A South African YogaBeez Success Story

SOUTH AFRICAN YOGABEEZ SUCCESS STORY – A JOURNEY FROM TRAINING TO TEACHING
Meet Melissa Bland!

YogaBeez Children's Yoga Success

This is a true South African YogaBeez success story which we are very excited to share. Melissa Bland is a proud South African and was born and bred in Cape Town.  She has a finance background, but has always had a deep longing to work with children. One of the things which drew her to this calling is the simplicity and raw honesty which children possess and she connected with this authenticity.

What led you down the path towards becoming a Children’s Yoga Teacher?

Melissa now has a beautiful 6-year-old boy of her own called Liam. In 2018 her family moved to Malaysia due to her husband’s business. For the first time, she was faced with being a stay-at-home mom and not active in the workforce.  When the pandemic hit, she began taking some yoga classes online for fitness, but also because she has always been interested in the mind, body and soul connection.

After 3 years in Malaysia, and after going through the pandemic, Melissa’s family decided to return home and they settled in Noordhoek.  Here she joined an amazing studio and she started to truly immerse herself in the yoga practice. Out of this, she discovered that she possessed a great ‘toolbox’ filled with amazing and powerful techniques, which she wanted to share with others.  The epiphany struck that teaching yoga to children would be a truly powerful way to combine her two loves. From here she started to think how to integrate children’s yoga into their everyday life – on and off the mat…

How did you discover the YogaBeez Children’s Yoga Teacher Training platform?

And so the journey to find a suitable children’s yoga teacher training began!  Through a word of mouth recommendation, she was directed to the YogaBeez platform, and she was pleasantly surprised by the educational Montessori tone which underlies the YogaBeez philosophy.  Feeling that this was possibly the road she wanted to take, she called Bryony personally and after a lengthy conversation, she felt that this was most definitely the perfect course for her to take.  In her own words, “Bryony just got it. Her values and motivation for starting YogaBeez in the first place was so aligned with mine, that it just resonated with me. I just knew this was the right course for me.”

What appealled to you about the YogaBeez Online Platform?

The most appealling aspect about the YogaBeez online platform is that it was self-paced and part time. Even though she lives in Cape Town, the online option made the dream possible.  She was able to tailor-make the study sessions and course times to fit her lifestyle and commitments.  The freedom of this was liberating and lifted any barrier which she could have foreseen.

What makes YogaBeez Children’s Yoga different from other available courses?

Melissa is passionate about transferring what she has learnt to young minds.  As she says, “Having been empowered with all these amazing tools, I would like to share it with children.  It is easier to learn new, healthy habits from a young age than to unlearn unhealthy habits down the line.  YogaBeez was amazing compared to some of the other available courses, in that it was so well rounded, because of the Montessori philosophy that they have. It was also just really relatable. The course itself was amazing, and both Sophie and Bryony have continued to be so responsive and supportive. After finishing the course, I felt truly empowered to go out and teach.”

What was the biggest benefit of doing the YogaBeez Online Course?

It is wonderful that there was always someone to reach out to when there were questions or fears about real-life teaching. That interaction proved to be invaluable during the learning curve of feeling confident enough to go out and teach professionally.

Describe your journey from Training to Teaching?

After graduating from YogaBeez, Melissa has started her own business called Floga Kids Yoga. She is working on laying the foundations for her budding business, and she is looking forward to her vision blooming into the reality she is already building upon.  Now that she has opened her own children’s yoga business, she says that one of the benefits is that it is forcing her to practice what she preaches.  One cannot teach children all these amazing life skills if you are unable to practice them yourself. So important lessons like sitting with discomfort, perseverance and working hard without having a guaranteed outcome are becoming a lived lifestyle.

How is business now?

She is focusing on getting into schools in her area in order to integrate children’s yoga into the South African School system.  Children have become so overscheduled, stressed and overwhelmed, so this provides a balm for their minds and souls.  Logistically it is also difficult for working parents to take time off to transport their children to extra-mural activities.  Having the schools offer the programme in-house solves a lot of these issues.

Tell us more about your community service work?

As somebody who believes in the power of giving back to the community, Melissa has partnered with a charitable organization, called Bongulethu.  This primary school for underprivileged children, which is located next to an informal settlement, is now happily receiving the benefits of children’s yoga. They would definitely not have been exposed to was it not for Melissa’s generosity of spirit. She teaches yoga to these kids, which is extremely fulfilling, and also enables her to gain greater experience and confidence.  She also offers yoga playdates and parties – anything which can bring the philosophy and benefits of yoga to children.

