I have trained with Paul Grilley as well as Bernie Clark.
Nyk’s training stands out as unique. Her approach to yin is truly a quiet practice, and her focus is developing teachers to appreciate space, quiet and yin.
Nyk studied TCM in-depth, and one of the stand-out features of her training is the information about the meridians, sinew channels and 5 elements. It is balanced with deeply practical applications of both expansive posture, inclusive of the upper body, plus props and mortifications for all body structures.
She offers a detailed manual with everything in one place, plus support videos and book lists for continuing education that lasts well past the duration of the training.
As a teacher in this training, we had plenty of time for live questions and answers as well as access to Nyk’s experiences as a teacher building a yoga business practice (twice).
This training is an incredible blend of yin, practical teacher “stuff you need to know”, and a highly informed TCM approach.
Nyk’s refreshing humor and style add to this a truly one-of-a-kind training.
I would definitely recommend this training (in fact I already have) to teachers whether you already have a yin training or not. It’s an investment well made.
Janis Isaman – My Body Couture
I did have some hesitations about taking Yin training. The main reason was I already am a trained Yin teacher and wasn’t sure if this is “appropriate” for experienced teachers.
I quickly learned that in order to grow, we must become the “eternal” students – so glad that I joined!
This training introduced me to more “in depth” knowledge of the sinew channels which were (in my previous training) only referred to meridians. I quickly learned the difference – and the introduction of the 5 elements and TCM – fascinating!
My knowledge has grown in the capacity to understand sinew channels vs meridians as well as TCM. Additionally, the body types and how each body is different.
I now have more poses to sprinkle into my classes!
What I liked best about the course was NYK and her style – you can’t help but fall in love with this woman, her spirit and her passion – she’s the real deal! Also, the in-depth coverage of all of the poses.
My biggest take away was growing into a deeper version of myself and knowing that my style is YIN and not so much YANG when it comes to teaching yoga.
I would 200% – recommend this training to other Yoga teachers. No matter how experienced, you will come away with new nuggets of information.
It’s been a true pleasure and I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Nyk!
Dee Fey
I had done a brief yin training with you in my 200 hr training at MA but This was so much more in depth.
My knowledge and understanding has grown in so many ways! From knowing the asanas in more depth, to yin yoga and trauma, how parts of Chinese medicine relate to Yin Yoga, how to create and sequence classes for different purposes etc.
I loved the practices and discussions that followed about how people experienced things differently in their bodies.
My biggest take away was starting to recognize how to sequence classes and looking forward to working on future classes with people that I know to try it out and discuss how the experience was for them. I won’t know just experiencing it just in my own body.
I would absolutely recommend this training, I had a fabulous experience and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Yin Yoga.
Dana Haydon
I attended a Yin Yoga training in the past and honestly, I did not like it. So, I never considered myself to be a Yin Yoga girl. Now after this training my view of Yin Yoga has changed completely.
After day 1, I knew that I was at the right place to learn about Yin Yoga. Your way of teaching is fabulous. So, for me it was the mixture of expertise and teaching style that brought my understanding of Yin Yoga to a completely different level. It makes me want to know even more!
I loved the background information that you shared with us because I am a total geek and always want to know more.
I LOVED your way of teaching which is just very down-to-earth and natural. It’s this mixture between humor, warm-heartedness and expertise that really resonated well with me.
I know that I can be a traditional Hatha Yoga teacher and still teach Yin Yoga without losing authenticity, seeing both as individual systems that are equally needed and based on wisdom.
I absolutely do recommend this training to other teachers! You offer A LOT in this training and the information shared is just very valuable. I haven’t done too many online trainings, but this has definitely been one of my favorites.
Honestly, I wish for more of everything. 100 Hrs or even more. 60 Hrs is a wonderful start so yeah, I’d totally do 100 Hrs with you!
Birget Herneisen
Nyk, thank you so very much for sharing your expertise with us! I felt 100% comfortable around you and loved your warm and humorous teaching style! I absolutely love how you answered all of our questions with so much passion for the subject and at the same time with so much understanding for us students who are learning something completely new. (At least for me as someone with a Tantric Hatha Yoga background it was new to learn about meridians and sinew channels.) I am glad that I made this choice and took the training with you. You are an expert in this area – this is totally unquestioned! – and my new go-to person for Yin Yoga trainings. THANK YOU for everything!
