Sunday, April 12, 2015

“Restorative Yoga / Yoga Therapy from Somatic Perspective” Advanced Enquiry / Teachers Training Course for Yoga Teachers and Holistic Therapists August-September 2015

“Restorative Yoga / Yoga Therapy from Somatic Perspective”
Advanced Enquiry / Teachers Training Course
for Yoga Teachers and Holistic Therapists

Module 1:  Thursday 13th - Sunday 16th August 2015
Module 2:  Thursday 10th - Sunday 13th September 2015


This is a professional training designed for yoga teachers, teacher trainees, holistic therapists, psychotherapists or keen movement practitioners.
It is an enquiry, a vigorous investigation into our innate ability to balance “depletion & nourishment” to understand what supports healing of the body-mind and move toward optimal health.
It is done mainly through experiential study of the Nervous System and Embryology/Infant Developmental Movements, along with other body systems and helpful practices. We then look at application to restorative yoga and other therapeutic modalities and to our daily lives.

It consists of two parts residential trainings (60 hours) at a beautiful venue in Surrey.


The main contents for the training include:
In-depth study of Nervous System (NS) through Experiential Anatomy
To understand how NS is organised
Embryology / Early Developmental Movements
Understanding the origin gives us an insight into the nature of NS and how we ‘regulate/balance’ and what that means.
Other Body Systems
The course will also include exploring cells, other body systems, including (Organ System, Immune System, Fluid System) for understanding the wider context of health.
Therapeutic Presence / Touch / Tissue Reading
We will explore ‘therapeutic presence’ which is fundamental to any therapeutic work.  Also explore different types of touch that support clients/students’ healing process, including a conscious choice of ‘not-touching’.
Investigate different types of body tissues and their tones which can inform us of the state the person is in.  We will go beyond ‘body reading’ and look at ‘tissue reading’
Restorative Yoga, Mindfulness, Meditation and Pranayama
                  As foundation these will be also included.


The aim of this training is to provide practitioners/teachers with tools and understanding in a way that they will be able to create their own unique and powerful body of work.

Somatic work is based on discoveries through our own experiences. 
It combines the approaches of the East and the West.  
The Eastern approach of investigating through ‘being with’ and ‘experiencing’ to come to knowing rather than figuring it out or looking at them from the outside, while we are getting informed by the richness of the Western science of biology, anatomy and physiology.
We then are able to cultivate a field of work where we can work with whatever is actually present in front of us, by being present to it and open to it, instead of being limited by an already existing set of knowledge, or by projecting our set of knowledge and missing what is there.  

The two 3 nights / 4 days (Thursday to Sunday) residential training will provide 60 contact hours and there will be an option for it to be a CPD for those who request it with a small extra fee for the certificate.

As mentioned above, this is a professional training.  However, if you are not yet ‘professional’ in those fields, but still interested in participating, there is a chance that you will be accepted on this training.  Some previous experiences in movement work or bodywork will be helpful but keen interest is essential. If you are a such individual, please enquire.


In truth, the knowledge and experiences you will get on this training will inform you in a much wider context than just Restorative Yoga.  It will influence your perception and understanding of yourself, and others whether they are in your class or clients in your therapy room or people in your life.  As a result, the way you interact with them will change - because you are informed from a much deeper place of understanding and experiences of your own (and empathy and compassion naturally arises from that). It opens a door for continuous further enquiry of your own and invites more authentic and creative ways to approach your work and life.


Cost per module:  £555
£255       Accommodation, Food and use of facility
£300       Tuition Fee
For both module 1 & 2, the total cost will be £1,100.

As the accommodation at the venue (shared accommodation only) will be limited, there will be an option for B&B or commuting each day.  Please enquire for details and cost for that option.

Booking:
A non-refundable deposit of £250 is required to secure your place on the training.
Please email me for a booking form.  (aki2002@gmail.com)
The remainder is payable 2 weeks before each module commences.  (£305 for Module 1 and £555 for the second module)

CPD option:
If you would like to get a CPD certificate, please enquire.  There will be an extra fee of £50.

For any further enquiry, please contact Aki via email.








Tuesday, April 7, 2015

A Weekend Yoga Retreat in Surrey with Aki Omori Friday 26th – Sunday 28st June 2015




Come join me at a beautiful yoga studio, overlooking stunning countryside of Surrey. 


A quick get away from London for a restful and refreshing weekend of Yoga.
It takes us less than 30 minutes from Waterloo or London Bridge by train and a short taxi ride to arrive at the studio. 
The place is surrounded by beautiful nature, a large garden with an amazing panoramic view.
We’ll begin with a long restorative yoga based class on Friday to relax your body and mind.  On Saturday and Sunday, there will be practices of meditation, pranayama, asana and more.   


Accommodations:
In the main house, there are 2 single rooms and a spacious Mezzanine (3-4 persons) over the studio located in a lovely main house.  (If you are a couple and would like to share a room, please let me know.)
All rooms and living areas are tastefully decorated, clean.   
Camping is available for up to two persons. 
Also an option to stay in a very pretty summerhouse situated in the garden for one person is available. 
The whole place is professionally run yet it offers an informal, very friendly and comfortable atmosphere.  All the participants from the past retreats absolutely adored the place.

