The Qoya Teacher Training is a profound experience for personal growth that offers practices and tools to hold space for others in your community as they dance with the blessings and challenges of their lives.
This course is not only about what and how to teach a Qoya class. You learn "what" Qoya is in the Intro and "how" in the Initiation. The Intensive is "why" you teach a Qoya class—specifically, why YOU teach a Qoya class.
In a moment when movement as medicine is needed, why would you call in sacred space? Why would you circle? Why would you open your heart or your hips? Why would you dance your yoga as prayer, shake, do a grapevine, free dance or sit across from another human being and share?
When you get to the heart of anything, you get to the heart of everything. When you get to the heart of Qoya, you get to the heart of yourself.
Please note: this is NOT a retreat. This is not relaxing (except to your soul, who loves this inquiry). This is not full of free time to get massages and rest. This is an intensive, and you will do better if you come well-rested and prepared, having taught at least 11 practice classes. You should come ready to do your inner work, to create and co-create experiences, and to teach for the group and shine.
Qoya's style of leadership is not to take up all the space and ask you to be like the teacher. Instead, we prefer to create opportunities for you to rise and shine your unique medicine into the circle. We are counting on you to show up fully if you enroll in this training. We also ask that you feel a big YES in your body when you sign up since the whole point of Qoya is to deepen the connection between being able to listen to and honor the wisdom in your body.
We look forward to dancing together and if you have any questions, please reach out to us, and we'll be happy to help.
REMEMBER YOUR ESSENCE IS
Wise, Wild, and Free
The Intensive is a powerful week of personal transformation.
Qoya is a way to practice keeping your channel open by exploring the nourishment of movement, ritual, and community connection. From a place of embodied presence, each person opens up to be guided on the most aligned paths for them to share their gifts.
My desire is to empower you to continue to share Qoya with your communities. The Intensive is also a prerequisite for those who with to learn how to lead Qoya retreats and teacher trainings.
One of the most valuable parts of the experience is that everyone who participates in the training will lead a full Qoya class for the group. This embodied experience of guiding a group and taking classes from 6+ other teachers is a great example of learning by doing. The best way to learn how to teach a Qoya class is to teach a Qoya class! It is important that each person prepare by doing their practice classes before the gathering and will be required to send Rochelle a video recording of their class no later than two weeks before the training. We do this to honor everyone's time and make sure that people are ready to teach before leading the group. It's also a great way to receive insights and tips from Rochelle on your teaching path to integrate as they feel resonant.
The Intensive is a very intimate experience in which we come together exploring the energetic transmission of each pillar of a Qoya class by doing a full Qoya class to embody that pillar, a ritual to honor the energetic transmission, and community connection to support and be supported by the group. If you're feeling the call for an immersion in movement, ritual, and community connection, we'd love to share this time with you.
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PRAISE
“The Qoya Intensive Teacher Training was one of the most profound experiences I’ve been blessed to have. While the weeklong Intensive was transformative, I have really begun to feel the transformation during the integration process. The energetic shifts I received in Costa Rica began as a download straight into my heart and lovingly absorbed into every molecule of my being. My perspective of presence and participation in the world around me truly is an unfolding as the embodiment of my Divine essence. I am eternally grateful for the gifts Qoya has offered me.”
LEIGAH LOCKE, Qoya Teacher
“The Qoya Teacher Training Intensive is one of the richest experiences I've ever had. Get ready to dive deep into yourself, magic, and community. This training removed many layers of falsehood I hadn't known I was carrying. At times I felt I was running a spiritual marathon - and loving every second of it. My heart burst open. I was taken to the center of the mysterious spiral of life. Come as you are, leave as yourself unbound. Why wouldn't you?”
VIRGINIA, Qoya Teacher
“Qoya Intensive was more than I could ever have imagined. Each day felt like a lifetime in the best possible way. Each individual day was worth the investment, let alone the whole week. Each exercise, ritual, discussion, lecture, and class were woven together perfectly. I went in knowing what Qoya is and I was able to teach a class. I came out feeling the spirit of Qoya in my bones—like it was alchemically transferred into my being. The way the group comes together in this environment is nothing short of magical. I know that the intentions, dreams, and desires I brought to the Intensive are being nurtured in the hearts of all the women who held space for me to plant them.”
KACI, Qoya Teacher
“The Qoya Intensive Teacher Training in Costa Rica went far beyond my expectations. I've been teaching Qoya classes for three years and the Intensive week took my teaching to a whole other level with an even bigger expansion in my spiritual growth. I feel fortunate to teach and live the message of Qoya. It would be well worth it to take this course every year just for my own personal growth.”
