Satyam Foundation & Teacher Training Programme
Foundation Programme: Starts September 2024 - December 2024
We invite you to join us for our next Foundation Programme - facilitated by Chiraswa Darking- which begins in Autumn 2024. This is a 4 month course, meeting one weekend per month. This course - Awakening to Yoga - provides a comprehensive overview of many aspects of the style of yoga taught in our Teacher Training Programme and is a pre-requisite for anyone wishing to apply for that. Our next Teacher Training Programme will begin in January 2025 (see Teacher Training section below). In order to apply for the teacher training programme, you will need to have completed this 4 month Satyam Foundation Programme, coming up in September. It is also possible to take the Foundation Programme as a standalone course.
The Foundation Programme Includes:
~ Asana (physical practices & postures)
~ Pranayama (breath control / energy expansion)
~ Mudra & Bandha (energetic seals & locks)
~ Yoga Nidra (conscious deep sleep meditation & deep relaxation)
~ Meditation
~ Shatkarma (yogic cleansing)
~ Yogic Anatomy & Embodied Philosophy
~ Yogic Text: The Yoga Sutras
~ Sadhana - daily self practice
~ Homework - reading, studying and reflections
The programme, consisting of 8 sessions, offers a solid foundation for anyone wishing to deepen their understanding and experience of yoga and/or wanting to go on to train as a teacher (with us or elsewhere). The programme will be a process of awakening for each person and the group - working with the whole of our beings to bring about self awareness and radical transformation. Each participant will receive a neti pot (for nasal cleansing) that will be used throughout the training and beyond. The style of yoga taught is Hatha Yoga (inspired by the tradition of the Bihar School). This is a meditative style of yoga which embraces a systematic and comprehensive approach to yoga as a spiritual practice.
~ Month One - September 14/15 : Awakening the 10 Sacred Truths - The Yamas & Niyamas
~ Month Two - October 19/20 : Awakening the Body - Asana, Pranayama. Karma, Samskara
~ Month Three - November 16/17 : Awakening Sacred Physiology - Prana, Pranayama, Pratyahara
~ Month Four - December 7/8 : Awakening Presence - Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi
The Foundation Programme Includes:
~ Asana (physical practices & postures)
~ Pranayama (breath control / energy expansion)
~ Mudra & Bandha (energetic seals & locks)
~ Yoga Nidra (conscious deep sleep meditation & deep relaxation)
~ Meditation
~ Shatkarma (yogic cleansing)
~ Yogic Anatomy & Embodied Philosophy
~ Yogic Text: The Yoga Sutras
~ Sadhana - daily self practice
~ Homework - reading, studying and reflections
The programme, consisting of 8 sessions, offers a solid foundation for anyone wishing to deepen their understanding and experience of yoga and/or wanting to go on to train as a teacher (with us or elsewhere). The programme will be a process of awakening for each person and the group - working with the whole of our beings to bring about self awareness and radical transformation. Each participant will receive a neti pot (for nasal cleansing) that will be used throughout the training and beyond. The style of yoga taught is Hatha Yoga (inspired by the tradition of the Bihar School). This is a meditative style of yoga which embraces a systematic and comprehensive approach to yoga as a spiritual practice.
~ Month One - September 14/15 : Awakening the 10 Sacred Truths - The Yamas & Niyamas
~ Month Two - October 19/20 : Awakening the Body - Asana, Pranayama. Karma, Samskara
~ Month Three - November 16/17 : Awakening Sacred Physiology - Prana, Pranayama, Pratyahara
~ Month Four - December 7/8 : Awakening Presence - Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi
PRICES IF APPLYING FOR THE FOUNDATION PROGRAMME ONLY (see below for two year training programme price)
4 Month Foundation Programme: £1,000
Payment Option 1: One payment of £1,000 (EARLY BIRD!! 10% off if booked by 30th June).
Payment Option 2: Two payments of £500 (1st payment due on application, second payment due by November 30th 2024)
Payment Option 3: Four payments of £250 (due between May and December 2024).
