200-hour Yoga Teacher Training | Level 1 Foundation Course
in Studio in South London with some learning Online, start date 29 April or or 10 September 2022
This unique 200-hour yoga teacher training programme has been running since 2016 and has evolved from more than 20 years’ experience of running a yoga centre. The course is accredited by the Yoga Alliance and is designed to give you the skills, knowledge and motivation needed to thrive in today’s yoga environment – or to explore yoga for your own personal development.
The yoga teaching faculty comprises some of the UK’s most experienced and inspirational teachers including Gingi Lee, Liz Lark, Melanie Cooper and Dr Matthew Clark. The course offers a solid foundation for all students, whether you know you wish to teach yoga, or you are initially looking to enrich your own personal yoga journey.
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Course Overview
The Shala School of Yoga was set up in 2016 for our experienced teaching team to pass on their considerable knowledge and produce a new generation of inspiring and authentic yoga teachers. The 200-hour yoga teacher training programme crafts and intertwines traditional methods with a more contemporary approach and provides a non-dogmatic comprehensive immersion introducing the vast subject of yoga. We examine many aspects of the science of yoga, from the physical practices of asana, pranayama, kriya and anatomy to the mental, philosophical and spiritual nature of the practice. The asana study is influenced by ashtanga yoga but is broad in scope.
Our wider teacher training programme is based on modules to allow you the flexibility to choose your own individual path of learning. We also study through a blended approach, with in studio, livestream and on demand options for many courses, which allows you to comprehend topics fully and with a variety of learning styles in mind. The course gives space for learning, reading, coursework and teaching practice.
Our objective for graduates on our 200-hour yoga teacher training programme is to instil confidence, compassion and integrity. We aim for our graduates to firstly deepen their practice and then for those who wish to teach, to go on to teach with passion and inspiration, spreading yoga authentically to others in a meaningful way. Our 200-hour yoga teacher training programme accepts 15-20 students per intake, allowing those involved to feel like they are part of a community and get the attention, nurture and guidance to take part in what is for most students a hugely transformational experience.
Graduate Course Feedback
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Teaching Faculty
The Shala School of Yoga brings together an exceptionally experienced and gifted team of teachers giving a broad and diverse exploration of the subject. Leading our next 200-hour yoga teacher training course in 2022/23 is senior Yoga Alliance registered teacher Gingi Lee, with Liz Lark as supporting teacher and Inna Constantini assisting Gingi in the Asana Foundation module.
Supporting Teachers
Also on the team are: Dr Matthew Clark who will delve into the History and Philosophy of yoga; Melanie Cooper who brings Anatomy and Physiology to life, Norman Blair who will introduce you to Yin practices and Hamish Hendry sharing his experiences and invaluable insight on Dharma Philosophy and teaching Ashtanga Yoga.
Lead Yoga Teacher: Gingi Lee
The founder of the Shala, Gingi has taught, trained and inspired many British and international yoga teachers over the last two decades. Gingi initially studied and taught martial arts and then moved on to study Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with the late Derek Ireland. He has been teaching yoga for 25+ years and running his own centre for 21 years. In the last few years he has regularly trained with Bodyrolling innovator Yamuna Zake and he now incorporates this practice into his teachings. Read more on his Biography.
Gingi is “a passionate and knowledgeable teacher, who engages with the students and creates an open and honest environment for sharing and learning.”
“I didn’t expect to go so deep with this practice on the TTC. Very intense and emotional experience. Gingi held such a safe supportive space it was really special.”
“I feel very lucky to learn from such a gifted adjuster. Gingi has such a lovely approach to this art.”
Supporting Yoga Teacher: Liz Lark
Liz Lark has been teaching yoga for 25 years. Liz is a Board Member of Yogacampus since its inception in 2003, where she teaches on their trainings and shares sequencing, adjustments and teaching skills in addition to running her own retreats and workshops (see www.lizlark.com). Liz brings together Nature, Travel & Art with her inner travels to share Yoga through creative sequencing, somatic practises, visualisation, meditation & relaxations. Tending the Self is a major theme in Liz ’s practice, inspired by Pema Chodrun’s quote: “the root of compassion is compassion for oneself’.
