200-Hour Yoga
Teacher Training
A soulful, thought provoking seven-month immersion in the practice, philosophy and craft of yoga — likely to change the way you move, think and live your life. Led by Gingi Lee & Charli Van Ness.
Overview
Transform your inner and outer worlds
"Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self." — Bhagavad Gita
The Shala School of Yoga's 200-hour programme has been described by graduates as life-changing, transformational, and mind-blowing. Crafted from more than 50 combined years of teaching experience, the course intertwines traditional methods with a contemporary approach — a non-dogmatic immersion into the vast subject of yoga.
Many people join for personal growth and exploration rather than to teach. For those called to share the practice, the course provides the skills, knowledge and support to grow into an authentic, confident teacher. Either way, it is an experience that stays with you.
"I came into this expecting to be taught how to teach yoga. What I learned was how to find myself as a teacher — my own voice, my own way. That gift of self-belief is priceless." Course Graduate
The asana teaching draws on Vinyasa, Flow and Ashtanga traditions. Ashtanga's primary series is used as a framework through which postures, transitions and hands-on adjustments are explored in depth. Students are also taught an accessible all-levels Vinyasa sequence and introduced to the broader principles of Vinyasa flow sequencing.
We accept just 20 students per intake, creating an intimate environment with a genuine sense of community, plenty of individual guidance, and real support throughout.
Who is this course for?
What's included?
The course is designed to be manageable alongside full-time work. Seven 3-day weekends are spread across seven months, supplemented by online learning and coursework between sessions. In-person attendance is essential throughout.
One 50% bursary place is offered per intake for applicants who will go on to bring yoga into underrepresented communities. Learn more about Shala School bursaries →
Module Schedule · 2026–2027
Fees & Payments
Good to know
- Application fee is deducted from the course fee if accepted. Deposit is non-refundable.
- Prefer a different payment plan? Pay your deposit and email us to arrange. Full payment must be received before the course starts.
- Select bank transfer (BACS) at checkout — it helps us keep course fees down.
- Bursary available: one 50% bursary place per module is offered each year. Learn more →
Open Day
Thursday 12 March 2027Come and meet the teachers, ask questions, and get a real feel for the course before you apply.
Book Open DayWhat you will gain
A deeper personal practice — and the confidence to take yoga beyond the mat into everyday life
The ability to confidently teach a led all-levels Vinyasa class, or another style of your choice
Possession of your own authentic voice and individual style as a teacher
Skill in safe, intelligent hands-on adjustment technique for key postures
A working knowledge of anatomy & physiology, translated into your teaching
A connection to the philosophical and historical roots of yoga
A grounding in the ethics of yoga and what it means to live the practice
The confidence to lead pranayama, meditation and chanting within a class
What our students say
Two of our graduates share what the 200-hour journey gave them — and how it shaped the teachers and practitioners they've become.
A graduate's story
Finding my voice
I came into this expecting to be taught how to teach yoga. What I learned was how to find myself as a teacher — my own voice, my own way. That gift of self-belief is priceless.
Course GraduateLife-changing doesn't capture it. Gingi's teaching is extraordinary — the precision of the asana work combined with the depth of philosophy gave me a foundation I never expected. I came out a different practitioner, and a different person.
J.H. · Course GraduateSeven months flew by. The structure was manageable alongside full-time work, the community was genuine, and the teaching was exceptional. Highly recommend to anyone considering a serious, grounded teacher training.
Course Graduate 2024The depth surprised me — asana, anatomy, philosophy, hands-on adjustments, breath, meditation, ethics. A serious, thorough qualification I'm incredibly proud to hold.
Course Graduate 2023I walked in thinking I wanted to teach. I walked out a different person — with a practice that has stayed with me every day since, and the confidence to actually hold a room. The honesty and depth of this training is rare.
Course Graduate 2024Your teachers
Gingi Lee
E-RYT 500 · Teaching 30+ yearsGingi Lee teaches from the heart — with compassion, love and humour. Founder of the Shala Yoga Centre, which he ran for 25+ years until 2026, he is co-founder and lead teacher of The Shala School of Yoga — a school built on the conviction that sharing yoga is a profound act of service.
Widely regarded as one of the UK's most senior and respected yoga teachers, Gingi has taught, trained and inspired thousands of practitioners and teachers. He trained in the Ashtanga tradition with the late Derek Ireland and continued his studies with Pattabhi Jois in Mysore.