All payments includes a £125 non-refundable deposit.
~ We also offer a Support Rate for those on a low income: £800 (This can be arranged to be paid in instalments as above)
~ We are offering a Solidarity Space at the subsidised rate of: £200 (please email us to request a Solidarity Application form).
For our Solidarity and Support rate concessions, we especially welcome applications from people who have experienced marginalisation due to race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, disability. Please email Chiraswa to express your interest ([email protected]).
All monthly payments need to be set up as a standing order. If choosing payment in instalments then the total fees will be due even if the course is not completed.
4 Month Foundation Programme: £1,000
Payment Option 1: One payment of £1,000 (EARLY BIRD!! 10% off if booked by 30th June).
Payment Option 2: Two payments of £500 (1st payment due on application, second payment due by November 30th 2024)
Payment Option 3: Four payments of £250 (due between May and December 2024).
All payments includes a £125 non-refundable deposit.
~ We also offer a Support Rate for those on a low income: £800 (This can be arranged to be paid in instalments as above)
~ We are offering a Solidarity Space at the subsidised rate of: £200 (please email us to request a Solidarity Application form).
For our Solidarity and Support rate concessions, we especially welcome applications from people who have experienced marginalisation due to race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, disability. Please email Chiraswa to express your interest ([email protected]).
All monthly payments need to be set up as a standing order. If choosing payment in instalments then the total fees will be due even if the course is not completed.
To apply for the Foundation Course please complete the application form and return it to: [email protected]
Testimonials from previous participant of the Foundation Programme:
What did you value about the course?
"As the course has unfolded, it has become clearer to me with every month how very carefully thought through the overall structure is. We have been guided gently and with a clear purpose. Having monthly teaching weekends is perfect for allowing me to absorb the material and the practices and really feel and live the connections between theory and practice."
"The program is very well organised for each weekend and was always followed according to schedule. From the daily schedule outline to the homework to do for the following month, the hand-outs were very clear and detailed."
"Chiraswa lives what she teaches. She shows up as her genuine authentic self, not as some aloof all-knowing Teacher with a capital T. On the one hand, this makes her an inspiration. On the other hand, because she isn’t afraid to be human and fallible, it makes the teachings feel attainable, not some remote ideal."
In which way did the course meet your expectations?
"This course is exactly about what the title promises. It provides a comprehensive guidance on what Yoga is about, a solid foundation to get a grasp on the very wide range of topics that the study of Yoga entails. Chiraswa’s knowledge is an amazing guidance to help you find your way in the jungle of intertwining yogic
concepts, which can feel really intimidating at first. It still feels very complex, but I definitely feel more confident that I now have the tools to guide me in my studies."
"I expected there to be a group of interesting and interested women taking part and I was not wrong! As I had done a couple of courses with Chiraswa before I knew what to expect from her teaching style. I felt well informed about the content of the course as I had had plenty of opportunity to find out about this and
the pre-course information was good. The complexity and the breadth of what I need to learn in the training is huge and I feel like I am only just beginning to scratch the surface of this."
What would you recommend about the course to others?
"The group, the content, the YOGA breadth! The philosophy, the methodology to spiritual practice, the lovely centre at Satyam, and the breadth and depth of Chiraswa’s knowledge, delivered with enthusiasm and humour! Awesome!"
What did you value about the course?
"As the course has unfolded, it has become clearer to me with every month how very carefully thought through the overall structure is. We have been guided gently and with a clear purpose. Having monthly teaching weekends is perfect for allowing me to absorb the material and the practices and really feel and live the connections between theory and practice."
"The program is very well organised for each weekend and was always followed according to schedule. From the daily schedule outline to the homework to do for the following month, the hand-outs were very clear and detailed."
"Chiraswa lives what she teaches. She shows up as her genuine authentic self, not as some aloof all-knowing Teacher with a capital T. On the one hand, this makes her an inspiration. On the other hand, because she isn’t afraid to be human and fallible, it makes the teachings feel attainable, not some remote ideal."
