Tuesday classes in St Cuthberts. 19th Nov CANCELLED
QUALIFICATIONS TO TEACH YOGA
Membership Organisations
So what qualifications do I have to teach Yoga?
I am a British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) Diploma holder. I qualified in 2009 and have been teaching ever since!
What is the Diploma and how much training is involved?
The British Wheel of Yoga Diploma is a recognised teaching qualification and is currently on the Ofqual framework at level 4.
To be accepted on to the teacher training programme students must have been practising Yoga for at least 2 years (I had been practicing for 10!) and ideally should have completed the British Wheel of Yoga Foundation Course first. The Diploma course lasts between 2 and 3 years and covers techniques such as asana, breathing and relaxation as well as the study of anatomy and physiology, general teaching techniques and Yoga philosophy . Written work and live teaching practices are assessed throughout and the student must also provide evidence of regular attendance at Yoga classes . Once the course is complete the work is externally verified and the student is then classed as a qualified teacher. To stay registered as a British Wheel teacher they must also complete and record evidence of Continued Professional Development training every year.
Once qualified, teachers often go on to specialise and I've done further training as a Gentle Somatic Yoga Teacher and completed the "Yoga for Healthy Backs" - teacher training course which is based on trials carried out by the University of York and Arthritis UK to evidence the efficacy of Yoga in handling back pain . I‘ve decided not to run the full protocol but instead to use the skills , knowledge and experience to inform my own teaching.
I’ve also completed the Yoga in Healthcare Alliance training programme which is an evidence based protocol evaluated by the University of Westminster for people with a variety of health conditions. I‘m not running the full programme at the moment but my “Chair Yoga” class is based around the skills and experience gained from that learning.
In 2022 I also qualified as a “Bones for Life” teacher following 2 years of training with Marye Wyvill of “Movement Intelligence UK”. There are more details under the “Bones for Life” tab about that.
As well as teaching general classes I‘m also actively involved in educating other Yoga Teachers. I run Continued Professional Development days to help qualified teachers keep up to date with their skills and , after 18 months of intensive extra training I’m also now a Diploma Course Tutor with the British Wheel of Yoga . I‘m currently running the BWYQ 500 hours Diploma in Teaching Yoga in County Durham. My next intake will be 2026 so please get in touch if you are interested in joining a course.
As you can see I’ve spent a long time and a great deal of effort training to teach Yoga safely and effectively!.
Please be aware that while there are other reputable organisations offering in depth Yoga teacher training programmes there is actually no legal requirement in the UK for Yoga teachers to do any formal qualifications at all . So in theory anyone can set up a class and there are things out there like 20 hour on line courses or fitness instructor "add ons" for people who have never actually practised Yoga at all ! Would you put yourself in the hands of someone with so little experience or training?
So even if you go to someone else's classes please don't be shy - ask the teacher about their background and qualifications. Anyone worth their salt will be more than happy to tell you!
NB I am also DBS checked and hold a current Level 3 Safeguarding Adults certificate
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