Natalie P.
I loved nyk’s passion an open mind she was pleasant to listen to and shared her experiences which will serve me well as an instructor I plan on teaching all of the tools I learned I’m excited to give all of the varied options that I’ve learned keep doing what you’re doing you are a total Yin rockstar.
Cory
Nyk’s passion and knowledge for Yin yoga helped to keep me engaged. It has made me realize how important and influential it can be to include a Yin practice in your yoga repertoire. I’m so happy I took this training with Nyk. I did another training with a teacher who was teaching in but it was actually more hatha than Yin. I feel more knowledgeable in Yin Yoga now and also great to know where it originated.
She was very professional and knowledgeable. I felt supported through the training.
Nyk was amazing and brought a huge depth of information to the topic and did a great job of keeping the conversations on track. This training was amazing and it went by really fast.
I can’t wait to learn more
Gillian Green
I’ve learned so much! I had already done Yin training. The format of the class was very helpful in integrating the work I love. Yin is my favorite thing to teach. I’ve always gravitated towards it as it has really helped me move through my anxiety. Noticing and staying with the sensation observing the mind and the body is so beautiful to me. Yin really represents letting go and all the right ways I would love to as a teacher have had even more practises with Nyk because I’m greedy and I love the practice.
I love this training so much it reaffirmed my passion for you and this training made me want to dig deeper into the philosophy and integrated into my teaching just a beautiful knowledge packed I’m so sad it’s over.
Isabelle Chatelain
Nyk is an excellent teacher and Yin is clearly her zone of genius. I was really resistant to Yin before this training having taken only two classes and previously; I didn’t like them at all. I learn to open up to the idea of the Yin approach in a way that’s more accessible for me and for others. Learning how to set up and hold the poses and also how to hold space for people when they do Yin has been invaluable.
Whitney Reynolds
I love the way that Nyk really opened up the floor for discussion in this training. I felt like Nyk was very open for all of us to share our experiences and willing to hold space for us to provide feedback insight. It was nice for me to have the take-home homework, I felt like this is actually really a practical setup for me to create a class to write it out in this way and break down each pose. I especially appreciated the use of props and guided variations in the very permissive and inclusive structure that this training offered for example, offering the students to come into the easiest posture first offering lots of options with props offering more words in the beginners and less to the advanced students the structure of the actual shapes that we learned. I learned some great new shapes, and the space was wonderfully held. Thank you Nyk your experience, empathy and expertise was appreciated, all of the inclusive options you gave students to cater to their unique experience and meet them where they are. It was helpful for me to learn more about Yin.
Tammy
I really enjoyed how you kept the class simple straightforward and real you’re a wonderful teacher and I appreciate all of your insight and tips I enjoyed the training and I’ve developed a new appreciation for the shapes in the whole times
Opal
I feel like I have a better understanding of the difference between restorative and yoga and I now know all of the benefits for practicing and I also appreciated Nyks teachings on the origins of Yin. I had no experience with teaching Yin but now that I understand the benefits of you and I’m so excited to start using it in my therapeutic practice. Nyk was a fantastic teacher
Brooke M
The content of the training was well put together organized and thought-provoking my experience on working with therapeutic tools for Yin yoga as it allowed the poses to be more accessible so I can get the benefit of the lengthening and creating space in my body in a safe and effective way I love the way Nyk created a warm and inviting space. Her vast knowledge of Yin is excellent and she’s great with the zoom platform. A great teacher <3
Suzanne
Nyk is very well spoken, very detailed and answers questions thoroughly. I love the information provided on Paul Grilley’s work around tension and compression. It’s really had an impact on the way I think about the poses. This has helped me tremendously in practice and I can’t wait to start teaching it as well. I think the online format is great I’m so pleased to be able to continue my learning at this time Nyk is great I loved it
Tina Pringle
Nyk is a great teacher. Her video that started off the weekend was so good and really helped me get into my body in a yin way. The space felt very safe and wonderful. She did a great job of keeping us on track. I came to this training not really even sure what Yin was. I was surprised at how much I connected to it. Especially the meditative witness aspect of observing the mind during the poses. I experienced a fairly noticeable release of endorphins at the end of each long held in pose so nice
Kim June Johnson
Nyk was very concise and organized and her teaching utilizing the manual discussing and watching the videos going through the poses and having an interactive dialogue to learn the module content I learned how in as we know it came to be a game the better understanding of specific poses how long to hold them sequencing etc. I also learned some new poses. Nick was clear and provided useful feedback.
