We get asked an enormous number of questions each day! Below are some of the most commonly asked questions that we receive. If your question isn't answered here please feel free to contact us direct
Q. What is your COVID Planning:
A. We already have experience of running two 200 hour TT groups since the first lockdown in March and we are glad to say that everyone has stayed totally safe and felt comfortable with the measures that we have put in place.
Above all else we think that everyone, both tutors and students realise the need to be flexible in these odd times. Our primary concern is always to keep everyone safe above all else.
The following measures are those that we have introduced in order to keep COPID safe and still continue running:
A. We already have experience of running two 200 hour TT groups since the first lockdown in March and we are glad to say that everyone has stayed totally safe and felt comfortable with the measures that we have put in place.
Above all else we think that everyone, both tutors and students realise the need to be flexible in these odd times. Our primary concern is always to keep everyone safe above all else.
The following measures are those that we have introduced in order to keep COPID safe and still continue running:
- to have a very large venue available so that adequate social distancing can be maintained if that is still necessary.
- any missed sessions (e.g due to lockdown / tier restrictions) are carried over to the next scheduled weekend and then any missed weekends are added to the end of the course. As an educational group / training we have currently been exempted from many of the tier travel restrictions meaning that students have still been able to attend assuming that the venue remains in a low tier.
- we have this year, filmed every unit of the course with all of the teachers (as well as some extra teachers) - there are literally dozens of videos -all of which are available on the resources page in case you cant make a rescheduled session or one of the scheduled weekends e.g due to shielding, isolating, illness etc
- If it is absolutely unavoidable that we have to do a weekend online, then there are certain sessions that can be covered just as well by zoom - however we have only used these very sparingly as a last resort with the current groups and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive at how engaging the sessions were.
- Some tutors may have to be changed or rearranged due to travel restrictions and so on - for example we have tutors that work in the NHS and also those that live abroad
Q: What style of Yoga do you teach on the course?
A: We teach no style at all, in fact we don’t actually believe that you can ‘teach’ anyone yoga, you can only facilitate the journey of others!
We have tutors with a vast range of experience from Hatha and Vinyasa flow, through to Forrest, Dharma, Jivamukti , Sivananda, Yin and more. We believe that every style has something valuable to offer but that none of them are a perfect fit; therefore we give you the opportunity to draw from them all and your own experience to find something that fits perfectly for you.
Q: Why is your course so different from the others that I see?
A: Because we have taken quite a brave step to stop teaching anything that doesn’t resonate truly with us and we aren’t afraid to turn much of ‘traditional yoga’ on its head if we feel that certain aspects aren’t relevant anymore. Expect to hear some hard truths about yoga, what it is really all about and where it actually originated from on this course. We are certainly not in the business of simply transferring ‘yoga facts’ (many of which simply aren’t true) just because everyone else does.
Q: Is your course right for me?
A: I have no idea! If you are of an open mind and keen to do a lot of work yourself, exploring what yoga really means to you and developing your own style of practice with our assistance then quite possibly yes. If you want to be taught fixed sequences, chants that you don’t understand and other things to get your future students to mindlessly repeat and copy then no, it is certainly not for you. Try to get along to a workshop or class with Dan or one of the other tutors if you aren’t sure. Although out styles and practices are different we all have the same ethos.
Q: I am already a teacher can I join the immersion?
A: Absolutely. We have many existing and experienced yoga teachers on our course. They are generally the type of open minded people that aren’t worried about it being labelled as a ‘200 hour course’. We are confident that you will not have covered the topics that we address in the same way on your previous courses. Often it is only once you start teaching that you realise how limited your understanding is. The teachers to worry about are the ones that think they know everything or should have the answers to every questions!
Q: I don’t attend classes very often / at all but I have a very consistent personal practice of yoga. Is that Ok?
A: Of course! It has nothing to do with us how you decide to practice your form of yoga. Going to classes can be a very healthy way to get a variety of views and opinions but absolutely nothing is better than self-motivated immersion and introspection.
Q: How will we be assessed?
