About John West Yoga
Training:
200hr Level 1 with Byron Yoga Centre August 2011
500hr Level 2 with Byron Yoga Centre March 2012
Ashtanga Yoga Retreat (5 day intensive) with Gregor Maehle and Monica Gauci of Eight Limbs Yoga 2013
1 month tour of India 2013 spending time with various teachers
5 Day Yoga discovery course with Nikki Knoff of Knoff Yoga, Cairns Qld Jan 2014
2 day workshop on pranayama and yoga therapy with New York based Leslie Kaminoff at Sydney April 2015
8 day meditation and philosophy teacher training with Swami Pujan at Byron Yoga Centre November 2015
4 day Pranayama and meditation workshop plus 7 days of daily Ashtanga practice with Gregor Maehle Perth WA Sept 2016
50 Hour Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Tara Fitzgibbon at Tallows Beach, Byron Bay Aug 2017
4 day Yoga Philosophy and Psychology course with Michael de Manicor and Janet Lowndes of the Australian Yoga Institute August 2018
Note: Both Michael and Janet are registered Psychologists
2.5 day Yoga Therapy workshop with Amy Wheeler and Janet Lowndes at Melbourne Australia August 2019
Additionally I carry out approx 600 hours a year of yoga through my classes and personal practice. The 600 hours does not include time spent thinking about yoga, talking about yoga or studying yoga.
I would like to share with you a little of my Yoga background - how I became involved, my experience and finally why you would choose me as Yoga teacher.
My journey to Yoga:
I spent my working life doing various things - starting with a Trade Apprenticeship after leaving school followed by running the family business and finally working in the Mining Industry (25 years) with the last years of this as a Capability Development professional. At no time during any of this did I ever consider doing Yoga.
My first contact with the idea that I should do Yoga came from an unusual source - a somewhat eccentric Doctor. This happened in Oct 2009 when I was on holidays at the NSW coast. I wasn't feeling well and so as you do I went to see a Doctor. Any Doctor. The one I found was certainly different to most. Firstly, there was a sign out the front saying no appointment was necessary. Compare that to the 3 to 4 weeks to get an appointment that I was used to at home. I went in and sat down to wait my turn. Which came around about an half hour later. The Dr and I had a rather lengthy consultation and discussed many things. In fact the consultation went for 45 minutes. Towards the end of this and after him scribbling copious amounts of notes he finally said in a voice that can only be described as booming "what you need, is Pranayama". I nodded my head in complete agreement despite being totally clueless as to what he was talking about and mainly because I was now convinced he was mad. Anyway, he scribbled out a "prescription" on a sheet of A4 paper taking up most of the page despite reading only:
Pranayama
Yoga
Meditation
Note: He really was a Doctor and I am now extremely grateful for that chance meeting and his prescription, which I still have tucked away in my records. Writing prescription's like the one above explains why you didn't have to wait to long for an appointment. No drugs being prescribed here...
I gave the Doctor a commitment that I would indeed try his recommendations. It took some time before I found a Yoga teacher. In fact the first class I attended was in January 2010 some 3 months later and was conducted by Mr Harry Ford. I continued this class twice a week for six months until work took me to ....... Central Qld. The search for a Yoga Teacher began again and I have to say I didn't really expect to find one in downtown Emerald. But eventually I did and I attended classes there for the next year or so.
During August 2011 I decided to ramp it up and went to Byron Bay for a 12 day intensive Teacher Training Level 1 course. These were 14 hour days consisting of both theory and practice. One of the biggest shocks was the no fat, no sugar, no alcohol, no caffeine vegetarian diet. But I survived it all and came out the other end feeling really great. Successful completion of this course allowed me to teach Yoga but I chose not to because I didn't feel confident that I knew enough. So, I went home and did more practice. In September 2011 I moved with work again this time to Brisbane. This gave me a fantastic range of classes and teachers and I attended many, learning something from each. In February 2012 I returned to Byron Bay for another 12 day intensive, this time it was the Level 2 Teacher Training. This course gave me the skills I felt comfortable with and I have since taught in Byron Bay, Brisbane and across the Upper Hunter.
So why choose me as a teacher? My goal is to help anyone attending my Beginner and Level 1 classes get to a point where they would feel comfortable walking into any Yoga class anywhere in the world and being able to participate in that class.
For more advanced practitioners attending a Level 2 class I will work to ensure they receive the maximum benefit from the class and will do so in a mindful manner that does not push a person past their limit thereby causing them injury.
Do something good for yourself, attend a class (someones, anyone's, it doesn't have to mine) and decide for yourself. I love my Yoga, I have felt its benefits first hand and I want to share these benefits with anyone who wants to try it. JW.
