will be refunded the entire cost of your course. If you have to cancel less than two weeks before the start of your course you are entitled to 50% of the cost of your course. If you cancel 48 hours or less before the start of your course, unfortunately we are not able to offer a refund. It may be possible to transfer your course fee to a future course. Enquire for more information.

What Will I Study on the Course?

Yoga Alliance registered courses are required to have an extensive range of study and Zenways is no different. On the practical side, you’ll be learning yoga asanas or postures, breathing methods or pranayama, meditation and relaxation techniques, mudras – the yoga of gesture, spontaneous or natural yoga. On the theory side you will also be studying anatomy, the body’s energy system, philosophy (which unlike most Hindu-based yoga schools, is Buddhist philosophy), ethics, business methods and safety.

Can you really learn to be a yoga teacher in two weeks?

I think of it like learning to drive a car. With intensive study, you can pass your driving test quite quickly. Many people feel that it’s once you’ve passed your test that you really learn to drive. Plan on your development as a yoga teacher taking the rest of your life.

Aren’t yoga teachers all 25 year old former models?

I’m not. I didn’t start my yoga practice until I was about 30. Many excellent teachers have started later. And I know of some teenagers who are very good teachers. Yoga was always intended to be a life-long activity. If you have a lot of experience of life, it will make your practice and teaching deeper and richer. People are starting yoga practice at all ages so you can guarantee you will have something wonderful to offer whatever your age.

How do I apply?

Email daizan@london.com. Put on your heading line, “Yoga Teacher Training Application”. I’ll guide you through the process.