A: Once you enroll and pay your deposit you will get access to a locked resources page with links to a wealth of useful sites, books, videos and links to help you study. You will also get access to a pass protected assessment page that has all of the assessments. We aren’t interested in how well you can recall the sutras or yoga history. Of course if that is your interest then we encourage you to pursue it, but what we are really concerned about is that you become a safe and authentic teacher, or as we prefer to call it a facilitator. There is a an online anatomy and physiology test that you can take whenever you feel ready, as well as an short essay on yoga history and philosophy so you have a grasp of how we got to where we are now-whether this is one page or 100page the choice is yours.
After that we will be observing you guiding the class or smaller groups in short sessions from the second weekend session. In this way we can work with you to help you become the best yoga facilitator that you can possibly be. There is a final assessment where we need to either observe you in person leading a full length class or by video submission. By this time we will already know that you are well on your way to becoming one of those rare magical yoga facilitators!
During the course we ask you to keep a journal of your yoga practice, physical , mental and spiritual so that you get in the habit of observing yourself. After completion you will use this information to write a reflective essay on what youga means to you, how that hads changed and where you think you are heading with your version of yoga!
Q: Who is your training accredited by?
A: Our training school and 200hour teacher training is recognised by the Independent Yoga Network, a UK Yoga Body whose values of authenticity we share and who in turn respect all teacher trainings that choose to work authentically too.
Saying this, we simply don't believe that anyone or any organisation can issue a piece of paper that authorises another person to teach yoga. There are teachers out there with hundreds of hours of 'advanced' yoga training who don't have appear to have the slightest grasp of what yoga is about. At the same time there are teachers with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever that are truly inspiring. Yoga cant be quantified, you can't collect 'x' bags of yoga and get good at it, thats not how it works. Accreditation is a peculiar thing, we chose not to be recognised by any of the larger organisations as we think that handing over too much power in to the hands of one body is not healthy for the organic progression of yoga-it also subconsciously devalues any course that isn't accredited by them.
Q: What are the dates for the courses?
A: You can find the dates for the courses at the bottom of the relevant Teacher training page in the dropdown menu. Please make sure that you can make all of the dates. If you haev to miss a weekend for unavoidable reasons there are contingencies (see below)
Q: How many hours Is the course?
A: This is a 200hour course. This means that we have a minimum of 160 hours direct contact time with tutors and the remaining 40 hours is through self study. In practice you are likely to exceed both of these figures
Q: What happens if I can’t make a session or miss one?
A: If you commit to a course in one location we expect you to stick to the dates and we can only allow you to make missed sessions up by advanced agreement if spaces allow it. Any sessions missed that can’t be transferred will have to be made up in your own time, that might incur extra charges for one to one tuition or by contact hours through Zoom meetings and so on. We are also fortunate to have recorded the entire course and have all of he videos on the resources page if you miss a session or would like to re cover it afterwards. Generally we have found that most things can be worked around in some way though you must meet the minimum contact hours in some way.
Q: What are the timings of the days?
A: We generally run from 9-5 though we often start later (10ish) on the first day of a weekend to allow people to arrive, and days can go on longer as discussions and sessions can get quite interesting! Lunch and any breaks are a very organic thing, they tend to crop up as and when seems natural.
Q: Where can I get insured?
A: You can either join the IYN as a student of full member when you qualify and benefit from joining their group insurance or if you prefer not to join the group you can obtain insurance from many other yoga insurers.
Q: I want to teach abroad will I be able to?
A: We are not insurers so our advice is informal but in our experience most insurers in the UK including BGi (who cover the IYN policy) will cover you to teach anywhere worldwide except for the U.S.and Canada where an additional fee is often payable. Of course you can generally take out yoga insurance from insurers of another country with a simple letter of recommendation from your yoga training school. If this is something that concerns you then we advise you to check with the relevant overseas insurer first.
Q:I don’t want to teach yoga right now can I still join the course?
A: Absolutely, in fact it is a great motivation to have at the start. You may or may not find that you want to facilitate the practice of others, but you will enjoy the course without the pressure of any expectations.
Q Do I have enough experience to join the course?
