Membership
Why become a member of the Yoga Fellowship?
We offer two levels of membership:
Yoga Fellowship Member
This membership is for you if you love yoga, want to belong to our yoga community, are ready to explore yoga in more depth and breadth, and want to enjoy discounts on all Yoga Fellowship events.
Yoga Fellowship Teacher Member
This membership is for you if you want to be part of a thriving professional network of yoga teachers in Northern Ireland, access continuing professional development including safeguarding (see details below) training and first aid qualifications tailored to yoga teaching, be considered for grant-funded opportunities, potential organisational sponsorship for enhanced AccessNI checks, advertise as a teacher on our website, and want to enjoy discounts on all Yoga Fellowship events.
Safeguarding
A key benefit of membership of the Yoga Fellowship is our concern for high-quality, safe yoga provision. We want to help established and aspiring yoga teachers be aware of the need for compliance when it comes to safeguarding—and to help achieve this in practice by providing good governance and policies, access to awareness-raising, training, and resources.
In the world of yoga, safeguarding is not just about securing Enhanced AccessNI checks for those teaching children—though this is something the Yoga Fellowship can help with. Abuse and harm can come from a range of different sources and happen in many different settings. We need to be particularly mindful of what can happen in places where it is assumed people will be safe and looked after. Often, harm occurs in situations where there is an unequal power differential. Those hurting others can become very adept at normalising the behaviour and making it difficult for those they are harming to speak out.
It’s important to remember that anyone in your class (or with whom you come into contact) could be suffering or at risk of significant harm, and may need someone to be there for them. While some people obviously require special protection and attention to their welfare, other harms can be less obvious. People might need extra support for everything from a health vulnerability to domestic abuse, or being groomed and exploited by a spiritual leader. They may be masking neglect, experiencing cyberbullying, or living with addiction.
We do this not just because of legislation or government policy, but because it is a core aspect of practicing yoga to look out for others as well as ourselves. We need to resource ourselves effectively—through our practice and our learning—to ensure we can help others appropriately when it comes to safeguarding.
Even when people do talk to someone, or show through their behaviour or demeanour that something is not right, they are often not taken seriously enough. Sometimes, people get very good at masking what’s happening to them—whether out of shame, fear, or misplaced loyalty.
They may not even be aware that how they are being treated—at home, in a sporting activity, or in a yoga studio—is not acceptable. It is important that Yoga Fellowship members enhance their awareness of how they can support and signpost those at risk.
Membership starting at £25.00
Our instructors bring their own expertise and perspective
Featured Teacher: John Bell
Yoga Wellness Hub, under the careful guidance of senior yoga instructor John Bell, provides yoga instruction focusing on acceptance and relaxation to people from all walks of life, ages, abilities and backgrounds with a core ethos of consistency and creativity.
Featured Instructor: Claire Ferry
Yoga for Claire is beyond the physical Asana practice and embraces mental calm and well-being. Her classes will help you to find your inner sense of peace as well as strength and flexibility.
Featured Instructor: Claire Brennan Clancy
Claire was first introduced to Ashtanga Yoga while living in London in her early twenties. Since then, she further studied Yin Yoga, Yang Yoga, Mindfulness, Restorative Yoga and Kids' Yoga. Passionate that a yoga practice is for everyone, Claire created her own boutique yoga space, Claire's Yoga Studio, which opened its doors in 2014.