In which way did the course meet your expectations?
"This course is exactly about what the title promises. It provides a comprehensive guidance on what Yoga is about, a solid foundation to get a grasp on the very wide range of topics that the study of Yoga entails. Chiraswa’s knowledge is an amazing guidance to help you find your way in the jungle of intertwining yogic
concepts, which can feel really intimidating at first. It still feels very complex, but I definitely feel more confident that I now have the tools to guide me in my studies."
"I expected there to be a group of interesting and interested women taking part and I was not wrong! As I had done a couple of courses with Chiraswa before I knew what to expect from her teaching style. I felt well informed about the content of the course as I had had plenty of opportunity to find out about this and
the pre-course information was good. The complexity and the breadth of what I need to learn in the training is huge and I feel like I am only just beginning to scratch the surface of this."
What would you recommend about the course to others?
"The group, the content, the YOGA breadth! The philosophy, the methodology to spiritual practice, the lovely centre at Satyam, and the breadth and depth of Chiraswa’s knowledge, delivered with enthusiasm and humour! Awesome!"
The Satyam Teacher Training Programme |
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This course builds on the Foundation Programme, forming a two year process, preparing students to take on the role of the teacher. The aim is for participants to undergo a process of initiation and transformation, through the yogic tools, leading them to a place where they are ready and confident to teach and share the yogic practices with knowledge and integrity. Participants will emerge from the training with self-awareness and knowledge, and the highest skill in designing and leading their own yoga classes, courses and workshops.
Self practice (sadhana) forms a fundamental part of this course. You will be expected to be committed to a daily practice throughout the course, which includes a practice of self-enquiry, reflection and learning. You will also need time for reading and studying. In the second year you will set up your own weekly yoga class in the community (as well as have the opportunity to teach one session at Satyam), which will be assessed.
Rooted in traditional yoga, this course pays homage to the Indian Spiritual traditions from which yoga comes. With this clear foundation, as the course continues, students will be empowered to discover their own style and ways of holding space, according to their own life experience and areas of specialism. Each student will be encouraged to discover the aspects of yoga that really speaks to them and to use the teachings to serve their community in a meaningful way. An Independent Project will be designed in the second year where students choose a particular topic to learn more about. This will then be shared and presented to the rest of the group during the 3/4 day residential at the end of the course.
The course will cover some of the complex issues being explored within current yoga communities today, ensuring that practitioners are equipped to critically reflect on and analyse their role as a yoga teacher in the world today, and on the yoga industry in general. The course is led by Chiraswa Darking, Satyam's co-founder and director, and she will be joined by a team of truly inspirational international teachers. Held in the beautiful space of Satyam Yoga Centre in the heart of Cambridge (with two of the modules taking place online), this course offers a unique and comprehensive initiation into the many aspects of the profoundly powerful and transformative practices of yoga, and how to safely guide others with integrity.
Self practice (sadhana) forms a fundamental part of this course. You will be expected to be committed to a daily practice throughout the course, which includes a practice of self-enquiry, reflection and learning. You will also need time for reading and studying. In the second year you will set up your own weekly yoga class in the community (as well as have the opportunity to teach one session at Satyam), which will be assessed.
Rooted in traditional yoga, this course pays homage to the Indian Spiritual traditions from which yoga comes. With this clear foundation, as the course continues, students will be empowered to discover their own style and ways of holding space, according to their own life experience and areas of specialism. Each student will be encouraged to discover the aspects of yoga that really speaks to them and to use the teachings to serve their community in a meaningful way. An Independent Project will be designed in the second year where students choose a particular topic to learn more about. This will then be shared and presented to the rest of the group during the 3/4 day residential at the end of the course.