A: Only you know the answer to that question! We suggest that students should have at least two years of yoga practice before applying, some have twenty years and everything in between! At the end of the day it is very common for people to take up a yoga practice, feel much better about themselves and want to pass that feeling on to others, however you wouldn’t go to piano lessons for a year and then set up as a teacher would you, however much you enjoyed it. Most of the tutors have been practicing for at least ten years and many in excess of twenty. It takes a long time to understand what yoga is all about and if you aren’t ready then you can accidentally mislead our students. Of course our job is to help you to work that out!
Q: How much does the course cost?
A: You can find details of the course fees at the bottom of the relevant London or Devon TT pages.
We do offer payment plans if you cannot afford to pay upfront. Please contact us in advance to discuss this, the earlier you start paying instalments, the smaller each instalment needs to be!.
Q: I hear that you offer a small number of free places each year. Can I apply for one?
A: True, we don't believe that training should only be available to those that can afford it. We personally fund a small number of places each year. These generally come in by personal recommendation from our tutors or past graduates as they know specifically what we are looking for in such candidates. Sorry but we do not consider unsolicited applications for free places.
Q: Why is the Devon Course cheaper?
A: We live here, we know the owners of the spaces that we use and we don’t have to pay the astronomical studio hire charges of the capital and neither do we have to pay for our own accommodation and travel for each session as we do in London. By the same token, there is absolutely no other course in the South West or probably in the UK that has this vast range and breadth of yoga teachers on it.
Q: Am I too old /young to apply? a lot of the photos look like they are full of young people!
A: Many of the photos on the website are taken from not only the teacher training but also from workshops over the years so don't be fooled by ages in the photos. In practice we always end up with a wide range of ages and levels of fitness on each intake. As i write this we have a class with the youngest in her mid twenties and the eldest at around 63. We absolutely love this mix as it makes for a wonderfully natural cohort, just as your classes will eventually be a natural mix of all ages.
Q: How many people will there be on the course?
A: Compared to most trainings we keep ours very small as it encourages a real feeling of a family unit. At capacity we have 22 students, from experience we generally keep it at around 20 in practice.
Q: You use a huge number of very experienced tutors, why is that?:
A: Our tutors all teach on other teacher trainings or run their own and we all share the same belief that although there are thousands of yoga teachers out there, very few of them are truly magical. This course gives us the space to all teach what we are truly passionate about and by observing these very special tutors holding the space you will start to understand why the energy that your project in class is what makes it so special. We also bring in specialists from other fields of movement (qi gong), breathwork (record holding freedivers) and biohackers (cold water immersion specialists)
Q: Who are your tutors and what do they teach?
A: You can find a list of our tutors and their specialities here. Of course not all of the tutors teach on all courses, they each have a huge range of commitments and so we have to work out who can fit in on what dates- unlike most yoga courses that just use two or three tutors, its a real juggling act! What we are very specific about is that no tutors simply 'fill in a gap'. In other words they either teach that subject because they love it with a passion and can transmit that passion to you, or we find someone else that can.
Q: How can you afford to use so many tutors when other courses don’t?
A: Because we aren’t interested in becoming rich! Simple as that. We are 100% certain that wealth will not make us any happier but we are absolutely positive that we will be very happy if we look back knowing that we have done something very special for yoga in our lifetime. Whether you believe that or not is up to you!
Q: When will we start teaching?
A: You will be teaching something from the very first session. We are great believers that until we try to teach we can’t possibly understand the things that we don’t know! Your teaching time will gradually increase through the course until you are teaching full classes by the end! Many students decide to set up little classes with their friends, family or other students outside of course hours and this is a great way to learn rapidly what your teaching style is. About half way through the course, assuming that we feel you are safe we will happily provide a letter of recommendation to an insurer so that you can get student yoga insurance to start teaching what you have already learned..
Q: What would I call my Classes when i qualify?
