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Synergy Classes

All partner stretching, massage, strengthening, and flying techniques have tremendous healing and therapeutic benefits; physically and emotionally. Synergy classes teach these methods and techniques for people of all levels of ability.

What's a Class like?

Each class consists of group circles, creative movement and warm up exercises, flying, partner stretches, strengthening exercises and thai massage. It is a 90 minute class and a space for students to slowly but consistently build on:

  • the physical skills of partner yoga:
    flexibility, strength, massage techniques, balance, and partner-assisting skills
  • the energetic attributes of the practice:
    trust, communication, playfulness, connection, listening, healing touch

While always inspiring a sense of community and unity.

Our Philosophy

Our philosophy emphasizes listening, compassion and understanding as important and essential pieces of the Synergy practice. Teachers are trained to listen to the needs of the students, in order to understand and move at their level. Classes will aim to challenge your strength, flexibility, and communication skills in a healing environment.

If you're interested in introducing Synergy classes to your studio's schedule, just drop us an email and we'll get back to you:

Synergy has travelled all over the globe. Ask at your local yoga studio about partner yoga classes near you.

 

Synergy Workshops

Synergy Workshops are a great opportunity for people who have had an experience of partner yoga and would like to gain greater depth and understanding of the practice.

During the workshop there will be opportunities to:

  • understand the positive effects of Synergy on the body
  • explore more levels of the practice
  • deepen partner-assisting skills
  • ask questions and converse
and more, as each workshop will be catered to the needs of the group. Workshops are typically 2.5 to 3 hours and are lead by experienced Synergy teachers that have been serving and collaborating with Synergy Partner Yoga.
 

Teacher Trainings


The Training
Synergy Partner Yoga is a healing art form that fine tunes and strengthens the human body and spirit through playfulness, thai massage, dynamic body conditioning, and therapeutic partner yoga. Synergy draws from many traditional healing modalities and art forms- from traditional Thai massage, yoga, martial arts, clown, and ancient meditation practices.

Synergy Teacher Trainings are heart opening, enriching & strengthening experiences. They’re made for people who are inspired to expand their knowledge and to build the skill set necessary to become a Synergy Partner Yoga Teacher.

Within our trainings, teachers are guided to listen to the needs of the students, in order to understand and to move at their level. Our philosophy emphasizes listening, compassion and understanding as essential components of the Synergy practice.

This training provides teachers with substantial information to communicate and teach Synergy with clarity, confidence and passion. We train our teachers to design classes that challenge a student’s strength, flexibility, and communication skills, all within a healing environment. In these trainings, you will learn to teach:

  • core strengthening/body conditioning
  • therapeutic flying
  • partner stretching
  • trust-building and play exercises
  • Thai massage & Ayurveda
  • guided meditation
  • yoga flow sequencing
  • the tools to give a 90 minute Thai Massage
Our trainings span 10-15 days and nights at various yoga retreat centers around the world. While every training includes 10 days of intensive instruction, the length of each one varies depending on location and additional activities.

We’ve found that having healthy food is a key component to supporting our teachers and their learning. Thus, within every training, we provide 3 gourmet, healthy meals per day. We work with great natural foods chefs to ensure that each meal is not only healthy but delicious.

At the end of each training, we provide our new Synergy teachers with a “Complete Teacher Resource Package”, which includes a hard copy of the newly-revised Synergy Manual and other resources to support you in your teaching journey. We also provide assistance in setting up your first classes & workshops.

We recommend that you prepare for the training by:

  • Watching the "Synergy Partner Yoga DVD" (this is included in the training cost)
  • Getting a basic understanding of the history and practice of Thai Massage by reading Thai Yoga Massage and Lotus Palm School by Kam Thye Chow
Our hope is that on completing the training you'll be inspired to share this practice, encouraged to freely express your unique teaching style, and feel supported on your journey to becoming a Synergy Partner Yoga teacher. If you are interested in hosting a Teacher Training, the Synergy teaching team will be happy to help.
Curriculum
The Synergy Partner Yoga Teacher Training is comprised of: • A daily flow or hot 26 & 2 class • A daily Synergy Partner Yoga class • Classes in core strengthening and body conditioning • Meditation and Qigong classes • Yoga and Thai Massage Anatomy • Daily Thai Massage classes • Breakdown of the Synergy Partner Yoga Practice
    ◦ Circle and Group Work ◦ Trust-building and play exercises ◦ Dynamic body conditioning warm-ups ◦ Partner Stretching ◦ Therapeutic flying ◦ Thai massage
• Synergy Partner Yoga Craft and Daily Reflection • Synergy Practicum: How to book and promote a workshop or retreat • Synergy Partner Yoga Teach Backs • Developing and teaching a full 90 minute class with a partner • Adventures and Mystery Events Synergy Partner Yoga Teacher Training Time Table The time table will vary depending on every training, and the needs of the participants within the training. Synergy is a holistic practice and this is reflected in how we train you as teachers. There is an inherent structure to our training, but like a class, it will always vary depending on what is going on in the moment with the students. We invite you to let go and trust us as we guide you through this experience. We have set the training up in collaboration with our teaching team and chefs to provide a space that is fluid and reflective of the needs in the moment. That being said we do ask you be on time when specified. We will also eat meals in family style, so we ask you be on time to meals. The chefs are very skilled and a part of the art of cooking is timing:) PREPARATORY CURRICULUM We recommend that you prepare for the synergy partner yoga teacher training by: • Watching the “Synergy Partner Yoga DVD” (this is included in the training cost) • Review the Synergy Partner Yoga Teaching Manual. • Get a basic understanding of the history and practice of Thai Massage by reading Thai Yoga Massage and Lotus Palm School by Kam Thye Chow

