This training offers 40 years teaching experience between two teachers (20 years each). Beta Lisboa and Carol Murphy have teamed together to offer a programme that will deepen your practice on many dimensions and instruct you how to teach both Vinyasa and Yin Fascial Yoga. Carol will teach Vinyasa and technique Asana classes, theoretical and experiential Anatomy, teaching Methodology (adjustments, sequencing, instruction, modifications etc.), Ayurveda, meditations, subtle anatomy, pranayama and philosophy.
Beta will teach her 50 hr Yin Fascial Yoga Training which combines Yin Fascial Yoga, Mindfulness, DaoYin, Myofascial Release, Applied Myofascial anatomy, Qigong and Subtle body anatomy.
The Asana
The style of Vinyasa taught on the training is a synthesis of Ashtanga, Anusara, Iyengar yoga and modern power yoga. It is physically challenging, alignment orientated and creative. Carol will teach students a collection of vinyasa threads that open and strengthen the body and that are weaved together imaginatively and intelligently. Classes are a combination of flow work and technique classes where poses are broken down bio-mechanically and in relation to the myofascial trains in the body, explaining exactly what muscles are being engaged, released etc. for deeper understanding.
Anatomy
The yoga anatomy on the training is completely up to date with current knowledge. It gives students a deeper understanding of their body and their posture work and how they relate. The anatomy is both theoretical and applied and helps reveal the mystery of the practice to students. Students will learn the agonist muscles (primary movers), synergist muscles (assisting the agonist) and antagonist muscles (opposing muscles that give resistance) in relation to the postures in a way that recognises that they are all connected through the extra-cellular matrix of the fascia. In addition to being a yoga anatomy geek for many years, Carol is a qualified sports massage therapist and just completed studies in neuro-muscular physical therapy. She loves being able to impart her wisdom to her students, not only to deepen their practice, but also how to develop a deeper relationship with the body, built on self-care.
Teaching Methodology
This training places a lot of emphasis on preparing new teachers to teach Level 1 and 2 classes. After asana, teaching skills is the second most important subject. Teachers will learn a foundation series and then adapt it playfully, within specific guidelines, as an expression of their unique voice. Teachers will prepare a class, including breathwork, asana, music play list if used, and shavasana and teach it to the group as a teaching exercise. The focus of these classes is decided by the individual student; teachers may teach a relaxing beginners class or an upbeat level 2 core class. Teachers will also learn about the common issues that arise in the classroom and how to address them, whether they be physical ailments like slipped disc or high blood pressure, or boundary issues like people arriving late, not paying etc.
Teachers are also shown how to dip their teaching into level 3 poses and after graduation teachers have the freedom to teach to the level they can practice comfortably.
Ayurveda
Carol has been teaching Ayurveda on the trainings for 10 years now and notices how students really love it. Even those who were sceptical at the beginning usually end up loving it. The Ayurveda teaches people a lot about their constitution, their health and their general nature.
Philosophy
The philosophy integrates elements from the spiritual systems Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta, Samkhya and Tantra to overcome obstacles that limit growth, relating to our human condition. It aims to creates resources for people on their life path, deeper substance in relationships, journey deeper into life’s mysteries and help to connect people with their power, freedom and true nature. Carol delivers lectures and leads discussions on the wheel of yoga in relation to subjects like dualism, non- dualism, how philosophy defines our relationship to our mind-body relationship and the soul, how different spiritual paths address coping with “the emotions”, paths of ascension versus no-path paths where the divine is here and now in this moment, and more…. Carol has 2 degrees in Philosophy and loves to talk about spirituality in a grounded real way. She aims to anchor lofty ideals in real life graspable scenarios and create an awareness of Yogic spirituality that students can relate to and integrate into their lives, in a real and “juicy” way.
Typical Day
7.00 – 9.30 a.m. Meditation, breathwork and Asana
9.30 -10.30 a.m. Breakfast
10.30-1.00 p.m. Theory class
(anatomy, philosophy etc) plus a meditation, breathwork or gentle myo-fascia release work.
1.00-3.00 p.m. Lunch
3.00-4.30 p.m. Theory class (anatomy, philosophy etc) plus
4.30-6.00 p.m. Asana class or Teaching class.
6.00-7.00 p.m Rest, jump in the sea etc.
7.00 p.m. Dinner
On successful graduation of the course, students will receive Green Lotus certification and the 50 hrs Yin Fascial Yoga certification. Students are also eligible to apply to Yoga Alliance U.K and U.S. to be able to use the title of ‘Registered Yoga Teacher’ RYT as a sign of quality training.
