Sunday 19th October 2008
Lynne Scott
Lynne Scott completed her training with Yoga Scotland in 1979. She completed
the 4 year Yoga and Yoga Therapy training with Viniyoga Britain (now the
Association of Yoga Studies). She is also a teacher with the Krishnamacharya
Healing & Yoga Foundation.
When meditation is taught it is often linked to Buddhist practice. This day
will look at what Yoga teaches about meditation, focussing on the Yoga Sutra
of Patanjali.
We will look at what practical tools we can use to give a ‘feeling of
meditation’, samadhi bhavanarthah, to our students; simple practice ideas we
can incorporate into a general class to move towards a meditative state.
The day will use study, discussion, and asana and pranayama linked to
meditative practice.
Venue: Hay Room, Dewars Centre, Perth
Sunday 26th October 2008
Mohini’s heritage stems from a unique combination of
ancestral yogic traditions, from India on the paternal side, and a deep rich
cultural diversity from Egypt, on the maternal. She trained with the British
Wheel of Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, with Erich Schiffmann and has worked
extensively with Clive Sheridan and currently with Sarah Powers
Essential ingredients of humour, passion, spontaneity and vigour, are woven
into Mohini’s natural eclectic teaching style. She draws on her experience
of Vipassana, Metta and Tonglen Buddhist meditation practices, Patanjali’s
Eightfold Path of Yoga and the unique expression of personal energy or
Shakti.
Mohini is the author of “Yogaflows”, and has travelled the world teaching
workshops, seminars, retreats and holidays.
The day offers an opportunity for still and fluid physical expression,
promoting deep relaxation, meditative awareness, and the potential of
profound insight and intuitive wisdom.
Feel the pulse and invitation to move inside, yielding to the element of
water, feminine or Yin aspect of the practice through sustained holding of
poses, to enhance the organ and meridian systems. With meditative or
focussed awareness, express wilfully and externally through the element of
fire, masculine or Yang aspect of the practice, through flowing sequences.
Experience the magnetic attraction and synthesis of both polarities, in the
unique merging expression of a “Yogaflow™”.
Venue: Fairweather Hall, Barrhead Road, Newton Mearns, Glasgow G77 6BB
Sunday November 9th 2008
Zoe Knott
Zoe has practised yoga for 30 years with many different teachers from a
variety of traditions. She uses a combination of these styles in her own
teaching. However one of the key areas of her teaching comes from a point of
safety and Zoe has developed a style of working with strength in asana to
protect the body from stress. Having spent much of her yoga life
experimenting with some of the more challenging yoga poses, working with
strength is very much a part of the techniques given to those who wish to
explore Headstand and Handstand.
A Diploma Course Tutor for the Wheel, Zoe has also taken the additional BWY
modules in Pranayama and Pregnancy and gives In Service Training around
Great Britain.
Sirsasana and Adho Mukha Vrksasana are postures that all can work towards.
THERE ARE STAGES FOR EVERYONE.
Sometimes as teachers we have our own (fear) issues with these postures and
these we take into our teaching. The Day explores this aspect by looking at
the Benefits and Contraindications.
Thereafter we approach Headstand and Handstand by considering structure,
exploring specific techniques and breaking down poses. All who work in this
way will find a stage to practice and a path on which to move forward. This
progression is useful in our role as teacher as we work in pairs and groups
to give the experience of taking individual students at different stages in
their practice, further into the posture. These stages are also helpful for
own practice if either of these poses are not in our regular repertoire. The
day is very much about the ‘Journey’ towards these asana.
And if a day of Headstand and Handstand sounds overwhelming, we may even
enjoy a deserved relaxation………
Venue: Studio, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen
Saturday January 24th 2009
Dave Charlton
Dave has been studying Yoga since 1987 with teachers who have been connected
directly with TKV Desikachar. He also has an MA in Buddhist Studies and
particular interests in Sanskrit, Vedic chanting and Yoga philosophy. Dave
also specialises in individual tuition and trains extensively for both the
Association and the British Wheel of Yoga throughout the UK. Dave runs
teacher training courses for the British Wheel and also has set up his own
training organisation, Sadhana Mala, with a colleague Ranju Roy. Dave lives
near Worcester with his wife Gail where they have their own Yoga studio.
Can the practice of asana embody the essence of the goals of Yoga? This
workshop will present the sutras from the Yoga Sutra that refer to the
practice of asana and will explore how they may be applied in a very
practical way to the technique of practice and key asana. We will apply the
sutras from both a traditional view and also from a more exploratory
perspective. The day will include theory, practice and workshop sessions.