Timings:
Friday 26th:         Arrive at 4:30pm afternoon for quick refreshment.
First yoga class 5-7pm, consists mostly restorative yoga and pranayama before dinner.
Sunday 28:         Depart after lunch around 2 - 2:30pm.
                        Last yoga class at 10:30am-12:30pm

3 sessions on Saturday (One meditation & pranayama before breakfast and two more classes, one in the morning and one in late afternoon.)

There will be a plenty of time for you to take long/short walks in the countryside, relax, read etc. 

Price: 
£280     Mezzanine (3-4) per person sharing
£340     Single (only two single room options available)  
£220     Camping (limited to two persons)
£220     Summer house (one person)
£205     B&B options.  Please enquire for details.  (the price does not include B&B)

A day attendance for Saturday only is also available at £80 (includes 2 meals)
If you are local,  you can commute daily to the retreat.  Please enquire.

Booking:
Deposit £120 payable to Aki to secure your place.
Please contact via email:   aki2002@gmail.com  07966 204 842

The spaces are very limited on this retreat.  

If you are interested, please book early.







Sunday, January 25, 2015

Yoga and Meditation Retreat Rome, Italy, at Villa Il Cardinale Monday 18th - Sunday 24th May 2015

Immerse yourself into yoga, pranayama and meditation at this elegant venue, just a few km from Rome.




The Place

Villa il Cardinale is a special home with a rich history dating back to the 1st Century AD. It is eight km from the city centre. There is a beautiful garden with fruit trees and flowers. The upper garden includes an area with archaeological remains which is wonderful to sit out on warm evenings.  The lower garden has a lawn and a patio ideal for strolling or relaxing in shaded areas. There is also a ping-pong table.

The Villa is on two floors. Most rooms have a fireplace, high ceilings, thick walls, travertine marble and hand-made cotto floors. The yoga room is on the ground floor. The elegantly decorated bedrooms are on the upper floor, with independent entrances and access to the garden. Breakfast is in the kitchen on the first floor. It opens out onto the upper garden which can be used as an exterior dining room.
There is a swimming pool at a local tennis club to which our guests can have access for a small fee.

To view photos of this beautiful house, please go to http://www.homeaway.co.uk/p411565

Accommodation
All the accommodation is on the top floor, with easy access to the upper garden. There are two en suite rooms. For all other rooms bathroom facilities are shared amongst a maximum of three guests.

Twin/Double en suite:     £960 per person
Single:                     £960 per person
Twin/Double:                       £900 per person
Triple en suite, with terrace and dressing room, large bathroom with Jacuzzi bathtub:
£900 per person

Accommodation is offered on first come first serve basis. Early booking recommended. Please ask for availability at the time of booking.

The price includes all the practice sessions, accommodation and food. It does not include flights, airport transfers (see below), massage sessions, use of swimming pool, and travel insurance.

Booking
You can secure your place by e-mailing Marina Wallace at marina@artakt.co.uk and sending a non-refundable deposit of £200 to Aki via bank transfer both from the UK and other countries (bank details available from Marina).
This retreat will be a small group.  Please book early to avoid disappointment. 

The balance will be due by the 6th April 2015 (details available from Marina).


How to Get There  / Flights & Transfer

We recommend that you fly to Fiumicino because there is a direct train near the villa. Ciampino airport is also an option (Ryan Air).
We encourage people to arrive at similar times.  
For those who fly from London, we recommend the below flights. 
BA0560 leaving LHR at 12.45, arriving at FCO at 16.10;
BA0556 LHR 14.20 - FCO 17.50;  BA0554 LHR 15.40 - FCO 19.10;  BA2540 Gatwick 15:40 – FCO 19:10;
Easyjet London Gatwick to Rome Fiumicino dep 15:55 - arr 19:25 Flight EZY5257

By train:  There is a direct train (1hr) from Fiumicino airport to Settebagni train station, 5 minutes from Villa il Cardinale (ticket €12).  We will send a car to pick you up at Settebagni station.

By taxi:  A taxi can be arranged fro you either from Fiumicino or Ciampino (35/40 minutes, depending on traffic): €60/70 (depending on traffic) to be shared between up to four people; plus €1 per luggage

Travel Insurance
Please make sure you acquire your own travel insurance.

Contact
For further enquiries about the retreat, please contact Marina Wallace.  marina@artakt.co.uk



About Aki's Retreat: 
Following my teacher, Clive Sheridan's footsteps, I run yoga retreats and not holidays.
The difference is mostly in spirit:  our intention is to deepen our practice.
It means that we see these few days away as a conscious 'retreating' away from busy-ness of life to dive into yoga, have some moments of quiet to properly rest and reflect, cultivating mindfulness, giving yourself a chance to contemplate what's really going on in your life and start making clear choices rather than being carried away by the momentum of unconscious, habitual thinking patterns and being lost in the conditioning that is no longer serving your true values.  You will learn tools and resources to help you get through difficulties and challenges of your life and make steps toward lasting peacefulness and joy.