Great inspiration and drive carried Liz through the Astanga Vinyasa system (1990’s), training in Astanga vinyasa under Derek Ireland. She then diversified into other Hatha Yoga practices to broaden her learning through the British Wheel of Yoga.
The Life Centre Notting Hill has been an anchor for her teaching since 1995 and in early 2000 she joined Gingi Lee at the Shala (then know as the Sangam). Since 1998 she has written 8 books (see ‘1001 Pearls of Yoga Wisdom’ Watkins), her own self publications and most recently the Sequencing Chapter in ‘Yoga Teachers Manual’ (Jessica Kingsley 2018).
Liz and Gingi met 30 years ago in Crete when they were both practicing and studying ashtanga with Derek Ireland and they have had a long history of collaborating together since those early days.
Read more on her Biography.
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Course Structure
Modules
The 200-hour yoga teacher training programme comprises of four modules, all four of which must be completed if you wish to gain a 200-hour certificate
- Foundations 1: Deepening Your Practice | 65 hours
- Foundations 2: Teaching Skills | 100 hours
- Anatomy L1 | 20 hours
- Philosophy L1 | 20 hours
If you join the course then we reserve a space for you on all four upcoming modules. There is, however, flexibility for the Anatomy and the Philosophy modules to be deferred to a later date as long as all four modules are completed within 1 to 2 years to gain certification. Modules can also be done as stand-alone courses with no 200-hour certification. Click on the links above to read more about each individual module.
Mentoring
The course includes mentoring with Gingi who will hold a small group monthly session via Zoom throughout the duration of Foundation 2. The aim of these sessions is to support you through the course and provide a safe and more intimate forum for discussion and answering any specific questions which may come up for you.
Blended Learning
We understand that many students work full time at the same time as studying, while others may have caring responsibilities and other commitments, so we offer a degree of flexibility with the format of our course. The programme has some components of blended learning in the form of livestream online sessions and some pre-recorded content for philosophy and anatomy which can, should you wish to, be completed at later dates.
Foundations 1 and 2 take place in the studio and we do require students to attend in person. We feel strongly that these practices are best learnt and experienced in person where we can fully explore the deeper energetics and nuances, including communicating through touch. In instances where you are absolutely unable to come into the studio, then we can accommodate the option to attend via Zoom livestream, but this should be in exceptional circumstances.
Elective Modules
As a Shala 200-hour student you have the added benefit of being able to study any of our additional specialist modules to allow you to also teach areas of yoga that are of particular interest to you. These specialist interest courses range from pregnancy yoga to sequencing, aerial, yin yoga, yoga nidra and restorative yoga. Students completing Foundation 1, 2 and Philosophy 1 and Anatomy 1 who also do a specialist module would be qualified to teach these as specialist subjects (although there are some exceptions to this rule). See other elective modules here.
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Syllabus
This 200-hour yoga teacher training course is a foundation yoga course which will introduce students to the vast subject of yoga. The Asana module will be influenced by ashtanga but will be broad in scope using the ashtanga sequence as a framework to explore postures and hands-on adjustments in more depth. We will explore an accessible beginners vinyasa sequence, in addition to the full ashtanga primary sequence and students will be equipped to go on to teach ashtanga or to explore vinyasa sequencing of their own. The approach will be non-dogmatic and will touch on the traditional and more contemporary approaches to yoga. You will learn some hands-on adjustments, detailed alignment and technical break down of the postures.
A typical day starts with pranayama, meditation and/or chanting and an asana practice. There are 205 contact hours in total in addition to about 50-75 non-contact hours required for assignments and coursework. For more on how the course breaks down please see the drop down menu on Syllabus Breakdown below.
What you can expect from the 200-hour yoga teacher training course
By the end of the course you can expect to:
- be able to confidently teach a dynamic led Level 1 and Level 2 class influenced by the ashtanga system
- be able to safely adjust many of the postures in the ashtanga primary series
- have an understanding of anatomy & physiology and be able to translate this into your teachings
- have a connection with the philosophical and historical roots of yoga and be able to transmit this into teaching
- have a full grasp of the ethics of yoga and how this translates into being a teacher
- be confident to lead simple pranayama, meditation and chanting within the class
- have a deeper connection to yoga and be living yoga beyond the mat
The Shala School of Yoga Teacher Training Programme
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training 2022-2023 Course Dates
- The dates of our 200-hour modules are set out below and will not change unless there are exceptional circumstances.
