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Testimonials

Yoga Bananas® has taught over 1800 students from the Netherlands, Tahiti, Abu Dhabi as well as the rest of the UK and the Channel Islands. Many graduates of the course have taken the time to write kind and generous words about their training. 

 

Yoga Bananas offered informative, engaging and fun training. Skip was friendly, thoughtful, inspiring and encouraging. She has a wealth of knowledge and I would highly recommend this children’s yoga training course. I feel privileged to have experienced 1:1 training with Skip in her home (with her equally as friendly and helpful partner Andy ⭐️ )and feel lucky to have been given the opportunity to visit a local primary school to watch her teach on the last day, as she has previously offered mostly group training. It was a very positive experience and I’m looking forward to attending the teenage training in the not too distant future…
Thank You Skip 🙏🤩

Kristin Couley 2024

 

Honestly, when you listen to the universe!

Skip knows her stuff! It was refreshing to meet someone so passionate about what they do and not caught up in people spending all their money or buying into a franchise. Skips training was so thorough and honest. It builds on your confidence and makes you feel you can do anything. She's very funny and warming. You won't regret this training!

Louise Hemming 2023

Jam-packed with teaching tips!

Skip was warm and welcoming from the moment we arrived! We had a jam-packed day of learning how to structure a children’s yoga class. Lots to learn but a fantastic manual to refer to afterwards and to use to plan exciting lessons. This school teacher’s children’s yoga course gives the right amount of knowledge in one day in order to bring this into your school or classroom or even to set up on your own. Thanks Skip!

 

Carolyn Hawkins - 2022

I had the most fantastic training with Skip. Her friendly, encouraging and passionate teaching has so motivated me and I am looking forward to sharing the Yoga Bananas technique with the children in my class. Thank you so much Skip.

Nicola Inman 2022

I just completed the Abridged kids yoga training course with lovely Skip this weekend, and it was crammed with brilliant ideas for putting together a fun, creative, and most importantly, authentic, well-rounded childrens yoga class. I particularly love Skips technique because there is a huge emphasis on the breath, which is an essential part of any yoga class. I now have the confidence to teach children an interesting, authentic yoga class, not just focusing on the asana, but also the breath. Skip has devised some very clever, fun ways of getting the kids to breathe in and out during the asanas throughout the class. As part of the training, you also get a very thorough training manual, written by Skip, which covers everything with a fine tooth comb, to help you structure a well-rounded class. Thank you Skip, and I look forward to training with you again in the future.

Androulla Martin-Samos 2022

Thank you Skip, for such a fun and enlightening weekend. The knowledge is deep and round, the concept is superbly holistic, your enthusiasm is infectious...I do hope we shall share space again in the future.

Gemma King, Yoga Bananas 2021

 I loved the training! It was like being awakened from a deep sleep of darkness from the last year of isolation...It's so impressive how you've put it all together .. and I can't wait to get started.

Zey-nyo Platt, Yoga Bananas 2021

I can't believe your amazing stamina … the time, energy, and effort that you put into this incredible weekend, I have never had training so good.... Ever.

I'm am so grateful for you, your creativity, and the light that you share. Yoga Bananas is truly the best professional development training I have done in my twelve years as an educator and yogi. It positively added to my ongoing personal development in both areas. Your unique course was rewarding, engaging, and inspiring, the content meaningful, dynamic, and incredibly creative. Through stories, songs, and your wonderful energy your intensive programme fully embodies its motto, ‘Empowering you to empower children.’  I wholeheartedly recommend Yoga Banana’s Children’s Teacher Training. Namaste.Many many thanks! Ally x

Allison Linney, Yoga Bananas 2020 (socially distanced!)

Hi Skip

No-one will ever care as much as you do. Yoga Bananas is lighting the lamps of 100's of yoga teachers who are lighting 100's of other lamps in children so I'd say that light is giving a LOT 😂😂😂 I wouldn't say that if I didn't think it was amazing. Warm wishes, Shené 

Shene Bhardwaj, Yoga Bananas 2020 (socially distanced)

Skip, thanks so much for a wonderful course! I definitely won’t forget it! Your coursework is outstanding so thank you! 

Love Paula 

Paula Webster, Yoga Bananas 2020 (socially distanced)

What a great few days and thanks so much Skip for  your energy , enthusiasm and care. We have learnt so much!

I loved meeting you and feel very lucky to have had you here.

Emma Xxxx

Emma O' Hea, Yoga Bananas 2020 (socially distanced)

Dear Skip, Thank you… and I am thrilled I can now take the next step on my Yoga Bananas journey! I already have local interest from parents and clubs/school so it will be all systems go soon! I can honestly say the course was life-changing. I knew that my calling was working with children but I couldn’t figure out what to do... until Yoga Bananas! It was challenging but so worth it…

 

I felt so teary (happy) during most of the weekend as I guess it was my heart saying “this is it Jo, this is what you have been waiting for”, so THANK YOU! I think what you have created is truly magical and I can’t wait to share it with the kids. Millie already loves it! You are a true inspiration.

Thank you again for an amazing weekend.  Best wishes, Jo

Jo Lawlor, Yoga Bananas 2019

Well what can I say, Skip's energy and enthusiasm is infectious. She has a way of explaining mindfulness and respect to children subtly utilising the art of yoga and storytelling. I was completely absorbed into it and excited to be able to teach children in my area these techniques. Be ready to work hard and smile as Skip takes you through her content and techniques. Children take part in the class on the third day, it really does work and the children respond so very well, it's beautiful to watch. Tip - if you have to travel far, stay in hotel accommodation close by the night before as they are long days and you need plenty of rest.

Amy Dakin, Yoga Bananas 2019

 

Hi Skip, a big thank you for the wonderful Yoga Bananas training.I  really loved it and have been implementing many aspects of it already in my group of kids with very positive feedback from them. Love Gayle.

Gayle Maguire, Yoga Bananas 2019

Hi Skip!

I have been meaning to drop you a line since the course. I loved the course and am looking forward to taking it to Wiltshire where I hope to be able to set up a few classes after I settle in 😊

The weekend was full on (I don’t know where you get your energy!!!). However, on reflection the whole three days were fantastic, a completely immersive experience and the best bit was seeing you teach a couple of kids classes on Monday afternoon...suddenly it all clicked into place!  The course is intense but I found this helped build my confidence more quickly and by the end I felt fully prepared.  I would have no hesitation in highly recommending your training to anyone wanting to teach children and hope to come back for the teen training myself!

Thanks again and hope to see you again before long!

Gilly x

Gilly Netherwood, Yoga Bananas 2019

Dear Skip, i’m really looking forward to teaching your wonderful method. Many thanks, for a fun, memorable, valuable and extremely well-delivered course. Sending Love, Janice.

Janice Moorhouse, Yoga Bananas 2019

Dearest Skip,

They say one moment can change your life, well that was true for me the moment I  clicked the submit button to enrol on the Yoga Bananas course.

It is so much more than a course, for me it has led me to follow a new path in life.  Your knowledge, passion and contagious enthusiasm transformed a room of slightly nervous women on the first day to a cohesive group supporting each other and believing in themselves, it was a truly remarkable experience.  I'm not sure a thank you really suffices!

Extra thank you goes to Andy for the much needed tea and delicious lunches (even though he wouldn't give me the recipes!), Ben for his open and friendly nature and interesting session, and Boo for cuddles during relaxation! Namaste, Debbie Bradley. xxx

Debbie Bradley, Yoga Bananas 2019

Dear Skip, I just had to write to you to say one very big, heartfelt thank you. I was so nervous on Friday evening into Saturday morning. I really should not have worried so much! Your lovely, affectionate nature instantly put me at ease, you really do have such a lovely way about you, Skip, I’m going to miss your laugh! It’s so infectious. So I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you, we need more Skips in the world. Also a very big thank you to Andy, your lunches were delicious. Thank you also for all the tea making. Love to Boo too! 

All the best, Bex X

Rebecca Masri, Yoga Bananas 2019

Hi Skip

I would love to keep in touch with you.  I don't do social media but would love to come to see you again - teen yoga maybe in future.  I was charged full cost for the hotel that I booked as a mistake and will not get a refund it nearly made me not come to your course as I had a wobbler on the morning as I had to pay for 2 hotels.  I nearly had to cancel.  I am glad I said fuck it who cares about the money!

 

You are an inspiration!  I was a much more creative and nicer person this week and my children loved the creativity that has been spread like magical glitter into the atmosphere. Thank you

Best wishes Sonja

Sonja Seaton, Yoga Bananas 2019

Thank you Skip. It was an honour to join you on your Yoga Bananas Training Course. I really enjoyed watching you teach the lovely children at Polesden Lacy School ... you were so patient, kind & understanding  with them all. It was amazing to see so many of your clever techniques being put into practice in two full and complete yoga classes - they clearly loved it. 

