Yoga Bananas

The game of life

← Back

As each teacher training course comes to a close, I realise just how relevant it is to the lives of people wanting to make a change. By day two we are all disclosing information about the person we want to be and know we can be. In the training we learn how important it is that the children we teach learn to support each other as a group and 'stand together' in harmony. During the training we learn how to teach children the true meaning of 'respect' and I find that this has an impact on how the trainees, during the weekend training session, behave to each other. In almost all of the training weekends I have conducted over the years the participants have understood the ethos of yoga and applied it to their fellow trainees. Sensitivity, encouragement and laughter imbue the little village halls that I hire out for the training. It is a very moving experience and I feel privileged to be so much a part of this transformational process.

Four superb women have just completed the Yoga Bananas Teacher Training Course, one from Dubai, two from Somerset and one from London and I wish them the very best in all they do. It is always my aim and my wish to stay in contact with those who have done the course to build a fellowship and continue to support where I can. I gather so much pleasure from hearing how past students are doing in their endeavours. The Yoga Bananas Technique™ and the power it gives to our imagination is hopefully one that can be used to unite us for a very long time. Fundamental to the spiritual tradition of yoga is the recognition that we are not separate, isolated entities, but integral and organic aspects of the intricate web of life. One of my students this year referred to me as her 'sister' and my partner Andrew as her 'brother'. During her practical day in a school, she could not remember all the children's names so she referred to them as 'sisters' and 'brothers' too. Their faces revealed suprise but also interest at being referred to in this way. I could see that it was a new concept to them, but not one they could not understand, and it moved them. I found this very touching and a timely reminder that indeed despite the difficulties we encounter with others, we must remember that we are all the same self, only in different disguises.

It must not be forgotten that trainees have a responsibility to act on the tools and the skills that the course offers not just during the trainng but in their future professional lives. Being proactive in a structured and ethical way after the course is essential to your success at spreading joy, love and laughter to children and finding fulfilment in teaching them. A well written, thoughtful letter to schools is the first place to begin. Time should be taken over this letter. It should illumine the true force behind your desire to teach children which should come from a place of self-referral. As you write the letter allow economic reasons to be put aside even though this will be a factor for most people. Spell check your letter, take time on your grammar, ask someone with good literary skills for their opinion. A competent letter is a reflection of your competence as a teacher. It will show self-discipline which is a skill you need when teaching children and it will show enthusiasm too.

So many opportunities are opening now to play the game of life a different way. The Yoga Bananas Teacher Training Course is structured, creative and empowering. It was born out of a desire to show that to go forward in our business lives we do not need to crush others. It is a business that wants to share knowledge and empower people in their quest to unite their passion for yoga with their passion for children.