Graduate Mentoring Service

We understand it can be a bit daunting starting out teaching a room full of teens. Whether you have just completed your Teen Yoga training or have been running a class for a while and feel in need of some support and direction, the new Mentoring Service is designed for you.

We currently have three highly experienced Teen/Children’s Yoga teachers available to you via Skype or Zoom to discuss any issues you may have setting up classes or questions specific to teaching. Suggested donation of £40 per hour for this service, £5 of which goes to the foundation. How regularly we meet is totally up to you based on your individual needs. Some people may like a regular weekly meeting to help keep the momentum going, whereas others may want to drop in every month or two to reflect on how things are going and reassess how you are moving towards your vision.

This service is offered to graduates of the Teen Yoga Foundation course run with Charlotta Martinus. If you haven’t qualified with the Teen Yoga Foundation, you can find out more information about it here (for the in-person courses 60hrs, 5-day training courses) or here (for the online 100hrs course). Both are fully certified by Yoga Alliance.

Mentor bios and contact details are listed below to help you choose your mentor:

Dianne may be the right mentor for you if:

  • You want to get into working in schools or setting up your own classes either as after-school clubs, or in PE, PSHE or tutorial times. (We can discuss how to approach schools, marketing options, getting staff and parents on board, pricing etc.).
  • You are a teacher and you want to bring yoga into your school (with a whole school approach).
  • You want to set up classes outside of school and need advice on where to offer, approach, market, etc.
  • You did your training a while ago and want someone to help you know where to start and get the ball rolling, or someone to help you reflect on challenges you’ve faced so far and help to overcome them.
  • You want to use your unique strengths and experience to benefit young people.
  • You want to have support planning lessons or have someone to reflect on your lesson plans with.
  • You need some help, direction or suggestions on how to adapt your yoga teaching to working with Teens and young people.
  • You want someone to help you with devising yoga sessions for specific groups; such as all boys, girls, SEN, religious groups, diversity or sports clubs and associations.
  • You would like some support and a place to reflect on behaviour management techniques and challenges that this unique age group brings.
  • You are unsure of how to transition from full-time teaching (or other work) to more yoga-based work either part-time or full-time.
  • You want to continue your personal growth journey as a yoga teacher and would like some help finding new inspiration, resources and ideas.

About Dianne

Hi, I’m Dianne, founder of Mettamind Yoga and a senior yoga teacher and mentor with the Teen Yoga Foundation. I am a fully qualified Yoga and mindfulness teacher based in North London where I also work as a teacher and Wellbeing & Mindfulness Leader in a local secondary school.

I began practising yoga twenty years ago, initially teaching yoga to adults, I began teaching yoga to teenagers in 2011. It is my belief that yoga and mindfulness not only helps empower teenagers with positive ways of coping with the demands and challenges of life, but that by providing them with the tools to look after their own wellbeing, to be resilient and compassionate, that these adolescents will develop into a generation of positive change in the world.

After training with the Teen Yoga Foundation in 2015 I have remained an active volunteer working with them on several projects, mentoring, delivering workshops, assisting on the London Teacher Training Course and at the annual Instill conference. Life has been good in providing me with a wealth of experience teaching yoga to 11-24 year olds in schools, studios and sports clubs, and for organisations including the Hive Outreach Centre, The Life Centre, National Citizenship Scheme, and also running wellbeing, yoga and mindfulness sessions in schools for both staff and students throughout London and the South East.

Yoga works on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level that can be profoundly transformative in helping anyone to become the best version of themselves. My style of teaching is adaptive and compassionate; aiming to meet the individual needs of students in a friendly and relaxed manner regardless of their level of fitness or experience. Through yoga and mindfulness, I hope to provide a genuine experience where students can learn the value of self-worth and gain confidence to be authentic, and above all; to value themselves as unique individuals.

If you are interested in finding out about mentoring for TeenYoga graduates, yoga and mindfulness for yourself or your organisation, please email me at d.murphy863@gmail.comor message me at https://www.facebook.com/mettamind.yoga

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Dianne’s Qualifications
  • PGCE in Secondary and Further Education – Teaching all National Curriculum Subjects and Cross-Curriculum (Specialism – Art, Design, Technology and Drama) University of Canterbury
  • National Professional Qualification for Middle Leaders – recognised award for middle leaders in UK schools.
  • Stage Design, Technical Theatre and Stage Management Degree (Mountview Conservatory for Performing Arts).
  • Advanced Diploma in Visual Communications (Wirral Metropolitan)
  • Foundation in Fine Arts (Wirral Metropolitan)
  • 200hrs Yoga Teacher Training (BWY)
  • Teen Yoga and Mindfulness qualification (Yoga Alliance Certified), level 3 Sports Coach.
  • Mind With Heart Mindfulness Teacher Training – Training to deliver mindfulness to others and training to teach others to deliver mindfulness.
  • MindAid – First Aid training for mental health, now working as a MindAid Champion for London Secondary Schools