The course will cover some of the complex issues being explored within current yoga communities today, ensuring that practitioners are equipped to critically reflect on and analyse their role as a yoga teacher in the world today, and on the yoga industry in general. The course is led by Chiraswa Darking, Satyam's co-founder and director, and she will be joined by a team of truly inspirational international teachers. Held in the beautiful space of Satyam Yoga Centre in the heart of Cambridge (with two of the modules taking place online), this course offers a unique and comprehensive initiation into the many aspects of the profoundly powerful and transformative practices of yoga, and how to safely guide others with integrity.
Course Modules
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Hatha Yoga & Meditation
~ Asana (physical practices & postures) ~ Pranayama (breath control / energy expansion) ~ Mudra & Bandha (energetic seals & locks) ~ Yoga Nidra (conscious deep sleep meditation & deep relaxation) ~ Meditation ~ Shatkarma (yogic cleansing) ~ Working with the subtle body Culture & Philosophy ~ Vedas and Upanishads; Buddhism and Jainism; Bhagavad Gita and Epics ~ Patanjali's Yoga Sutras ~ Sankhya and Vedanta Philosophy ~ Hinduism: What is Religion, What is Spirituality? ~ Sadhus/Yogis: Indian Practitioners ~ Tantra; Mysticism, Consciousness, Altered States ~ Medieval Yoga ~ The Development of Modern Yoga ~ Introduction to Sanskrit ~ Ayurveda Sadhana / Self-Enquiry ~ Self Practice ~ Cyclical Wisdom ~ Personal Transformation Anatomy & Physiology ~ Introduction to the Physiology & Anatomy of Yoga ~ Spine / Foot & Knee / Pelvis & Hips / Shoulder Girdle & Arm Lines / Breath & Pranayama / Fascia |
Yogic Anatomy & Embodied Philosophy
~ The Chakra system ~ The Koshas ~ The Prana Vayu ~ The Nadis ~ Kundalini Trauma Informed Practice ~ Neuroscience of Trauma ~ Trauma Theory ~ Systems of Oppression ~ Attachment Theory ~ Power Dynamics & Practice Ethics, Inclusion & Accessibility ~ Decolonization Toolkit ~ Accessible Yoga & Body Positivity ~ Queer Dharma Teaching Methods, Skills & Practice ~ Teaching & Learning Styles ~ Class Planning, Sequencing & Creativity ~ Instructions, Demonstrations & Adjustments ~ Teaching Practice, Support ~ Teaching Assessments - Audio Recordings, Session Leading & Written Work |
Teacher Training Programme: Dates & Payment
Our next Yoga Teacher Training Programme will begin in January 2025 and run until June 2026. To apply for this you will need to have completed the Satyam Foundation Programme which begins in September 2024. If applying for the whole two year course, you only need to complete the application form below.
Foundation Dates: September 14/15; October 19/20; November 16/17; December 7/8
First Year Dates, 2025: January 18/19, February 15/16, March 15/16, April 19/20, May 17/18, June 14/15
Second Year Dates 2025 - 2026: September 13/14, October 11/12, November 8/9, December 13/14, January 10/11, February 14/15, March 14/15, April 11/12, May 9/10, June 13/14 (plus a 3/4 day residential retreat in June 2026)
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Yoga Teacher Training Prices (this includes payment for the Foundation Programme)
Payment can be made in full, or we have 2 instalment options to choose from:
Two Year Training Programme: £6,060 (standard rate)
Payment Option 1: Full payment of £6,060 (includes £1,252 non-refundable deposit), to be paid before the start of the course.
Payment Option 2: Two payments of £3,030 (1st payment to be made before the start of the course and includes £1,252 non-refundable deposit; second payment needs to be made by September 2025)
Payment Option 3: 24 x monthly payments of £200 (plus an upfront, non-refundable deposit of £1,260)
We also offer a Support Rate for those on a low income: £4,534: Deposit: £454.50 (non-refundable) plus 24 monthly payments of £170
We are offering a Solidarity Space at the subsidised rate of: £1,412: Deposit: £200 (non-refundable) plus 24 monthly payments of £50.50
For our Solidarity and Support rate concessions, we especially welcome applications from people who have experienced marginalisation due to race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, disability. Please email Chiraswa to request a Solidarity Application form ([email protected]).