- It is essential that you are available to attend all days of each module to fulfil your requirements and graduate from the training.
- If accepted on to the course you will be reserved a place for all four upcoming modules (Foundations 1, Foundations 2, Anatomy 1, Philosophy 1).
- It is possible to sign up for the modules one by one and spread them out over a longer period of learning though this is a less economical way to do the course.
- As long as all modules are successfully completed within a period of 2 years you can still attain a 200-hour accreditation.
- Your starting point should always be Foundations 1 which usually runs twice a year.
- When IN STUDIO, the course takes place at the Shala in West Norwood.
- The hours for Foundations 1 & 2 are usually 9am–6pm in the studio. In extenuating circumstances it will be possible to attend via Zoom but this is not encouraged.
- Here are the upcoming dates for Foundations 1 & 2. You can choose to do both modules with the same lead teacher(s) or you can opt for different lead teachers for each module.
- Saturday 10 September 2022
- Sunday 11 September 2022
- Friday 12 September 2022
- Saturday 8 October 2022
- Sunday 9 October 2022
- Friday 19 November 2022
- Saturday 20 November 2022
- Sunday 21 November 2022
- Saturday 10 December 2022
- Sunday 11 December 2022
- Monday 12 December 2022
- Saturday 14 January 2023
- Sunday 15 January 2023
- Monday 16 January 2023
- Saturday 25 February 2023
- Sunday 26 February 2023
- Monday 27 February 2023
- Saturday 25 March 2023
- Sunday 26 March 2023
- Monday 27 March 2023
For the next Anatomy and Philosophy Module dates please see respective module pages.
Or Click here for a pdf of whole schedule with all modules for our next course.
Course Requirements & Recommendations
- You should have a regular and committed asana practice (minimum of three years) preferably with some knowledge of the ashtanga primary series.
- Recommendation from your main teacher.
- We strongly advise you attend classes with Gingi Lee before applying.
- We expect you to have some understanding of yoga beyond the physical practice.
- Successful applicants should be in good health and have stable personal circumstances
Application Process
- If you would like to be considered for our next intake, please submit your full application form here.
- Early applications are highly recommended as we are usually oversubscribed.
- Places will be allocated in stages so we will not be able to consider late applications if all places have been allocated.
- On acceptance of your place, please click on the Set Up Payment Plan to pay the deposit and confirm your place on the course and you will be registered for the next dates for each of the four modules.
- Please email if you have any specific questions or if you would like to book a call to discuss the course in more detail.
- Please email if you have any specific learning requirements and we will do all that we can to support you.
Pricing
- £2,985 course fees for the entire course comprising of all four modules taken consecutively - once your application has been approved you will be reserved a place on all four upcoming modules.
- £3485 If you do not commit to upcoming dates and choose instead to book the modules individually on an ad hoc basis
- £25 application fee
- £495 non-refundable deposit on being accepted on the 200-hour course, this guarantees you a place on each upcoming module. Places will not be held without a deposit.
- Please ensure that you save your credit card details so we can process the balance of £2,490. This will happen in 3 parts of £830 (1 May, 1 July, 1 Sept). Receipts will be sent to you when the payment has been taken.
- Full payment for each individual module needs to be paid in full before starting each module.
- Fees include: the course manual and other material, training and assessment by a qualified Yoga Alliance Professional SYT: certificate if you successfully complete the course. The fee does not include travel, accommodation, food or insurance.
- During the period you are enrolled on Foundations 1 and Foundations 2, you will be eligible for a 20% concession discount on 1, 5 and 10-class passes and workshops that take place.
