UNDERSTANDING ANATOMY TRAINING 2024

LOOKING THROUGH THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL LENS

We’re excited to announce the return of our popular Applied Anatomy Teacher Training, now in its 8th intake and always evolving! 

This world-class training is invaluable training for Yoga and Pilates Teachers, Teachers in Training and dedicated movers. It’s also suitable and relevant for Gym Instructors and Personal Trainers.

Looking through a biopsychosocial lens, our unique approach to anatomy training will give you all the skills you need to safely support your clients as they move through your classes with whatever limitations or restrictions they may be encountering.

This comprehensive course is divided into 4 Modules, giving you the option to attend the full training over one year or, to complete the course level by level.  Our method offers a compromise-free, robust and crucial insight into all things anatomy. 

NB>   Only those who have attended Module 1 can continue to Module 2, 3 or 4.

A YEAR OF SUPPORT

LEVEL UP YOUR ANATOMY KNOW-HOW AND PUT YOURSELF AHEAD OF THE GAME

Do you sometimes feel a little lost teaching a class, out of your depth when confronted by the various functional needs of clients, and lacking invaluable support?  Does this result in you feeling that your clients may be at risk of injuring themselves, that you are avoiding areas that need your attention or that you are ill-equipped to best advise your clients?

Our course spans the whole of 2024, giving you all the support you require as you begin to understand and digest the complex and magnificent human body.

Peer support will give you a boost when you feel lost or unable to help your clients adequately.  Additionally, the experience and guidance of your teachers will be there to offer ideas and suggestions as you build your knowledge and trust.

Whether you teach or train people to stretch or strengthen, you work with their bodies as well as their minds.  It’s therefore vitally important that you understand their unique and precious anatomy as well as appreciate their personal psychological drivers.

This course offers an opportunity to deepen your understanding of human anatomy, psychology and physiology to benefit your movement practice as well as your safe and effective teaching of others.

To register your interest and be kept up to date, please sign up below and we will send you updates and reminders so that you can make a decision when you’re ready.

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

This unique in-person course will train you to understand:

  • Basic human anatomy
  • Functional anatomy
  • Relevant embryology
  • An introduction to concepts such as tensegrity, the biopsychosocial model, and myofascial movement patterns
  • Advanced anatomy relevant to working with clients in groups and on a 1:1 basis
  • Adaptations and alternatives necessary for individual abilities and injuries
  • Common misunderstandings and misconceptions about anatomy in motion
  • Common conditions and injuries and how these can be incorporated into physical practice
  • How to begin to support individuals post-surgery
  • The interplay between the various systems of the body (with particular emphasis on the breath)

You will gain a working knowledge of common conditions and ailments which hinder the optimal functioning of our anatomy.  You’ll be taught to identify dysfunctional patterns in your students’ movement practice and safely predict likely outcomes and restrictions.

From this, you will be confident to make suitable modifications to your teaching to better assist your students in injury prevention and recovery as well as the management of acute and chronic conditions.

Through studying anatomy, applying the information, and embodying the felt sense of our internal world, you will grow in confidence as a teacher and scholar of the human body in movement.

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THE SPECIFICS & VENUE

BUILDING YOUR KNOWLEDGE, MODULE BY MODULE

You can choose to join the full year or book module by module. 

The full course runs over 10 Sundays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Each day will include an hour lunch break and plenty of tea in between. 

The course is held in the stunning setting of Flow Tunbridge Wells, a beautiful and bespoke yoga studio in the heart of Kent. Flow is a fully equipped yoga studio and treatment room providing all your needs for comfort and ease.  

There is ample on-street parking outside the studio and easy access from mainline London Stations to High Brooms or Tunbridge Wells with a journey time of 55 mins from Charring Cross.

Our intake is strictly limited to 12 in-person students to maximise learning outcomes.

INTRODUCTION WORKSHOP

DISCOVER IF OUR COURSE IS RIGHT FOR YOU

This workshop is designed to help you decide if this training is for you.  We will introduce the biopsychosocial model as well as help you to understand basic movement patterns and anatomical language.  We will outline how the course is taught including reflections on individual learning styles. Time will be reserved for plenty of questions!

 Date:  14 January, 2 – 5 pm

Cost:  £50 – Refunded when you sign up for the full training

MODULE 1

BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH, MODELS AND MODES OF UNDERSTANDING & EMBRYOLOGY

Here we lay the foundations of our understanding of human anatomy and function exploring: 

  • Theories of movement patterns, the pentadactyl limb, tensegrity and the biopsychosocial model
  • Understanding components of connective tissue
  • Relevant embryology

Dates:  4 February and 3 March, 10 am – 5 pm

Cost:  £200, £50 will be refunded when you sign up to Module 2

NB> It is necessary to have completed Module 1 before you can enrol in further modules on this training.