This training was successful because Nyk was very solid in her mission and well prepared and delivered the course material with precision and clarity
Sandi Melody
Nyk was a great facilitator she did a really great job of planning out the time for the entire training the planning of the course was thoughtful with enough time for questions and engagement for all the students enjoyed the pace of the training I got a lot out of it and I’m so glad I took it I love that it had a therapeutic focus thank you for being so body positive I love that you’re making in accessible was a major priority of the training
Amy
This training was successful due to Nyks extensive experience and passion for Yin and her ability to break things down very clearly. There was space for the engagement and curiosity of the group. I really appreciate when the course material includes resources to dive into more after the course and Nyk provided these Yin was already one of my favorite things to learn about an a very powerful personal and professional tool for me working holistically with body mind and energy I’m so grateful for this wonderful training
Anna S
I learned so much from Nyk and especially loved her trauma-informed an accessible method of teaching. I hadn’t taken Yin training before. I’m excited to apply these concepts to my own practice. I’m excited to move away from the idea of edge or pushing yourself in the practice. I really appreciate Nyk’s direct style of communication and I felt like she kept us on track during the training.
I highly recommend training with Nyk you will learn so much
Helena spears
The quality and the caliber of Nyk as an instructor did not disappoint. I like that she offers a variety of ways to learn and that she herself has been created with her message throughout teaching classes. The amount of information and resources was fantastic. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I have much enjoyed this training and all the learning I’m geeking out and searching out yin yang theory it is inspired me to learn more and to apply it to my own life on a personal level, as well as my role as a teacher. Yin was new to me but I’m hooked big-time. I love not only being a student and learning but also as a teacher, how I would put it into practice with my students. I’m already creatively thinking about how to incorporate and create new offerings.
I appreciate Nyk style which is approachable and full of information I wouldn’t change a thing I also enjoyed that Nyk is not only a very informed and articulate teacher but she adds humor to her presentation and instruction
Julie Chapman
Nyk is extremely passionate and knowledgeable on the subject; she’s very inspiring. I like the way that she had us explore modifications for our own individual bodies and encouraged us to find answers to our questions with our own direct experience.
A great training Nyk I loved all the practice time we did with the poses and that we were able to ask questions as we worked our way through each one. I will absolutely use the tools I’ve learned in this workshop in the future. I will implement them in the ways that I help people understand their own bodies more effectively
Maija
Nyk created great structure for the training and gave us a good sense of what to expect as well as etiquette for a productive training, she allowed significant student input but still managed to flow with the timing very well.
Overall she’s clear she’s passionate about Yin yoga and is a deep understanding of the subject matter. I now have a better understanding of why we are practicing Yin yoga when and who it can help.
I’ve already been incorporating these tools into my classes in private sessions to offer my students a wider variety of yoga styles to meet their needs on a given day. The response has been great and I’m already getting requests for it.
Megan Scott
I found this training to be very informative which made it successful for me. I’ve had some exposure to the principles of yin in comparison to Yang in the past teacher training, however this module went deeper into the knowledge I already had.
I can see clearly now how the blurred lines are gone, specifically the difference between Yin and restorative. I haven’t had a lot of experience and even less from an informed point of view. In the past I was ignorant to the concept that props for many might greatly change the shape in the accessibility, for the individual.
Yes, I admit I was one of those teachers who thought props were for restorative practice or for those who couldn’t reach the floor. Since taking this module, I’ve already begun building up my own stash of props. I will definitely use this knowledge in my classes specifically the use of props thank you for your approach and your knowledge
Steph Barton
This training was clear and concise with lots of space to ask questions. I dig it! I came in with some knowledge but leaving with much more I appreciated the variations in the shapes. So many more than I had known before. I have an increased understanding for functional versus an aesthetic practice Nyk you’re fab obviously knowledgeable and passionate thanks for keeping it edutaining.
Zoe
Nyk was refreshing to have as a teacher very grounded in her work and willing to share students censored and created great visuals for each day.
