Restorative Training 2: The Art of Presence

A 3-day programme (22 hours) for teachers, trainees, experienced practitioners or professionals in the healing arts with Anna Ashby + Chris Swain.

Summary

This unique teacher training focuses on going deeper into the practice, art and teaching of Restorative Yoga and includes: immersive practice; how to set-up/adapt postures; self-enquiry; meditation practice; as well as lecture + dialogue. The training further explores ‘stress’ as the body’s response to being knocked out of homeostatic balance, and the ‘stress response’ as the body’s mechanism for returning back to equilibrium. The sessions deepen understanding of the interaction of the nervous system with Restorative postures and explore how nervous system regulation is preliminary for investigating subtler and subtler states of being. 

Course Content

Each day includes:

• Restorative Yoga & meditation practice
• reflection, journaling and the practice of self-enquiry
• lectures & dialogue
• further study of Restorative postures covering the use of chairs, inversions, different set-ups of props/poses + prop ‘light’ set-ups
• review of essential alignment as it pertains to Restorative postures
• refinement in the art of seeing and assisting
• how to adjust and adapt postures to suit individual needs
• review and further consideration of stress physiology and the psychology of stress
• the anatomy/physiology of postures that supports the movement towards balance
• how to support environments conducive to relaxation & healing which can offer sanctuary

*Participants are encouraged to participate or assist Restorative classes/workshops with Anna Ashby either online or in-person and with other Restorative teachers. This works best in conjunction with the training.

Learning Outcomes & Course Structure

Three broad areas of learning comprise the architecture for this training – Recognition, Responsibility + Resilience. An empowered learning environment helps build confidence and supports creativity in designing ongoing Restorative Yoga classes that serve your community.

Day 1: Recognition involves understanding better how stress impacts the nervous system + overall health and what to do about it. Not only does this day review how to recognise the signs of stress, it also covers how stress becomes acclimatised and no longer seen. By understanding the complexity and pervasiveness of stress in relation to modern living, we can help students learn to recognise the signs of stress and how to support wellbeing through Restorative practice and meditation.

Learning Outcome Day 1: Understand and recognise the way stress impacts health and wellbeing and how Restorative Yoga can help.

Day 2: Responsibility (the ability to respond) shines the light of awareness on behaviours/patterns that contribute to stress and interfere with the movement back into balance. Utilising atma vichara style self-enquiry, this day seeks to uncover unconscious or negative thought constructs, tensional holding patterns and behavioural tendencies which contribute to imbalance and ill health. It also spotlights language and culture which may contribute to stress. A contemplative, dialogical ‘felt’ process allows space to reflect, heal and take ‘responsibility’.

Learning Outcome Day 2: Understand better personal patterns/behaviours that contribute to stress and map new pathways for balance and wellness.

Day 3: Resilience fortifies the movement towards balance and addresses the role of Restorative Yoga in facilitating a process of release that takes into account challenges such as feeling vulnerable and not in control. This day engenders empowered action and a compassionate stance that supports a culture of wellbeing. It takes a closer look at how different Restorative approaches can support down-regulation and serve as a powerful tools for moving back into a centred and grounded state.

Learning Outcome Day 3: Understand better how the practice of Restorative Yoga can facilitate down regulation of the nervous system through design, cues and understanding the poses.

Teaching Team

Anna Ashby – Restorative Practices and Art of Teaching
A senior teacher and trainer in the UK, Anna has been innovating in her field for over 30 years. Her unique style reflects a variety of influences including: dance, extensive yoga training focused on alignment and precision, restorative arts, tai chi and somatic movement. Much of her inspiration stems from her 12-year immersion in yoga practice while living in an ashram during the 1990s. Anna specialises in Restorative Yoga, a modern style that supports nervous system health through the healing effects of deep relaxation, breath and present moment awareness. Her book, Restorative Yoga: Power Presence Practice for Teachers and Trainees, released in March 2022, has become the ‘go to’ book for teachers and practitioners serving as an in depth guide for those interested in the Restorative arts. It elucidates and celebrates this practice spotlighting rest, stillness and space as necessary elements for cultivating balance and deepening spiritual endeavour. She holds the highest level of certification with Yoga Alliance Professionals in the UK (SYT) and the Yoga Alliance in the U.S. (E-RYT-500 + YACEP).

Chris Swain – Stress Physiology and Anatomy/Physiology of the Poses

Chris has been practicing and teaching yoga since the early 1980’s. Having completed a 4 year degree in Osteopathy in 2000, he worked as an osteopath for 24 years before retiring. During this time he taught anatomy and physiology on multiple yoga teacher training courses, including being a founding faculty member of the triyoga teacher training programme from 2005-2022. He has worked with Anna on her Restorative Yoga course teaching the anatomy & physiology sessions for over 15 years.

Location

OrangeYoga Studio Cheltenham

Crescent Bakery, 70 St George's Pl, Cheltenham GL50 3PN

https://www.orangeyoga.co.uk/

*Props will be provided by the studio.

Course Schedule & Materials

Saturday - Monday 

September 25th - 27th 

9:00am – 5:30pm

* Lunch is from 12:15-1:30p each day. There is a small kitchen area with a fridge to store packed lunches or there are plenty of places nearby to eat.

The training includes an in-depth Companion Manual 2 with photographs and requires the purchase of Restorative Yoga: Power Presence Practice for Teachers and Trainees written by Anna Ashby. Upon registration a discount code of 25% will be sent to purchase the book through the publisher. It’s highly recommended that if you haven’t taken Anna’s Restorative Level 1 that you purchase the the Companion Manual 1 for that training. You may contact lauren@annaashby.com to purchase this. Props will be provided by the venue.

Fee

£525 - includes 3 days of training, 3 online classes with Anna Ashby Online (code to be sent 2 weeks prior to training and will extend 2 weeks after) and the Companion Manual 2. It does not include the purchase of Anna’s book, Power, Presence Practice for Teachers and Trainees or the Companion Manual 1 from Restorative Level 1: The Essential Practice. Participants will receive a 25% off code once registering for the training to purchase Anna’s book through the publisher. Participants will also receive a bespoke certificate of completion at the end of the training.

Eligibility & Accreditation

You do not need to have taken the Restorative Level 1: The Essential Practice to participate in the Restorative Level 2: The Art of Presence although you are highly encouraged to do so. The Restorative Level 1 sets the foundation for learning in the Level 2. Another in-depth Restorative training can serve as a basis for Restorative Level 2. If you have a question please contact lauren@annaashby.com

To meet standards for accreditation, this training is for qualified yoga teachers and professionals who have taken or intend to take a level 1 Restorative Yoga Teacher Training.

The training meets Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP) standards for experienced teachers (RYTs). It also meets YogaPro standards in the UK for CPD.

It is also open to anyone who wishes to deepen their Restorative Yoga practice/experience and consider how Restorative practices may interweave with other modalities of healing.