Karen Jayne Copp, Yoga Bananas 2019

Hi Skip. 
Thanks so much for an amazing day of training, it was a pleasure working with you. I will be beginning teaching in my school the week after next and although nervous am very excited and hoping this will be the start of some positive support within the school. Again, thank you,
Imogen x

Imogen Shah, Teen Yoga Bananas 2019

Dear Skip,

 

I wanted to write to thank you and your team on behalf of ours.  Sorry for the delay in response, we arrived back to an Ofsted inspection!

 

We had spent a long time researching a course that would have a philosophy and resources that would support our work in school.  Following a recommendation for Yoga Bananas word spread amongst the staff and a core group (you know us now!) decided to step outside of our comfort zone and give the three day course a go.

 

We didn’t know what to expect – long days and an exam yes – but we hadn’t really prepared ourselves for the challenge of the weekend; the physical and knowledge hike.  Thank you for imparting so much detail to us – your programme has a super structure and will enable us to now explore a differentiated programme for pupils from 4-11 years, whatever their individual needs.  I’m looking forward to exploring the materials further over the coming months.

 

Thank you to Andy for the delicious lunches that kept us on track when energies were flagging; we really appreciated knowing a lunch break was coming.  Also, to Ben for a very informative session at the end of Day 2 – barefoot shoes are now on my wish list.

 

Finally, we really appreciate you bringing together such a super group of people, such camaraderie and uplifting team spirit.  Doing yoga in a community really does ‘uplift’ the spirit and bring inner energy.  Thank you for pushing us on and helping us to reflect on our teaching and learning styles, I’m looking forward to seeing how  our yoga journey develops back in school.

 

I have asked Nanta to contact you and order a Teen Manual, I really think it will help us extend some of our older children.  She should be in touch soon. Namaste, Kerry

Kerry Malcom, Yoga Bananas 2019 (Head Teacher)

Hi Skip , 

 

I absolutely loved it , it you were an absolute inspiration ! I will try my best to get to some of yoga classes and workshops . 

So if you have got any timetable or workshop coming up please let me know. Kindest Regards, Magda 

Magdalena Kwietko, Yoga Bananas 2019

Dear Skip,

 

Thank you so much for sharing your love, passion and wisdom of yoga with us. Even if we all had 3 very intense days, I thoroughly  enjoyed it and learnt so much. I can’t wait to practice on my own kids and friends before taking it out to more children. Your little stories, rhymes and mindfulness exercises are inspiring and it was an amazing experience to see the effect on the children in Monday’s class. 

 

Thanks again and I will try and be back for the Teen yoga course once I gained some experience. 

 

I will share any news with you. For now it’s setting it up and practicing with my children. 

 

All the best for now,

Nicole

Nicole Langendorf, Yoga Bananas, 2019

Dear Skip,

 

This is the best news in a long time! A big thank you for everything. Apologies for the late reply - my daughter was unwell and recovered just yesterday.

 

Thank you also for the detailed feedback. I have made note of every thing you mentioned, especially your point about practising regularly under supervision.

 

The 3 days were really tough, in terms of the hours and we had so much to take in, but well worth it. You were/are truly inspiring and your dedication and passion is really admirable.

 

Thank you again, Meena.

Meena G Raju, Yoga Bananas 2019

 

Skip is experienced, dedicated and sassy. She very capably brings her talents together in this inspiring course.

Clary Hughes, Yoga Bananas 2018

I completed the Children's Yoga Bananas Training Course with Skip and couldn’t be more pleased. She is a warm, informative, kind, talented and genuine woman. I learnt so much from her in three days and I shall be booking onto the Teen Yoga Course as soon as possible. It is very important to me to be able to feel comfortable to be myself in a training setting and Skip sets the tone for this from the start. I would highly recommend Skip with her yoga expertise and her beautiful wisdom.

Hollie Harris, Yoga Bananas,  2018

 

This course was amazing, Skip was such an inspiration. The course itself was extremely well structured, it was very intense but equally very enjoyable. I spent the 3 days with great people and feel ready to begin my own journey of teaching Yoga to Children. If you are thinking of doing the course you should.

Kelly Marshall, Yoga Bananas 2018

 

An intense, fun packed, brilliant training course. It's filled me with confidence to teach young children and I was home only minutes before I started teaching my son! Namaste Skip, Emmy xxx

Emmy Perrier, Yoga Bananas 2018

 

Hi Skip, 

 

I just wanted to send a heartfelt thank you for the past 3 days. The course was absolutely amazing, the location was stunning, the food delicious and the hospitality you and Andy provided was top notch and made an intense few days less stressful.

I truly came on to the course hoping to apply the knowledge learnt to my own children, which I will absolutely be doing, but after this afternoons school class I realise I would like to try and take the Yoga Bananas Technique into schools too. I have already volunteered to help out with my daughter's rainbows class - they will be doing a yoga badge next term. 

 

Thank you thank you thank you. Your knowledge and passion for the course is nothing short of inspirational. Namaste.

Lesley Coyle, Yoga Bananas 2018

Brilliant training, well worth every penny!! Skip (or Pip as liked to call her) is an amazing, intelligent woman, full of imagination and inspiration. Felt completely normal to hiss like a snake and bark like a sea lion within a few hours of the first class!!! Loads of laughter, loads of learning!! Highly recommend!

Catherine O'Connor, Yoga Bananas 2018

Hi Skip,  

Just wanted to say thank you for an amazing inspiring weekend. I have learnt so much my head feels like it’s going to explode with all the info but that is good!! I can’t wait to get out there and start teaching all what I have learnt this weekend. Also to say thank you to your lovely husband for feeding us the food was amazing too. Thank you again for inspiring me, you are an amazing  teacher. I loved it, although I ache like anything.  I even managed to get to my yoga class last night. 

Thank you again  and thank you for being such an amazing teacher and giving me the chance to find my inner child. X 

Becki Morrisson, Yoga Bananas, 2018

I loved my weekend with Skip and the gang. I took away a huge amount of content and even though most of it is based around storytelling, physical theatre and group interaction, Skip has still managed to maintain the integrity of yoga. The practises are inspired and compelling and have even had a positive impact on my adult classes. Skip has an infectious energy, a wonderful way with words and really knows her subject; watching her in action is truly mesmerising! There is a very personal and wholesome feel to this training and I would definitely recommend it. Skip truly is an inspiration and I’m looking forward to seeing where I take this and where it takes me. 

Hebe Dickins, Yoga Bananas 2018

Hi Skip, just wanted to say a big thank you for delivering such an amazing course! I’ve learned so much and you’ve given me the confidence to take a new direction in my career. Could you pass on thanks to Andy for looking after us so well too. 

Ele x

Eleanor Sutton, Yoga Bananas 2018

Skip! Thank you for the photos and thank you so much for your time. I loved the course. The idea is genius but taught in a way that makes it simple and practical. I'm thoroughly inspired.  😊

 

Alex Bugden, Yoga Bananas 2018

I will most definitely be recommending your course to other people! Loved it - your method is truly brilliant. Thanks very much

 

Emily Davies, Yoga Bananas 2018

Dear Skip
I just wanted to say a big thank you once again for the last 2 days of training.  Your passion shines through and I've come away feeling inspired by you as well as having a sense of achievement in myself as well!  I needed to be challenged to gain the confidence to go forward and I was and I feel more confident for it! Ok, a long way to go for me yet but I’m on my way…and I need to slow down!

Kate King, Yoga Bananas 2017

Dearest Skip,

Namaste Beautiful one and thank you - the three days we spent together were ones that gave me far more than can be described in words - there is a joy in what you do, what you teach and what you share that is passionate and inspiring - I feel passionate, inspired, and also empowered as a result of studying the YBT under your expert guidance.  

You have a given me valuable tools - so many,  with which I can invite others, many of whom would not otherwise have this opportunity for many years to come, to share in this joy - and experience from an early age the beauty and spirituality of yoga, and the wisdom inherent in a practise that explores the symbiotic relationship between body and mind, with laughter, playfulness and fun.  

This is a gift beyond value - it is this kind of gift with which we can choose to change our perceptions and responses to the challenges that present themselves on a day to day basis; it is this kind of learning that makes a life long difference, providing tools with which to circumnavigate the twists and turns in our lives - physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual and beyond - for as long as we choose to use them, and for me personally now, after qualifying with you, teach them.  