A: You are welcome to call them 'Yoga Like Water' classes if you wish and if you have checked with us that this is OK. People that offer classes under this name are promising to facilitate and guide a students practice so that the student can also find their perfect way of practicing. It is a sign that you will nurture their practice rather than try to dictate what you feel is best for them; we are very rooted in empowering people through yoga by encouraging thought and self observation, we are very much opposed to teaching students to simply believe anything that we say or do.
Q: How do I apply and what happens next?
A: You apply through our online form. First of all please make take a deep breath and make sure that you are serious about taking up a place if you are offered one. We get several applicants each year that apply in a moment of excitement and then when we have taken the time to read and process their application, the reality hits home and they vanish!
If you are sure that you are ready the fill in the online form and give as much detail as possible in your answers (the form should keep expanding to accommodate it!)
If the initial application looks to be good then unless one of our tutors knows you very well we will probably then call you for an informal follow up skype or phone chat so that we can make direct contact with you; we might also ask you to attend one of out tutors classes or workshops.
If you are successful you will then ned to pay the deposit in order to secure your place on the course and at that time we will open up access to the locked pages on the website. You are now off on your adventure!!
A: We teach no style at all, in fact we don’t actually believe that you can ‘teach’ anyone yoga, you can only facilitate the journey of others!
We have tutors with a vast range of experience from Hatha and Vinyasa flow, through to Forrest, Dharma, Jivamukti , Sivananda, Yin and more. We believe that every style has something valuable to offer but that none of them are a perfect fit; therefore we give you the opportunity to draw from them all and your own experience to find something that fits perfectly for you.
Q: Why is your course so different from the others that I see?
A: Because we have taken quite a brave step to stop teaching anything that doesn’t resonate truly with us and we aren’t afraid to turn much of ‘traditional yoga’ on its head if we feel that certain aspects aren’t relevant anymore. Expect to hear some hard truths about yoga, what it is really all about and where it actually originated from on this course. We are certainly not in the business of simply transferring ‘yoga facts’ (many of which simply aren’t true) just because everyone else does.
Q: Is your course right for me?
A: I have no idea! If you are of an open mind and keen to do a lot of work yourself, exploring what yoga really means to you and developing your own style of practice with our assistance then quite possibly yes. If you want to be taught fixed sequences, chants that you don’t understand and other things to get your future students to mindlessly repeat and copy then no, it is certainly not for you. Try to get along to a workshop or class with Dan or one of the other tutors if you aren’t sure. Although out styles and practices are different we all have the same ethos.
Q: I am already a teacher can I join the immersion?
A: Absolutely. We have many existing and experienced yoga teachers on our course. They are generally the type of open minded people that aren’t worried about it being labelled as a ‘200 hour course’. We are confident that you will not have covered the topics that we address in the same way on your previous courses. Often it is only once you start teaching that you realise how limited your understanding is. The teachers to worry about are the ones that think they know everything or should have the answers to every questions!
Q: I don’t attend classes very often / at all but I have a very consistent personal practice of yoga. Is that Ok?
A: Of course! It has nothing to do with us how you decide to practice your form of yoga. Going to classes can be a very healthy way to get a variety of views and opinions but absolutely nothing is better than self-motivated immersion and introspection.
Q: How will we be assessed?
A: Once you enroll and pay your deposit you will get access to a locked resources page with links to a wealth of useful sites, books, videos and links to help you study. You will also get access to a pass protected assessment page that has all of the assessments. We aren’t interested in how well you can recall the sutras or yoga history. Of course if that is your interest then we encourage you to pursue it, but what we are really concerned about is that you become a safe and authentic teacher, or as we prefer to call it a facilitator. There is a an online anatomy and physiology test that you can take whenever you feel ready, as well as an short essay on yoga history and philosophy so you have a grasp of how we got to where we are now-whether this is one page or 100page the choice is yours.
After that we will be observing you guiding the class or smaller groups in short sessions from the second weekend session. In this way we can work with you to help you become the best yoga facilitator that you can possibly be. There is a final assessment where we need to either observe you in person leading a full length class or by video submission. By this time we will already know that you are well on your way to becoming one of those rare magical yoga facilitators!
