“I really enjoyed my learning at the Breathing Space. The teachers were very, very experienced practitioners, full of knowledge and hints and tips, as well as real-life practical examples of how to take the community forward. I found the way that we learned the theory to be really interesting, not just from books; we had practical demonstrations, models, we drew each other with chalk, and we played with pipe cleaners – loads of really fun ways to learn the material. And then, as we got more into the practical side of teaching, there were loads of opportunities: through apprenticeships, sitting with other teachers, experiencing other classes – just a whole wealth of useful knowledge and input that we can build upon.”
Graham – YTTC200 Graduate
“… there was a real sense of community, not only with the teachers, Bal and Christine, but also with my fellow students. In the first week, we actually did a really lovely practice and kind of bonded as a community together. The Breathing Space as a whole feels very communal anyway, and you really feel that we bonded week after week, doing different practices together. By the end of it, we still feel like a real team and feel really close. Actually, it’s been a really nice experience.”
Anita – YTTC200 Graduate
“The structure of the course at the Breathing Space is so methodical. It really takes you step by step from start to finish, so it can seem quite daunting at the beginning of delivering a full yoga class. And we have to learn so much; You have to learn about alignment and anatomy, and there is a lot to learn. But the way the Breathing Space stretches it, it’s just so, they really break it down for us, and you don’t feel like you have to remember everything. You really learn in a playful way.
So, um, we use pipe cleaners and created our own spines with beads. And we like, we wore black on one day so that we could draw and talk on our bodies to draw out the bones, so that we really get to grips with anatomy in a kind of organic way. So that each weekend, you’re learning something more and doing some self-study to learn as much as possible on the actual training weekend. Incredibly helpful.”
Ellen – YTTC200 Graduate
“The faculty at Breathing Space contributed to my experience because there’s such a wide range of teachers here. There’s everything from restorative through to Ashtanga, and everything in between. So we can learn that there’s not just one type of yoga; there’s a yoga for everybody. Depending on where you are in your life, in your mood, in your energy, you can find something suitable. So, exploring the different types of yoga…”
Hannah – YTTC200 Graduate
“When I came to the Breathing Space in Derby, my experience with yoga was a very physical practice. I came to yoga to deal with some physical issues, and I really enjoyed it. But I knew there was more to yoga. So, for me, the time we’ve spent learning about some of the yoga philosophy, the background to yoga, I think being able to weave that into my physical practice makes it a much more rounded practice and allows me to help people, particularly enjoy the meditative elements more, and perhaps encouraging me to step a little away from some of the physical elements of yoga.”
Graham – YTTC200 Graduate
“Parts of the course that have influenced me the most are the philosophical studies. I’m quite a philosophical Yogi, and I really enjoy delving deep into sutras and the philosophy. I’ve really enjoyed learning to share the practice with students rather than just performing as a teacher. It’s a sharing practice for me.”
Hannah – YTTC200 Graduate
“When I reflect back to the beginning of the course, even though I signed up to do a teaching course, the thought of teaching at the beginning was really overwhelming. I can remember very early on in the course, we were teaching each other to do a Savasana, the end section of the yoga class. Actually, it was a really nice, gentle introduction to teaching, and we got to go away and practice that, come back, and reflect on how that would be. I think the Breathing Space is really, really good at encouraging you to develop these things gradually. All of a sudden, we were then teaching lots of different components of a yoga class to each other in the group, which very quickly becomes a very safe space. That’s continued all the way right up until we’ve got to the end of the course now, and I feel that I’ve got enough to be a yoga teacher, but it’s going to be a continued journey of building. I’ve been able to learn at the Breathing Space and from my fellow students as well.”
Chris – YTTC200 Graduate
