Live one year as a modern-day yogi
Yoga as Therapy
ENROLL FOR A 1-YEAR YOGA APPRENTICESHIP
Holistic and Integrative Approach
Transformative and Intuitive
Experience
Focus on Self-Therapy
Comprehensive Curriculum
Expert Guidance
Immersive Learning Experience
Supportive Community
Practical Application
The intention of the 12 month apprenticeship is to provide a year for students to investigate a range of physical and mental-emotional techniques that will greatly extend the Indian tradition of Yoga that is taught in most Yoga teachers’ training courses. Some Yoga techniques are complex and to master them will take time and require con sideration and practice as well as direct contact with a well qualified teacher. The apprenticeship is a nonreligious course which also introduces techniques for personal spiritual development using both Classical and Hatha Yoga as its basis.
Yoga has a reputation of addressing life suffering on two levels—the physical as well as the mental/emotional level. The self-therapy of Yoga is a few thousand of years old and was first referenced in the Rigveda.
Physical Suffering is addressed through Hatha Yoga (11th century onwards) which has its basis of therapy through postural exercises emphasising alignment and breathing. ‘Hatha’ means ‘force’ (directing the force or prana throughout the body through effort to balance all organ-muscles-skeletal-neurochemical aspects of body vitality).
There are hundreds of modern schools of Hatha Yoga such as Vinyasa, Iyengar, Dru, Astanga, etc and they all teach variations on asanas (body postures), pranayama (breathing exercises) and Yoga nidra. Most well known styles adhere to lineage to which students conform. This is often limiting and restrictive.
In rare cases talented teachers of the various Yoga schools extend basic Hatha Yoga courses by teaching: meridian therapy, acupuncture, moxibustion, acupressure, joint self-adjustment/alignment, Zen shiatsu, osteopathy, part ner stretch therapy, dietary advice, herbal and homoeopathic medicines and other valuable life-skills beyond the Indian cultural lineage structures.
The apprenticeship will add these techniques to the standard Yoga skills taught to Yoga teachers. Teachers who learn these techniques have a greater chance of addressing (for themselves and others) all forms of physical suf fering as well as extending their youth into old age.
Mental-emotional suffering is addressed through classical Raja Yoga. Raja yoga is rarely taught in its complete form in modern Yoga teacher training courses, which mostly focus on the ashtanga (meaning ‘eight’) principles from The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (the classical Raja yoga text) without studying the whole text and the processes of Samyama (techniques that will address mental-emotional stress). To understand this valuable text requires both a competent tutor and time to contemplate the individual sutra along with consistent practice of the valuable techniques.
In rare cases talented teachers examine the whole text of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and amalgamate various clinical
therapies with the Samyama processes—such as Yantra therapy, self-hypnotherapy, psychobiology and psycho therapy. Examining the Sutra through these techniques helps clarify the succinct teachings that support freedom from mental/emotional suffering and the fulfilment of their higher purpose desires along with developing a con nection with their personal divinity.
The apprenticeship will cover a comprehensive examination of each sutra to remove any obscurity. The instruc tions for samyama and other techniques will be practiced.
Applications for the 2024 Apprenticeship are Now Open
The Samyama Yoga School is opening applications for a limited number of people to participate in learning these self-therapies and applying higher-order Yoga principles (without cultural bias).
This Yoga Apprenticeship is Tailored for:
- People qualified as Yoga teachers who don’t teach but would like to extend their Yoga understanding and prac tice to a higher level through adding these associated self-therapies to their existing Yoga skills.
- Yoga teachers who teach and wish to expand their teaching competency through learning the Raja Yoga tech niques and the physical therapies.
- People who have attended Yoga classes and want to learn more techniques to improve their life-quality, self value and increased appreciation of Yoga in their lives, that are not normally taught in Yoga classes.
- People who don’t have a background in Yoga but are interested in learning high-end practical Yoga from the start, through highly qualified teachers not associated with Indian cultural lineages.
You will Learn
- How to apply isometric, isotonic and isokenetic exercises in asanas.
- Diagnosis and treatment of organ dysfunction through treating changes to meridian function.
- Diagnosis and treatment of joint and soft tissue aches and pain through repairing organ dysfunction.
- Diagnosis and treatment of joint and soft tissue aches and pain through spinal alignment and trunk corrective exercises.
- The most efficient and safe methods of therapeutic partner-stretching, pressure point therapy and joint align ment.
