What students have to say
about the training

Hi Anne-Marie, I hope you're well.

I can't believe a year ago today we spoke for the first time & by the Sunday I was about to begin an incredible journey. What a fantastic & transformational year it has been for me & I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your inspiration, encouragement & faith in me. I'm teaching about 6-8 classes a week at the moment, learning all the time, loving my yoga & I feel very blessed. Thank you.

I wish you a wonderful start with the new April 2011 group & hope to see you soon

Best wishes

On the first day when you put pen to paper on the application form you are welcomed into the Sun Power Yoga family. You are supported entirely and although at times you may feel that they are against you, you very soon realise that they challenge you only to get the best out of you. It is not an easy ride, you will be broken down, broken down some more and just when you feel like everything is a lost course it all clicks into place and it really is an amazing feeling.

Throughout the course I questioned whether it was the right time in my life to take on such a challenge, such an adventure as when I signed up it seemed a spontaneous decision that I gave about an hour’s thought to. After lots of tears and sleepless nights I can now say with confidence that for whatever impulse or reason behind that spontaneous decision, my life has been transformed and I thank not only Yoga but the two amazing ladies that took me on the journey. Since a particular exercise where we had to question ourselves, our attitudes and the baggage we believe maybe holding us back, my life has taken a lovely change. From this I realised that life and opportunities starts with a positive mindset and since putting this into action my money and job troubles have disappeared as well being presented with a life changing opportunity and a lovely new relationship.

Both Anne Marie Newland and Rita Osborne are two of the most inspirational women I have ever met. They are so passionate and talented at what they do, their enthusiasm and determination is infectious. I want to apologise for being a difficult student at times especially with my printer problems (I have invested in one with my money) but want to thank you both from the bottom of my heart for such an amazing journey and for allowing me to love Yoga even more. I can’t wait to start this new phase in my life with new friends and part of the Sun Power Yoga family.

Warmest Wishes

The course was excellent. It was very hard work for the duration of the course both mentally and physically but with the amount of knowledge and awareness of Yoga I have gained - it has been absolutely amazing!

I joined the course with limited knowledge of what Yoga was about as an in-depth topic, after the course not only have I physically benefited but also academically i.e. I have learned about physiology and anatomy at an advanced level and areas of the Hindu culture which previously I had no interest to learn about.

I will stress to future students it is important that you strive to achieve REPs Level 3. This was the first criteria asked for when I decided to search for job opportunities in the Yoga environment, as REPs Level 3 is now an industrial standard qualification. I now appreciate the weighting of this particular qualification and so grateful to Siromani Anne-Marie who prepared me and the other delegates on the Autumn 2010 course to be able to sit and pass this exam with high marks!.

Regards,

I took the SPY course knowing I wanted to teach yoga, but also searching for something more... something to ground me as a person, to centre and focus me.

I was a bit of a mess before the course and even more of a mess during the course, frequently leaving the Sunday classes with teary eyes, feeling weary and looking dishevelled, confused, tired and yet somehow inspired and driven...

This course breaks you down and builds you back up as the better, more centred, more focused you. You cannot lie to this course and you cannot cheat it, you just have to pour your heart and soul into it, and your every waking (and sleeping) moment... And only then do you fully receive the amazing gift this course and Siromani Anne Marie offers you. Be prepared to make friends for life, cry, laugh, struggle, and blossom and most importantly, BREATHE.

It’s 3months of hard work but even more rewarding because of it!

The Sun Power Yoga course is not an attendance course. Intensive means Intensive! To successfully complete this course you will need the full backing and support of your spouse or partner. You will also need to factor in enough time to complete homework, carryout your own personal practice and teaching practice. I averaged eighteen hours of time spent each week, just on homework alone. The days can also be exceptionally long, especially if you have to travel a long distance to the venues.

Siromani Anne-Marie has an excellent underpinning knowledge of the body and blends this in to the lessons effortlessly, ensuring that you will come away from the course with an enormous amount of knowledge and be able to teach confidently and safely. However, be warned she is a strict disciplinarian and will expect you to perform on your mat and always give your best. Also expecting your homework to be completed and handed in on time. When necessary, Anne-Marie elicits the more compassionate and nurturing side to her nature and when appropriate displays a keen sense of humour.