MODULE 2

BREAKING THE BODY DOWN INTO PARTS

To truly understand our functional anatomy it’s useful to initially break it down into regions. Each of these 4 day will focus on one of those regions:

1.    The lower limb

2.    Lower back, pelvis, and core

3.    Neck, thorax and breathing

4.    The upper limb

A bound course handbook will be sent to you following registration containing over 100 full-colour pages of anatomical references, conditions and relevant information and guidance.

Dates:  7 April, 12 May, 9 June, 7 July, 10 am – 5 pm

Cost:  £400

NB> It is necessary to have completed Module 1 before you can enrol in further modules on this training. 

MODULE 3

BUILDING THE BODY BACK INTO INTEGRATION AND UNDERSTANDING

Following on from the previous two modules, here we will put the building blocks of the body back together, creating coherence and deepening our understanding:

  • Myofascia and its unique role in movement
  • Understanding pain and the nervous system
  • Creative applications for common conditions
  • Scenario-based integration into teaching

Dates:  1 September and 6 October, 10 am – 5 pm

Cost:   £200

NB> It is necessary to have completed Module 1 before you can enrol in further modules on this training.

MODULE 4

 TEACHING CLIENTS 1:1 & ANATOMICALLY INFORMED AND SAFE FUNCTIONAL ADJUSTMENTS

Now we have grounded ourselves in understanding human anatomy we can apply this know-how to our clients to maximise therapeutic benefit. In this module we will consider:

  • How to therapeutic support clients through injury and surgery rehabilitation
  • The physicality and psychology of pain management
  • When to and when not to adjust

Dates:  3 November and 1 December, 10 am – 5 pm

Cost:  £200

NB> It is necessary to have completed Module 1 before you can enrol in further modules on this training. 

YOUR TEACHERS

REGISTERED OSTEOPATH - BEN PARKER WITH SENIOR YOGA TEACHER & COUNSELLOR - LUCY PARKER

The course will be run by husband-and-wife team Ben Parker, Registered Osteopath, and Lucy Parker, Senior Yoga Teacher, Counsellor, and Coach.

Over the 7 times we have run this course, we have refined its contents and moved with changes in the prevailing understandings of how our body works, both in health and disease.

With this current course, we will bring to the fore the biopsychosocial perspective. Whilst this has always been an important theme throughout the course, in recent years it has become increasingly accepted that understanding health and disease as the result of purely physical, biological processes can only be part of the picture.

We are social beings who are strongly influenced by those around us and, equally our mind, brain and nervous system have a vital role in keeping our homeostatic balance.   

These aspects of ourselves will be incorporated into our training to help you understand the interplay of our whole bodily system. 

ABOUT BEN

REGISTERED OSTEOPATH SINCE 1999

Ben has 25 years of clinical experience as a Registered Osteopath and runs a busy clinic in Tunbridge Wells and Groombridge since graduating in 1999. He has extensive experience in working with individuals with a wide range of physical complaints and conditions.

He is particularly interested in helping people understand the causes of their ailments from a biopsychosocial perspective and how to make changes to prevent their recurrence. He is also exploring how the psyche affects our reaction and response to pain and its management.  

As a practising yogi, Ben also understands how yoga and osteopathy can work in synergy to promote overall well-being and the importance of exercise in the process of recovery.

ABOUT LUCY

SENIOR YOGA TEACHER, COUNSELLOR & COACH

Lucy has been practising yoga since her university days in the early 1990s. She has been teaching yoga as a holistic practice since 2010, having studied at The Yoga Campus, London.

As a Senior Yoga teacher, Lucy has taught over 10,000 hours of group and 1-2-1- classes including holding workshops and courses and hosting retreats in the UK and abroad.  Lucy is the lead teacher on our own Understanding Yoga Teacher Training.

Lucy recently qualified with a Post Graduate Diploma from the University of East London in Integrative Counselling and Coaching.  This qualification allows her to support her clients through a fully rounded approach to health integrating body, mind and spirit. 

COURSE METHODOLOGY

Each day will be divided between talks led by Ben followed by practical embodied sessions led by Lucy.  Ben and Lucy have different teaching and learning styles that lend themselves perfectly to this course enabling a multi-faceted learning experience meeting your varied learning styles and preferences.

Ben will deliver structural, medical & anatomical information ensuring you are given the detailed, specific, and accurate information you require to lay down the foundations of your learning. This will be presented via PowerPoint presentations and backed up with a complete set of very detailed handouts and notes.

Lucy will then apply this information to living anatomy encouraging students to embody their learning, feeling the anatomy in our own bodies and creating a movement memory and somatic experience of the intellectual information delivered by Ben. 

This will be supported using life-size skeletons (Zebedee and Yorick) and also smaller and specific models of anatomical structures such as the knee or shoulder.

Lucy will also use creative, fun and unusual props to gain a deeper insight and understanding of the knowledge imparted through the PowerPoint presentations. We will use touch, movement, partner work and play to embed the intellectual knowledge so it can grow into a deeper understanding.

