The Yoga Mentorship Programme
With yoga teacher training programmes being unregulated and likely to remain so, the quality of teacher training courses in the UK and abroad varies hugely. Many yoga teacher training programmes do not include mentorship, which I believe to be a vital component of any respectable teacher training course. Having the support of an experienced yoga teacher can make a big difference in helping you in your yoga teaching journey.
Sadly I have witnessed over the years that far too many yoga teachers never go on to teach yoga or only teach yoga for a short few months or years after completing their teacher training. It seems such a shame to put so much time, effort and money into a teacher training course which doesn’t deliver them into teaching yoga either part-time or full-time.
My aim is to offer advice and support to newly qualified yoga teachers, trainee yoga teachers or yoga teachers who have taken a break from teaching and would like to get back to teaching again, but feel they lack confidence and need a helping hand.
To find out whether my mentorship programme is right for you and whether you’d like to work with me, you’ll be invited for a free telephone conversation where we can assess whether it is advisable to proceed with the mentorship.
Who is it for?
The mentorship programme is open to existing yoga teachers, regardless of teaching experience or lack of it, as well as to trainee yoga teachers. It is also suitable to those teachers who have taken a break from teaching yoga and would like to go back to teaching again.
What does it consist of?
- It consists of a class observation where I will be observing you teach a yoga class, followed by a feedback session. This includes a summary email of points raised during the feedback session.
- Specific issues can be addressed on follow-up face-to-face meetings or zoom sessions.
The class observation element is compulsory, while the follow-up meetings are optional and depend exclusively on what your needs are.
Some examples of issues that can be addressed & explored :
- Marketing your classes, including getting started;
- Teaching online;
- Class & course planning, including themes & sequencing;
- Class management;
- Health & safety, including keeping records;
- Adjustments (verbal & hands-on);
- Dealing with challenging students;
- Integrating different students in a mixed abilities yoga class;
- Preventing burn out;
etc…..
Investment:
- Class observation & feedback: £90 + travel expenses
- One-to-one mentoring sessions: £50 for 40 minutes
My experience:
I have been teaching yoga for 30 years. I took a 2-year BWY Diploma Course in the mid-90s in London. I taught my very first yoga class in November 1994 in Central London!
Since 1997 I have been teaching yoga full time (as my sole source of income). Over the years, I have run 10 BWY Foundation Courses, which are in-depth courses on yoga (but not teacher training courses). I qualified as a BWY Diploma Course Tutor (which is the license to train yoga teachers for the BWY) in 2003.
Between 2004 and 2006 I ran a 2+ years’ BWY Diploma Course in Central London. Twelve yoga teachers qualified from that course.
I was a Mentor for YogaCampus in London for about 3 years, which involved providing mentorship to their Trainee yoga teachers.
I have carried out countless class observations over the years and provided structured feedback to student teachers, as well as providing IST days for yoga teachers for the BWY. I have also run several retreats in the UK.
Having taught yoga extensively all over London for many years, in 2011 I converted my loft into a small home yoga studio, where I now teach 9 weekly classes as well as Masterclasses.
If you’d like to book your free telephone conversation with me please message me on 07905509859
I look forward to meeting you,
Mara