The structure and content of The YBT is unique; a beautiful, coherent, flowing, and comprehensive alternative method of teaching children yoga, quite unlike anything I have experienced at the classes I have taken my own children to.  The Yoga Bananas Technique is in a different league, cut from the cloth of your many years of experience teaching both adults and children, it is a richly woven, colourful tapestry created with respect, Love and devotion to both the spiritual and physical practise of Yoga.

I am grateful for you, for your wisdom and for the abundant gift you share with your students, and all those that in turn will benefit as a result of the learning you give us, as we use your technique to bring Yoga into the lives of the next generation - the future is full of opportunities and possibilities as a result.  

At the risk of repeating myself, I thank you again, with a gratitude that is far more than can be described with words… 

"Words and magic were in the beginning one and the same thing, and even today words retain much of their magical power.”
― Sigmund Freud

Children see magic far more easily than adults, yet the magic of your teaching is crystal clear to me, and I am full of excitement at the thought of the magic possibilities that lie ahead as I take this next step along my own journey - sharing your gift, teaching the Yoga Bananas Technique and being a part of the movement to bring Yoga to our children, to our collective future.
Thank you, Skip. I have loved taking this course - you make it fun and intimate, The YBT is a fantastic way of giving children the tools they need to negotiate the twists and turns they may encounter as they navigate this journey we call Life. I am looking forward to reading through the YBT manual (properly and comprehensively!!), and learning the names of all the poses, the stories and the subtleties of your wonderful work. Every child has the opportunity to learn these valuable tools - mindfulness, meditation and Yoga. What a wonderful way to give our children the tools to ensure their happiness and peace within life...in this world. Namaste. Beautiful One. Jess xxx

Jess Brass, Yoga Bananas 2017

Thank you muchley lovely lady!!! The course was fab and I've even used the bright green tennis ball for the old ladies I teach!!! Thanks once again, I loved it :) I had the best weekends with you Skip and my fabulous group of ladies, learning how to teach yoga to children. You delivered all the information in an amazingly fun and engaging way, I didn't stop smiling all through the classes, you really do connect back to your 7-year old self. 
II absolutely loved it, and would recommend the course to anyone. You will learn so much but always laugh your head off through out the day! 
I left the weekend feeling ready and confident to start introducing this amazing way of teaching yoga to children.

Alison Rule, Yoga Bananas 2017

Hello Skip, 

I just wanted to say thank you so much for the past few days. I really enjoyed both courses and loved learning from you. And it was so kind of you and Andy to have me at yours yesterday. I have been looking through the manuals today and it's so good to have them. Thank you again. Have a lovely retreat with your son. Best wishes, Kirsty

Kirsty Ouelette, Yoga Bananas 2017

I was unsure what to expect when I decided to go ahead with the Yoga Bananas training but I thoroughly enjoyed the course. It was such a fun and inspiring experience full of lovely likeminded people and a wonderful teacher. Skip was so enthusiastic and encouraging throughout, making me feel confident and able in my teaching ability. I completed both the kids and teens training and have come away from the course feeling so excited about the future! I can’t wait to put what I have learnt into practice and share my love of yoga to young people in the hope to empower them to live happy and healthy lives. Sophie x

Sophie Phillips, Yoga Bananas 2017

Hi Skip, I hope that this email finds you well. I wanted to update you on my progress. I attended your 3 days course last summer and have been teaching yoga to the children in school ever since. (Year R to Year 6) I taught it straight away so that I didn't forget anything. I have been teaching it as part of my PE and also as an 8am club. The children, teachers and parents all love it! I can't seem to get around the classes quick enough!  My first lesson with Year R was last week and went well. I was a little apprehensive as I teach the older children but it was great!  

 

I am enjoying teaching it so much that in September I hope to set up my own children's yoga company which I am really looking forward to. I will also continue as a classroom teacher here. I am hoping to come and do the teen yoga training with you at some point next year once things are underway.

 

Thank you for such amazing,inspirational training which has prompted me to consider a different direction. I am always referring to the manual and my notes from the course. The storyos are taking sometime to learn but I am getting there. I think that yoga and mindfulness is so important for our children and I have had so much positive feedback from them. The lavender eye pillows are a hit too. The children are so busy and they really appreciate some time to have a sense of calm.

 

Thank you once again. I have subscribed to your website so I keep up with your blog and emails.

Antonia Saint, Yoga Bananas 2016/17

Spending three days with Skip, an amazing group of ladies and immersed in the Yoga Bananas Technique was truly energising and inspiring. The teaching materials and structures are so well thought out and adapted to children that I left feeling confident to start teaching and sharing the wonderful world of yoga with school children. Thank you so much for this gift Skip! NamasteThank you so much for such a fun few days of training. I love the Yoga Bananas message and feel very lucky to have learnt it and am looking forward to sharing it with some London children xxx

Hannah Sotudeh, Yoga Bananas 2017

 

Hi Skip, Thank you so much for this long weekend. Today at school was particularly special for me, I felt quite emotional watching you teach those kids. Thanks, Kasia. x 

Kasia Kowalska, Yoga Bananas 2017

Aw fab!! Thank you Skip! It was great to meet you & I'm really excited to start teaching the Yoga Bananas Technique in Scotland. Wish you & your lovely family all the best.

Sarah xx

Sarah Gibb, Yoga Bananas 2017

Dear Skip, My smile is now reaching past my ears!!!! I am so happy that you have endorsed me as a YB teacher and for such wonderful feedback I am honoured and grateful. You have shown me an extremely exciting new path and the thought of possibly working with you one day is something I would like very much. For all you have given me these past three days, from my heart, thank you. Octavia x 

Octavia Hampton, Yoga Bananas 2017.

Hi Skip, Wow, thank you so much for this! Am hugely excited and it feels great to have my certificate in hand! I really do want to say a massive thank you for the weekend. I had such an amazing time; loved every second and genuinely feel sad it's finished! Making a career change and investing in something you really believe in is not only exciting but scary too - but after this weekend I couldn't feel more like I've made the right choice. The course was better than I could have possibly imagined and I can't wait to go out and teach it myself!

I will absolutely stay in touch keep you abreast of how it's all going. Im aiming to launch my website next month (just think I've got to go for it now!) so will send you a link and a bio when that's ready. Thank you so much again. You were so inspiring - I wish I could be in your classes more! Kindest regards, Nicola x

Nicola Chantler, Yoga Bananas 2016

 

Hi Skip, thank you very much for your emails and kind words. I had a really great weekend and enjoyed the course so much.  Although you are very professional, you are also very approachable and down to earth and your energy is infectious!  It was great to meet Jem and Andy too.  I am really excited about teaching children’s yoga (whenever that might be) - and trying it out on my daughter.

Camilla de Moraes, Yoga Bananas 2016

Dear Skip, thank you so much for a wonderful, enlightening, discovery three days. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it was so much more. You give so much of yourself and your authenticity was humbling. I can't wait to share what I have learnt with the children I teach (and with my son).  I never expected to feel this ready to teach yoga which is just as well since my year 6 group are expecting a class on Wednesday! I wish you all the best with all your future adventures and I look forward to catching up with you again at teen yoga sometime soon. Love and best wishes to you, Andy and the delightful Jem. Linsay xxx

Linsay Thomson, Yoga Bananas 2016

Hi Skip, I just wanted to say thank you for your time, experience and energy in teaching this weekend. I can't believe how much material we got through! I really, really enjoyed it and am very excited about teaching it all - although as yet, have absolutely no idea as to the when, where or how! Do keep me updated re a 1 day Teen course as I would definitely be interested in doing that. Take care, Sarah x

Sarah Greenall, Yoga Bananas 2016

Thank you so much Skip you are so inspiring funny and I only wish I could be a child in one of your classes. I've taken a year 1, 2 and 3 yoga class so far this week and the children have loved every minute and been very supportive. The year 3 class have a large number of very difficult children and they were amazing all lying still under their bean bag eye cushions at the end! I've a long way to go but I'm so lucky being able to start with children I know. Thank you so much and as soon as I can afford it I shall return for the teenage course. Love and Namaste, Cindi x

Cindi Halloren, Yoga Bananas 2016

Thank you so much Skip, it was such an enjoyable experience. Thank you for all your guidance and support over the weekend and please thank Andy for his lovely cooking! I have started to teach YB activities to my class. They love them!! It has made a positive difference to behaviour and social skills already. I can't wait to get the yoga clubs up and running for all year groups in September. Namaste Skip, Nic xx

Nicola Lauren Rumsey, Yoga Bananas 2016

Om Skip, Thank you so much for all of the feedback and for letting me know I passed! Thanks for a truly wonderful  and inspirational weekend, I feel truly blessed to have been part of the group receiving your teaching. I can't wait to start putting it into practice! Thank you so much. Namaste, Om shanti, Hannah 

Hannah Brown, Yoga Bananas 2016

Hi Skip, I just wanted to say a massive thank you for sharing Yoga Bananas with me. Also thank Andy for the fab food and Jem for the demonstrations. I really enjoyed the course and feeding my brain again with something good and rewarding, I found myself talking and acting totally different to my children when I got home.  On Guard and the touching of the nose is definitely ingrained in my brain. Thanks again, Sarah X

Sarah Williams, Yoga Bananas 2016

Dear Skip, so exciting that I'm now officially qualified to teach the Yoga Bananas Technique! It was the best decision I made this year and it truly exceeded my expectations. As a non-teacher I felt nervous but keen...I now feel inspired to teach my own kids and my friends kids to begin with. I plan to grow my confidence and experience in teaching and hope to be that person in our local community to offer Yoga Bananas to aid my kids generation in growing up happy and strong. I truly feel I can be part of that, thanks to your sunny, clearly structured approach and technique! Thank you so much Skip, you're beautiful! Saskia - P.S Really enjoyed the visit to PL infant school. It was very powerful to watch the technique in practise. Felt very emotional especially the effect the relaxation had on the kids (esp the bouncy ones!) Inspiring.

