Kum Nye Teacher Training Programs:

KNTT Level 1 Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga

Starting August 2026

KNTT Level 2 The Joy of Being

Starting October 2025

Please address questions and application requests to the KNTT Program Faculty: [email protected]

KNTT Level 1: Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga

This 11-month comprehensive teacher training, based on Tarthang Tulku’s first Kum Nye text Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga, includes 9 weekend workshops, as well as 36 weekly classes taking place during the Nyingma Institute’s Early Fall through Late Spring academic terms. The next training begins in August of 2026.

As this is an online training, it allows for participation by those who live at a distance from Berkeley. The weekly class is presented online at two different times each week to accommodate different time zones: Monday evenings BST/GMT led by our assisting instructors in the U.K. and Ireland; and Tuesday evenings Pacific Time led by Nyingma Institute faculty. See schedule posted below for dates and times.

KNTT Level 2: The Joy of Being

This second-level teacher training is open to those who have completed their Level 1 certification and want to develop further with ‘Kum Nye for mind and senses’, presented in depth in Tarthang Tulku’s second Kum Nye text The Joy of Being. This training, starting in October 2025, includes 9 weekend workshops, as well as 48 weekly classes. This training is unique in that the workshops will be held in conjunction with the KNTT Level 2 program at the Dutch Nyingma center in Amsterdam. All combined trainings will be conducted in English.

As this is an online training, it allows for participation by those who live at a distance from Berkeley. As with the Level 1 program, the weekly class is presented online at two different times each week to accommodate different time zones: Monday evenings Pacific Time led by Nyingma Institute faculty; and Wednesday evenings BST/GMT led by our assisting instructors in the U.K. See schedule posted below for dates and times. Please see write-up for The Joy of Being under About in the top menu.

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While both programs are designed as teacher training programs, those who want to take a deep dive into Kum Nye but who are not interested in becoming certified to teach are most welcome to join.

Faculty for both programs include Nyingma Institute Kum Nye instructors Abbe Blum, Santosh Philip and Donna Morton, joined by UK-based instructors Bram Williams and Jonathan Clewley. In addition, Ireland-based instructor Matt Padwick will join the Level 1 faculty, and UK-based Angela Bushaway will join the Level 2 faculty (see faculty bios below). Please visit this link to see the bios of the Dutch instructors who will be co-leading the workshops of the Level 2 training.

KNTT Level 1 Program Cost: $2,750

KNTT Level 2 Program Cost: $2,750

Payment in full: A $500 early bird discount is offered for program payment in full before:
- Level 2 – September 1, 2025 (total $2,250). After September 1, payment in full is $2,750.
- Level 1 – June 1, 2026 (total $2,250). After June 1, 2026 payment in full is $2,750.
Monthly payment plans (10 installments): An initial $500 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place. Payment plans are based on the full amount of $2,750. A $200 discount is offered for registering prior to:
- Level 2 – September 1, 2025 (total $2,550) with a payment plan.
- Level 1 – June 1, 2026 (total $2,550) with a payment plan.
Cancellation policy: Refunds are available during the first 4 weeks of the program, minus the $500 deposit. After 4 weeks, there are no refunds.

Schedule: Please see below for the upcoming Level 1 and 2 schedules of classes and workshops.

faculty

Abbe Blum
Abbe has been teaching in the Nyingma Mandala since 1998, and currently presents Kum Nye, Joy of Being, Lotus Trilogy, Caring, and Nyingma Psychology courses at Nyingma Institute. She worked as one of the editors on several of Rinpoche’s latest books and co-designed the hands-on Joy of Being Workbook.

Santosh Philip
Santosh has taught at Nyingma Institute since 2003. His primary teaching area is Kum Nye, where he conveys his considerable love and respect for Tibetan Yoga self-massage and movement practices to his students, both at the advanced and introductory levels. He is also an architect and entrepreneur.

Donna Morton
Donna first encountered Nyingma teachings in 1997. Upon completing a 6-month retreat program at Nyingma Institute in 2001, she began teaching Kum Nye programs here. She is also a physical therapist, holistic nutrition consultant, and health educator.

assisting instructors

Angela Bushaway
Angela has been practising Kum Nye for many years. She has attended annual Kum Nye retreats in The Netherlands and Germany, as well as training programmes in California. She currently teaches Kum Nye classes in Malvern, England with her partner Roger. Angela is a trained acupuncturist and shiatsu practitioner. When not working she enjoys walking their dog in the Malvern Hills.

Jonathan Clewley
Jonathan encountered Kum Nye in London way back, before he knew what it was, and walked out of the room almost blissed out. That experience led him to a deeper involvement with Kum Nye, and other teachings of Tarthang Tulku. He shares his understanding of what he’s learnt so far whenever suitable opportunities arise.

Bram Williams
Bram is a long term student of yoga, dharma and Nyingma. He came to Kum Nye almost by mistake, subsequently attended several programmes and trainings in California, attends annual Kum Nye retreats in Holland and Germany and now practices and teaches in London and Oxford. Currently studying myofascial anatomy in movement, Bram is also an occasional puppeteer and a qualified Lip-Reading Tutor.

Matt Padwick
Matt has been practising meditation and Kum Nye as a member of the Dzogchen Beara Retreat Centre community (in West Cork, Ireland) since 1998.
He was first authorised to teach Kum Nye in 2019, and completed this Teacher Training as a student in 2023-24.
Matt offers Kum Nye workshops and retreats at Dzogchen Beara, elsewhere in Ireland and online.