Next small group Shiva Nata one-day teacher training intensive is Monday, June 14th.
It’s in Portland, Oregon at The Playground.
THIS PROGRAM IS FULL — YOU CAN GET ON THE WAITING LIST IN CASE OF A CANCELLATION.
How you know if you’re ready to teach?!
Dance of Shiva rocks your world. And maybe also drives you crazy.
That’s it.
For most of the things I teach, there are crazy pre-requisites but not for this. And here’s why:
Shiva Nata is ridiculously hard. For everyone.
I’ve taught choreographers, athletes, NASA scientists. They all find it hard. So will your people.
Even if all you know so far is a chunk of Level 1? It’s enough to start.
While they’re learning arms, you learn the legs. While they learn legs, you can learn Level 2.
As long as you’re one or two steps ahead of your students — and committed to practicing while you teach — you’ll be fine.
So yes. This is going to sound kind of crazy but you are ready.
And if you don’t think you’re ready, you’re definitely ready.
That still doesn’t mean you’ll get in to the training, because spaces are limited.
But are you ready to teach? Hell yeah.
Some of what we’re covering:
Healing the teaching what-ifs.The “I’m not ready” and the “what if my students end up better than me?” and the “what if no one gets it” and the “what if I’m not a good teacher?”. And all the rest of them.
The mirror effect.
How to establish the mirror so that your students can lose themselves in the practice without you falling into the mirror.
Making the practice accessible.
And maybe even fun. So that your students can stay in the challenge (because that’s where the epiphanies happen) without hating it too much.
Mistakes.
Everyone makes them. How to turn them into useful teaching tools and have fun with them.
Reverse training.
What used to be your left is now your right. But you’re still calling it left. How to do this smoothly and easily without screwing up and still maintaining some sanity.
Planning smart, strategic, adjustable lessons.
So that each class you teach hits the spot.
Sovereignty in teaching.
Maintaining clear, healthy boundaries while still respectfully and lovingly treating your students as sovereign beings with their own experience and their own process.
And of course there will be lots of time for Q&A, as well as two group phone sessions so that whatever questions you have will get answered.
FAQ time! Stuff you might be wondering about …
What if I’m not that good at Dance of Shiva yet?
Not a problem.
You don’t need to know how to do level 7 (or even level 2) to take a teacher training. You just need to get to the point where you’re a couple steps ahead of your students, and both you and they will benefit.
What if the practice is too hard for me?
You’re in good company. When it’s too hard, it’s because it’s designed to be that way.
Being confused kind of the point. And my job is going to be making sure that everyone is lost and confused some of the time. The good part is that it will help you identify with your students. :)
How much actual physical practice will we be doing?
We’ll have two fun practice sessions specifically for our own epiphanies and insights. And a few other short bits (five minutes here, ten minutes there) for demonstrating techniques.
Will I have to do it by myself in front of everyone?
Oh god, no. Not unless you want to. That sounds super stressful.
Can I really teach this to anyone?
Absolutely. People are using this to train all sorts of people who need to think creatively, work efficiently, have insights and get stuff done. Copywriters. Programmers. Bloggers. Consultants. Coaches.
If the people you want to connect with need more creative expression, crazy clarity, mental coordination, ideas on demand … this is for them.
What does the day look like?
In the morning session (nine to noon), we’ll have a practice and work through anxieties, what-ifs and how-tos.
In the afternoon session (two to six), we’ll have a second practice, some theory, some calmification and we’ll also plan your first class.
What if I want to teach without taking a teacher training?
Bless your heart. Go for it.
Yes, having the training under your belt will help you feel really capable and ready to be a terrific teacher, and it will save you a pretty significant share of mistakes and heartache.
And it’s full of incredibly useful information and experiences that will help you integrate what you know into your expanding identity as a teacher.
But no, you do not need a certificate from me to teach.
Will you teach us how to do “marketing” (sorry, I know you don’t like the M-word) and how to get students and promote our classes?
We’re not covering that in this training.
But the biggification training will help both with that and, more importantly, with feeling comfortable putting your teaching out there and trusting that you’re doing it in a way that supports you and your students.
Is one day really enough?
No. No it is not.
And if it were up to me, we’d have a year-long training. Or, at the very least, five to six weeks. But it’s a start. A really, really useful start.
It’s enough to feel supported and confident teaching. It’s enough to get you out there doing the thing so you can help the people who need this right now. It’s enough to make the world a better place. It’s where we are now.*
* In the future you can expect other cool stuff to come along too!
Things not included in the program:
- Lodging. We do have a block of rooms at the Kennedy School that you can make arrangements for. That puts you in walking distance to The Playground.
- Food. We can go out to lunch together (somewhere with vegetarian and vegan options) if people like. Or if you need a break you can go off on your own.
And of course there will be water and light snacks at The Playground.
What you get (in the hard):
A full day (from 9 in the morning until 6 in the evening) of Shivanautical goodness.
Three opportunities to get all your questions answered: during the Q&A section, in the pre-training class and in the follow-up teleseminar.
The pre-training: one 90 minute class by phone to introduce basic principles and prepare us for the training.
Follow-up teleseminar.
A teacher’s certificate that says you’ve done this training with me.
The brand new Dance of Shiva manual (e-book) that has all the number sequences for all the levels.
A cheatsheet copy of my adjustable lesson-planning method so you can organize the structure of your classes quickly and easily.
Once you’re teaching I will devote time and space to talking about your classes on the blog.
And — if you’re also attending the Curing Fear of Biggification seminar (highly recommended as a way jumpstart your Shivanautical teaching), I’ll be giving you specific follow-up practice assignments during the Shiva Nata sessions.
What you get (in the soft):
A much deeper understanding of the practice, how it works and what it does for you.
Confidence and assurance that you know what you’re doing and you can’t screw it up.
The experience of what it’s like to let the dance do the teaching instead of you trying to teach it.
Epiphanies and insights.
Knowing that you’re really, truly ready.
Laughing and silliness with people who will become your friends for life.
Cost.
The cost for this small, intimate, intense group teacher training is $990.
The early bird thing is $690. Good until June 1. Though I will be astounded if there are any seats left by then.
EDIT: This program is COMPLETELY FULL. You can get on the waiting list to grab a spot if there’s a cancellation. Send a note to the First Mate.
You make your payment by hitting the button below, and then you’ll be asked to fill out a not-very-scary application to help me figure out how to build the day to best suit the group. Yay!
And a story instead of a postscript.
So yes, right now I’m the #2 teacher of this in the world, but when I started teaching in 2005? At that point I couldn’t even do arms and legs together. I was learning the legs while I was teaching the arms. True story.
And my students got exactly what they needed.
So please please please don’t put this off because the monsters and gremlins are whispering that you’re not good enough yet and that you need more practice.
Because you know what? The people who need this from you won’t notice and won’t care. They need what you know right now, in whatever form you have to give it to them. And that will be enough. Promise.
All proceeds from this product (after paying my peoples) go directly to our pirate-ey Playground Fund — see the Playground Fun Brewing page for more details.
When you buy this, you’re not just getting something awesome (though you are!) — you’re being a helper mouse, and I love you for that. Thank you.