You will be taken out of your comfort zone on many occasions, both mentally and physically and at times wonder what you are putting yourself through – Fact! But if you have the available time, support and blessing from your loved ones, then this may be the course for you. I recommend that you attend one of the practice days to experience a day of the course for yourself, ensuring that you speak to as many of the current students to establish their views.

Before starting the course, I was really afraid I couldn't make it, because I knew there was hard work waiting for me. Coming from a different educational background, I had no idea what to expect. Anne Marie helped me overcome all the obstacles and I was really lucky to be taught by such an experienced teacher.

Rita Osborne was always there for me. The course was really intensive and my teacher was strict and fair to me. Having finished that course, I managed to be a better person and to learn to use efficiently my computer!

I would go through that journey again without a moment's hesitation and I will carry all this knowledge to my future students!

Kind regards

Thank you so, so, so much. I have never felt such self-achievement – and I can’t believe I have done it (well, if I pass your paper!). I found it so hard through points, and so nearly came to walking away but SO glad I didn’t.

I will miss it very much, maybe not the pressure, but the people and the sense of focus on it.

I know I will teach now…as before I wasn’t even sure.

Be prepared to lose your life as you know it for 3 months, but a journey that is worth every minute.

I can now write the Hatha Yoga Pradipika on one grain of rice!

On the first day when you put pen to paper on the application form you are welcomed into the Sun Power Yoga family.  You are supported entirely and although at times you may feel that they are against you, you very soon realise that they challenge you only to get the best out of you.  It is not an easy ride, you will be broken down, broken down some more and just when you feel like everything is a lost course it all clicks into place and it really is an amazing feeling.

Throughout the course I questioned whether it was the right time in my life to take on such a challenge, such an adventure as when I signed up it seemed a spontaneous decision that I gave about an hour’s thought to.  After lots of tears and sleepless nights I can now say with confidence that for whatever impulse or reason behind that spontaneous decision, my life has been transformed and I thank not only Yoga but the two amazing ladies that took me on the journey.  Since a particular exercise where we had to question ourselves, our attitudes and the baggage we believe maybe holding us back, my life has taken a lovely change.  From this I realised that life and opportunities starts with a positive mindset and since putting this into action my money and job troubles have disappeared as well being presented with a life changing opportunity and a lovely new relationship.

Both Anne Marie Newland and Rita Osborne are two of the most inspirational women I have ever met.  They are so passionate and talented at what they do, their enthusiasm and determination is infectious.  I want to apologise for being a difficult student at times especially with my printer problems (I have invested in one with my money) but want to thank you both from the bottom of my heart for such an amazing journey and for allowing me to love Yoga even more. I can’t wait to start this new phase in my life with new friends and part of the Sun Power Yoga family.

Warmest Wishes

I took the SPY course knowing I wanted to teach yoga, but also searching for something more... something to ground me as a person, to centre and focus me.

I was a bit of a mess before the course and even more of a mess during the course, frequently leaving the Sunday classes with teary eyes, feeling weary and looking dishevelled, confused, tired and yet somehow inspired and driven...

This course breaks you down and builds you back up as the better, more centred, more focused you. You cannot lie to this course and you cannot cheat it, you just have to pour your heart and soul into it, and your every waking (and sleeping) moment... And only then do you fully receive the amazing gift this course and Siromani Anne Marie offers you. Be prepared to make friends for life, cry, laugh, struggle, and blossom and most importantly, BREATHE.

It’s 3months of hard work but even more rewarding because of it!

The Sun Power Yoga course is not an attendance course. Intensive means Intensive! To successfully complete this course you will need the full backing and support of your spouse or partner. You will also need to factor in enough time to complete homework, carryout your own personal practice and teaching practice. I averaged eighteen hours of time spent each week, just on homework alone. The days can also be exceptionally long, especially if you have to travel a long distance to the venues.

Siromani Anne-Marie has an excellent underpinning knowledge of the body and blends this in to the lessons effortlessly, ensuring that you will come away from the course with an enormous amount of knowledge and be able to teach confidently and safely. However, be warned she is a strict disciplinarian and will expect you to perform on your mat and always give your best. Also expecting your homework to be completed and handed in on time. When necessary, Anne-Marie elicits the more compassionate and nurturing side to her nature and when appropriate displays a keen sense of humour.

