Training Programs

Journey Within Teaching Certification

An Immersive 6-Month Certification Program

Our training thoroughly develops the teacher’s competencies, presence, courage, compassion and confidence to overcome the greatest challenges in teaching.

After years of conducting training sessions to prepare trainees to work on yoga classes and teaching primarily in a body-orientated studio environment, last year Journey Within has embarked on a new and unprecedented direction in our training.

The result of 13 years in a studio environment working with many individuals made it apparent that our learned techniques of nearly two decades could be applied to corporations and organisations with significant impact.

This is the 3^rd year where we have introduced the latest mind-body integration approaches to our teacher trainees such as BodySolution technique, MindSolution technique, Counselling & Communication skills, Mindfulness Psychology and Corporate Mindfulness.

The integration of Catalist and Yoga Teacher Training is designed to equip our trainees in 4 areas of expertise:

facilitating wellness programs for organizations and companies;
conducting spinal therapy sessions for individual with spinal issues;
conducting spine care or general Yoga sessions in a studio environment;
conducting mindfulness sessions and workshops in any environment.

Our graduates are trained and ready to fulfill the physical and mental well-being needs of our current clients and those to come!

Michelle Tai,
BodySolution Trainer

Catalist Training Program

A Journey Within CATalist is someone who is committed to building towards a better life and inspiring others to lead fulfilled lives,
by first changing the body and then the mind.

Level 1 Basic –
Knowing Your Spine

An Introduction to the Catalist Body Solution’s terminology, practices and principles. Through simple physical exercises that apply pressure, you will be able to recognise and release the tension trapped in your body.

By the end of the Basic course, you will:

Master the basic exercise to align Lower Back, Upper Back and Shoulders.
Apply the basic exercises in a sitting position.
Understand posture malformation, stress and tension and why and how it happens to our body.
Know yourself and others better.

Course Outline

Introduction and Theory
Personal History
Formation of Tension
Element of Stress
Theory on Posture Misalignment
How Humans Adapt to Changes through Survival Strategies
Shifting to Personality
Relation to Gravity
Nervous System
Solid “Me”
Process of Change

Skills you will learn-

How to attain ease and comfort in a sitting position
Upper back and lower back theory and basic posture assessment
How to watch for shoulder habits
Lower and Upper back mobilization and strengthening exercises
Inversion Therapy
Shoulder relaxation and arm alignment exercises

Level 2 Intermediate – Reorganising Your Spine

The Intermediate course is a deeper exploration of fundamentals plus new essentials. With time and practice, the ability to be self-aware and self-heal will also grow.

You will also be able to self-observe (not self-judge) much quicker and be more skilled at re-centering and self-correcting.

By the end of the Intermediate course, you will gain a deeper understanding on:

Relaxing the hips and its connection with the lower back’s alignment
Connection of the head and neck, lower back and upper back and deeper release
Your own habits when facing new experiences
Which areas of your body are preventing freedom of movement

Course Outline

Types of Lower Back
The Energy Experience
The Process of Change, Sharing and Discussion
Moving Out of Comfort Zones
Entering “New” Zones

Skills you will learn-

Theory and practical skills to create stability and strengthen the body structure in order to ease lifting, bending and walking.
Bending beyond a neutral position with the entire upper back
Theory and preparation for rotation
Rotation from the head and arm
Hip relaxation

Level 3 Advanced –
Reaching Out

The Advanced course deepens your experience of the practices and principles of the CATALIST model. It offers the concepts, language and structure of how we share the CATALIST technique with teams, corporation, specific groups and also individuals with therapy needs.

The CATALIST model is based on our capacity to know it ourselves and to share it with others. Like any worthwhile endeavour, it takes commitment and effort to go beyond our personal challenges and extend ourselves.

By the end of the Advanced course, you will be able to:

Understand the function of each practice and how to use them for therapeutic needs
Perform posture assessment for therapeutic needs
Understand teaching techniques and CATALIST sessions
Perform assisting, touching and adjusting techniques

Skills you will learn-

Practical teaching observation and how to respond to interaction and feedback
How to conduct group classes and therapy sessions
How to keep the energy of a class going
How to promote students’ enjoyment of practice and inward reflection on their body, sensation and breath

On-going support from the CATALIST community

We also reach into the CATALIST community for support, training, and beyond. Into this greater community of people we share our findings and are committed to empowering one another.

Join the evolving, lifelong research and practice of the CATALIST technique, with Michelle Tai and a dedicated community! We support growth internally – through group and personal practice, and externally – by assisting and coaching individuals, groups and teams in CATALIST.

In this support group, we have:

Weekly group support meet-ups
Practical teaching opportunities for trainees
Monthly group meetings and Q&As

Yoga Teacher Training Course

A Journey Within CATalist is someone who is committed to building towards a better life and inspiring others to lead fulfilled lives,
by first changing the body and then the mind.

Yoga Fundamentals

After starting and familiarizing yourself with patterns, you will slowly shift some poses outside their basic movement. Working in pairs and groups, we will then chunk down learning exercises to create a lasting impression in the body. We also encourage group discussions to create a lively learning atmosphere.