Our syllabus breaks down as follows though since the course has been restructured to accommodate more flexible learning this is an approximate guideline
- Asana: Beginners | 32 hr
- Asana: Level 2 (based on the ashtanga Primary series) | 32 hr
- Asana: Adjustments | 20 hr
- Asana: Exploration through Personal Practice | 17 hr
- Teaching Methodology | Gingi & Kath | (incorporated within Asana teachings)
- Pranayama, Meditation & Chanting | 20 hr
- Anatomy & Physiology | 20 hr
- History & Philosophy | 20 hr
- Professional Ethics | Gingi | 4 hr
- Guest Teachers | 15 hr
- Intro & Closing Sessions, Exams, Assessment, Other | 25 hr
- 5-10 hours expected per week of independent study
Assessments & Coursework
- Assessment from the lead teachers will be continual throughout the duration of the course
- Coursework will be issued after each session and usually includes: a written assignment, reading a text, maintaining an ongoing yoga journal about your personal experiences, teaching community classes and maintaining a regular personal practice
- There will be a Philosophy & Ethics and Anatomy & Science exam in the final week of the course
- There will also be a 1-hour final teaching assessment
Materials
- You will be supplied with an Essential Reading List of 8-10 books which you will need to purchase
- We will provide a course manual included in the course fee
- The course schedule will be given to you in advance of each session
Successful completion of the course is at the discretion of the lead teachers and a pass is NOT guaranteed. We will, however, do our best to foresee and overcome any individual issues and weaknesses to ensure everyone is given the best chance of graduating from the course. Teaching skills are observed and assessed on an ongoing basis, which means we will feed back to you should we have any concerns. On occasion you may require extra tuition in a certain field. In some instances students may receive a “conditional” pass based on fulfilling certain additional requirements. If you fail any parts of the course you will have six months to successfully complete these elements of the course and to graduate.
Requirements for graduating from the course. You should:
- practice a minimum of 4 times a week (this includes home self practice)
- attend a minimum of 100 hours of classes and workshops which should be recorded in your yoga journal
- attend the course in full (a minimum attendance rate of 90% is an absolute requirement). Note that In the eventuality of sickness or unforeseen absence we will discuss options for catching up missed sessions – 1-1 sessions are usually required for an additional hourly fee paid directly to the tutor
- complete all coursework and assignments on time and to a satisfactory standard – any work that is not of a high enough standard will need to be re-submitted
- read all texts from the Essential Reading List
- pass the mini quizzes and practical assessment – if you need to resit any elements this needs to be done within six months of the end of the course (an additional fee will be applicable)
- adhere to the Yamas and Niyamas and the code of ethics laid out in the the manual in all your dealings with other students and the course tutors. (Please note that should we ever feel a student’s own conduct is in conflict with these basic principles in any way that causes concern, we may refuse to graduate that student from the course.)
- be regularly practising teaching outside of the course – ideally once a week
Accreditation and moving forward
Our teacher training course has met the requirements set by the Yoga Alliance. Our graduates are trained to a high standard and are eligible to register with the Yoga Alliance and become a Registered yoga teacher. Moving forward, graduates will be equipped to start teaching in yoga studios, gyms, or independently and will have an insight into what it means to work as a self-employed yoga teacher. We also offer advanced trainings and a 300-hour Level 2 programme for those looking to work towards an advanced certification.
On joining the course, you will be asked to sign the following Code of Conduct agreement:
CODE OF CONDUCT SHALA SCHOOL OF YOGA TEACHER TRAINING ________________________________________
Dear Student
Thank you for joining the 200-hour diploma course and welcome to the Shala School of Yoga Teacher Training. We sincerely hope the course will set you on the path of a positive and transformative yoga journey.
In order to maintain our reputation and to ensure the high standards we pride ourselves on, it is important that you reach a certain minimum standard in order to certify. If ever we feel you are not achieving the required standard, we will talk to you personally and do our best to help you rectify this. Assessment is on a continuous basis and you will receive regular feedback on your progress. Additionally there will be mini quizzes and a practical assessment that you will need to pass. Students who do not meet the required standards will be asked to improve on the areas of weakness, and demonstrate that they have done this in order to graduate. The course is accredited by the Yoga Alliance and all successful students who graduate from the Shala School of Yoga can be registered on the Yoga Alliance database of accredited teachers.
This Code of Conduct is a summation and declaration of acceptable, ethical, and professional behaviour by which all Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teachers agree to conduct the teaching and business of Yoga.
As a Registrant of the Shala School of Yoga Teacher Training, I agree to uphold the ethical goals set forth in the following Code of Conduct:
- To ensure that safe and effective teaching is available to the public.
- To adhere to the Yamas and Niyamas and the code of ethics laid out in the teaching manual
- To maintain and uphold the traditions of Hatha Yoga. To teach yoga from the experience of these traditions and to disseminate these teachings to anyone, from any background, who earnestly desires to follow these traditions.