During the course we ask you to keep a journal of your yoga practice, physical , mental and spiritual so that you get in the habit of observing yourself. After completion you will use this information to write a reflective essay on what youga means to you, how that hads changed and where you think you are heading with your version of yoga!
Q: Who is your training accredited by?
A: Our training school and 200hour teacher training is recognised by the Independent Yoga Network, a UK Yoga Body whose values of authenticity we share and who in turn respect all teacher trainings that choose to work authentically too.
Saying this, we simply don't believe that anyone or any organisation can issue a piece of paper that authorises another person to teach yoga. There are teachers out there with hundreds of hours of 'advanced' yoga training who don't have appear to have the slightest grasp of what yoga is about. At the same time there are teachers with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever that are truly inspiring. Yoga cant be quantified, you can't collect 'x' bags of yoga and get good at it, thats not how it works. Accreditation is a peculiar thing, we chose not to be recognised by any of the larger organisations as we think that handing over too much power in to the hands of one body is not healthy for the organic progression of yoga-it also subconsciously devalues any course that isn't accredited by them.
Q: What are the dates for the courses?
A: You can find the dates for the courses at the bottom of the relevant Teacher training page in the dropdown menu. Please make sure that you can make all of the dates. If you haev to miss a weekend for unavoidable reasons there are contingencies (see below)
Q: How many hours Is the course?
A: This is a 200hour course. This means that we have a minimum of 160 hours direct contact time with tutors and the remaining 40 hours is through self study. In practice you are likely to exceed both of these figures
Q: What happens if I can’t make a session or miss one?
A: If you commit to a course in one location we expect you to stick to the dates and we can only allow you to make missed sessions up by advanced agreement if spaces allow it. Any sessions missed that can’t be transferred will have to be made up in your own time, that might incur extra charges for one to one tuition or by contact hours through Zoom meetings and so on. We are also fortunate to have recorded the entire course and have all of he videos on the resources page if you miss a session or would like to re cover it afterwards. Generally we have found that most things can be worked around in some way though you must meet the minimum contact hours in some way.
Q: What are the timings of the days?
A: We generally run from 9-5 though we often start later (10ish) on the first day of a weekend to allow people to arrive, and days can go on longer as discussions and sessions can get quite interesting! Lunch and any breaks are a very organic thing, they tend to crop up as and when seems natural.
Q: Where can I get insured?
A: You can either join the IYN as a student of full member when you qualify and benefit from joining their group insurance or if you prefer not to join the group you can obtain insurance from many other yoga insurers.
Q: I want to teach abroad will I be able to?
A: We are not insurers so our advice is informal but in our experience most insurers in the UK including BGi (who cover the IYN policy) will cover you to teach anywhere worldwide except for the U.S.and Canada where an additional fee is often payable. Of course you can generally take out yoga insurance from insurers of another country with a simple letter of recommendation from your yoga training school. If this is something that concerns you then we advise you to check with the relevant overseas insurer first.
Q:I don’t want to teach yoga right now can I still join the course?
A: Absolutely, in fact it is a great motivation to have at the start. You may or may not find that you want to facilitate the practice of others, but you will enjoy the course without the pressure of any expectations.
Q Do I have enough experience to join the course?
A: Only you know the answer to that question! We suggest that students should have at least two years of yoga practice before applying, some have twenty years and everything in between! At the end of the day it is very common for people to take up a yoga practice, feel much better about themselves and want to pass that feeling on to others, however you wouldn’t go to piano lessons for a year and then set up as a teacher would you, however much you enjoyed it. Most of the tutors have been practicing for at least ten years and many in excess of twenty. It takes a long time to understand what yoga is all about and if you aren’t ready then you can accidentally mislead our students. Of course our job is to help you to work that out!
Q: How much does the course cost?
A: You can find details of the course fees at the bottom of the relevant London or Devon TT pages.
We do offer payment plans if you cannot afford to pay upfront. Please contact us in advance to discuss this, the earlier you start paying instalments, the smaller each instalment needs to be!.
Q: I hear that you offer a small number of free places each year. Can I apply for one?
