Iyengar Yoga Teacher Training, Surrey
Become a yoga teacher through mentorship with your regular teacher.
Grow within your local yoga community
Mentorship Overview
Iyengar Yoga Teachers are trained through mentoring. The mentorship is a minimum of three years with a minimum attendance of 500 hours. Trainee’s study at their own pace depending on their interest and circumstances. They maintain regular contact with the Mentor throughout the programme about their personal practice, the workshops and classes that they are attending and their self-study of postures and philosophy.
When the trainee reaches an appropriate level the mentor puts them forward for an Assessment. The assessments are run nationally by IY (UK) the governing body for Iyengar Yoga in the UK. It can take at least 6 months to get an assessment date. The assessment is for a whole weekend, and the candidate is assessed on their teaching, self-practice, as well as their understanding of Yoga through discussion.
On passing the assessment the candidate becomes a qualified Iyengar Yoga Teacher and can use the Iyengar Yoga certification mark. There are also options to retake if you do not pass. They become a teaching member of IY (UK) and can get public liability insurance to teach. Iyengar Yoga Teachers are not permitted to teach any other style of Yoga.
This process requires commitment and perseverance. Sometimes you will have eureka moments and be inspired, at other times you may face challenges- this is part of the process. Your own love of yoga will carry you through these ups and downs just as in life.
The main thing is to keep up your own practice and your relationship with your mentor- which involves regular communication and showing up for their class/workshops as much as you can. As this programme is based on relationship rather than financial gain your mentor can request that you find another mentor if the relationship is no longer working.
Joining the Mentorship programme
- Have a minimum of 3 years’ study with a qualified Iyengar yoga teacher
- Have a letter of recommendation from your current teacher
- Have an established personal practice of asana and pranayama
- Register with IY UK as a Teacher trainee Member for £45. This will give you access to your membership dashboard on the website with the full course syllabus and other supporting documents.
- Have a sincere wish, the patience and tenacity to share your experience, explorations and learning in Yoga with others
The Core Aspects of the Mentoring
Attend weekly General/ Intermediate classes
with your mentor for your personal practice
Attend weekly Beginners classes
with your mentor to observe/ shadow/ assist Beginners classes
Attend Asana & Pranayama workshops
to cover the Modules, namely Philosophy and Esoteric Anatomy
Assignments
Guided by your mentor involving ongoing study of books, text and other sources of inspiration For example: Reading the Introduction to Light on Yoga, Reading Tree of Life and Light on Life by BKS Iyengar.
Join Alaric Newcombe’s Teaching Skills Workshops Community
to build friendships with peer trainees and teachers, as well as practice teaching and getting feedback.
Yoga Posture Templates
To begin writing notes on the yoga postures on your Level 1 syllabus. Hvae an in depth version that you can continue to add to. Have a shorter version with key points that can be referred to during your assessment weekend.
Regular Personal Practice of Asana and Pranayama
Keep a personal practice diary to guide and inform discussions with mentor.
Attend Tutorials if needed (£60 per hour for an individual session)
a) Principle of Teaching Yoga and putting this into practice
b) Further Learning of the modules- Anatomy and Physiology, Philosophy, Health Conditions, Teaching skills…
c) Discussions of progress and more detailed discussions around what arises in shadowing in classes
d) Practice teaching and feedback
Assessment
Assessment is mostly informal and continual. Once the trainee has completed all components the Mentor will make a careful judgment as to when to apply for the trainee to attend the Assessment weekend run by IY UK.