Saskia Janssen, Yoga Bananas 2016

Hi Skip, Wonderful. Thank you! Such a wonderful weekend, I am so grateful.

Amanda Delassi, Yoga Bananas 2016

Dear Skip, Thank you, I am honoured to be a Yoga Bananas Graduate. I really enjoyed the course and like many of the group, didn’t want it to end! I feel inspired to get out there and start putting all the amazing material into practice - my children and their friends are going to be my guinea pigs over the summer holidays! I am really keen to do the Teen YB course at some point so will very much look forward to seeing you again one day! Many thanks, Fi

 

Fiona Phillips, Yoga Bananas 2016

Dear Skip, I would like to Thank you so much for all the help and support given to me, I really enjoyed it and you were a true inspiration to watch. I would definitely recommend you. I will keep in touch to let you know how I get on. Kindest Regards, Lynn

Lynn Maddison, Yoga Bananas 2016

Hi Skip,I just wanted to say again a huge thank you for the last three days, I thoroughly enjoyed the training course and can't wait to get started teaching! Many thanks, Melissa.

Melissa Baker, Yoga Bananas 2016

Hi Skip, Thank you so  much for your emails. It has taken me some time to reflect on the weekend's course, which is all I hoped for and more. It was an exciting weekend with much to learn and digest. I loved your approach and your energy throughout the weekend. The contents of the course were great with much that can be developed. I have learnt so much and am now keen to put this to practise with the help and support of my yoga teacher. I hope that once I am secure in this area I will be able to pursue the teenager course in the not too distant future. Many thanks and best wishes, Sally

Sally Webber, Yoga Bananas 2016

Thank you, Skip, for passing on your amazing Yoga Bananas wisdom and energy! My little boy is loving being my guinea pig. We've done a few poses and his eyes lit up from the moment we started! Thank you all for being such inspiring and lovely ladies. I'm feeling really energised from such an excellent three days! Here's to us all finding our own Yoga Bananas way! I look forward to keeping in touch. Namaste x

Daniele Morgan Phillips, Yoga Bananas 2016

Even though I'm really tired after an exceptional 3 days, I also feel massively energised. Skip I think that is largely down to your boundless enthusiasm and energy. Also spending 3 days with such lovely ladies. I'm feeling very grateful tonight. Take care all. 

Katie Jones, Yoga Bananas 2016

I've felt so many emotions and am now exhausted and beaming! I can't wait to start the next step of the journey (after many a night of memorising our Guru's text! and practicing with family and friends!) Skip you are fantastic-such fun and you engaged me, never mind the kids! Thanks for all your hard work, patience and kind words.

Carrie Reeve, Yoga Bananas 2016

Thanks so much Skip for a terrific three days, full of fun and laughter, guidance and inspiration. I've felt so happy knowing I'm on the right path and you're all there with me. What a genuine and warm bunch (of bananas?!). Very much looking forward to hearing how everyone progresses, knowing we can all support each other. Stay in touch all! Lots of love. xxx

Emily Anderson, Yoga Bananas 2016

Just a quick message to say a big thank you to you all for the support and smiles this weekend. I've learnt an awful lot and feel I'm ready to tackle school in a more positive way!! I thoroughly enjoyed the course and the company of all there, the best of luck to you all and I hope to keep in touch on Facebook.  Many thanks Skip for imparting a wealth of knowledge in such a short space of time, I hope we all do you proud!! With love, namaste xxxx

Sara Heath, Yoga Bananas 2016

Skip you are an inspiration and thank you for passing on all your knowledge and skills, it was great to watch the "plan" put into action today and see how much the children loved the class.

Louise Field, Yoga Bananas 2016

Hear hear (or is it here here, I’ve no idea), to all of your lovely comments I couldn’t agree more. A fantastic weekend, so much to take in and now I am in need of a rest (I should be so lucky) and some reading and absorbing time with the manual. It was wonderful to meet you all. Good luck with the next chapter of the journey, I look forward to hearing how it is going for you. Thank you Skip for your encouragement, enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge. Best Wishes, love and light, and of course, Na-Mas-te! xx

Sam Tan, Yoga Bananas 2016

I can't believe how my life has transformed in a weekend. Yes, 'spread the love' embraces it beautifully! I am sitting here on my sofa, hungry, because I can't eat. I managed to have a cup of tea since I have been back. I think my tummy is bursting with imagination. I'm so excited but at the same time I feel like I'm dreaming - just like that floppy frog on a Lilly pad -  and I feel like I'm dreaming it all too. I might need to take some deep breaths before bedtime to slow my heartbeat down. Oh no! But my heart is beating for you! I'm going to let it beat its natural rhythm, tick tick, like a mouse round the clock! Ok, I will just breathe through the nose (mouth closed, if I remember right!) 2 3 and 2 3 4 5 6, pour a glass of vino and celebrate the gift of Skip Oliver who truly is the most amazing person I have ever met in my life! Be careful as the power of Skip and this amazing gift of love, unity and light is catching. Skip, I can't thank you enough.  Finding you was faith, you are just like this little shining star that brightens up the world. Namaste. X

Angelika Hajdecka, Yoga Bananas 2015

Dear Skip, I wanted to thank you for the past three days - I thoroughly enjoyed myself, which is always a positive, but more than that, I feel like a part of me has grown, or been reignited. Having learnt yoga myself from an early-ish age, it is something that is deeply ingrained in my being, and watching you teach yesterday, and watching the children around you learn, well, it touched that deeply ingrained yogi in me, very sincerely.

Henrietta Greene, Yoga Bananas 2015

Dear Skip, I would just like to say how much I enjoyed the course. It was very informative and I learnt a lot in such a short amount of time. As a teacher I think that you are amazing, your delivery was clear and concise and gave me a lot of confidence in pursuing my career. Moving forward I am also very interested in your pregnancy yoga course if you could let me know dates. Thank you for a fantastic experience!  Namaste, Sheela x

Sheela Khatri, Yoga Bananas 2015

Thank you very much for making me be able to teach yoga.... We had a party for my cousin's son and I did yoga with the kids and they enjoyed it. My life has really changed now.... I am really a very happy person.... Thanks to God and you. 

Bina Mehta, Yoga Bananas 2015

Wow indeed! Such an amazing few days, I had so much fun, loved the course and what a lovely group of ladies to share it with! I'd go back and do it again if I could. Am absolutely in love with what we've learned and can't wait to start teaching children. I think what we covered will really help me develop my own practice and the way I teach adults.  I'll definitely be back for more. Honestly, that was a brilliant few days, I'm so glad I did it! Skip, you are just fantastic and your boys are fab and a credit to you. Thank you so much.

Rebecca James, Yoga Bananas 2015

Thank you Skip for your fab course. You were truly inspirational. I am looking forward to teaching children's yoga. Thx for all the info you sent you have thought of everything. Hope to see you again some day. Namaste, Lisa

Lisa Ward, Yoga Bananas 2015

Hi Skip, thanks so much for such an inspirational weekend, I really did learn lots. I have tried out few of your stories already and children at school just lapped it up! Worked so much better when not under pressure!!  Thanks so much for posting cert and info through for me. I shall continue to read and pass on all of your wonderful ideas. I will not forget the breath!!! Many thanks again, will never forget my weekend with you .