You will be taken out of your comfort zone on many occasions, both mentally and physically and at times wonder what you are putting yourself through – Fact! But if you have the available time, support and blessing from your loved ones, then this may be the course for you. I recommend that you attend one of the practice days to experience a day of the course for yourself, ensuring that you speak to as many of the current students to establish their views.

I hope this information proves to be helpful in making your decision.

Before starting the course, I was really afraid I couldn't make it, because I knew there was hard work waiting for me. Coming from a different educational background, I had no idea what to expect. Anne Marie helped me overcome all the obstacles and I was really lucky to be taught by such an experienced teacher.

Rita Osborne was always there for me. The course was really intensive and my teacher was strict and fair to me. Having finished that course, I managed to be a better person and to learn to use efficiently my computer!

I would go through that journey again without a moment's hesitation and I will carry all this knowledge to my future students!

Thank you so, so, so much. I have never felt such self-achievement – and I can’t believe I have done it (well, if I pass your paper!).  I found it so hard through points, and so nearly came to walking away but SO glad I didn’t.

I will miss it very much, maybe not the pressure, but the people and the sense of focus on it. 

I know I will teach now…as before I wasn’t even sure.

Be prepared to lose your life as you know it for 3 months, but a journey that is worth every minute. 

I can now write the Hatha Yoga Pradipika on one grain of rice!

Hi Anne-Marie, I hope you're well.

I can't believe a year ago today we spoke for the first time & by the Sunday I was about to begin an incredible journey. What a fantastic & transformational year it has been for me & I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your inspiration, encouragement & faith in me. I'm teaching about 6-8 classes a week at the moment, learning all the time, loving my yoga & I feel very blessed. Thank you.

I wish you a wonderful start with the new April 2011 group & hope to see you soon

Best wishes

The course was excellent. It was very hard work for the duration of the course both mentally and physically but with the amount of knowledge and awareness of Yoga I have gained - it has been absolutely amazing!

I joined the course with limited knowledge of what Yoga was about as an in-depth topic, after the course not only have I physically benefited but also academically i.e. I have learned about physiology and anatomy at an advanced level and areas of the Hindu culture which previously I had no interest to learn about.

I will stress to future students it is important that you strive to achieve REPs Level 3. This was the first criteria asked for when I decided to search for job opportunities in the Yoga environment, as REPs Level 3 is now an industrial standard qualification. I now appreciate the weighting of this particular qualification and so grateful to Siromani Anne-Marie who prepared me and the other delegates on the Autumn 2010 course to be able to sit and pass this exam with high marks!.

Regards,

I enjoyed Anne-Marie's holistic approach to yoga.

I had no idea yoga covered so many aspects of every day life.

Being paired with another student during the class gave me a support structure that I would not have otherwise had.

The class connected and decided to create our own page on Facebook so we can stay in communication even though the course is over.

I know my current and future students will benefit from the knowledge I gained about postures and alternative poses for people with specific health conditions.

The course was a life-changing experience for me.

I have to admit it was really demanding and required lot of time and energy, but I learned A LOT - not only about yoga, its philosophy, anatomy, endocrine system etc but also mostly about myself.

The course inspired my to take a different direction in my career that I hope will kick off soon.

I met many inspirational people and made good friends too.

I had no idea of my own potential before I stared this course!

I thought I was useless at learning, taking exams or contributing to a group! This course has a supportive and nurturing team of teachers. They are there at every turn.

Karen Logan, Rita Osborne, and Anne-Marie Newland are all learning champions working with learners and those with Dyslexia or the simple fear of learning.

I was so proud to pass all my work and to have learned how to use a computer better how to organise my work and time and to use my breathing while being up to do my class teaching and written exams.

This course surprised me because it had not occurred to me that I would learn more than Asana practice but also about myself! I learned I am clever, confident and can manage skills like written work and planning!

My confidence has grown so much that I am now ready to take up a new career in teaching and give back what this course gave me……wings!

Having just completed my final piece of work for Sun Power’s last BWY accredited course,( they now run the CYQ/REPS LEVEL 3 with the same benefits) after first speaking to Anne-Marie two years ago to discuss my experience training with an independent yoga school, I feel qualified to give Anne Marie and her teacher education school a testimony. I am sure Anne Marie will appreciate this, as I know she has found me able to say it as I see it; a quality that is most certainly mutual.