Read full profile →
Charli Van Ness
E-RYT 500 · YACEP Provider · Teaching since 2005Charli teaches classes, workshops, teacher trainings and retreats to the community of all ages. She has run her own RYS 200-hour Teacher Training School since 2007 and collaborates with the Shala School of Yoga on both the 200-hour and 300-hour programmes.
As a YACEP Provider, Charli also runs KulaKids, Sound Healing, and Women's Wellbeing CPD courses. Her presence supports every student in finding their own authentic voice as a teacher.
Read full profile →Joined by leading voices in their fields
Anatomy, philosophy and the lineage of practice — taught by some of the UK's most respected senior teachers.
Melanie Cooper
E-RYT 500 · Author · 25+ yearsMelanie brings yoga anatomy and physiology to life with rare clarity and warmth. A senior Yoga Alliance teacher and published author, she translates complex anatomical principles into intelligent, embodied teaching that students remember.
Read profile →
Dr Matthew Clark
PhD · SOAS · Scholar & storytellerMatthew is a Sanskrit scholar and historian whose teaching delves into the history, philosophy and roots of yoga. Known for his magnificent storytelling, he makes ancient texts and traditions vivid and immediate for contemporary practitioners.
Read profile →Visiting Faculty
Rotating senior teachersEach year we welcome one or two guest teachers to enrich the training — senior practitioners from across the UK and international yoga community, bringing fresh perspectives and lineage depth.
Course details
- Asana — Ashtanga primary series as a framework, with Vinyasa and flow sequencing
- Hands-on adjustments and detailed alignment principles
- Pranayama, meditation and chanting
- Kriya and advanced breathwork techniques
- Yoga Nidra and relaxation techniques
- Metta meditation and qi gong
- Sacred sound and ceremony
- Functional anatomy applied to yoga — the major systems of the body, movement patterns and healthy joint principles
- Benefits and contraindications for key postures, breathwork and meditation practices
- Trauma-informed awareness in teaching
- History and philosophical roots of yoga
- Yamas, Niyamas and the ethics of teaching
- Yogic precepts and how they translate into contemporary practice
- Living the practice — what it means to be a student and a teacher of yoga today
- Class design and sequencing — led, all-levels Vinyasa and other styles
- Voice, presence and finding your authentic teaching style
- Teaching environments, cueing language and observation
- Ethics, boundaries and the teacher-student relationship
- Regular teaching practicums with constructive faculty and peer feedback
- One-to-one mentoring session with a senior faculty member
- Written coursework and a final practical teaching assessment
- Personal practice log and reflective journal
- To provide a thorough, non-dogmatic foundation in the vast subject of yoga
- To meet and exceed Yoga Alliance RYS 200 standards at every stage
- To support each student in finding their own authentic voice as a teacher
- To foster a supportive kula where trainees can practise, reflect and grow together
- Led by Gingi Lee and Charli Van Ness, with lectures from senior guest faculty
- Seven 3-day weekends in-studio, with livestream and on-demand modules between
- Partner and group practical exercises with constructive feedback
- Home study, reading and a reflective homework journal
- Attendance at all training weekends
- Completion of all written coursework and assessments
- Homework journal, personal practice log, set reading and practicum preparation
- Attendance at a minimum of four yoga classes per month outside of training
- A Yoga Alliance registered 200-hour training (RYS 200), enabling graduates to register as RYT 200 teachers
- All Yoga Alliance educational categories addressed in full
- Certificates issued once all coursework has been completed
Course dates & schedule
This course will run again
Can't make the dates? This training runs annually.
Join us at an Open Day
Before you apply, we warmly invite you to come and spend time with us at one of our twice-yearly Open Days — held every March and June at our West Norwood studio. You'll meet Gingi, Charli and the wider faculty, hear more about the course in person, experience a short practice, and have all your questions answered by current students and teachers.
Open Days are also open to anyone simply curious about deepening their practice — no commitment to apply required.
Book an Open Day place → Next dates: Thursday 12 March 2027 · Friday 18 June 2027How to apply
Interested in the 200-hour?
Not ready to apply yet — or want to hear about future cohorts? Register your interest and we'll be in touch with everything you need to know, including Open Day dates and when the next intake opens.
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