Jean Moore, Yoga Bananas 2015

Thank you so much Skip and for your kind words yesterday. I learnt so much on the course on lots of levels and look forward to putting your teaching to practice. I will definitely be tempted to do a refresher in the future! Love Sara x

Sara Versi, Yoga Bananas 2015

Thank you so, so much Skip. It was as incredible weekend that went way beyond my expectations. Your enthusiasm and inspiration, both as a teacher and as a trainer, were exceptional. I loved your honesty and the heartfelt connection that you made with the group making us all feel relaxed and comfortable. And what a gorgeous group.

I am sitting here now with a huge grin on my face (and a huge glass of wine in my hand!) and can't wait to get to school tomorrow and share the love, the guard, the trampolining, the pizza etc...

Lots of Love xxx

Charlotte Brown, Yoga Bananas 2015

Hi Skip, thank you so very much for a fantastic training course last weekend. I'm really excited about teaching the YBT to kids and even held my first taster session for 10 children yesterday!  My kids love it! Thanks again and can't believe I'm already getting started!

Casey Gill, Yoga Bananas 2015

Dear Skip, I just wanted to write and say 'thank you' for a wonderful weekend. You have really inspired me to carry out my dream of teaching yoga to children. I did a trial class yesterday with the Reception class I work with and they really enjoyed it. They have been asking me today when are we going to do it again - testament itself. Thank you again and wishing you every success for the future. 

Anita Blaize, Yoga Bananas 2014

Dear Skip, just wanted to say a massive thank you for an amazing three days. It was a real journey and it feels like the start of something new and an exciting for me. It felt emotional to say goodbye to you - I hope this is one of many opportunities I have to be taught by you. Namaste. x

Naomi Thrower, Yoga Bananas 2014

Just wanted to thank you for a wonderful weekend I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the course especially your enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment while you teach.Your teacher's guide book is done amazing, and you demonstrated pretty much all of it with great energy and patience!! I chose this course to attend as your logo on google appealed to me and I am delighted I travelled from Dublin :) to attend... I would wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone interested in pursuing children's yoga... Really looking forward to getting started Here and maybe doing a refreshers' or teen course in the new year :) Big smile, Jane x

Jane Nolan, Yoga Bananas 2014

A HUGE thank-you for the inspiring weekend you delivered for us all.  I was so grateful to you for you sharing the wonderfully creative way you have devised to lead children through yoga.  I am aware, much like learning to drive, I will really find my way with this skill once I begin using it.

Holly Heffernan, Yoga Bananas 2014

Hi Skip, thank you for an amazing weekend! You truly are an inspiration! Plus I've never met anyone who can smile for as long as you do! Lol! xx

Manjit Sokhal, Yoga Bananas 2014

Thank you Skip for an intense and absolutely brilliant weekend! I loved every minute and I'm so excited about starting my classes. You are a real inspiration. And a big thank you to your boys for letting us practice on them! Jem made it very real and fun. Also send my thanks to Barb for looking after us. 

Maria Anderson, Yoga Bananas 2014

Thank-you for an inspiring weekend and empowering me on my yoga journey. Despite feeling a bit nervous, it was such a breath of fresh air and a welcome boost for me. It was lovely to meet you, the lovely Barb and two of your beautiful children (no offense to Beckett who is more a man now!) Such wonderful resources too, having taught before I truly appreciate the value of them and their clever sequencing, just magical. You are quite a remarkable woman, but please look after your back.

Karen Faulkner, Yoga Bananas 2014

Thanks a million for your direction, support and teaching! I am glad that I came across a person and teacher like you. Your energy, intention and persona is just awesome!! You will surely see me again next year. I would love to have more of your Company again. Thanks again.

Tavishi Kamdar, Yoga Bananas 2013

Hi Skip, I've just finished my homework from the first day of the training and have had a chance to reflect on all I've learned today. The Teen YB course has already exceeded my best hopes and I am really looking forward to tomorrow!.........Ok, it's now Tuesday and I've found two local girls and hope to start asap!! Thanks again for the amazing weekend. I really appreciate your energy, teaching style, and lovely personality. Good luck with the writing and remember that I'm interested to read your work! 

Bambi Thompson, Teen YB, 2013 

Just to say a HUGE thank you to you for an absolutely wonderful (though intense) experience last weekend. You provided me with lifelong skills and knowledge that I know, with practise, will develop into a deep understanding of yoga for children. I am so excited about my new found journey and it feels right in my heart to be stepping out onto this path now. I knew that my instincts were right about Yoga Bananas and I only hope that I can make a success of this now. I have been practising from the manual in my garden each day and enjoying it just as much as I did when I was with you. You must have been told this a thousand and more times, that you are an inspirational person with boundless infectious energy. I am so glad that a bit of it has rubbed off on me and I hope that it stays that way as since I have been on your course I have felt a renewed self-confidence and it feels great! You've made me believe in myself and I thank you for that too, along with sharing your wonderful secrets with us - I was in awe of how clever you are! Many thanks and much love, Becky xxx

Rebecca Hart, Yoga Bananas, 2013

Hi Skippy, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing you again (Yoga Bananas 2012). it was brilliant, you make teen yoga so much fun.

Lorraine Thompson, Teen YB, 2013

Hi Skippy, Firstly, I just wanted to say an enormous thank you for an amazing weekend. Your knowledge, energy, humour and support were exceptional and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to learn with you.  Actually, I also feel a little bit smug because I know I've been trained by the best children's yoga teacher out there - lucky me! Thanks also to Andy for the amazing food and to Jem and Boo Boo for breezing in and being so sweet.

Jessica Edwards, Yoga Bananas 2013

I was amazed at how much could be learnt within 3 days, and I left the course feeling very prepared and confident in being able to deliver a Yoga Bananas class. The experiential style of learning works extremely well, and I was inspired by the enthusiasm and clarity with which Skippy teaches. One of the elements of the course that stands out most clearly for me, was the creativity and expressive nature that is encouraged, both in the trainee teachers and the children. This course is an example of how Yoga is a tool to explore our bodies and our imaginations.

Abi Carter, Yoga Bananas 2012

I just wanted to tell you how amazing i feel. I know I left you looking all tired but 1 hour later,  after reflecting on the weekend which whooshed past me, like a madhatter's dream, i feel so refreshed! Even in London! My body and mind is so light and airy! I feel like I've just downed 20 bottles of your laughing juice. Thank you Skippy, it's rays of light like you that restore my faith in the world. Xxxxxx

Laura Middlemiss, Yoga Bananas 2012

Teen YB was both a wonderful review of the original Yoga Bananas course I took one year ago and a great preparation for delivering Yoga instruction to this age group. As a secondary school teacher I often wondered how Yoga could be tailored for teen learners; how not to patronise them with the fun child-like approach but also how not to deter them with the rigour of an adult class. Not surprisingly, physical and emotional care are at the centre of the wonderful practice that Skips has created for teens and I now feel confident I can deliver great yoga classes for the young people I work with. The teens we had the pleasure to lead practice for were completely delightful and I genuinely felt that we were equipping them with tools for life, both on and off the yoga mat. Thank you for your continued inspiration, Skippy! 

Danielle Valdar, Yoga Bananas 2011, Teen Yoga 2012

Hi Skippy, just wanted to drop you a line to say thanks again for a fantastic Yoga Bananas experience! I enjoyed every minute and I know all four of us came away feeling able to share what we learned with the children in our area.

Annie Lewis, Yoga Bananas 2012

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thanks for being an inspiration, thanks for your support and thanks for our lovely food! The infant school was really amazing! It was great to see the children doing yoga poses all by themselves whilst waiting for instructions :) I asked a few children if they enjoyed yoga and what was their favourite part. They answered 'Yes!' with big smiles and all said your stories were the best! You are a wildly, vibrant shining star for them all and they will always carry yoga with them now. Watching you work helped me to understand how fun, love and strength can be all be brought together for children with yoga. Bless you Skippy! It was lovely to meet you, Andy and Jem too. Hopefully I shall meet you again for your teen yoga course. Namaste, Nuff respec' and a Big High 5!  

Sharla Attala, Yoga Bananas  2012

I worked with Skippy recently, training in Teen YB. It was one on one, which was an incredible experience, though exhausting! I learned so much from Skippy about taking a class and her attention to detail is inspiring. The course is intelligent, creative, imaginative, informative and worth every minute. I am not trained to teach Adults so I was challenged perhaps more than some when it came to incorporating the breath with each move but I think by Sunday night it was ingrained somewhere in my dizzy brain. It is a natural progression after Yoga Bananas and rekindles one's enthusiasm for these classes too. I now wait patiently for the Adult training to be developed.:)  

Nicola Corbett, Yoga Bananas 2012

Hi Skips, I had so much fun learning your Yoga Bananas Technique and would like to thank you and your family for making me feel so welcome. I felt anxious when you handed us all our teacher training manual and went through our homework, but was taken aback by how much we had covered in just one day. Like others before me I found the weekend to be exhausting but your positive and engaging teaching technique made for a very exciting weekend [if only all courses were as much fun!] I enjoyed attending yoga classes for the positive feeling it gave me but Skip you made me understand the true meaning of yoga and I cant wait to share what I have learned. I recommend all yoga lovers to spend a weekend reinforcing their passion I look forward to attending your Teen Yoga Bananas classes in the future.