I’ve just given up a guaranteed income through classroom teaching to develop Sadhana/yoga teaching career and have given up my gym subscription with a mind/body studio that I use for self-practice – “you’re a practitioner first!” For old times’ sake, I attended classes that were my first regular contact with yoga.

Two classes later, my cervical and thoracic spine feel “well dodgy” and I know exactly what caused them. In some ridiculous dilemma of trying to respect the teacher I did, what I knew was wrong. To relax the muscles of the neck in fish/Matsyasana – we were advised to “open your mouth”. After spluttering for a minute, Anne Marie would say hyoid, hyoid. In the second class, within the first 5 minutes after Savasana, I hoisted my spine up with my forearms in bridge on tiptoes. I feel so stupid now even writing this, but as I now have, thanks to Anne Marie and team, a structural awareness to know how to recover from the back, though I am a little concerned about the neck. Muscles are there to support the vertebrae, of this delicate part of the spine and I wonder if I have compromised that. I only opened it for a fraction of a second as she walked past.

The sad thing is, this teacher is a true yogi who admits to endeavouring to share her understanding of the philosophy and spirituality of yoga via the body and the “exercise” part is not really her thing. What I would like to say is this: Most people and certainly in gyms, attend yoga classes with an idea of stretching a bit and perhaps learning how to breathe properly. As we encourage them to follow the path that leads to an awareness of other bodies, Raja Yoga/meditation and all that that may bring, we are responsible for their physical bodies - AnnaMaya. This is certainly Anne-Marie’s strength – in all the hours that total to a month of Sundays with Anne-Marie and in self-practice, I’ve never injured myself like this and I know that I am confident in not injuring my students present and future thanks to my teacher education. I say education rather than training as education comes from the Latin; to lead out, enlighten, or change. 200 hours at Sun Power might just do that for you too.

I’d previously trained as a Yoga teacher but this course gave me key tools and skills to confidently and safely hold all level students, and those with varying physical issues in mixed classes, to support and grow each student right where they’re at. It’s an intense three months but well worth the commitment. I experienced more of who I am and what I have to give through yoga, it was tough, fantastic and life changing.

My testimonial on the course. The first day was not good for me as you know but that was because of my ME & not the course. I think that you (& Jackie & Rita) have supported me really well enabling me to get through the course. You do make a brief mention in your literature about being Equal Opportunities but I think you sell yourself short. You have pro-actively supported me & made adjustments & been very flexible throughout.

One thing that I think prospective students need to know is that they need a digital camera at the start of the course and that they need to be offay with uploading photos and putting them into tables etc. I struggled to get my head round this & trying to work out the technology in the middle of the course was a bit intense.

I guess my other suggestions would be whether it would be possible for you to do workshops covering more Pranayama, Chakras & Yoga Philosophy?

The Sun Power Yoga training intensive in Greece was as it says on the box " intensive ", both physically and mentally .

You need to be prepared to be physically challenged and devote all of your time to yoga either practising , teaching , learning or revising.

Be prepared for the close proximity to the group, it works both ways to support you but as well as a proximity challenge as you may never have been 24x7 with 10 people not being your family or boyfriend/girlfriend!

The environment is stunning and you can always run down to the beach and swim or go for a walk up the mountain when you need a break.

You need to be prepared to unlearn and re-learn some of the basics and have an open mind to strong learning techniques.

When it is difficult; remind yourself why you are there: *

To get the most of the best intensive training around *! *A life changing training if you give the best of yourself!

Anne-Marie's Sun Power Yoga teaching course is excellent. We were visited by a representative of the YMCA during a study day and she told us she had never seen such high standards. It's hard work. Anne-Marie is a hard task master (or should I say mistress!) and can be a little abrasive at times. But she's there to train teachers, so she has to be tough. She has to ensure that she helps to produce disciplined, technically well-informed teachers who learn to be focussed on their students at all times, to allow them to get the best from their yoga, to avoid injury and the worst case - lawsuits! So she doesn't suffer fools gladly and if you don't work, expect to feel her metaphorical hand.

*Those with a weak disposition, and who are unable to cope* *with someone who demands 100% commitment should look elsewhere!*

*Seriously though, if you can leave the ego outside the teaching space, you'll learn from the best.*