The week will be a combination of dynamic and quiet practices; a cocktail of yoga asana, pranayama (breathing exercise), meditation, restorative and mindful practices which will give you the strength and awareness needed to explore your own inner journey.
We will keep part of each day in silence to give ourselves space for deep restfulness and contemplation.

There will be 3 sessions on most days (one morning meditation & pranayama, one morning yoga asana to invigorate the body and an afternoon practice where we explore variety of practices, including restorative yoga, simple body-work sessions, movement study) and some talks on yoga and mindfulness practice to support our mind.

You will of course also have plenty of free time to have fun and relax.

The retreat is open to most levels but not for complete beginners who are unable to sit through meditation and pranayama practices.
It requires your willingness to commit yourself for a week of deep practice, rather than how 'advanced' you are in your asana practice.

The practice will gradually build over the course of the week, so you can acclimatise your body and mind and develop good foundation that give support when you meet your learning edge as the practice progresses.  Everyone will always be encouraged to work in their own pace that is right for each person.
A part of learning process is to be able to discern what is right for yourself, without becoming complacent or ambitious - which I would call an 'advanced' practice.

At the end of the retreat, you will feel the difference and go home with renewed energy in your body and more clarity in your mind.

Looking forward to welcoming you to my retreat and sharing the practice together.       Aki














Recent feedback on Aki's retreats    
'Thank you Aki for SUCH an inspiring retreat -the setting was breath-taking, the food was divine, and the group of people were so lovely.  With your energy, words and guidance you created a supportive environment in which we could immerse ourselves in meditation, pranayama, asana and philosophy.  I returned home feeling grounded, rested, revitalised and inspired. An amazing experience.  Thank you for everything.  Looking forward to the next one!'  (N. yoga teacher) 
Dear Aki, I just wanted to write to say thanks again for making such a wonderful retreat.  In actual fact, it hasn't been hard coming back to 'real life' - I've got such a lot of happiness in me that it's all just quite alright.  (A. yoga teacher)
 Aki's yoga retreats put you in a different world and once you are back in your normal life, you wonder 'have I been there at all?' - BUT, then you notice all the benefits which make all the difference.  You are back but not where you were!!  Thank you Aki!  (K. writer)   
I am so grateful to you for the week you have spent with us, for your teachings, your positive energy, your generosity and patience but also for the laughter you shared with us. It has been a truly special week for me and I feel that I have understood things in a way I had never done before. My yoga practice feels very different now and is much more conscious and aware. And I feel something has opened up in me. I am not sure where it will take me but I can feel it.    You are an inspirational teacher Aki, as your are both firm and warm, as well as careful and incredibly good at explaining things in detail. I want to thank you for having created such a pleasant and safe environment which has allowed me to just be myself, and that I find is very special. You are very present and completely committed when you teach but you do not loose your sense of humour and the capacity to laugh. I found that inspirational. I think I have learned new things for my teaching too. That is, to listen carefully and with generosity and to pause. That word has stayed with me and sometimes during the day when I am getting frantic or too many things happen at the same time, I simply pause, breathe and smile. And the same happens when I speak to students. So thank you for that!  (A.B.  Professor at Oxford University) 
"I cannot tell you how much the retreat did for me, really. With your help and support, I have really found the confidence to get back into my own practice, which is a fantastic development. Also, the retreat really helped me to find some space and clarity amongst the business going on inside. You reminded me how important it is to take those few minutes or more for yourself each day, just to breathe and be present. The nourishing vs. depleting conundrum is something which has been in my mind a lot recently, both before and after theretreat. However the retreat has helped me assess and choose the nourishing. Thank you for all of that. I feel incredibly fortunate to that our paths have crossed, and I hope they do again. Depending on where I am and what I am doing next year I would be keen to come back.  (N.)  
"Your teaching was wonderful. I learned so much, and found your instructions extremely useful for myself as well as very appropriate for all other participants. I felt again, as all other times, that the atmosphere you create with your warm and attentive personality is really special. Now that I have been on a number of your retreats I realise that the depth of your teaching has a lasting effect. You are able to give attention to those who particularly need it as well as to those who feel a little shy.  ....I realise how delicate and , at the same time, persistent your teachings are.   Your sense of humour and precision are laudable. I had fun, within a structure that worked incredibly well.  (M. yoga teacher)  
"...my therapist said he would like to prescribe a yoga retreat every month! :)  (S. Production manager)   
I want to thank you for the retreat - it was a very special experience and one I hope to repeat. (A.)   

Next Retreat / Workshop

Retreat:


September Friday 19th - Sunday 21st SOLD OUT

A weekend in Surrey

Limited space available.

Please email me for details.

mail.akiomori.com


September 29th - October 6th

Suleyman's Garden, Turkey SOLD OUT


Next Workshop

Friday 12th September @ Triyoga Primrose Hill

"Adventure in Primitive Reflexes"

7:45-9:45pm

Book Here


Next Class

Friday 6:15-7:30 Restorative Yoga

@ Triyoga Primrose Hill