Carol Murphy
Carol Murphy is the primary trainer on all of the Green Lotus Yoga Teacher Trainings. She have been practising yoga for 25 years, teaching for 18 years and training for 9 years.
She has taught 16 yoga teacher trainings to date, graduating over 100 teachers from the training throughout Ireland and abroad.
She started formal classes in 1989 (at age 19) in San Francisco with her sister who teaches Iyengar Yoga and have been practising yoga ever since. She studied Iyengar yoga for her first 12 years of practice and was very devoted to it. During that time, Iyengar yoga taught her the importance of precision and structural intelligence. According to Carol “These gifts have served me over the years; the precision taught me the importance of self-care and that the little things do matter and the structural intelligence has provided me with the base to practice deeply without injury and planted the seed for my fascination in yoga anatomy”.
In 2001, she changed my practice to Ashtanga yoga and dedicated herself deeply to this practice for 8 years, travelling abroad to study with many leading certified teachers and visiting my teachers Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangaswamy annually in Mysore India. When she started Ashtanga, it was like waking up from a deep slumber. Working with breath energised her spirit and flushed new life through the whole of her being. Working with the heat of the Vinyasa practice also changed her body in a way that she did not think possible. After 8 years of solid Ashtanga practice, something new in her started to stir, a seed of a new chapter where she could merge her Ashtanga practice with her desire for playfulness and creativity and her need to integrate holistic principles relating to the wisdom of subtle anatomy and Ayurveda.
These gifts created solidity and ground from which Carol can rise and fly, roots and wings, creating safety, balance, expansion, health and joy. She is inspired to share these gifts with her students and to help them to share the gifts of yoga with others.
Beta Lisboa
Beta felt drawn by spirituality from a very young age and yearned to learn more. She was inspired by her surroundings including the African Brazilian rituals; their form of worship and the importance placed on nature. She also connected to Allan Kardec’s Spiritism and Osho’s meditations and therapies, Yoga and meditation soon became very significant in her spiritual evolution.
As an avid athlete and capoeira practitioner, she studied Sports, Leisure and
Physical Education at University in Brazil where she took up the study of Ashtanga Yoga and Sports Massage.
Beta later moved to Boston where her love for Ashtanga and Power yoga was born while frequenting Baron Baptiste classes. She then got certified in an Ashtanga-based Power Yoga at the Soft and Hard Institute with Beryl Bender Birch, in Myofascial Release Therapy at the Palmers Institute of Bodywork, and got initiated into the healing practices of Reiki – becoming a Reiki Master and took an one year intensive course in the chakra healing ‘s Barbara Brennan approach. She became a certified YogaKids® teacher by Masha Wening, and started teaching at private and public schools. She continued practicing with big names in Asana yoga practice – such as Manju Jois, Baron Baptist, Dharma Mittra and Anne Forrest – before opening a yoga studio on the coast in Brazil. Back in Brazil, she developed the YogaSwahaKids Program, and started offering teacher trainings. Currently, Yogaswahakids is based in Bali and offers 95 hours Yoga Alliance Teacher training programs at the
world renowned Green school.
Life then took her to India; where visited Iyengar’s Institute and spent time in
Osho’s Community in Puna and practiced with Sri.Pattabhi Jois in Mysore. She began to realize through the more physical mastery of the asanas that she yearned for the more spiritual.
Her journey then took her to Tiruvannamalai, where she became absorbed by the teachings of Advaita Vedanta and other great masters, such as Mooji. Through the inspirations of her teachers, Mooji and Prem Baba, her path then led her to what would become to be an integral part of her life.
India still had more to teach her. She studied in Ayurvedic massage (Kusum Modak Method), which brought her therapies to another level. In Rishikesh, she learned the power of living in devotion, becoming deeply in touch with Bakti yoga practices.
Her Mindfulness approach come from Tibetan Tantric practices, Vipasana meditation and Zen Buddhism. Studying with such renowned teachers such as Simon Low and Sarah Powers not only gave her a new perspective on Asana practice (a beautiful combination of Yin
yoga and spiraling movements) but also taught her to be humble and mindful.
When she moved to Bali, she took up a Yin Yoga teacher training with Denise Payne and a course in Bioeletric Matrix Craniosacral therapy with Dr. Adolf Brown. More recently, she completed the BioDynamic Breath and Trauma Release® basic training and is studying to become a Somatic Experiencing facilitator from Peter Levine’s method.
All of her experience has led her to a integral blend of Yin yoga, Myofascial Release Therapy, Mindfulness Meditation and Breath Work. Through this beautiful and compatible combination of modules, she has created The Spiral and The Yin Fascial Yoga Educational Program. She now travels the world sharing her knowledge in her workshops, retreat programs and Teacher trainings.