All monthly payments need to be set up as a standing order. If choosing payment in instalments then the total fees will be due even if the course is not completed. A refund policy will be provided upon booking.
The course has been designed to meet the standards of the British Wheel of Yoga 500 hours training. Accreditation with the British Wheel may or not not be part of this course. Please enquire for more information regarding this.
Foundation Dates: September 14/15; October 19/20; November 16/17; December 7/8
First Year Dates, 2025: January 18/19, February 15/16, March 15/16, April 19/20, May 17/18, June 14/15
Second Year Dates 2025 - 2026: September 13/14, October 11/12, November 8/9, December 13/14, January 10/11, February 14/15, March 14/15, April 11/12, May 9/10, June 13/14 (plus a 3/4 day residential retreat in June 2026)
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Yoga Teacher Training Prices (this includes payment for the Foundation Programme)
Payment can be made in full, or we have 2 instalment options to choose from:
Two Year Training Programme: £6,060 (standard rate)
Payment Option 1: Full payment of £6,060 (includes £1,252 non-refundable deposit), to be paid before the start of the course.
Payment Option 2: Two payments of £3,030 (1st payment to be made before the start of the course and includes £1,252 non-refundable deposit; second payment needs to be made by September 2025)
Payment Option 3: 24 x monthly payments of £200 (plus an upfront, non-refundable deposit of £1,260)
We also offer a Support Rate for those on a low income: £4,534: Deposit: £454.50 (non-refundable) plus 24 monthly payments of £170
We are offering a Solidarity Space at the subsidised rate of: £1,412: Deposit: £200 (non-refundable) plus 24 monthly payments of £50.50
For our Solidarity and Support rate concessions, we especially welcome applications from people who have experienced marginalisation due to race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, disability. Please email Chiraswa to request a Solidarity Application form ([email protected]).
All monthly payments need to be set up as a standing order. If choosing payment in instalments then the total fees will be due even if the course is not completed. A refund policy will be provided upon booking.
The course has been designed to meet the standards of the British Wheel of Yoga 500 hours training. Accreditation with the British Wheel may or not not be part of this course. Please enquire for more information regarding this.
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Payment includes:
~ All weekend sessions ~ Lunch at all weekend sessions ~ A mala (meditation beads) ~ Neti pot (nasal irrigation pot) ~ Course manual ~ Assessments ~ Residential Retreat - accommodation and food |
Not included in payment:
~ Travel & accommodation for weekend sessions ~ Books ~ Insurance ~ First Aid Course ~ Any extra teaching assessments that are required |
Teaching Training Faculty
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Chiraswa Darking - Course Director / Hatha Yoga & MeditationChiraswa has been a dedicated yogini since her teens and has been teaching adults, teens, children and families for 14 years. Her focus is on the meditative aspects of yoga and her classes blend traditional yoga asana, creative and somatic movement, pranayama, meditation and yoga nidra, woven together in a way that facilitates the experience of connected, embodied presence. Chiraswa completed her teacher training from 2009 - 2011 in the tradition of the Bihar School of Yoga (Satyananda Yoga), receiving a powerful initiation into this comprehensive spiritual system with her late teacher Swami Pragyamurti Saraswati.