Melissa Gray,, Yoga Bananas 2011

Anyone thinking of training with Skippy - stop thinking. Just do it!  Skips is an amazing, interesting and warm person and her enthusiasm for her work is infectious. She is a supportive and encouraging teacher and instills confidence in the trainees on the course and the children in her classes. Getting the chance to teach what we had learnt, to children at the local primary school, was an excellent way of gaining that confidence ourselves and watching Skip 'in action'.  If you have a passion for yoga and love working with children - this is the course for you!

Jo Black, Yoga Bananas 2011

I have always wanted to know how to translate yoga to the children but needed somebody to show me the right method. And then Skippy’s well structured Teacher Training came into the picture. I read the course work, had a brief conversation with Skippy and found myself booked on. This proved to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because I simply loved the whole weekend and keep telling my colleagues, ever since I have finished it, how great the course was. Skippy’s got a fantastic personality which fascinates you and even considering the fact that male yoga teachers are pretty rare, I still enjoyed every bit. I consider myself a very lucky man as I had a wonderful opportunity to observe Skippy and learn from her, not only the activities covered but also to discover and acquire the skills and knowledge that make someone a good teacher and learn what it is that will engage children in ways that will promote both their learning and enjoyment of physical activities. Thank you Skips. You are a miracle!

Csaba Vinkler, Yoga Bananas 2011

Thank you Skippy! It was really GREAT to work with the other students and children and to meet you too. You are amazing and inspired by whatever you do and I feel proud to have met you. I enjoyed the course and I have it in my mind as one of the best experiences of my life. Your method can work in Greece too and I am impatient to teach to Greek children also. I hope we will manage a course here in Greece when you find time to do so.....

Maria Gkigcoudi, Yoga Bananas 2011

Thank you Skip so much for your superb teaching on the Yoga Bananas course. I really built so much confidence from learning your solid lesson plans and seeing how to structure a well rounded kids yoga class. I loved how your lesson plans were able to introduce all aspects of yoga from breathing, mindfulness, yoga ethos and asanas to kids so young. It was a fun, friendly but very grounded approach that I'm confident I can introduce into any school or kids yoga party. I feel totally inspired to go out there teach kids yoga! Thank you so much.

Antonia Wise, Yoga Bananas 2011

I'd just like to say how much I enjoyed Skip's course. The manual is wonderfully presented and very informative. I loved the village atmosphere and the quiet places that Skippy has chosen to run the course. It had an earthy style and the lunches were delicious home cooked meals! Skip obviously has a big passion for children and this shows itself through her special and creative work. I would recommend this course for anyone who loves yoga and children. Thanks Skip, for your friendly and open approach.

Sophia Jones, Yoga Bananas 2011

Thank you Skippy for your lovely and kind words towards us all. We could not have done this without your support and love towards us. You have a very calm and caring approach, that no matter what, whoever is by your side adapts to that atmosphere. You are a fantastic mentor.

Rahkee Desoura, Yoga Bananas 2011

What a superb weekend. A course that actually gives you energy! Completely refreshing and straightforward yet challenging and interesting at the same time! I can't wait to start using the Yoga Bananas Technique as it really works the children's imagination and body in unison and it is so much fun. It will be hard to keep it out of my adult classes : ) Skippy is a wonderful teacher who has obviously spent a lot of time getting this just right, she passes on her knowledge in such a way that it inspires confidence to teach children from day 1. The kids absolutely love it and I have had a great response so far from potential clients. Keep up the great work......

Kerry Lacey, Yoga Bananas 2011

I cannot recommend Skippy highly enough, and within hours of finishing my training I had suggested Yoga Bananas to 2 friends! The structure of the training and the classes themselves are exemplary. Skip is a wonderfully supportive and encouraging teacher, and her enthusiasm and love for yoga and children is infectious. I had a wonderful 3 days, and although exhausted (as rightly, we had a lot of work to do!) I came away buzzing and excited about starting my own classes. Thank you Skippy. You're an inspiration!

Anna Cronin, Yoga Bananas 2011

As my children are in their 20s now, I wasn't sure that I would still have an inner child, but Skippy's style and her belief in the teaching made it so easy to awaken that child within me. It really was exhausting, but one of the most beneficial weekends I have ever spent. I would not have believed that I would have been ready to teach by the third day, but, again, with Skippy's guidance that is exactly what we did. Instead of waiting until my 40s to start Yoga, I really wished I had been introduced to it earlier, and I really believe that children could be more considerate towards each other if they had Yoga in their lives from an early age.

Marie Price, Yoga Bananas 2010

Skip, thank you so much. I left the Yoga Bananas Teacher Training knowing that I could teach yoga to children. You were so wonderfully warm and welcoming, I felt at ease immediately. You teach with knowledge and passion, and because of the commitment and hard work you put into the course I know I walked away with a new confidence. I now look forward to introducing children to the fantastic benefits of practicing yoga.

Penny Love, Yoga Bananas 2010

Skippy has an infectious, playful spirit which immediately inspires you. I discovered in the 3 days of training with her that Yoga can be made accessible to children through the vast potential we all hold as big kids to explore the imagination. As yoga poses are inspired by animals and nature - Skip guides you with her stories and spontaneity to help you find your own creative ideas about how to teach kids yoga. You are also left with a really helpful manual to remind you of all the tricks you learn and also get to teach on the third dayl. On that third day when you go and teach in the school setting you get to see how Skippy engages the children with her love of children and yoga which reminded me of some important things - how well children respond to love, praise, straightforwardness the kind of things that come directly from just being yourself. You'll find your true potential nurtured by this course. I loved it! Thank you Skippy!

Sophie Bolton, Yoga Bananas 2010

My training with Skippy was an incredible experience and everything I had hoped for. I came away from the course feeling excited and inspired. I am now eager to share the knowledge I learnt from Skippy with my own children and hopefully many others. The course was intelligently composed, creative and inspiring. There is no doubt that Skippy's knowledge and wisdom comes through in all her teaching. One walks away from three intensive days feeling a great sense of achievement and enthusiastic to teach the next generation the benefits of Yoga. Thank you Skippy for your encouragement and for helping me move along my journey.

Nicola Corbett, Yoga Bananas 2010

Skippy's Yoga Bananas course was inspiring, it was one of the most exhausting but enjoyable weekends that I can remember. Skip managed to cover an enormous amount in the three days, but the course was great fun and presented with such enthusiasm that it did not seem like hard work at all. Skippy managed to lead us all gently out of our comfort zones and tackle things bit by bit, I am sure that none of us really believed that we had it in us to take a group of children for a yoga class. However, there we all were on the Monday, doing exactly that! Well done Skippy, I left buzzing with ideas, plans and most importantly for me, the confidence to get out there and teach something very close to my heart.

Helen Smith, Yoga Bananas 2010

The Yoga Bananas course was a fantastic experience. It was wonderful to learn so much over the three days and was taught in a wonderfully structured, intense but fun format. Skippy is superb and her creativity and experience means that her way of teaching is incredibly inspiring for both us as trainees and the children! It was nerve-wracking on the third day having to teach our own classes in a school we'd never been to and children we had never met but because of the preparation done over the previous two days, it helped enormously to focus me for this moment. It was one of the most touching experiences of my life. I'm so grateful to have had that opportunity as it really builds one's confidence. I now feel absolutely ready to teach yoga to groups of children and can't wait to get going. I highly recommend the Yoga Bananas teacher training course. Thank you Skippy!

Emma Sykes, Yoga Bananas 2010

Skippy is such a refreshing, open and honest teacher who has a genuine understanding and passion for teaching children yoga. I have learnt so much from her and, as a primary school teacher, I feel she has opened up my connection with children and myself even more. Her teaching style is fantastic and the three days we spent together were a lot of fun. A truly fantastic course- I would highly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in yoga and children.

Alexa Aitken, Yoga Bananas 2010

Yoga Bananas Teacher Course gives you a steady, informative, playful, ground to stand on as a children's yoga teacher. With a personal and kind touch, Skippy shares her wide knowledge of material, ideas, experience and most of all encourages creativity and puts belief in all her students. It's lovely to be a part of such a small group of people, which gives you plenty of attention, care and new friendship. It's also amazing how much you can learn during 3 days, (at the time hard work, but so exciting) and it all comes together on the third day when you are privileged to teach your first yoga class for children! It gives you a fun and challenging taster of how it will be to teach children. It definitely boosted my confidence, which is a great and an amazing, valuable feeling to finish off a course with! I feel ready for the challenge and I am excited to give the children the opportunity to experience these fun, relaxing creative yoga classes! Thank you Skippy, for all your belief in me!