What is your ultimate goal in achieving success?

Her goal to change one child’s perception of where they are in any given moment. This is a wonderful way of making a tangible contribution to the world – one child at a time…  This is just the beginning of a true South African YogaBeez Success Story.

 

The Benefits of Online Children’s Yoga Teacher Training

YogaBeez Online
Have you Considered the Benefits of Online Children’s Yoga Teacher Training?

How many of you have dreamt about a meaningful career, where you can combine your love of children with your love of yoga and mindfulness? Are you stuck in a rut and feel your dream vocation slipping away because of circumstances beyond your control?  It is amazing how many of us self-sabotage our visions, instead of looking for workable solutions…  It is sometimes difficult to devote a large chunk of time to learning something new when we have busy lives and personal commitments, or we live far away from the trainings which we want to partake in. This is where the benefits of Online Children’s Yoga Teacher Training comes in to play.

Due to the technological age that we are currently living in, we are blessed to have the option of online teacher training.  There are so many benefits of online platforms – providing you have done your research to ensure that the programmes have the required accreditations, qualifications and most importantly interaction with a responsive mentor.

Some of the Benefits of Online Children’s Yoga Teacher Training are:
  • FLEXIBILITY AND CONVENIENCE:

Students can study at their own pace, and the training platform can be accessed from anywhere in the world. All you require is a viable internet connection and computer, with no geographical constraints! This is a great option for people who travel a lot, have a full-time job, are students, parents or who live in remote areas.

In-person trainings can also be fast-paced and intense, and students are quite often left feeling saturated and overwhelmed – with not enough time to process the avalanche of information. Online options allow for students to go through the work at their own pace, personalise their speed and re-read/repeat some of the more difficult part of the course material if necessary. This allows for complete customisation of the learning experience.

YogaBeez Online

  • AFFORDABILITY:

    Online teacher trainings are generally more affordable than traditional in-person training programmes, as it cuts down on the costs of accommodation, travel and other related expenses.

  • SUPPORT OF ONLINE COMMUNITY:

People are often under the misguided impression that the online experience will be a solitary and lonely road… This could not be further from the truth. With this option, you can tap into a global community!  Guest teachers from around the world can be available to teach and support.  Students can ask questions, get feedback, share their experiences and connect with other students. The sessions can be very interactive and friendships from around the world can be fostered through these connections.  This provides diverse networking opportunities and collaborations with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

  • SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING:

Online courses require a certain level of self-discipline and motivation. This can help people to develop valuable and life-long skills in time management, self-motivation and independent learning.

  • QUALITY TRAINING:

Bryony DuckittOnline teacher training is just as high quality as traditional in-person training programmes.  By booking your course through an accredited school like YogaBeez means that the support you will receive will be constant and in-depth.

A great way to set your mind at ease is to read graduate testimonials. This ensures you are getting quality information from the source – from people who have experienced the courses. The wonderful feedback that we get for our interactive online course has been incredible. A great online training course should encourage you to practice your own hands-on teaching throughout your learning journey. Hopefully you will leave confident to step out of the box and onto your mat to deepen your own yoga practice , and to begin your process of becoming an accredited, qualified, well- equipped, knowledgeable and adaptable teacher yourself….

Some great YogaBeez testimonials from past graduates:

“If you can not make the in-person training truly consider the online version as you feel immediately involved and immersed, but not overwhelmed. If anything, the online training allows processes and procedures to slot into place at your own pace and provides you with tools of reference to go back to when you need to access those bits of information again for clarification. Well worth it!”

“The material was very well presented and organized. I was surprised at how engaging the online activity was, as it felt very interactive even though it was pre-recorded.”

“The course suited my needs perfectly. As mum of a toddler, running my own business and starting a new job the self-paced was necessary. It was one of the selling points when I first booked on.”

YogaBeez is a leading provider of children’s yoga and mindfulness, offering accredited teacher training courses, classes and workshops. Since 2005, our unique method has incorporated the core values and teachings of traditional Yoga and Mindfulness coupled with the Montessori philosophy to educate, empower and exercise children from all ages, from toddlers to teenagers. Our inclusive classes are designed to stimulate and nourish physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual well-being.

 

The YogaBeez ONLINE Children’s Yoga Teacher Training is available in both the Foundation and Advanced Level Courses. It is suitable for yoga teachers, school teachers and parents. These online courses will provide you with all the tools you will need to share yoga and mindfulness with children