- The techniques to modulate the autonomic nervous system to improve organ and immune function.
- The lifestyle, medicines and self-therapies to improve immune and gastrointestinal health through Signature Diets, controlling pathogens, addressing autoimmune diseases and preventing cancers.
You will be Guided through Mystical Yoga
You will be extending the basic ashtanga philosophy of Raja Yoga into complete analysis of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra
along with Yoga Swami Svatmarama’s Hatha Yoga Pradipika, aided by the application of clinical hypnotherapy and chiropractic NeuroEmotionalTechniques, referencing Rosicrucian Mystical Teachings where applicable.
You will Learn:
- The physical techniques to aid the effectiveness of pranyama (breathing techniques).
- Explore advanced practical techniques related to kundalini, prana, mudras, bundhas, chakras, pranava, siddhi.
- Understand the difference between pratyahara (taught in modern meditation courses) and dhyana (medita tion)—which evolves character, leads to a sweeter life and assists with a union with your divinity.
- The practical techniques of samyama (dharana, dhyana, samadhi) for improved mental/emotional health.
- The nada technique to link with your divinity.
General Information about the Apprenticeship
The basis is 40 – 50 weeks of contact tuition—3 hour classes of practical tuition (school terms)—90 minute con tact hatha Yoga at Bodhifit Yoga Studio, Fyshwick, followed by 90 minute live Zoom Raja Yoga classes at the Yoga studio.
Plus several 2 day practical weekend workshops spread throughout the year, held at Bodhifit Yoga Studio, Fyshwick (depending on family commitments of the students).
Plus the possibility of a long weekend Yoga retreat on the South Coast of NSW.
Plus seven free yoga reference books by Bill Giles:
Trunk Exercises and Yoga Nidra
The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
In Search of Yoga
The Yoga of Happiness
The Yoga of Samadhi
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Yoga Swami Svatmarama
The Journey Between Heaven and Earth
Plus clinical reference books by Bill Giles:
Melody of Healing
No More Chronic Fatigue
Signature Diets—for improved health and longevity
Plus access to clinical programs from Health Ecology Solutions:
The Comprehensive Detox-cleanse
The Comprehensive Grain-free Trial
Construction of a Personal Collage (Yantra)
Plus access to Medicinal Herbal and Homoeopathic medicines at cost.
Plus weekly essays on high-end Yoga topics.
(The last 10 weeks will require students to undertake research and presentation on specific topics).
Note:
At various times throughout the yearly apprenticeship, students will be required to teach some Yoga techniques to the other students, This is aimed at improving competency in self-understanding.
Students are recommended to purchase ‘Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture’, 1982 Beijing Press
Students will require a Yoga mat and long strap. Everything else will be supplied.
Your Teachers:
Bill Giles …………………… Hatha and Raja yoga
Cheyenne Novak ………. Hatha yoga
Your Tutors (when available)
Desie Visovitis
Judy Bolton
Christine Boulan-Smit
Sophie Eldridge
Jani Sega
Your Principle Teacher:
Bill Giles has been on his Yoga journey since 1972 when he joined the Ancient and Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross (the Rosicrucian Order, San Jose) and studied for 21 years. The Rosicrucians introduced him to hatha Yoga and after 17 years of practice and formal study, established the Samyama Yoga School at the Forest Wesley Centre in 1989, teaching Hatha and Raja Yoga. He is considered a scholar of Raja Yoga.
His formal education involved engineering and post graduate degrees in science from ANU and the Uni of Qld. Bill has worked in biological/medical research before focusing for 34 years as a clinical immunobiologist at the Canberra Medical Ecology Centre. His main focus has been chronic immune-related diseases and illnesses. He is the author of 12 books.
Bill has qualifications in Oriental osteopathy (sekkotsu), Zen shiatsu, Acupuncture, Chinese medicine, clinical hypnotherapy/counselling, chiropractic NeuroEmotionalTechniques, Electro-acupuncture, VegaTest diagnosis, herbal and homoeopathic medicine and nutrition.
With Rob and Theresa de Castella he e established the Deeks Healthy Bakery Products company, supplying grain and gluten free organic bakery products throughout Australia.
His hobbies have included martial arts (which he started in 1962 judo, aikido, karate); poetry, surfing, snowboard ing and restoring his Colonial house at Bermagui on the south coast. Besides a lifetime of close friendships, Bill’s focus is with his family, daughter Bonnie, grandchildren and God-daughter.