Johanna Andersson, Yoga Banananas 2010

Coming to Yoga Bananas was definitely one of the best things I have ever done. I found it challenging, but so much fun. Before the course I was wondering how can I possibly learn enough to be a children's yoga teacher over a weekend, but Vicky somehow managed to give me so much knowldge and confidence. Having a chance to teach an actual class on the last day of the course was a fantastic experience and it brought everything I had learnt together. Skippy is everything you would look for in a teacher and so much more. Her energy, enthusiasm passon and kindness are simply addictive. She is one of those people who doesn't just pass through your life, they stay with you in your heart and become a part of it. She is truly inspiring! Thank you so much Skippy for everything, it has been a privilege to have met you.

Jana Mulholland, Yoga Bananas 2010

I had such a fantastic time on the course - thank you Skippy. Skippy is truly a very gifted and inspirational teacher and so obviously has a genuine passion for teaching. The content and delivery was, I think, just about perfect and the culmination and experience of being able to teach to an actual class was amazing. An experience which left me excited and at the same time feeling extremely lucky. I came away so enthused and excited abouth teaching children and hope to have a letter sent to the first schools on my list, in the next 48hours. Thank you, too, to Andy and Jem for making us all so welcome in your home and for feeding us so grandly.

Andrew Dunn, Yoga Bananaas 2010

Skippy's business is more of a 'gift' to people as opposed to just a profit making machine. Skippy so clearly has a love and appreciation of people and wants to share everything she knows to enable others to experience a certain level of calm and relaxation in their lives. If more businesses were like Skippy's - where people work for the benefit others, the world would be a much kinder and more content place to be in.

Juliette Oliver, Yoga Bananas 2010

Vicky 'Skip' Oliver, founder and heart of whYoga and Yoga Bananas, is absolutely fantastic! She embodies all that yoga should be with an understanding heart and generous spirit. She's professional, inclusive, dedicated to her business and the local community, and marvellously warm-hearted. I had the pleasure of participating in a children's yoga teacher training with Skip and it was hands-down the most enjoyable, informative, and thorough three day workshop I could have ever imagined.

Barb Turk, Yoga Bananas 2010

I thoroughly enjoyed the Yoga Bananas Children's Teacher Training Course. The course is well structured and you benefit immediately from participation in endless teaching activities. There is also plenty of individual attention and opportunities to ask questions being taught in a small group. The course is very intense with Skippy's abundance of imaginative ideas for teaching yoga to children, but incredibly rewarding. It was an invaluable experience spending a day in a school, as it encapsulated all our learning and I left feeling confident to approach schools in my own area. Thank you Skippy for a wonderful experience.

Sarah Fishman, Yoga Bananas 2010

The yoga training weekend was intense and loaded with information but fun as well. From the moment we (the students) met Skippy we were instantly made to feel at ease. With Skippy's helpful teaching techniques and fun stories the weekend flew by. What I really liked about the course was Skippy's way of teaching, and how she prepared us to deal with situations that may arise in a yoga session, be it with the very active children or the somewhat less active ones. Her teaching techniques and the helpful suggestions are remarkably valuable to anyone who deals with children on a regular basis. I couldn’t believe the amount of information packed into the manuals. But most importantly, Skippy's knowledge, creativity and attitude are what make this course a brilliant course to join. Oh yes, and the meals were yummy! Thank you Skippy and family.

Grace Collins, Yoga Bananas 2009

Having taught yoga to children over the last two years I felt I needed further training and to glean a new perspective on my classes. In search of these things I not only found them in heaps but was truly inspired by Skippy who seemed to be able to ‘unfog’ and made straight forward the route to teaching children in a boundless and informed way. I found her training to be inspirational yet at the same time clear and professional and of course with a good deal of wit and humour. With the tools Skippy provides within her training it unlocks infinitesimal ways in which to deliver yoga to children of all ages. I gained so much from the course despite already being an established yoga teacher myself, her course lifted my spirits and I felt its basis was strongly rooted in the true nature of Yoga with no hint of commercial bias being at the fore. I can’t thank her enough and would urge anyone interested in teaching children or indeed as myself already in the field to experience the course for themselves. Truly, an uplifting experience. 

Tess Foster, Yoga Bananas 2009 

After training with Skippy, on the Yoga Bananas course, I quite simply feel like I have amassed a fortune. Skip's training provides you with oceans of material and infinite possibilities for teaching yoga to children. In its breadth and depth this course is exciting and extraordinary. The course itself is intense, fun, exploratory and quietly strenuous (don’t be put off by the latter aspect, it is worth it!) Skippy is an incredibly dynamic, warm, lovely and inspiring teacher who doesn’t tire of answering questions and striving to help at every turn. Everthing you need to remember is documented in two detailed manuals- one with clever illustrations of all the asanas. I have found them to be a great reference for the teaching and carry them around with me. We (my school) have also purchased 10 lavender eye pillows, made by Skippy's friend Naomi Purkiss (http:www.//whyoga.com/shop ) They are amazing and beautifully made. I can’t recommend them highly enough. As a primary art teacher I am now using these pillows for relaxation at the end of my art classes and yoga classes. Children know what they need and that is relaxation! Infants and juniors are really enjoying using these pillows. My teacher colleagues also want to follow suit and use the pillows in their regular classes so I can see we are going to be ordering more! Thank you so much Skippy and Naomi for your inspiration. I am enjoying a teaching renaissance! 

Lucy Hennings, Yoga Bananas 2009 

I attended Skippy's whYoga for Pregnancy and Yoga Bananas yoga teacher training courses. They were both great weekends, surrounded by interesting and like-minded people in beautiful surroundings. I learnt alot from Skippy and the courses are full of information, making you feel ready to move ahead with your new training afterwards. Vicky and her family are very welcoming and it was a refreshing break at the same time as gaining new knowledge. 

Sasha Ezzi, Yoga Bananas 2009 


I am so pleased I came to do the Yoga Bananas training course. Thank you so much for all your help and understanding Skippy. You are a very special person and I have benefited immensely through meeting you. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and expertise and most of all putting me at ease! I have gained new skills and confidence to go on to teach yoga to children in an exciting and fun way. I feel I have made a good friend for life! 

Mandy Tumilty, Yoga Bananas 2009 

Skippy you are an amazing teacher and I am so glad that I came to do my training with you!! Thanks so much for your loving, caring approach...... the energy, enthusiasm and vibrance that you have is inspiring!! 

Sandra Vallender, Yoga Bananas 2009 

I am thrilled to have just passed the Yoga Bananas Course. As I had qualified as an Iyengar Yoga Teacher in 2003, I wanted a children's yoga training to very thorough and intense and I wasn't disappointed. Skip Oliver's course is fantastic - I would recommend it to anyone. I especially wanted to learn how to write and teach children's yoga stories but got a whole lot more. Her class plans are superb and you are given a great structure to work from, which the children love but also gives you tons of confidence. We learnt how to write yoga songs, rhyming sequences and stories, and how to combine them with everything else! Her breathing exercises are lovely and imaginative. I feel that the class structures, manuals and all the ideas put together will give everything anyone could want from a children's yoga class plus more. I can't wait to get started and bring lots of light and love to these little ones! I'm sure this is going to be a truly rewarding career. Thank you Skippy. 

Angie Beadle, Yoga Bananas 2009 

This course was fantastic. I am really looking forward to teaching children. I am currently practicing on my daughter and her friends. Skippy is a very inspirational person who gives you all the information and the confidence to go out and teach children. I cannot wait to start in September, I highly recommend this course if you are thinking of teaching children. Thank you very much Skippy and I will be in touch for the other courses you run. 

Louise Overthrow, Yoga Bananas 2009 

I had very high hopes from Yoga Bananas and I can honestly say that Skippy's course both met my expectations and went beyond them. The course is very well organised and you'll be amazed by the amount of information received in just a weekend. Some teachers can be very protective of their own work and not want to give everything away, however I found that Skippy truly wanted to share every last bit of knowledge and experience with her students (and there is a lot of it!!), nothing was held back. I found the course very intense but also a lot of fun due to Skippy's natural fun way of teaching and my two fellow students, Gill and Debbie.Two days after the course, I am thinking and dreaming Yoga Banana poses. I don't think I'll ever look at animals and children in the same way again:-) Thank you for such an empowering experience! 

