What our students have to say.

Testimonials 200hrs TTC

 

A truly fantastic yoga course which exceeded my expectations.  The biggest gift being that I now have the tools to ground myself, be embodied and regulate my nervous system, remaining centred and balanced no matter what goes on around me. 

Thank you Vicki, from my heart to yours.  It's been a joy meeting you and I feel very grateful for your teachings.  I'm super excited to share and teach the gift of yoga. I hope to deliver it with as much sincerity as it was taught.

Stephanie Mann 2023

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Thank you thank you so, so much! For everything. For sharing your gift. Your calm, authentic, special teachings. For having the patience to wait and watch the lights go on.  To be with us all on that journey. I love that this is my journey now. To be constantly learning this path; what could be better?

I taught two people last Thursday from home and they looked so calm when they left, my heart felt full, it’s worth the nerves! Lots of love and gratitude.

Cara Basso 2023

 

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I just want to say a deep and sincere thank you. Thank you for sharing all of your guidance and wisdom over the last year. I feel full of gratitude for what you have given me. Your knowledge and time, a space to connect with others, a trust in yoga that I have not had before and a safe space for me to explore my body and understanding of myself (there’s so much more!). I honestly cannot tell you how important this last year has been for me. So thank you.

Amy Van Gils 2023

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Living in the present and surrendering to emotional, physical challenges has been my greatest insight.  

Primarily this training has taught me to slow down and feel into my body more, I have been able to surrender to life challenges better.

I am much less reactive and more balanced. My family has commented that my growing calm and steadiness has had a ripple effect positively across the whole family.

Nicky Leonard 2023

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Since starting on this training I have been developing a stronger relationship with myself which has in turn allowed me to build better boundaries with others in my life; creating an internal protection system.

Incorporating breathwork has been a game changer, I can feel the shift in my nervous system into a para-sympathetic state and I can now control and influence my own experiences and approaches in life. 

I realise now that Yoga isn’t just going and spending an hour on a mat, rather it is the connection to everything, it’s life.

Yoga means so much more to me now and it has given me a purpose, structure and discipline to live by.

I would recommend Evolve as a yoga teacher training course, it teaches yoga beyond ‘postures’ and focuses on the basis of yoga. The course gives you the time and space to really let all of the information you are learning sink in.

Kira Maher 2023

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What an incredible week at Trigonos,  we grounded and restored to the earth in daily yoga asana practice, we swam in the lake, we paddle boarded as the sunset, we created art from nature, we found deep connection to ourselves, nature and to friendship, we danced on the mountain and we connected to our breath to anchor in the sun and moon, we held silence we were nourished by the healthiest foods, we healed through sound & group work, we opened our hearts to something much greater than ever possible.

The group was brought together with the most powerful guidance, love,
compassion, openness, healing and deep meaningful connection. This has
given me space to laugh, cry, heal, love, surrender, be crazy, and still feel completely accepted being me.

Rachael Skerrit 2022

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I came from a place of thwarted strenght & fear after recovering from breast cancer. I didnt think that I would be physically well ever again. This YTT has helped me put myself together again.

This course has brought me into my own body & understanding its needs. It has illuminated where I need to make changes; inwardly and outwardly. It has become a spiritual practice. It's shown me even more how my transformation can help others.

Thank you Vicki 

Beverley Butcher 2022

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Thank you Vicki for all you have taught me your spirit, your teachings, your wisdom knowledge and powerful energy that shines through  I am forever grateful for helping me to believe in myself and what I CAN do, prompting me to reflect and delve more into self enquiry. I feel full of love & energy, gratitude and acceptance of what we have had and what there is to come. The course has brought me to take further steps to explore and care for my body (& mind) in ways I wasn't aware existed.But also to recognise that it's more than that, more than the psychology, the self awareness, the positive self talk, along with the usual notion to let go of all that which doesn't serve me. It's a way of life, the next level, a new layer (as is the subtle body), this is ongoing, another string to my bow.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with admirable detail.

Lori Morrisey 2021

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I would totally recommend this training to anyone, even if they are not certain if they want to teach afterwards. The course content is unique, taking yoga beyond the physical practice. I am so grateful to have made this investment in myself, and commitment to go deeper down this path. Everything that we have explored makes total sense to me as a GP. From the physiological effects of asana and breath work, through to the psychological effects of these practices done with single pointed awareness. It cannot help but be transformative, and in these crazy times, it has helped me to find more stability and equanimity in my work-life too.

