I have unofficially mentored with Mick Barnes for many years, so it was with great excitement that I undertook this inaugural 150hr yoga mentorship.
Mick has always been generous with sharing his time & knowledge, so it was wonderful to formally study yoga teaching with him.
The program was personally tailored to my goals, working on my strengths & weaknesses.
Mick always encourages me to question, to dig deeper. His ability to explain the why of things is second to none.
I’ve definitely grown as a yoga teacher with Mick’s patience and encouragement.
-KAZ FEWELL
Doing my yoga mentorship with Mick took my confidence in yoga teaching to the next level. It wasn't a textbook training method that I had been used to in the past. It was dynamic, engaging and tailored to the direction I wanted to go as a yoga teacher.
Mick never made me feel like I had to reinvent the wheel. There was never any pressure to create something contemporary out of fear of not standing out, out of fear that the traditional methods weren't enough to keep people engaged.
I learnt how to step out of the way of my ego whilst teaching yoga. I no longer feel the need to keep my students entertained with fancy sequencing. They understand that the value of these teachings lies not in physical achievement but in that mental stillness found in familiar asanas. That has released me from the pressure to constantly reinvent myself and keep up with the "yoga world".
The greatest change I have noticed in my method is a striking confidence in sequencing. Even the slightest detail in one asana exists to feed into the next. I no longer put one asana after another because the transition is easy or interesting. There is a strong intention and idea of the whole sequence in every transition and posture.
I cannot recommend this yoga teacher training enough, it completely changed my outlook on teaching and reaffirmed my deepest intentions as to why I wanted to teach in the first place.
- TARA HORDERN
A comprehensive study of yoga would take lifetimes. From the scriptures that gave us the practice, to the study of the physiological body and something else. The dedication and love for the practice, these are all deep wells to be explored with joy and fascination. For me, being on the precipice of becoming a teacher, this was as daunting as it was exciting. At what point can one be equipped to share their practice with others? To teach yoga?
“You know what makes a yoga teacher, don’t you... it’s someone who knows something you don’t.” For myself, someone who gets carried away with intellectual endeavours and the preoccupations of my mind, Mick’s pragmatic approach was exactly what I needed. How to teach yoga students in front you. To allow them to develop their own practices. By providing articulate instruction and space.
The skill set required to teach Yoga is as vast as it is diverse. As a mentor, Mick tailored his instruction to suit my needs, that of a student. He shared what he has learnt through his practice while empowering me to find my voice as a teacher.
Teaching Yogasana in a way that’s fun, inclusive, safe, and revealing. Mick is a dedicated and experienced practitioner of these skills. His mentorship provides a wonderful opportunity for yoga teachers to develop these skills and to explore their practices further.
- JULIAN BOSWELL