Venue: Staff Room, Craigmount High School, Craigs Road, Edinburgh
Sunday January 25th 2009
Dave Charlton
It is said that the correct application of the exhale in Yoga is like a
surgeons knife in removing disease and maintaining both physical and
psychological health. This day will explore the fundamental role of the
exhale in the practice of Yoga, in both asana and pranayama. The day will
include some basic theory from the Yoga Sutra and Hatha Yoga Pradipika,
practice and time for discussion. Practice sessions will include asana,
pranayama and the use of sound.
Venue: Staff Room, Craigmount High School, Craigs road, Edinburgh
Saturday 21st February 2009
Ruth Gilmore
Ruth Gilmore PhD was a full-time lecturer at the Queen’s University of
Belfast for many years, first in Physiology and then in Anatomy, until she
took early retirement in order to devote more time to yoga. Since 1996 Ruth
has been involved with the Yoga Biomedical Trust (YBT) at the Yoga Therapy
Centre based in Islington, London. She is responsible for both course
planning and Anatomy and Physiology tuition on the Yoga Therapy Diploma
course.
Ruth’s background of anatomical and teaching skills, combined with her easy
and gentle style, make her workshops enjoyable as well as educational and
beneficial. Ruth particularly enjoys sharing her unique combination of yoga
and medical knowledge with other yoga teachers, so that they too can feel
confident working with students in all circumstances.
Many students coming to a general yoga class have some form of heart or
cardiovascular condition, such as high or low blood pressure, palpitations,
arteriosclerosis or varicose veins. All such medical conditions affect both
the physical body and the mind. The yoga teacher nowadays needs to
understand enough about such conditions and their medical management to
enable him/her to feel confident that he/she can provide the most beneficial
practice for these individuals in the general class situation.
Research has shown that appropriate yoga practice is particularly beneficial
in this area. Ruth explains the workings of the heart and blood vessels in
simple, jargon-free language, and demystifies such topics as blood pressure,
coronary artery disease and angioplasty. The day includes plenty of
practical exploration of yoga for heart and cardiovascular conditions, and
is presented with handouts and illustrations to make learning and discussion
enjoyable and stress-free.
Venue: Fairweather Hall, Barrhead Road, Newton Mearns, Glasgow G77 6BB
Sunday February 22nd 2009
Ruth Gilmore
Many students coming to a general yoga class have some form of respiratory
problem. This may be a recognised “medical” condition, such as hay fever,
sinusitis, asthma or chronic bronchitis, or a problem associated with a
disordered breathing pattern, such as panic attacks or chronic anxiety. Less
often someone with a more serious condition, such as emphysema or cystic
fibrosis may wish to join a class. All such problems affect both the
physical body and the mind. The yoga teacher nowadays needs to understand
enough about such conditions and their medical management to enable him/her
to feel confident that he/she can provide the most beneficial practice for
affected individuals in the general class situation.
Ruth Gilmore’s workshop “Working with Respiratory problems in class” is
designed primarily for yoga teachers, but will be of interest also to
committed practitioners, especially those with a history of living with such
conditions. Research has shown that appropriate yoga practice is
particularly beneficial in this area. Ruth explains the workings of the
lungs and respiratory tract in simple, jargon-free language, and demystifies
such topics as the effects of deep breathing, hyperventilation and the
physiological effects of pranayama practices. The day includes plenty of
practical exploration of yoga, breath and movement, and is presented using
handouts and illustrations to make learning and discussion enjoyable and
stress-free.
Venue: Fairweather Hall, Barrhead Road, Newton Mearns, Glasgow G77 6BB
Saturday May 9th 2009
Margo Romberg
Margo first trained with SYTA (now Yoga Scotland), then with Viniyoga
Britain (now aYs) and is currently Convenor of aYs. She teaches in the
tradition formally known as “viniyoga”, stemming from Desikachar. She has
taught yoga philosophy to student teachers training with Yoga Scotland for
the past seven years.
The majority of the day will be devoted to the study of Chapter 3 of the
Yoga sutras and some of its key ideas including what they have to say about
the practice of yoga. The day will be interspersed with short asana,
pranayama and meditation sessions.
