Teaching Yoga to Adults with Learning Disabilities

A 30-hour Further Training for Yoga teachers
accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals

1-2 February + 15-16 March 2025

Teaching Yoga to Adults with a Learning Disability

Further Training for Yoga teachers

Umbrella Yoga CIC is a centre of excellence for the provision of yoga sessions for adults with learning disabilities, currently delivering 40 sessions per month to over 100 participants.

This places the organisation in an ideal position to offer an up-to-the minute, highly experiential training for existing yoga teachers wanting to expand their skills into this area. Working with Learning Disabilities partnership organisations and experts, Umbrella Yoga is embedded within local communities offering person-centred sessions informed by best practice, collaboration and co-creation.

Training participants will gain real-life insight into teaching and practising alongside students with learning disabilities, together with the evidence-based theory that underpins our approach. The training will also draw upon the work and experience of the wider team of Umbrella Teachers and training participants will be encouraged to attend a range of Umbrella Yoga classes led by different teachers before, during and after the training.

Find me on Yoga Alliance Professionals

Course Information

  • 30 hours in-person training in Slaithwaite, Kirklees, West Yorkshire.

  • Training held over 2 weekends (February and March 2025)

  • Students with a learning disability will join course participants for practice sessions

  • In addition to theoretical and practical learning, the course will include class observations and mentoring with Umbrella Yoga staff, trainer-facilitated online-discussion groups and optional reading scheduled between the weekend modules.

  • Students will have the opportunity to shadow learning disability community classes in Kirklees during and after the course.

  • The training is located at Waves, a longstanding partner of Umbrella Yoga.
Waves, 5 Upper Mills, Slaithwaite
Huddersfield HD7 5HA

The training will be lead by senior yoga teachers Alison Henning and Rachel Gosling, and Umbrella Yoga founder Ellie Firth.

Emma Stripe, a Clinical Specialist Nurse in Learning Disabilities, will also contribute her experience and expertise.

Alison Henning
Yoga Teacher
Rachel Gosling
Director & Yoga Teacher
Ellie Firth
Founding Director & Yoga Teacher
Emma Stripe
Learning Disability Nurse Specialist & Researcher

Early Bird pricing available until Oct 31 2024

Learning Outcomes

The aim of the course is to give participants the knowledge and skills to be able to confidently teach a Yoga for Learning Disabilities (adults) session and/or to teach adults with Learning Disabilities within a mixed session setting. By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Teach a class for adults with a learning disability, and a mixed class that includes learning disabled students, with knowledge and confidence

  • Incorporate adapted asana, breathwork, mudra, sound, relaxation techniques and yoga philosophy into their classes for learning disabled students

  • Understand and address any logistical/practical barriers that learning disabled students and their caregivers have, preventing them from accessing yoga classes

We hope that course participants will become advocates for teaching yoga to adults with learning disabilities. Umbrella Yoga’s mission commits us to making yoga available to those in our communities that have traditionally faced barriers to access. We are invested in training teachers who share this aim and who will use this training to offer the benefits of yoga to learning disabled adults within their own communities. It is our intention to build a network of trained teachers – for peer learning and ongoing support – we intend for the training course to be just the start of the relationship.

Course Syllabus

Over the 2 training weekends, course participants will engage with the following topics – through a mixture of lectures, led discussion, group work and practice.

Weekend 1

1-2 February 2025, In-person

Weekend 1

1-2 February 2025, In-person

Module 1

Physical Movement

Saturday 1st February 2025
7 Hours Contact

  • What is a learning disability?

  • The practicalities of teaching a yoga class to adults with learning disabilities

  • Breathing, relaxation and meditative practices

Module 2

Mental Health

Sunday 2nd February 2025
5 Hours Contact

  • Mental Health – general population and adults with a learning disability

  • Anatomical, physiological, mental health considerations

  • Focus on the nervous system

Weekend 2

15 – 16 March 2025, In-person

Weekend 2

15 – 16 March 2025, In-person

Module 3

Sensory World

Saturday 15th March
7 Hours Contact

  • Sensory issues, considerations and practices

  • Teaching mixed group classes

  • Focus on hands, feet and face

Module 4

Philosophy / Looking Forward

Sunday 16th March
5 Hours Contact

  • Applied yoga philosophy

  • Using sound, chanting and voice

  • The business of teaching classes to adults with learning disabilities

Between the training weekends, course participants will:

  • Observe 2x 1 hour yoga for Learning Disabilities classes (with Umbrella Yoga teachers) and complete observation proformas

  • Attend 2x 2-hour tutor-led online discussion groups (dates TBC)

  • Complete private study – undertake reading, contemplate course materials/teachings and use own personal and teaching practice to explore and embed course content

Course Requirements

  • Attendance of all weekend hours (24 hours in total) and all online discussion group hours (4 hours)
  • Completion of 2x 1hr class observations/reflections (2 hours)
  • On completion of the course participants will receive a certificate of attendance and will be eligible to be registered as a Yoga for Adults with Learning Disabilities teacher with Yoga Alliance Professionals.

Eligibility

  • This training is for qualified yoga teachers (i.e. who hold an existing 200 hour training certificate accredited by YAP or equivalent)
  • Participants will need to obtain a basic DBS check in advance of the training. This cost is additional to the course fee.

A place on the course is subject to the participant, by course commencement:

  • holding an existing 200 hr yoga teacher training qualification
  • obtaining a valid Basic DBS check
  • paying course fees in full

A non-refundable deposit of £100 reserves your place on the course, balance fees are payable 14 days before course commencement and are non refundable after this date

No fees full or partial will be refunded for unattended parts of the course

If paying by ‘earlybird’ the full ‘earlybird’ course fee is due by 31st October. £100 of this fee is a non-refundable deposit. Course fees (minus deposit) can be refunded up to 14 days before course commencement. The full fee is non refundable after this date.

On completion of the course, participants will be given a certificate of attendance. Participants must attend the whole course to be eligible for a certificate.

Umbrella Yoga accepts no liability/responsibility for participants’ ongoing teaching. Participants should ensure that they have appropriate insurance in place for their business/professional qualifications.

Course Pricing

Regular

£445

£100 non-refundable deposit to secure place (anytime up to 14 days before course course commencement i.e. 18 Jan 2025)

£345 balance payment due by 18 Jan 2025

OR

£445 full course payment can be made in one-go made anytime after 31st October 2024

Earlybird

£395

£395 full course payment due by 31st October 2024.

Want to find out more?

We will be hosting a free ‘Information & Meet the Teachers’ session via Zoom on Oct 17, 2024 at 7pm. If you are unable to attend we will send out a recording after the event. Sign up here to register your interest and receive the Zoom link via email.