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The thing that jumped out was the attention paid to the breath. How our breath helps us regulate our nervous system, and just by breathing, we can move out of those stuck patterns or fright/flight/fight/freeze. We can begin to know, or remember, that we are safe in our bodies. Like many people, I lived my whole life in my head - endlessly problem-solving and planning for the future, or boomeranging into a numb disconnection.

 

Vicki and Sammy-Jo’s supportive approach helped me to start from where I was, but gradually develop at my own pace. Developing a self-practice has been a transformative experience. For the first time I’ve been able to find space to breathe and be in my body - not just in my head. Breathing into this experience, rather than keeping my mind and body separate, or pushing myself through force of will.

The residential at Trigonos was fantastic - a beautiful studio with the most incredible view.

Dr. Mona Johnson 2021

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I am so glad I chose evolve, your teachings have had such a ​profound impact on me, it has been life changing and amazing.The self practice has allowed me to look within, I now have a better understanding of myself. Both this and the breath have had a powerful affect on my mental wellbing. I have more confidence , more clarity more focus. Vicki Is an mazing mentor and teaches with such depth.

Shona Beggs  2021

 

 

 

The quality of teaching on the Evolve Yoga Teacher Training course is outstanding! Honoured to be training with such excellent/experienced/inspirational teachers.  I feel very blessed to be learning from Vicki Shields such an inspirational teacher who is able to share her gift, knowledge and experience with her students in such a humbling way. This yoga teacher training course is awesome and life changing.  I’m so grateful I was guided to this course. I was also blown away with all the in-depth information provided by David, on his anatomy weekend which was amazing.

Laura Sutton 2019

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Vicki's passion of teaching the connection to the breath & is very inspiring. Her knowledge & understanding of pranayama is staggering & her ability to show you what she feels, so you can in turn feel what she feels is empowering. She showed me every weekend how powerful the breath can be. Her teachings revealed to me that I'm constantly "on guard" (braced at the core). I had no idea this was a thing & I thought it was something we all shared being as human beings. She showed me how to release this tension during her Pranayama sessions. A breakthrough I wasn't aware I needed.

 

Very grateful I made a decision to surrender that first weekend, as this course changed my life. I'm excited for what comes next.

Jamie Davies 2019

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When I signed up for this Training I honestly had no idea what it would be like. I think I hoped maybe it would change me, that I would somehow magically transform into the person I’d always wished I was, the person I wanted to be...fitter, stronger, more disciplined, less flighty, emotional, and prone to self destructive behavior. I started my journey new to the country and to marriage, with a bad back, and an exhausted nervous system, searching for any relief from all the “bad” and uncomfortable parts of my life. Instead, this journey has amplified those parts of my life.

 

The deeper I delve into this state of “yoga” I see presence as a door through which all the dualities my mind creates, the “good” and “bad,” turn to liquid—in this place, I recognize the connection, the complete inseparability of every part of my life, my body, my breath, and the world around me.

 

My pain hasn’t disappeared, but I’ve let it go, no longer engaging it in constant war...and in this release, I’ve found so much space.. to think, to breathe, to truly rest, to finally allow my pain to shift. I am finding constant parallels between my life, my body, my mind...creating environments for the seeds in my garden to take roots, pruning the dead leaves, noticing the patterns in my body, the patterns in my mind, and how the two are and always have been one and the same.

 

I’m so thankful that I’ve had you as a teacher.. at every point in my process I’ve felt an infinite amount of support and accessibility to yoga—-and even though my mind has played tricks on me, you’ve never made me feel weak, but encouraged me to turn on muscles I never knew I had. You’ve made it so valuable to find my way to my cushion and mat each morning because I know that no matter what state my body or mind is in, grace and presence are waiting for me there, to begin again, always starting now.

 

Amazingly, I have become fitter, stronger, less prone to self destructive behavior..etc. but none of it through trying, all through waking up and letting go. And all of this benefit from simply learning how to breathe. Thank you thank you thank you for this gift. 

Kait Cooley 2019

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Studying managing the breath & Pranayama  has not only changed my approach to yoga asana, but also become a valuable tool for stress management in my everyday life. Vicki’s wealth of knowledge and nurturing approach to teaching, creates a safe and encouraging environment in which to explore the subtleties of our body. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in anxiety/stress management and also yoga practitioners interested in moving their practice to a deeper level.  

Kerri McKenna 2019

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The quality of teaching and expertise from all of the teachers on the course is in my opinion outstanding. 