BETSY, Qoya Teacher
Location
The Intensive will be held at the Sky River Sanctuary in Coromandel, New Zealand. It’s a beautiful sacred place, nestled among pines and native forest and along a wild deserted Pacific Ocean beach where time stops and stepping into portals begin.
This space is dedicated to Qoya, the Saraswati Lineage of Yoga, and to Don Elijio’s Maya lineage of healing - custodianed by Samar Ocean Wolf Ciprian. The space is beautiful, cosy, intimate and deeply loved. The beach is always deserted, amazing for surfing, dreaming, wandering, healing - clothing optional.
Our food is lovingly prepared by our dear friend Hannah and ourselves - gluten free and dairy free plant based meals that can be tailored to your needs (feel free to bring animal protein on site for personal use if you need it)
Every moment here among the sun and sky and heart are a prayer and a ceremony.
PLEASE NOTE: This is an intimate training with a maximum of ten guests. All rooms are shared.
Itinerary
Use this itinerary to get a sense of what our time together will look like, but know that we will flow with the energy of the group, the weather, and our needs as they arise.
TENTATIVE Schedule
December 11, 2024
4:00pm: Arrive and Check In
6:30pm-7:30pm: Dinner
8:00pm: Opening Ceremony
Daily schedule
8:00am-9:30am: Breakfast
10:00am-1:00Pm: Morning Session
1:00pm-4:00pm: Lunch and Rest
4:00pm-6:00pm: Afternoon Session
6:00pm-8:00pm: Dinner and Rest
8:00pm-10:00pm: Evening Session
December 15, 2024
10:00am-1:00pm: Closing Session
1:00pm: Lunch and Farewell (optional)
FACILITATOR
Your facilitator for this journey is Samar Ocean Wolf Ciprian.
Samar is a Qoya teacher and teacher trainer, as well as co-custodian of Tul'ix Indigenous Arts. She has been holding space for the tending of the sacred feminine through a deep intimacy with the body, with movement, with the Earth and with the wild longings of the human heart in community for the last eleven years. Prior to the pandemic, Samar taught retreats and trainings around the world. At the present time she is creating a sacred home for these offerings and supporting the holy works of others at the Sky River Sanctuary in the Coromandel Peninsula. Learn more about her work by visiting www.samaroceanwolfciprian.com.
Cost: $1,800 USD
Pricing is per person. This Intensive is open to women 18+ of all backgrounds and at all phases of their life’s journey, who identify as female or as non-binary.
Your tuition includes: 4 nights accommodation, 3 meals a day of delicious, nourishing food, Intensive Tuition
Your tuition does not include: Travel to the Intensive. The center is a three hour drive from Auckland.You can look for other participants to carpool from Auckland and a small contribution for petrol to the driver is awesome.
PLEASE NOTE
All rooms are shared. If you wish to room by yourself, please contact Samar directly at samar@moon-yoga.com.
Registration
TO REGISTER, PLEASE EMAIL SAMAR AT SAMAR@MOON-YOGA.COM
PREREQUISITES
You must have completed the Introduction to Qoya online training ($333) and your Initiation Training ($777) in order to attend the Intensive. If you’d like some guidance on how to complete these requirements before an upcoming Intensive, please contact us.
CERTIFICATION
To become a Certified Qoya Teacher offering Qoya classes to the general public, you must complete the Intensive training, which includes teaching a class to a Qoya Teacher Trainer, and sign our Teacher Training Agreement. At the Intensive, you will have the opportunity to teach your class and sign the agreement, completing your Qoya Teacher journey. You can also opt to teach your certification class after the Intensive, if you desire more time to work on your teaching. To maintain your certification, you must participate in our Continuing Education program, which includes monthly phone calls with Rochelle and other resources to support your teaching practice.
CANCELLATION POLICY
If you need to cancel for any reason (including COVID-19 travel restrictions) and we can find a person to take your spot, we will refund the amount paid minus a $250 administration fee. If we cannot find a person to take your spot, there are no refunds; however, you can transfer your paid spot to someone else, so you can send a friend or family member to the retreat in your place.We will also hold your tuition as a course credit for a future retreat minus any housing expenses we incur. If you would be placed in financial distress in the event that you need to cancel without a refund, we encourage you not to register and to wait until closer to the retreat to register so that you may be more sure of your plans and current travel restrictions.