Venue: Staff Room, Craigmount High School, Craigs Road, Edinburgh
Saturday May 16th 2009
Jill Paget
Jill has practiced yoga for 24 years, training with the Scottish Yoga
Teacher’s Association in 1991/2. Her initial teachers came from the SYTA and
Iyengar traditions. Her interest in Yin Yoga began when she was first taught
by Paul and Suzee Grilley. She currently studies with them whenever possible
and is also influenced by the teachings of Sarah Powers. As a full time yoga
teacher she teaches general classes, over 50s classes, in-house classes for
companies, works in two Scottish prisons and teaches dedicated Yin Yoga
classes.
The day will initially provide a factual introduction to Yin Yoga, it’s
origins and core concepts. Participants will then experience a Yin Yoga
class. In the afternoon they will broaden their knowledge of Yin Yoga
asanas. On a physical level Yin Yoga works with the bones, joints and
connective tissues of the lower spine, pelvis and hips. The day would not
suit students with injuries or degenerative conditions in these areas. On an
energetic level Yin Yoga primarily works with the chi that flows through the
six meridians that pass through the lower back, pelvis and thighs.
Venue: Grangemouth Community Education Unit, Abbotts Road, Grangemounth
Saturday June 6th 2009
Sarah Lionheart
Sarah started teaching yoga and meditation in 1989 and began leading
retreats in 1990.She is a practicing Tibetan Buddhist connected to Kagyu
Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland where she continues to train with such
teachers as Fr Bede Griffiths, Sri Vandana Mataji and Sister Ishpriya Mataji,
Ruth Burrows, Fr Raimon Panikkar and Fr Laurence Freeman. She teaches a
course called 'Tools for a Calmer Life' twice a year at Samye Ling where she
brings her 20 years of training and experience of meditation and mindfulness
training together to teach how to learn to change the mind and over come
unhappiness. Sarah is well known for her engaging teaching style which is
full of humour and stories and also for her warmth and kindness to her
students.
During the day Sarah will explore the reasons for meditating, the obstacles
that prevent it and methods for overcoming these distractions. The students
will have the opportunity to experience the various techniques and tools
that can be used for meditation including the breath, sound, walking,
mantra, visual aids and mala.
Venue: Fairweather Hall, Barrhead Road, Newton Mearns, Glasgow
Sunday June 7th 2009
Sarah Lionheart
Sarah will explore methods by which we can understand how to be truly
present. By means of both short and long practices you will learn how to
train the mind to come out of its loops and habitual ways of thinking (which
can make us sad or anxious etc.) and come back to here and now; this will
assist in finding a way to really live one’s life as opposed to living in
the past or future and missing the present moment. Mindfulness increases
ones ability to be happy and feel positive in the mind – a useful skill. It
also helps to be less reactive and more able to respond with appropriate
insight to situations in our daily life and moods, thoughts, feelings and
emotions in our own mind.
Venue: Community Education Unit, Abbotts Road, Grangemouth
Yoga Scotland and BWY have an agreement whereby registered teachers with
either organisation may attend each other's OGT and IST days respectively.
All days run from 10am, but closing times vary (check with ISTO) and cost
£25. Further details from ISTO Laura Ellis Email:
theswingcats@blueyonder.co.uk
Tel: 07527 044927
Adjusting students with confidence.
11 October 2008. Paul Fox, Crossgates, Fife.
Paul is actively involved in the BWY, as a member of the Congress organising
team and is the NISTO.
A day to look at the principles of adjustment - Why adjust? What can be
achieved? We will explore working safely and understanding the concept of
the 'therapeutic edge', working in the spirit of ahimsa and also
professional issues regarding adjustment. We will look at a range of
postures, observing foundation and understanding appropriate modifications
and adjustments.
Contact Laura Ellis, preferably by email:
theswingcats@blueyonder.co.uk
Tel: 07527 044927
Advice on Asana and
Pranayama from the Yoga Sutras and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
28 September 2008. Karen Adamson, Lerwick, Shetland
Karen is a Diploma Course Tutor for the British Wheel of Yoga. Karen has
found that Desikachar’s teachings on the Yoga Sutras and other texts has
helped to bring these teachings alive.
Karen will look at the context/historical setting of the Sutras and HYP,
review the teaching of asana and pranayama in both texts and their relevance
to yoga teachers today.
Contact Laura Ellis, preferably by email:
theswingcats@blueyonder.co.uk
Tel 07527 049927
Reciprocal arrangements between BWY & YS allow teachers to
attend either BWY IST days or YS OGT days in order to fulfil their continued
professional development requirements.