For further information about yoga for young people, the organisations I am involved in or have worked with please click on the links below:

Sam may be the right mentor for you if you want to know:

  • How to best approach schools.
  • How to offer yoga within the curriculum.
  • How to make your business a success.
  • How to combine the authenticity of yoga when teaching in a professional institution.
  • Advice on planning, class management and behaviour.
  • How to keep lessons exciting, fresh and interesting.
  • How to incorporate yoga philosophy and science within your class.
  • How to run presentations to pupils and staff.
  • Yoga and Church of England schools.
  • How to run training courses and CPD within schools and basic level requirements for this.
  • Work/life balance.
  • Yoga and trauma, specially yoga and grief/suicide.

About Samantha

Hi – I’m Sam, founder of Sam B Yoga and The Children’s Yoga Foundation.

In my 20 years of teaching in schools, I have noticed children developing more and more problems with their mental health. There is now so much pressure on teachers and parents whom many of which are struggling with their own mental health problems.  This is why I practice yoga and have done for over 20 years. I am passionate about teaching yoga and know my dharma is to pass this gift onto as many children as I can.  I have been teaching yoga in schools now for 7 years and teach it as part of the curriculum because every child has a right to a wellbeing education.  The success of Sam B Yoga providing yoga within schools was featured on BBC South Today on 4thJuly 2017 and you only need to see the difference of pupils before they come into a yoga class and then after to see it works.  If I can help save a child from suffering mental illness and empower them with the skills promote their well-being, then I have done my job.

In 2019, I founded the ‘Children’s Yoga Foundation alongside Vicky and Bryony to support and collaborative teachers, schools, parents and children’s in yoga.  We organised the foundations first conference, delivering CPD and presentations to over 80 children’s yoga teacher across the UK.  Our life is a blessing and yoga truly helps you to live from that perspective.  Yoga offers healing, transformation and empowerment to our children and it is fantastic that more and more schools are recognising this.

I offer Children’s Yoga Training focusing on the delivery of yoga in schools and to help teachers integrate yoga into the curriculum to a professional level, whilst keeping the authenticity of yoga and underlining the importance of a personal practice.

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Samantha’s Qualifications
  • BSc Psychology
  • PGCE SCITT – QTS Status
  • 200 hr Hatha Yoga Teacher Training – Distinction – BSY
  • 200 hr Sivananda Yoga – Universal Yoga – Yoga Alliance Professionals
  • Baby Yoga, Toddler Yoga & Children’s Yoga – Accredited Diploma – Mitchy Titch – OCN
  • Children’s Yoga – Cosmic Kids
  • Advanced Children’s Yoga – Yogabeez – Yoga Alliance
  • Teen Yoga and Mindfulness – Diploma – Yoga Alliance Professionals
  • Roots of Hatha Yoga – CPD – Richard Rosen
  • Ashtanga – CPD – Kino MacGregor
  • Restorative & Thai Massage – Laura Green – Yoga Alliance
  • CPD workshops with Yogi Ashokananda, Katy Appleton, Tara Stiles, Kerri Verna, Anna Ashby and Cat Alip-Douglas.

About Yvonne

Yvonne has been a passionate advocate for treating people holistically and her professional career reflects this with a dual focus on yoga and counselling. She has a successful, professional counselling career as well as being an experienced yoga teacher. These two areas of expertise combine well, particularly for her work with schools.

Yvonne has set up and delivered yoga and wellbeing training in schools for teachers and students; delivering ‘Teen Yoga’ teacher training programs in the UK and internationally. Yvonne advises schools and local authorities on developing wellbeing plans. She has specific training to work with children and adults with autism and ADHD and she also uses a therapeutic application of yoga for children and adolescents with mental health issues.

Yvonne’s counselling journey started in 2003 originally training in person centred therapy and beginning her placement with vulnerable young people and young parents. Following on from qualifying Yvonne began working for various youth and community organisations.

As part of her role as a counsellor at a youth project she set up a counselling service in local schools which is still in existence today. Yvonne completed her post qualification diploma in counselling children and young people as well as other training in Gestalt, working with trauma, autism, CBT and creative therapies.

Yvonne is a passionate and committed Yoga teacher and teacher trainer. Her interest began at an early age following periods of joint pain and weakness, which she has successfully reversed through her yoga practice. Her yoga practice supported her through many turbulent periods of life and she recognised the value of yoga as a therapeutic tool and wanted to share this with others. Yvonne has worked closely with Charlotta Martinus of www.teenyoga.com and is committed to bringing yoga into mainstream education.