200-hour Yoga Teacher Training | Level 1 Foundation Course
Gingi Lee | September 2023–March 2024 | 200 hours | IN STUDIO (40 hours online) | Price: £2985
This unique 200-hour yoga teacher training programme has been running since 2016 and has evolved from more than 25 years of teaching and 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 – and to explore yoga for your own personal development.
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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 to 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 laying a solid foundation to go on and teach numerous styles of yoga.
Our wider teacher training programme is based on modules to allow you the flexibility to go on after your 200-hour and 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 12-18 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 2023-24 is senior Yoga Alliance registered teacher Gingi Lee, with Liz Lark as guest teacher and Inna Costantini assisting.
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 over 20 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.”
Guest 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
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.
There are seven long weekends that 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 will do our best to accommodate the option to attend via Zoom livestream, but this should be in exceptional circumstances only.
Mentoring
The course includes mentoring with Gingi who will hold a small group sessions via Zoom. 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.
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, pranayama and restorative yoga. Students who complete their 200-hour and then 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 segments 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 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 200+ 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 led Vinyasa Level 1 and Level 2 class
- be able to safely adjust key postures
- 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 consciously taking yoga beyond your mat into every day life
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.
- When IN STUDIO, the course takes place at the Shala in West Norwood.
- The hours for our weekends are usually 9am–6pm in the studio (*8.30am-6pm on Saturdays). In extenuating circumstances, we will try to accommodate students to attend via Zoom but this is not encouraged or guaranteed.
- Here are the upcoming dates for our next course
- Saturday 23 September 2023
- Sunday 24 September 2023
- Monday 25 September 2023
- Saturday 21 October 2023
- Sunday 22 October 2023
- Monday 23 October 2023
- Saturday 18 November 2023
- Sunday 19 November 2023
- Monday 20 November 2023
- Saturday 9 December 2023
- Sunday 10 December 2023
- Monday 11 December 2023
- Saturday 6 January 2024
- Sunday 7 January 2024
- Monday 8 January 2024
- Saturday 10 February 2024
- Sunday 11 February 2024
- Monday 12 February 2024
- Saturday 16 March 2024
- Sunday 17 March 2024
- Monday 18 March 2024
Course Requirements & Recommendations
- You should have a regular and committed asana practice (minimum of three years) preferably with a vinyasa practice and it is helpful but not essential to have some knowledge of the ashtanga primary series.
- Recommendation from your main teacher.
- Where possible, we advise you attend some 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 course.
- Please email if you have any specific questions or if you would like to book a call with the Teacher Training Manager to discuss the course in more detail. We are always happy to chat and offer advise!
- 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
- £25 application fee
- £750 non-refundable deposit on being accepted on the 200-hour course. Places will not be held without a deposit.
- Please ensure that you save your credit card details so we can process the balance. This will happen in 3 parts of £745. This will automatically be taken once a month, 30 days from payment of the deposit. Receipts will be sent to you when the payments are taken. If you need to discuss a variation of this payment plan, please email us at teachertraining@theshala.co.uk
- Full payment needs to be paid before the course commences.
- 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 the Foundation weekends, 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