Julie Nolan, Yoga Bananas 2009 

The training Skip gives is more like spending a couple of days with a good mate. You truly don't realise how much you are learning until you are actually in front of a class. As a primary school teacher I was more concerned about my knowledge of yoga, but Skip somehow manages to accentuate your strengths so that confidence grows in other areas. My own yoga practice has been enhanced beyond measure. Her course materials relate perfectly to the practical work, are presented beautifully, and provide enough ideas for lessons for years to come. Most of all though, the small groups she teaches, and the fact she is keen to stay in touch after the training is finished, ensure the integrity of her course; it is a very professional grounding for teaching yoga to children. 

Rebecca Luckham, Yoga Bananas 2009 

Yoga Bananas filled me with excitement and the need to get into schools to begin teaching Yoga straight away. Before the weekend I would have thought that yes I know quite a bit of yoga having practiced it for over 4 years but getting it over to kids is another thing entirely. Skip put me at ease straight away, her organization of the course and its materials were fantastic. The way in which she had answers to my questions and put these across showed me how much she understood about yoga. I would recommend this course to anyone it was money well spent. The most daunting bit was the practical which was actually so much fun and confirmed and clarified everything we had done over the weekend. 

Michelle Payne, Yoga Bananas 2009 

Thank you, Skip for saving my life. After 12 months off sick with depression (2 young children and a career is not work-life balance), a friend sent me the link to Skip's Yoga Bananas site. Something clicked, and a week later I found myself on the Teacher Training Course. For someone who had not managed to have any relationship with her own children as she struggled to manage her illness, a course to teach other children was rather a leap of faith. Skip supported me and held my hand every step of the way. Her teaching methods and empathy were inspirational. I learned more in 2 days about myself, my abilities, and dealing with my illness than 12 months of medication and therapy. I rediscovered my love of Yoga, and more importantly, my love of myself, and my children. I learned to laugh as a child, and think as a child. I could never have believed I'd be standing teaching a class after 3 days, but the response of the children was truly humbling. I'm now back in the corporate rat race, but the skills Skip shared have a place here too - laughing juice is a regular refreshment during day long meetings, and lions and butterflies often make an appearance. 

Liz Cooke, Yoga Bananas 2009 

On arrival at Yoga Bananas teacher training day I was immediatly made to feel at ease and welcomed by Skippy and her whole family, the youngest boy, proudly showing me the Yoga Bananas DVD! I was priviledged to have Skippy all to myself! and received one on one tuition over the weekend.  Skippy has a wonderful enthusiasm for children's yoga and inspires a creative and thorough approach to yoga for children. The different stories and names to frame the yoga teaching really inspired me and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Skippy doing her Lions, Whales and Frogs!  The day in the school was great and I loved watching Skippy teach a class before I taught my own, it helped me to see how this style of teaching can really work!. The whole training weekend was highly rewarding and the personal attention I received from Skippy during and following the course has been immensely valuable.  I am very grateful for the training I received and have reccomended the course to two people already! 

Daisy Dugmore, Yoga Bananas 2009 

As a P.E. teacher but non yoga teacher I was a little concerned about how I would cope with the teaching of yoga. I knew I would be fine teaching children as that is what I do for a living, but teaching yoga is different. However, I needn't have worried, Skippy is an excellent teacher who gently guides you through the training and fills you with confidence. The course is intensive, physically and mentally demanding, but fun, interesting and inspirational. As well as learning about teaching yoga to children I have improved and perfected my own yoga practice so that the classes I attend now make much more sense. The course is essentially practical and you are thrown in at the deep end so to speak! There is homework to do and it is tiring. But at the end of the weekend you feel ready to teach yoga to children, which is the aim of the course. Skippy herself is a warm, caring lady who puts you at ease, nurtures you and inspires you with her own knowledge, energy and enthusiasm. If you are lucky enough to meet her family, as I was, they too are delightful. I recommend the course, go for it and enjoy! 

Sandra Stenhouse, Yoga Bananas 2008 

How can the course be improved? Vicky asked me of the Yoga Bananas™ Teacher Training Course. Well, nothing springs to mind to be honest except to say that, from my point of view, (being a yoga teacher but not having much contact with children) I feel that the course covered the teaching children aspect perfectly and I think Skippy's training manual is excellent, informative and well presented. I feel that Skippy inspired me to make the step towards working with children and to show how fun and rewarding it can be. Attending the Wormholt school was invaluable - I think I'd be feeling a bit lost if we hadn't had that opportunity. Oh yes, and the Nepalese lunch was just great. 

Ginny Haswell, Yoga Bananas 2008 

Thank you so much for all your time over the weekend. It was a wonderful experience and I have been greatly inspired by your Yoga Bananas™ Teacher Training Course. It was a priviledge to have you all to myself! I learnt a great deal and there is so much that I can take forward into specific yoga sessions and also into the daily classroom environment. I hope your business continues to thrive. 

Sara Thompson, Yoga Bananas 2008

Initially I was wondering how on earth I would learn to teach yoga to children in a weekend but I need not have concerned myself, Skip is a star and she gets you involved right from the start so you are not even aware you are learning because you are so focused in the moment and having lots of fun in the process. Furthermore it was an absolute joy to have the opportunity to actually go into a school and see Skip teaching children as well as teaching real children myself, so that I came away from the course thoroughly exhausted but totally inspired, there is nothing more empowering than putting into practise what you have learned. I can’t wait to start teaching my own children’s yoga classes.

Emma Depres, Yoga Bananas 2008

A brilliant and inspiring teacher training weekend with Yoga Bananas and Skip Oliver As Albert Schweizer once said, "In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.

Florence Petrequin, Yoga Bananas 2008

Skip thank you so much for the fantastic training you gave to me over the 3 days. Your course fulfilled everything that it promised and more. I was drawn to this particular training because it is practical, undertaken during the week end, intensive and because it culminates in a day practicing and teaching at a school with pupils. I liked all the exercises and tasks you gave me - particularly requesting that I start to write my own lessons from day 1 of the training. Had I not been given this and not been given the push to teach my own lessons by the end of training, I probably would not have had the confidence to do it. Hence I found the training enabling. I found the second day very difficult as there were so many postures to learn. However as I continue to write my own lesson plans and come up with new material I am finding the teaching from that day inspiring and integral to ensuring my own teaching is varied and comprehensive. Further to teaching about postures, you also taught me about the spirit of yoga in the way you treated me as a guest at your home. Again I incorporate this respect and courtesy and friendship to the children and their parents. Finally thank you so much for your ongoing support since I completed my training. I do not feel so isolated while setting up my own business as a result of your advice.

Ann-Marie Brook, Yoga Bananas 2008

 

I have just completed a ‘Yoga Banana’s’ teacher training course run by the fantastic Skippy!

This accredited professionally run course, kept me on my feet,

Skip's poetic and creative talents are a magnificent treat.

We arrived and were put at ease from the beginning, until we did depart,

And sat down on our Yoga Mats ready to start.

Skip's energy was relentless and teaching was heartfelt and dear,

She put so much effort into her training, and treated each of us and child sincere.

On Day One we learnt a structure of our lesson and mastered each pose,

From beginning to end, we were kept on our toes.

We ate deliciously home prepared freshly cooked cuisine,

Brought to us by her partner and Jem - a magical team!

That night was spent studying and preparing for teaching to the class,

And we returned in the morning to teach each other our craft.

Skip taught us her beautiful philosophical yoga stories in between,

The stories were magical with an underlying theme that was environmentally green.

The structure and sequence gave room for you to explore,

And the reading material provided was an opening to a door!

A dissertation in a folder, I believe, I feel very lucky to hold this information,

So thoughtfully laid out with excellent detailed presentation.

On Monday, we headed to perform our class with real life children in School,

Fifteen little faces peered up at us all…

It was a pleasure to reinact what we had been taught to the class,

And adapt it to suit our personalities and cast.  

The children were enthralled and the sentiment shone through,

The class was not just about Yoga but mindfulness too…

The course allows each and everyone that participates,

To develop their awareness of morality and the human state…

It assists developing children’s confidence, self-worth, flexibility, quietening the mind,

All done in a place where they feel comfortable and held in kind.

The Yoga Bananas Technique incorporates all the elements of Hatha Yoga and Asanas,

I could not be more grateful to Skip at Yoga Bananas!

Thank you, when I looked into the children’s eyes and saw them say,

That they respect each other and themselves, it made my day!

I pray that this course becomes available to all,

Taught to all teachers that train the small…

Benefiting not only the students but teachers alike,

A benefit to the community a pure delight!

Eleanor Newton, Yoga Bananas 2012

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