Once you are familiar with the deeper workings of the spinal column, you will apply Intermediate practices towards poses that require backbend and forward bending, standing and inversion.

Teaching Yoga

The Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) program designed by Journey Within is intended to provide a strong foundation in Yoga Asanas (Body) and Mindfulness (Mind) techniques. It will equip trainees with guiding principles for their own personal development and transformation by imparting Yogic wisdom necessary for a qualified yoga teacher.

Our Yoga TTC program is specially structured to comply with the International Standard of 200 Hour Yoga Alliance Registered Programs and beyond.

Our aim in yoga teacher training is to impart what we have learnt as teachers to others who are enthusiastic and passionate about what we do. We also aim to train professional yoga teachers who can teach yoga in a sustainable way.

You will gain mastery of Yoga teaching with props and sequencing an alignment-based class with specific emphasis on different areas of the bodies such as shoulders, lower back, pelvis, neck, upper back and more.

Download Course Syllabus

Hear what our graduates have to say!

“I was a Yoga Instructor before I got pregnant. Then after becoming a breastfeeding mom I stopped practicing Yoga and developed a hunchback along with shoulders, neck and back pain issues. Through the CATalist Training course I now understand how to bring my spine back to its neutral position and maintain a spine care self-practice technique. I love the MBCT course as well, it brought more awareness into my daily activities. Thanks to these courses and main tutor Michelle Tai, I got more than I expected from this course.”

说话对自己家人很有杀伤力的我遇见说话没有杀伤力的她，以前的我事事都要做对才行，遇见她才领悟错也有它的意思。既要有爱心与同情心还要有慈悲心特别是对着自己家人。一开始我以为我向她学习疗愈瑜伽课程，哪知道她在让我疗愈的是我自己。她能感染我变化，我相信她的愿望会实现。
选择“尘中人”课程，加深了对脊椎骨和人性的了解，把自己增加更多方面的知识吸收转化再呈现给遇到的学生。这条路上少不了志同道合的朋友，我们一起努力，一起成长，一起进路企业界，一起看未来。今天没有拍到照片的朋友不要介意你没有在内，在这自修的路上希望我们还有机会相遇，我们还是有机会在拍美美哒照片。

Jezz Ng

Senior Yoga Teacher and graduate of 2018

“Feel really grateful and thankful that I have an affinity with Journey Within Studio, I started to teach in this studio since 2013 as a yoga teacher, seeing and growing together with this studio made the relationship even closer.
Start to get in touch with CAT three to four years back, picking up the techniques bit by bit, till the year of 2018, I committed myself in Catalist teacher training course, I able to heal my physical issues (lower back pain) that borders me for many years that I think that is impossible and experience self awareness in a different level. Able to notice the rises of my thoughts and emotions, made me become a happier, joyful person and able to express myself. Also, as a CATALIST we work as a team, I get tremendous support from Michelle, Calvin and my lovely work maids in the aspects of healing and teaching skills, I no longer feel like a lone ranger.
Would like to said thank you again to Journey Within that colours my life with all wonderful bright colours and wish to walk together with JW under the foot steps of love giving and awareness in the near future.
Namaste.”

Suesan

In this life, for different reasons and purposes,
one must travel many journeys.
In some, you’ll be lucky to have the companion in sufferings.
Yet some must be travelled alone.
Be that or otherwise, most importantly is the Journey Within that matters. This is another journey to walk through, with many in between n within. To Michelle & Calvin, and ShanShan, thank you for accepting me unconditionally. To my companions on this journey, thank you for the support and compassion. We shall walk through this together. This is our journey.

Lynda-Anwar

Graduate of 2018

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation and a BIG Thank You to Calvin and Michelle for this wonderful training program. I am glad that I could participated the training. Nice to meet a bunch of great friends here and thanks for all your support given.
Personally, I have benefited so much from this training. Both mind and body healing and coaching from all the trainers have touched me deeply. I get to know my body as well as myself even better. As a qualified yoga teacher as well as Catalist, I wish to share this great combination of body and mind healing technique to more people.”

Susan Leow

Studio owner and graduate of 2019

“I completed the Catalist Program. Thank you to both the teachers, Michelle Tai and Calvin Onn, who teaches from their hearts and are very kind person. I also admiring their passions in doing what helping others.
I enjoyed myself very much during each of the session during the program, with the lovely friends who are willing in working on taking care of our own beings (both body and mind).
I recalled, without much knowledge about CAT, i started the program with lack of confidence if my body can work through the exercises. However, through out the whole period of learning the CAT exercises, each time when my body faced challenges or in pain, those were the opportunities for me to listen to my body and observed closely what’s playing in my mind, I learnt so much about my body and it helps heighten my self-awareness.

I also appreciated all the experiences during the Mindfulness practices, the Retreat, the Pyscology class, the MBCT 5-days and 8-weeks’ courses, those were unforgettable experiences, which kept reminding me on travelling my way home, a place that all beings are longing to.

Journey-Within Studio is a place that once you step-in, you feel comfort and safe, i would recommend friends to participate in any of their programs.”