Chiraswa has qualified in Children & Teen Yoga & Mindfulness and Yin Yoga. She has a degree in Social Anthropology and The Study of Religions from SOAS (2002), and training in Counselling Skills & Therapeutic Approaches to Psychotherapy, Group Facilitation with the Gestalt Centre and numerous other trainings connected to her role within the Cambridgeshire Local Authority, where she worked in supportive and therapeutic roles with children, young people and their families for many years. Chiraswa has always been interested in critically understanding the world in which we live and is passionate about radical transformation on a personal and collective level. She is the Director and Founder of the Satyam Yoga Centre, alongside her husband Paul. In 2022 Chiraswa created the Satyam Yoga Teacher Training course, which brings together all of her passions in a comprehensive and enlightening two year programme. |
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Yoli Maya Yeh - Ethics, Inclusion & AccessibilityYoli Maya Yeh is a Yoga & Shiatsu Therapist (AOBTA, VYASA, Yoga for the Special Child) and an Educator in Comparative Religions and Global Studies (MA Comparative Religious Ethics). Raised in her family’s Native American spiritual teachings, Yoli spent twelve years of her young adulthood studying language, yoga, tantra, healing arts and meditation in India. A native of Chicago, she blends her understandings of Indigenous wisdom teachings, mind-body science, yogic discipline, and play into innovative learning programs for all ages and abilities. www.yogawithyoli.com @yoliyogini
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Anna Kharaz - Trauma Informed PracticeAnna is a licensed therapist and certified trauma sensitive yoga facilitator. In addition to seeing clients for therapy and yoga, she serves as an adjunct faculty member and supervisor for the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at the Justice Resource Institute in Massachusetts, USA. Anna has experience working with a culturally and clinically diverse population of children, adolescents, adults and families in domestic and international settings and has worked for research institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Boston Medical Center, The Trauma Center, National Institutes of Health, and the Veterans Administrations Hospital. Her approach to therapy, yoga and education draws from a background in neuroscience, continued education in mental health and psychology, and a lifelong commitment to better understanding human suffering, health and healing.
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Dr Matthew Clarke - Culture & PhilosophyDr Matthew Clark (MA, PhD) has been a Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) since 2004. Prior to that he taught Hinduism there between 1999 and 2003. Since 2002 he has been lecturing on yoga at yoga centres in the UK, Europe, Israel, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the USA. To date, he has presented lectures at yoga retreats, workshops and teacher-training courses for twenty-five different yoga teachers and organisations.
Matthew has published articles and books on yoga, soma and sādhus (yogis). His PhD, on a sect of sādhus (saṃnyāsīs), was published in 2006. His recent book, entitled The Tawny One: Soma. Haoma and Ayahuasca, was published in July 2017. Matthew has been visiting India since 1977, visiting around 1,000 pilgrimage sites and trekking about 2,000 miles in the Himalayas. He first engaged with yoga in the mid-1970s, and since 1990 has been regularly practising a form of Ashtanga Yoga. Matthew also writes songs, plays guitar, and makes records as Mahabongo. |
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Julie Pons Wood- Anatomy & PhysiologyJulie PONS WOODS is a Yoga Therapist, Anatomy Teacher and a Meditation Facilitator. She offers yoga therapy and anatomy workshops throughout England and Europe, teaches 2 online anatomy courses per year and welcomes private clients to her clinic online and in person.
As a Yoga Elder, she has been teaching yoga for over a decade. When she was 13, she was diagnosed with Scoliosis and had to go regularly to the physiotherapist to improve her posture and reduce her back pain. Life brought her to India for work from 2008 till 2010 where she discovered Yoga. Thanks to her teacher, she no longer needed to go to the physio, she had found her practice to manage her pain. So, as for many of us, she can say “Yoga changed how I look at my own life”. Her anatomy studies journey has been with Blandine Calais Germain (France), Thomas Myers and Leslie Kaminoff (US) in 2013 and over the last 7 years, she has deepened her empirical knowledge of the body with personalities like Gil Hedley (Dissection and Fascia - US), Todd Garcia (Dissection-US), Robert Schleip (Fascia research in Germany), Julian Baker (Functional Fascia- UK) and Jaap Van Der Wall (Embryologist - NL). |
Plus extra teaching support from Satyam faculty and friends.
For any questions and to return the form, please email Chiraswa at [email protected]
Satyam Yoga Reach Ltd. Registered Company Number: 14267988