Qualifications

• ​Foundation diploma in Art and Design
• Art with Community Art , BA(Hons)
• Masters in Art Therapy, MTU Cork
• Holistic Therapeutic Massage
• Community Dance Teacher training 
• Yoga teacher training 200 hours, Contemporary Yoga
• Pregnancy and post-natal yoga, Birthlight UK
• Body and Earth Training with Andrea Olsen and Caryn McHose
• Yoga Therapy Diploma (350 hours) Yoga Campus, London.
• Womb Yoga for women's health, Uma Dinsmore-Tuli
• Yoga Nidra training, Uma Dinsmore-Tuli.
• Restorative Yoga Teacher training (Relax and Renew level 1), Judith Hanson Lasater

Amerta Movement

I studied Amerta Movement (awareness through movement practice) from 1997-2020, with it's creator Suprapato Suryadarmo ("Prapto" RIP 2020), movement artist and teacher from Indonesia, 
Working with Prapto was always intense. He ran 10 day intensives, which I attended in the UK, Europe, Ireland, as well as 6 weeks in Java in 2003. Shortly before he passed away Prapto invited experienced, long-term practitioners of Amerta to an Amerta Movement Teacher training. This was the only time Prapto offered this programme and I was honoured to attend.
Prapto didn't 'train' teachers, but rather in accordance with Eastern traditions, placed long-term students on his list of teachers. I joined his list in 2003.

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Other studies (Yoga, Movement, Bodywork, Art)

• Trauma informed art therapy CPD with Cathy Malchiodi
• Dan Siegal: developmental trauma and neuroscience seminar
• Yoga CPD's and retreats with various teachers: Rossella Baroncini (Scaravelli Yoga), Chinnamasta Stiles (Hatha Tantra Yoga), Mandala Yoga ashram, Tantra yoga retreat Rishikesh, India, Uma Dinsmore Tuli, Angela Farmer and Victor Van Hooten, Doug Keller (Yoga for the Spine and the Sacrum) Tias Little (yoga for the lymphatic system), Yoga Campus UK (Yoga Therapy for Covid and Long-Covid), Leila Stuart (Breath CPD), Donna Farhi, Gary Krafstow (Yoga for Life CPD), Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen (experiential anatomy CPD), Amy Matthews (experiential anatomy CPD's feet and pelvis), Judith Hanson Lasater (Yoga and the Organs), Swami Pragyamurti (Pranayama and Chakras CPDs), Peter Blackaby (ongoing classes)
• Tim Jones: “Yoga of Sound” voice and movement (4 years) based on traditional Indian sacred sounds and Amerta movement
• Sandra Reeves: Move into Life movement practice weekends and closed group (3 years). Movement retreat 2024
• 5 Rhythms dance with various teachers: weekly classes for over 10 years, as well as several weekend  intensives.
• Eco-therapy modules: photography and ecotherapy, somatics and eco-therapy, cycles of the year and eco-art therapy.
• Art in environment intensive with Ian Siddons Heginworth

 

Application

As well as teaching yoga and movement full time since 2001, I have maintained an almost daily personal practice of both for over 30 years. I am a member of an Amerta movement colleague group who have met weekly online since 2001. 

I have been privilaged to share my professional experience in many different settings:

• Amerta movement masterclasses in Amsterdam and Germany as part of MAM (international Amerta practitioner gatherings)
• Supervisor and mentor for Yoga Therapy trainees, Yoga Campus Yoga Therapy diploma 2014-2022
• Yoga Mandala Project: Yoga teacher, therapist and trainer specialising in Trauma Informed Yoga and Yoga for refugees. delivering yoga classes, yoga therapy and writing and delivering a training program for yoga teachers and humanitarian aid workers. www.yogmandalaproject.org  2015-2023
• West Cork Yoga Festival organising committee . A non-profit event, that has raised over €12,000 for local charities and environmental action groups.
• Teacher trainer assistant: Uma Dinsmore Tuli, Pregnancy Yoga teacher training.
• Guest lecturer, UCC School of Sports Medicine.
• Well-being staff support workshops: CIT Cork, Co-action West Cork, Cork eating disorder centre
• Refugee classes: Ukranian women, Ireland / Yazidi community Greece / Syrian and Iraqii men and women's groups and one-to-one Yoga Therapy with C.R.P. in Amman, Jordan.
• Yoga and dance/movement classes with various community groups and charities: Arc House (Cancer Support Charity), Co-Action Skibbereen and Cork, Cope Foundation, Cork, active retirement groups around Cork County, primary schools, Schull and Skibbereen Community hospitals' residential/respite care units, teenagers with autism: Brothers of Charity, Cork
• Staff self care sessions (CIT, ARC and the Cork Support Centre for Eating Disorders.
  
• LAYA healthcare: Yoga teacher for their health care in business programme, Cork.
• Classes and private sessions through Cork Therapy Centre (Physio clinic)
  
  
  

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Environmental and Arts based practice

• Community artist with Cork Community Art Link, and as an independent practitioner. Specialising in work with adults in residential Mental Health/psychiatric care, and day care units for adults with special needs.
• Independent Arts facilitator: long term community art (Drama, Movement and arts) project with residents, St. Raphael's hospital.
• Creator and project manager Cork Mandala of Community Gardens.
• School gardens coordinator in liaison with HSE funded project, Mallow. 2005-08
• School gardens and community art facilitator 2005-2010
• Horticulture tutor, ETB cert in organic horticulture for adults with special needs. Mayfield Arts Centre 2007-14.

Environmental awards

• Cork European capital of Culture 2005: their only funded Environmental project
• Slow food awards: Community project.
• Cork Environmental Forum Community: environmental project award.
  

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Deep gratitude to my spiritual community who have a special place in my heart

• Chetan and Shradda Murti, Yoga Dhara and Yoga Jyoti, Charlie Stevens and Marianne Gabrielle, Uma Dinsmore Tuli  and all the teachers at the Yoga Therapy Diploma in Yoga Campus
• My dear long-term mentor and teacher Suprapto Suryadarmo (RIP)
• My sangha: colleagues in the Amerta Movement circulation.
• A deep bow to all those who have attended my classes, trainings, workshops and retreats over the years, for giving me the opportunity to share my passion, and to be immersed in the practice together.

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