- To uphold the integrity of my vocation by conducting myself in a professional and conscientious manner.
- Acknowledge the limitations of my skills and scope of practice and where appropriate, refer students to seek alternative instruction, advice, treatment, or direction.
- Create and maintain a safe, clean, and comfortable environment for the practice of yoga.
- Encourage diversity actively by respecting all students regardless of age, physical limitations, race, creed, gender, ethnicity, religion affiliation, or sexual orientation.
- Respect the rights, dignity, and privacy of all students.
- Avoid words and actions that constitute sexual harassment.
- Follow all local government and national laws that pertain to my yoga teaching and business.
I agree to comply with the conditions and requirements as set out in the course curriculum, and accept that failure to do so will disqualify me from any accreditation. I furthermore vow to uphold the standards of the teachings I have been given, and to maintain and promote the good name of yoga and of the Shala School of Yoga at all times. I accept that failure to do so may lead to the annulment of any accreditation obtained from The Shala School of Yoga Teacher Training.
Print Name
Course and starting date
Signed and dated
Trainings at the Shala are run independently and all payments for training services are accepted on behalf of the individual teachers.
- Any livestreamed elements of this training will be recorded and anyone who is unable to attend this part can email us to request a link to the recording, which will be available for 7 days after the event.
- The course leaders and the Shala reserve the right to photograph or film during the programme and to use these images for our website and marketing purposes
In the event that you wish to cancel your place on the course, please email us as soon as possible, stating your reason for cancellation and providing medical notes where relevant. Our refund policy is as follows:
- With 12 weeks or more notice: the fee minus deposit will be refunded
- With less than 12 weeks notice the full fee will be payable. We will do our best to reallocate your place and if we are able to, we will, at our discretion, refund the full fee, minus the deposit, minus an additional £350 admin charge
- Course leaders reserve the right to cancel the course at any point. If the course is cancelled prior to starting the course, refunds will be issued in full including deposits.
- In the highly unlikely event that the course is cancelled by us partway through due to extenuating circumstances, we will a) defer the rest of the course or failing that b) refunds will be given on a pro-rata basis based on how much tuition has been received
- At the discretion of the Shala School of Yoga, the course teaching faculty may change.
- If you decide to leave the course for any reason once it has started, we regret that the fee is non-refundable and it is not possible to defer your place to another course
We are fully committed to providing the best possible experience on the course and we encourage open and honest communication throughout. Should you wish to make any complaints or raise any issues, please follow the procedure laid out below so we can find a positive resolution as quickly as possible. You may involve someone else to support you at any stage. If you need a sign language or community language interpreter, please let the person dealing with the complaint know and every reasonable effort will be made to provide it.
Stage One: Speak to the individual(s) concerned or to the Course Organiser and try to resolve the complaint informally on the day. If you are not satisfied with the response you have received, follow stage two.
Stage Two: Outline the details of your complaint by email and send it to the Course Organiser who will investigate the complaint. Your complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days from the date it is received. The response will contain the following information:
- Name of the person who will investigate the complaint
- The date(s) that the incident happened
- What support you can expect to receive during the process of the complaint
- An expected response date
In fairness to all parties and to ensure the investigator is able to investigate the complaint in an open and meaningful way, we cannot guarantee your anonymity. In exceptional cases, however, where a vulnerable adult is involved, in accordance with national guidelines and good practice the identity of individuals at risk will be protected.
When the person(s) who are dealing with the complaint, have had an opportunity to review it, they will write to the tutor or person about whom the complaint has been made. The letter will outline the main elements of your complaint and ask for a full written response.
At this point, if further relevant information comes to light, you may be asked for your comments to ensure the investigator has a balanced understanding. When your response has been received, the investigator will consider all the information available to them and make a decision.
The response will include the following information:
- Details of the investigation
- A decision about whether the complaint was upheld or not
- The reason for the decision
- The re-dress, if appropriate, which will be offered to you, for example, an apology, additional help or directing you to other sources of advice or support
- Any other action that may be taken in light of the complaint
- If it is not possible to provide a full answer to your complaint within 30 working days, the letter will outline reasons why and give a date by which a full answer is expected.