 

Anyone in search of ‘the’ Yoga Teacher Training for them, is acutely aware of the overwhelming choice out there. I was very drawn to Evolve with it’s emphasis on teaching pranayama. The energy created within the group, facilitated and nurtured through the teaching, has and continues to be something I feel genuinely privileged to be a part of.

 

Would I recommend Evolve to someone looking to invest in YTT?

Yes, in a heartbeat. 

 

I had no idea just how transformative this journey was going to be. For me, not so much a breaking down or singular defining moment, more of an evolutionary amalgamation of subtle understandings and experiences that come from committing to personal practice...my personal experience is that the changes that have arisen from practising yoga, as taught by Evolve, have been simple yet profound. I believe that it is this that will enable us to evolve into good teachers. 

Alison Pollard 2019

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I would like to take the opportunity to put down into writing how thankful I am for invaluable guidance and support I have received from you and the other teachers throughout the course. Each one of you have inspired and bestowed your knowledge in a way that is sincere and from the heart. Initially the thought of becoming a yoga teacher felt daunting and unobtainable but as this course focuses on the need for and value of self-enquiry, I quickly built confidence in my own ability. This course has been an inspiring beginning to my journey into yoga and I will carry your teaching and guidance with me throughout.  

Georgina Burke 2018

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Thank you from the bottom of my heart providing the opportunity for us to experience such a fantastic retreat - your hard work and dedication is much appreciated.

 

The week intensives and weekend trainings have been life changing.

Aside from practical and technical insights with regard to Yoga Asana and Pranayama,

I have gained great knowledge of the importance of the pelvic floor and it’s ability to relax and restore body and mind.

 

Through the week intensive I have realised that I have all the answers inside of me; I can find these answers through being present in this moment.

It has been invaluable to have the space to observe my own mind and the stories that it plays.

 

I would definitely recommend Evolve Yoga Training, it has been 10 out of 10.

Dr Rachael Chrystal 2018

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This Training has been, transformative, challenging and illuminating. My greatest Insight has been to become aware that a "true self' exists. I felt on occasions a sense of being more than a thinking mind stuck in my head. How I relate to others and my interactions with others seems to come from a very different place than before. I feel that i am connecting to people from a deeper place within me. Totally loved this year, there has been so many changes in me.

Carla Daly 2018

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The retreat at Trigonos was Serene, nourishing and Awakening. The enjoyment and growth I got out of the retreat was phenomenal and that is all down to the invaluable guidance and support of you and the other teachers.

 

The course has changed the way I approach Yoga. I used to look at yoga through a rigid lens however whilst on the retreat my understanding of yoga shifted. I have realised that yoga is an inquiry into space. it is a tool we utilise to create space in our body and mind. In our Yoga practice we use the postures (asana) to stretch and strenghten our bodies, removing physical and emotional blockages. We meditate to empty our minds which in turn illuminates the space for change and growth in our lives. The retreat helped me come to this realisation and deeper understanding. I now see yoga practices as a tool to create space and this more potential in our lives.

Georgina Burke

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40hrs Pranayama Further Advancement Training

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I have found the practices that Vicki has shared over the last 4 years, beneficial in my physical, mental and overall Wellbeing. Over time I have developed my personal practice from controlled breath work to a regular/almost daily pranayama practice. These practices have had an impact on me on a variety of levels;

 

Thank you Vicki for the practices and theories you have passed onto me and helped me to understand myself and yoga more fully.  

 

1. I have found that whilst I still practice asana I have reduced my asana practice in regards to length and regularity, however I have become more flexible within the pelvis and hips and overall feel stronger with less.

 

2. I am more relaxed in general and whilst like everyone I have times when I have to vent or I get upset or wound up this is few and far between. I often think what’s the worse that can happen or does it actually matter or does that effect me and just shrug what’s going on around me and carry on. In my day job this has been noticed and in my personal life I have started to feel less need to be in control of me and let go. Still require some control but much less. 

 

3. I have started to believe in me and whilst at times thoughts and images that I hold try to come to fore, I am able to question and challenge the reality which has helped me overall to address my Wellbeing improving my physical and emotional health. 

The practice and theory that Vicki has so kindly shared in a easy to understand manner has given me so much insight into my self, the world around me but also it has given me understanding and knowledge which has allowed me to really begin to explore and understand ashtanga yoga (eight limbs of yoga). 

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Sammy-jo Scarborough, 40hrs Graduate in Pranayama