A: True, we don't believe that training should only be available to those that can afford it. We personally fund a small number of places each year. These generally come in by personal recommendation from our tutors or past graduates as they know specifically what we are looking for in such candidates. Sorry but we do not consider unsolicited applications for free places.
Q: Why is the Devon Course cheaper?
A: We live here, we know the owners of the spaces that we use and we don’t have to pay the astronomical studio hire charges of the capital and neither do we have to pay for our own accommodation and travel for each session as we do in London. By the same token, there is absolutely no other course in the South West or probably in the UK that has this vast range and breadth of yoga teachers on it.
Q: Am I too old /young to apply? a lot of the photos look like they are full of young people!
A: Many of the photos on the website are taken from not only the teacher training but also from workshops over the years so don't be fooled by ages in the photos. In practice we always end up with a wide range of ages and levels of fitness on each intake. As i write this we have a class with the youngest in her mid twenties and the eldest at around 63. We absolutely love this mix as it makes for a wonderfully natural cohort, just as your classes will eventually be a natural mix of all ages.
Q: How many people will there be on the course?
A: Compared to most trainings we keep ours very small as it encourages a real feeling of a family unit. At capacity we have 22 students, from experience we generally keep it at around 20 in practice.
Q: You use a huge number of very experienced tutors, why is that?:
A: Our tutors all teach on other teacher trainings or run their own and we all share the same belief that although there are thousands of yoga teachers out there, very few of them are truly magical. This course gives us the space to all teach what we are truly passionate about and by observing these very special tutors holding the space you will start to understand why the energy that your project in class is what makes it so special. We also bring in specialists from other fields of movement (qi gong), breathwork (record holding freedivers) and biohackers (cold water immersion specialists)
Q: Who are your tutors and what do they teach?
A: You can find a list of our tutors and their specialities here. Of course not all of the tutors teach on all courses, they each have a huge range of commitments and so we have to work out who can fit in on what dates- unlike most yoga courses that just use two or three tutors, its a real juggling act! What we are very specific about is that no tutors simply 'fill in a gap'. In other words they either teach that subject because they love it with a passion and can transmit that passion to you, or we find someone else that can.
Q: How can you afford to use so many tutors when other courses don’t?
A: Because we aren’t interested in becoming rich! Simple as that. We are 100% certain that wealth will not make us any happier but we are absolutely positive that we will be very happy if we look back knowing that we have done something very special for yoga in our lifetime. Whether you believe that or not is up to you!
Q: When will we start teaching?
A: You will be teaching something from the very first session. We are great believers that until we try to teach we can’t possibly understand the things that we don’t know! Your teaching time will gradually increase through the course until you are teaching full classes by the end! Many students decide to set up little classes with their friends, family or other students outside of course hours and this is a great way to learn rapidly what your teaching style is. About half way through the course, assuming that we feel you are safe we will happily provide a letter of recommendation to an insurer so that you can get student yoga insurance to start teaching what you have already learned..
Q: What would I call my Classes when i qualify?
A: You are welcome to call them 'Yoga Like Water' classes if you wish and if you have checked with us that this is OK. People that offer classes under this name are promising to facilitate and guide a students practice so that the student can also find their perfect way of practicing. It is a sign that you will nurture their practice rather than try to dictate what you feel is best for them; we are very rooted in empowering people through yoga by encouraging thought and self observation, we are very much opposed to teaching students to simply believe anything that we say or do.
Q: How do I apply and what happens next?
A: You apply through our online form. First of all please make take a deep breath and make sure that you are serious about taking up a place if you are offered one. We get several applicants each year that apply in a moment of excitement and then when we have taken the time to read and process their application, the reality hits home and they vanish!
If you are sure that you are ready the fill in the online form and give as much detail as possible in your answers (the form should keep expanding to accommodate it!)
If the initial application looks to be good then unless one of our tutors knows you very well we will probably then call you for an informal follow up skype or phone chat so that we can make direct contact with you; we might also ask you to attend one of out tutors classes or workshops.
If you are successful you will then ned to pay the deposit in order to secure your place on the course and at that time we will open up access to the locked pages on the website. You are now off on your adventure!!