BRUSSELS - January 2025
‘Blossoming Tweenies & Tuning into Teens’ (Teaching Yoga & Mindfulness to 9-18 years)
We are living in a fast-paced world that is impacting the mental health and emotional well-
being of our children and teens.
Do you feel called to make a positive difference by empowering children of all ages to manage stress, stay calm and truly thrive whilst becoming emotionally resilience?
Creative Yogis is a Registered Children’s Yoga School (RCYS) & Continuing Education Provider approved by Yoga Alliance USA. Karen Wightman is passionate, dedicated and humbled to serve asa yoga & mindfulness educator supporting and celebrating the uniqueness of each child at every age. Study with Karen and certify to become an inspiring, engaging, playful, and creative ‘Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher ‘(RCYT) making a positive impact in the lives of children. It is her intention to guide you to confidently teach all ages and abilities safely, appropriately and meaningfully in a variety of settings
What to expect?
Our fabulous preteens and teens are the special population that truly benefit from yoga and
mindfulness the most. A delicate and tender time where huge changes take place both internally and externally. Challenges and games still delight, with reflective activities, creative self-expression and deep relaxation promoting greater self-awareness.
Gain a solid foundation of practical knowledge and relevant skills with age-appropriate yogic and mindfulness tools to engage and support this diverse age group. Facilitated through a balance of theory and embodied knowledge in a creative student centred and interactive format.
It is my aspiration to empower tweens and teens to be able to experience yoga & mindfulness as a ‘wellness technology’. To develop confidence in the tools by taking them, ‘off the mat’ and applying them directly into their daily lives. This translates as, ‘Yoga in action’, where youth are supported in how to navigate school stress and pressure through postures, breath awareness, mindfulness and meditations.
With the dramatic increase in both anxiety and depression in our youth their ability to self-regulate and manage difficult emotions as they arise is essential. Sustainable coping mechanisms and resilience help to promote positive emotional, mental, physical health and well-being. Connecting to a place of stillness daily aids in the cultivation of greater peace and stability. This helps to create an internal place of refuge from which to support ongoing stress management.
Become a much needed, ‘lighthouse’ by showing authenticity, sensitivity, kindness, compassion and humour to gain trust, confidence and respect at this vulnerable time. Being light, interested, creative, caring, engaging and fun is essential. Offering them a safe space to unplug, relax, play, connect and be present in their busy lives is deeply rewarding.
Training Content
• Tuning into ‘Preteens & Teens’
• Benefits of yoga & mindfulness
• Developmental stages
• Neuroscience of the tween & teen brain
• Yoga anatomy & physiology
• Yoga philosophy
• Class structure
• Behaviour management
• Mindfulness meditations & activities
• Mudras
• Breathing practices
• Yoga poses, sequencing & safety
• Sun & moon salutes
• Partner & group poses
• Yoga games & themed activities
• Sleep, relaxation & yoga nidra
• Creativity & journaling
• Exploring the chakras
• Practice teaching
• Class creation
• Yoga in all settings
• The Biz of kids yoga
Training Materials
• Comprehensive manuals and webinars
• ‘Yogadalas Colouring Book’ PDF printable
• Teachers private group with ongoing support
Who is this training for?
If you have a passion and a desire to share the benefits of yoga and mindfulness with children, teens and families, then this training is for you. Whether you are a yoga teacher, trainee, practitioner or educational professional, this training offers continuing education. Health-care professionals, therapists, social workers and child psychologists can find inspiration and techniques to share in the workplace.
Both parents and grandparents may like to gain tools to enrich and nourish your time together in creative and health-orientated ways. It is not essential but recommended that you have at least one year of personal practice that informs a basic understanding and experience of the fundamental yoga poses.
Practical information :
When ?
📅 9-13th January 2025
⏰ 8:30 - 17:30
📝 **45 Contact Hours / 3 Non-Contact Hours via Reading Assignment
Where? Stockel
Price
Early Bird: 800 EUR ( registration and full payment before November 9th, 2024)
Regular Price: 950 EUR
* A non refundable 200€ deposit will be asked in order to secure your spot, and will be deductible of your final price.
** Payment plan available upon request
Meet the teacher :
Karen
Karen Wightman is the Founder and Senior Trainer of Creative Yogis a vibrant and passionate yoga & mindfulness provider based in Australia. She is both a local and international children’s yoga instructor, mentor, teacher trainer and children’s art teacher with more than 20 years of experience.
Karen first began practising yoga in Thailand in 1995 and initially assisted in children’s yoga classes under the guidance of her teacher Justin Herold in the Iyengar Yoga School in Bangkok in 2003. She then went on to coordinate a 3-year programme at Satit Kaset International Programme in Bangkok.
In 2006, Karen moved to Australia to immerse herself fully in the study of yoga with Master Teacher Nicky Knoff where she completed her first RYT 200 hours teacher training in the Knoff system. She went on to meet world-famous Rachel Zinman in 2007 and completed her second teacher training in the Ishta System eventually becoming an E-RYT 500 hours and YACEP.
Karen has continued to develop her skills in children’s yoga since 2007 training with a number of leading teachers and pioneers in the field, Christy Brock Miele of ‘Yoga 4 Teens’, Lorainne Rushton of ‘Zenergy Yoga 4 Kids’ and Charlotta Martinus of ‘Teen Yoga Foundation’.
She currently facilitates local and international teacher trainings and workshops in Australia, Japan, the Philippines and Europe. In addition, she teaches in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai in collaboration with PURE Yoga. Her mission is to empower children and teens with yogic and mindfulness tools that enable them to support their holistic health, well-being and to manage stress.
FAQs
Will I be able to teach right after I graduate from this Tween & Teen Training?
Yes. All the course materials taught in this course prepare students with all the foundational
knowledge and skills needed to become tween and teen yoga teachers. Some students take it to deepen their own personal practice, kick-start a life transformational experience, while others do it to immediately start a teaching career. Students from our training begin teaching friends, family, moving into part-time teaching in studios, schools and then full-time teaching.
How do I become a RCYT (Registered Children Yoga Teacher)?
If you are already a RYT 200 and on completion of the additional requirements of 30 hours of teaching practice with the full 95-hour certificate students are eligible for the Yoga Alliance USA RCYT specialty designation. This is a simple automated process and once your information is logged and the certificate uploaded, your lead trainer will be contacted by email to approve your request. Each individual student is responsible for this process and on approval will be able to add the RCYT designation to their credentials. However, a 200-Hour RYT training can be done either prior to or after the training.
I teach children & youth, but have never done yoga before. Can I still join the course?
It is recommended that you have a minimum of one year’s yoga practice prior to joining. This is encouraged as it enables you to have a basic understanding of the foundational poses and terms and maximises your overall learning experience.
Do I need to attend the modules in order and take both?
The modules can be taken alone and in any order that is convenient to your schedule. However, they do follow the developmental progression from our smallest yogis through to teens so it can also be beneficial to study them sequentially. If you are drawn to teach a particular age group then feel free tochoose the module specific to this area of interest.
If I need to miss a session, will I be able to make up for it?
Students enrolled in this program must be fully committed and understand that full attendance is required. If there is a need to miss any sessions, it will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Please indicate any of such requests during application.
Will I receive a certificate after the program?
Upon successful completion of the program and following the Code of Conduct – students will receive a Certificate of Completion (Yoga Alliance Accredited) from Creative Yogis for this teacher training
program.
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