Anatomical postures will be explored, and open discussions into the risks and merits of relevant postures or movement patterns will be welcomed. 

Uniquely our course includes the invaluable addition of real-life, day-to-day scenarios which you could easily come across in your teaching. This ensures that your learning has been processed and fully understood. These fun and challenging scenarios use role play and real-life situations to ensure that you are fully equipped to deal with any anatomical conundrum that walks straight into your classes!

Each month you will be sent an anatomy quiz to complete relating to the learning of the previous month’s work. This will all be underpinned by reading material and other relevant learning materials such as videos and magazine articles.

There is a final questionnaire that must be completed and returned to qualify for your graduation certificate.

THE PRICE & PAYMENT PLANS

The full price for these 10 training days is £1,000 when purchased individually. 

However, this can be discounted to £850 when booking the full year of training in advance.   The £50 fee for the introduction workshop will be refunded in full when the complete teacher training is booked.

A full colour bound anatomy handbook, and other additional benefits (see below) are given when signing up for Module 2 or the full course.

It is possible to pay in instalments, on request.  A payment plan can be discussed depending on what module, or modules, of the course you are booking.   

 Signing up for the full course commits you to payment for the course in full whether paying in instalments or not and whether you can attend all sessions or not.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Due to the small in-person intake of only 12 students, this course offers a bespoke and tailored approach to detailed anatomical learning.

The course will provide a good opportunity for teachers, trainers and therapists to bond as a group and to create an ongoing support network. A Community Forum will be established via WhatsApp group to create and an open forum for discussion.

Lucy will be available in a mentor role for advice and support and Ben will also be available for additional anatomy questions and practical advice via email between the sessions.

CERTIFICATION

This course is a total of 90 hours, made up of 70 contact hours and 20 non-contact hours (2 hours of self-learning per session).

 A certificate for CPD or other purposes is granted after completion of the course, either module by module or in full depending on requirements.

NEED MORE INFORMATION?

Should you require more information, or wish to discuss any aspects of this course with us please feel free to contact Ben on ‭07957 763709‬ or Lucy on 07976 439122. You can also email us at lucy@flowtunbridgewells.com or ben@flowtunbridgewells.com

CANCELLATION POLICIES

Signing up and enrolling onto this course commits you to the full payment for the course. If you enrolled onto the course and withdraw from training after it has commenced, there will be no refund due.  Should we not be permitted to meet up in person due to ongoing covid regulations we will move training days online via Zoom. We hope this will not be necessary but are able to respond quickly if and when required. 

Should the course be cancelled by us, you will be refunded in line with our policies detailed on this webpage: Important Info

TESTIMONIALS

All of previous students said that the course met all of their objectives, was good value for money and that they would recommend the course to others. Read what some of last years students said about the course:
  • The advanced applied anatomy course with Lucy and Ben was extremely compelling, it allowed me to dive much deeper into the anatomy of the body and apply it to my yoga practice/teaching. The knowledge and experience of Ben who is an Osteopath combined with Lucy who is a senior yoga teacher allows to consider different angles and therefore broaden one’s understanding.

    Philippe Lourdjane
  • Having completed this course I would recommend it to anyone that feels a need to broaden their anatomical knowledge as well as keep students safe in a yoga/fitness environment. It has deepened my knowledge greatly and was a great balance of appropriate body mapping and facts with applied body work and real-life scenarios. Ben is incredibly knowledgeable and communicates the information in a stimulating and appropriate way – Lucy complements him by bringing the facts back to the body and in particular yoga asana. We are very lucky to have this kind of course in Kent.

    Previous Student
  • I decided to join the Advanced Anatomy Course with Ben and Lucy following clients disclosing ailments, issues and injuries very often at very short notice before a yoga class. As a yoga teacher, I wanted to develop the understanding behind these issues and have the tools to be better equipped to help and assist clients on their yoga journey. Ben and Lucy are fabulous teachers and a very inspiring duo. Together, they have an extensive wealth of knowledge to share as part of the course ranging from a brilliant course material to various self-enquiries, discussions, quizzes and real life scenarios. The course was delivered in person initially and then online. I thought the online offering was as fantastic as in-person and worked extremely well. I would recommend the Advanced Anatomy course to any yoga or Pilates teacher who wishes to broaden or delve deeper into the anatomy knowledge they have acquired as part of their initial training.

    Charlotte
  • I recently attended Ben and Lucy’s course on advanced anatomy for Yoga Teachers. As a yoga Teacher I feel it is important for me to have a good understanding of human anatomy. Also to be able to adapt a class for those students who may have a health issue. This course has given me more confidence as a teacher to be able to Teach with knowledge and understanding. Ben and Lucy teach in a way that is knowledgable but down to earth ensuring that all students, irrespective of the learning styles can truly gain knowledge of the subject matter. Thank you both.

    Sue