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About the Teachers - Marit Griffith, founder of White Lotus I feel that, as with many services, knowing about the person performing the service is an integral part of the decision as to whether to engage with that service or not. Therefore, I have decided to offer an insight into my history and experience to allow you to understand a little of where my passion comes from, and also my expertise, to help you to make the decision to come and meet me. In this company I offer two types of service (which are not mutually exclusive) White Lotus Coaching, and White Lotus Yoga so I have given enough information that those interested in either can see where each side fits into my history. Brief synopsis of my academic history I went to school in Glasgow achieving straight A's in my Highers, after a year off (my first adventures in Asia) I went to Edinburgh University and studied Mathematics with Business Studies and graduated with a First Class Honours. I then explored the world for nearly two years before returning to Scotland to take up a position in Ernst & Young LLP where I qualified as a CA (Chartered Accountant through ICAS) in the audit department in Glasgow. After teaching and training in my spare time for a couple of years, I set up my own company White Lotus, where I work primarily as a Yoga teacher and also as an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and HGE (Hypno Genetic Evolution) therapist and coach, full time since leaving Ernst & Young. Personal Development My interest in the field of personal development started at a young age and my passion for the betterment of myself, and others, has never weaned, in fact it gets stronger each year. In my year off after school, when I was 17, I had my first significant experience of actively working towards my evolution. It took the form of a 3 month expedition in Malaysia with Raleigh International, a charity for the development of young adults. While assisting in building a school, helping scientists with their research, climbing mountains, cutting trails in the jungle etc, I was introduced to the concepts of teamwork, self confidence, leadership, and self analysis. Since then I have been exploring the world and the different avenues for personal growth at every opportunity. My adventures have including building a school in Tanzania, trekking the Himalayas in Nepal, teaching scuba diving in Indonesia, working in a 'brain gym' at a Taoist retreat in Thailand, hiking to the top of the highest mountains in Africa & Malaysia, climbing the highest mountain pass in the world, discovering Yoga in India and so much more. This journey of self discovery gave a good foundation for the assisting of others, combined with my extensive study of the latest change techniques used in the West. When I worked at Ernst & Young I was quickly recognised as experienced in the area of personal development and was asked to engage in the hiring, training and mentoring of graduates, I represented my peers on various committees, assited in programs for corporate responsibility and coaching within the company. In my final year with the firm I was selected to join an accelerated development program. It was this program that lead to my participation on soft skills courses (e.g. leadership skills, influencing skills, personal impact, coaching, confidence, etc). From here the movement to work with NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) was natural, as it is the most powerful change technology that I have found. I am now a fully qualified therapist and coach in NLP and HGE (Hypno Genetic Evolution- the next evolutionary step from NLP which encompasses physical and spiritual aspects of the being as well as emotional and mental which predominate in traditional NLP). As well as working one on one, I also run open evenings to introduce people to NLP, and yoga/NLP training seminars. My interest in this field has moved towards how yoga and NLP fit together, as the understanding of the mechanics of the mind from NLP are extremely helpful in the progression of the control of the mind through yogic practices such as meditation. My study of Eastern Traditions I first entered the arena of energetic body work from the East when I practiced Shukokai Karate and Ao Denko Ka Martial Arts at University. I competed with a high degree of success gaining several British and Scottish University Gold medals in individual and team events. Around 1998, I moved from martial arts towards more introverted energy training with Chi Kung. At that time I also trained in Reiki healing in Scotland and then to a more advanced level in India 2000. In addition, I studied Chi Kung healing, meditation and advanced Chi Kung techniques with Master Mantak Chia (one of the foremost teachers in this area in the world) in Thailand in 2000 in a five week intensive retreat. I first practiced Yoga in 2000 with a comprehensive one month Yoga course in Rishikesh under Swami Vivekananda Saraswati at the Agama Yoga School. Since 2000 I have practiced several different styles of Yoga, predominantly Iyengar, Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga, and travelled to different parts of Asia and Europe on retreats increasing my understanding of the whole Yoga system. Since my introduction to this amazing system I have consistently studied and practiced Yoga leading me to where I am today. I consider Swami Vivekananda Saraswati to be my foremost Tantra Yoga teacher with whom I continue to study Yoga in Thailand for blocks of about 3 months of intensive study each year. In addition I study with Master Claudiu Trandafir, an Advaita Vedantic teacher, meditation of the Ramana Maharishi lineage. I spend many retreats per year practicing and studying this meditation technique, often under Master Claudiu's direct guidance. I qualified as a Yoga teacher in the UK with CYS (Chi Yoga School) Scotland, completing a year long training and qualifying in the summer of 2005. This training included study of the sacred Yoga texts, practice of Ashtanga Yoga - the complete primary series, detailed study of anatomy, Tai Chi and much more. (Before this time I was teaching Hatha classes for about a year from my training under Swami Vivekananda.) I now teach beginners to advanced classes in general Hatha Yoga and Tantra Yoga, give lectures, workshops, seminars, private classes, etc. If you have any questions or issues you would like me to address, please get in touch. I enjoy discussing Yoga, and spirituality in general, and will gladly help any Yoga aspirant when I can. Thank you, Marit 077634 07631 or contact@whitelotusyoga.co.uk Rory Trollen Rory Trollen has been teaching with White Lotus Yoga since August 2008 and has added greatly to the teachings since his arrival. Originally from the Westend of Glasgow, Rory spent his school life at Kelvinside Academy and upon his departure left the country to pursue a career in the outdoors environment, firstly in Australia then onto New Zealand where he lived for 7 years. Rorys' career in the outdoors industry has given him a solid foundation in the skills required to be a confident Yoga teacher, he has worked in most aspects of this industry where he began in 2002 as a ski instructor in and around the mountains of Queenstown, New Zealand. His love of snow sports and development of others in this environment motivated him to attain several advanced qualifications in this field enabling him to attain the role of ski patrol in the rugged mountains of the Canterbury club fields (NZ) an arduous yet rewarding job, where safety, leadership and dedication to others is paramount. After several seasons in this role, Rory moved on to invest in a successful outdoor guiding company based in Queenstown, specializing in guided kayaking, biking and sightseeing, this helped him to further evolve his skills as a strong leader and motivator of people, helping, teaching and encouraging others when they feel out of their comfort zone. Rory began practicing Yoga in 1999 primarily to use its healing benefits to aid his recovery from sporting injuries and having noticed significant improvement in reduced recovery time and increased core strength, Rory continued his personal practice until early 2008, whereupon he successfully completed a 500 hour intensive teacher training course at Agama Yoga School on Koh Panghan, Thailand. Agama Yoga School is a traditional Tantric Yoga School led by acclaimed Yogi Swami Vivekananda Saraswati, its teachings hail primarily from ancient Indian and Tibetan Yogic texts and span many aspects of the traditional Yoga system from asanas (postures) to understanding, harnessing and realizing the latent potential of the mind through advanced forms of pranayama and meditation. On completion of the course Rory was invited by the administrators of the programme to travel to Rishikesh, India to teach for a season in the "Yoga capital of the world". An incredible opportunity that not only gave him a strong grounding as a Yoga teacher but also helped him evolve his own practice through immersion in the Indian Yogic culture. Rory has proven himself to be a dedicated, popular Yoga teacher, his warm and relaxed character coupled with his continued personal development within Yoga ensures that the quality of his teachings at White Lotus Yoga will go from strength to strength. Thank you, Rory. 07917485816 or contact@whitelotusyoga.co.uk |