Other resources to review:

Thai Massage

• Thai Yoga Massage – A Dynamic Therapy for Physical Well-Being & Spiritual Energy – by Kam Thye Chow Advanced Thai Yoga Massage – Postures & Energy Pathways for Healing by Kam Thye Chow • Ayurveda & Thai Yoga Therapy – by Lotus Palm • Lotus Palm “Thai Massage Center” based in Montreal & founded by Francisco’s teacher – Kam Thye Chow • The Five Tibetans – Five Dynamic Exercises for Health, Energy, and Personal Power – by Christopher S. Kilham • Your Guide to Functional Anatomy in Yoga “The Key Muscles of Yoga” and “The Key Poses of Yoga” by Ray Long, MD, FRCSC with Illustrator Chris Macivor • Anatomy Trains “Myofascial Meridians for Manual & Movement Therapists by Thomas W. Myers

Play

• The Art Spirit by Robert Henri • On the Technique of Acting by Michael Chekhov • Clowns For Beginners by Joe Lee • Free Play: Improvization in Life and Art by Stephen Nachmanovitch • Why is That So Funny?: A Practical Exploration of Physical Comedy by John Wright

Self-development

• Loving What Is by Byron Katie • Sacred Commerce: Business as a Path of Awakening by Matthew Engelhart (Author), Terces Engelhart (Author), Megan Marie Brown (Foreward)
Teaching Path
After The Synergy Partner Yoga Teacher Training Once you have completed the Synergy Partner Yoga Teacher Training Intensive your journey as a teacher is just beginning! We have a support network that is here to support you on your path. Post training you will receive: • Access to our teacher’s google drive with resources to support you in setting up workshop and classes in your area. This includes flyer templates, studio contact letters, pictures, sample classes, and more. *We have years of experience working with studios, businesses, universities, etc. all over the world and will offer you access to our experience and practical information already in place to help you in your area.* • We will put a bio and picture of you on our website. • Support in promoting your events and access to our growing Synergy Partner Yoga network. • Support from a friendly and loving teaching team available to help you by e-mail or phone whenever you need. We will do our best to provide you with support and answers to your questions, or guide you in the right direction. • You will be apart of a large collaborative of like-minded, loving people here to grow and serve each other. • As apart of our teaching network you will have the opportunity to contribute in sharing Synergy Partner Yoga in the way that you feel inspired and we will be here to support you in whatever way we can!
Team
TEACHING TEAM

Francisco Morales-Bermudez Francisco founded Synergy Partner Yoga in 2005. Since then his mission has been to share this practice in order to assist people in alleviating pain in their bodies, maintaining physical well-being and cultivating trust, connection and a playful vibration. Francisco grew up in Lima, Peru where he spent time in the ocean, playing soccer and becoming intrigued with healing touch. His intrigue turned into a passion and for many years he studied and learned from different art forms and exercise systems. Francisco studied: creative movement through afro-peruvian folkloric dances and performances & breakdancing yoga “School of Life” yoga ashram with Victor Landa, Bikram yoga, yoga with Dharma Mittra and Rusty Wells. He also studied capoeira angola (an afro-brazilian martial art) with Mestre Cobra Mansa healing touch & thai massage with Kam Thye Chow. These experiences contributed to the formation of Synergy Partner Yoga today. Francisco discovered that by creating a practice that brought together aspects of the art forms he studied, cultivated the space for healing. A healing that affected people emotionally, physically and spiritually in a profoundly positive way. Seeing how this practice changed his life and how it built community, transformed the way people relate and interact with each other, he decided to make it his mission to share what he had learned with as many people as possible. Today Synergy has traveled to homes, studios and families around the Globe. It continues to expand and touch peoples lives through the growing, dedicated Synergy Teacher family, supported and guided by Francisco. Francisco conducts workshops, classes, teacher trainings, and continues to learn, evolve and grow through developing Synergy Partner Yoga as well as from the people he meets and the places on his life journey.

Lucy Shelby Lucy Shelby is a yogi, actor, creator, comedian, and world traveler. Lucy has an extensive background in theatre, dance, and movement. She also holds an M.F.A. in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre from Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre. In the fall of 2007, she was certified as a Bikram Yoga teacher in Hawaii, and as a Synergy Teacher in Peru in 2009. For the last 7 years, she has been teaching yoga in studios across the world while pursuing her passion for theatre. She has had the privilege of learning from many different teachers: from great yogis to master clown teachers to renowned Balinese mask carvers. Currently, she partners with Francisco Morales-Bermudez and Sacha Webley as a part of The Synergy Teacher Training Team. Lucy trains yogis around the world in the therapeutic art of Synergy Partner Yoga. When she is not leading trainings, she lives in New York City where she teaches Bikram yoga, Synergy, and performs comedy. Lucy’s commitment in life is to radical transformation and to healing the planet through humor!

Sacha Webley Sacha Webley has been studying the meditative and athletic arts for the many years. He started studying in the Universal Tao meditation and chi gung system 15 years ago and has been practicing ever since. Sacha is also an experienced yogi and has trained with teachers all over the country. He is a certified Synergy Teacher, having completed the first-ever Synergy training in Mexico in 2007. Additionally, he is a trained martial artist who loves to wrestle and spar. Sacha’s commitment is to absolute awesomeness in the physical body, an awesomeness so awesome that it overflows and enriches our intellectual and our spiritual development.