This training was very helpful for self exploration and for seeing others bodies. The impact is that I’m excited to explore again more for myself and empowered to do so. I had been apprehensive before this training. Nyk is a fantastic open and vulnerable and sharing from her truths a great facilitator to hold attention and intention of the group. I’m excited to study more.
Leslie
I loved having a full and very detailed conversation about the difference between Yin and therapeutic Yin. It definitely cleared up a lot of questions I had. I was very unsure if Yin could be therapeutic? After this training I can see all the possibilities and how this could be applied in a therapeutic setting.
I look forward to teaching again in class and spreading it to the world. I love how you make these classes accessible and therapeutic. The class material was well thought out and engaging blew my mind.
Tanya
Nyk is awesome, funny, knowledgeable and efficient. I feel much more informed about human variations and how to support my students. I teach again weekly so I will definitely be using this in my classes so informative.
Jennifer
10/10 Everything in the training was new for me and I totally soaked it all in. My biggest takeaway is everyone should be doing yin yoga at least a few times a month! Personally for me, I am also going to continue learning more about fascia, sinew channels, and the 5 elements.
I have a great appreciation for the qualities and benefits of Yin yoga for one’s wellness. I also liked how the foundations of yin-yang theory, TCM and 5 elements weave into our training. All of this together made the learning comprehensive for me, thank you.
What I loved about the course was that it created a high quality user experience!
The way it was structured – extremely organized, very easy to access information regarding reading, homework, etc.
Resources for learning – yoga poses guide, sinew channel at a glance document, youtube playlists, podcasts, the therapeutic lens for teaching yoga, connections to TCM …
I appreciate how you kept the theory and concepts as simple and basic as possible to ensure we don’t get overwhelmed and lose the learning. I can see how challenging keeping things simple could be, especially when there are so many deep layers to almost all things in yin yoga.
A huge thank you for being your authentic self with us. I have learned a lot in this training not just about yin yoga but also about what it means to be a yoga teacher, on a deeper level.
IG and FB – Sneha Nemichand @connectandgrowyoga
I had taken previous Yin training by Arhanta yoga here in the The Netherlands:
We didn’t learn about TCM and the elements. It was a real pleasure to get the proper background.
My knowledge has increased a lot, I also feel more confident and relaxed.
I already taught before the training, but it has only improved my teaching.
I enjoyed the energy and down-to-earth approach from Nyk, but also a very nice, warm group. The practice was a big joy to me and also the discussions/talks around the material.
I would absolutely recommend this training.
Thank you for a very nice training that gave me so much. I am looking forward to your podcasts. Keep it up!
Tine Jensen @nocloudstoday
In the last Yin training I took, we learned the shapes with a list of body regions that may be affected by taking the shape. You did this as well, but more effectively, I felt. The fact that you gave us a primary intended area helped me to be very clear about my intention for choosing each shape in a sequence.
I love the way you weave your knowledge of and experience with TCM into this training, specifically, sharing with us the 5 element theory and sinew channels. Putting together the pieces of the element classes has been such an interesting application of theory to practice. I look forward to sharing these special classes seasonally.
In terms of teaching Yin Yoga, my biggest take away was clarity around creating a sequence. Knowing that in a general class, I have a framework to follow that will support most people’s needs on any given day helps me to choose my sequence with confidence, while still leaving room for creativity to flow into the class plan.
In terms of the more philosophical underpinnings of Yin/Yang Theory, the teaching around harmony (and the distinction that you made between harmony and balance), is a concept that I have been sitting with in my everyday life. My understanding of Yin and Yang is expanding. Indeed, I did have the notion of Yin and Yang in terms of two opposing sets of characteristics, rather than the dynamic dance between the two as you described it.
So, the teachings around the interplay around yin and yang made so much sense to me. Definitely an ah-ha moment. I’m thankful for this inspiration at this time in my life.
I would absolutely recommend this training!
Your course was so well done. It’s clear that you have such depth of knowledge about all of the content, I absolutely loved the amount of review that you did throughout, and I will go back again and again to the supplemental material that you provided.
Also, I learn by doing and applying, so the homework that you assigned was really helpful, and icing on the cake that these sequences can be used in classes I will teach!
Thank you. I’ve been wanting to expand my yin training for several years now and have been waiting for the right time and the right teacher. I’ll be learning and integrating this material for months and years to come, and I feel like the materials in this class are rich resources that I will continue to go back to.
Kelly Green