Gingi Lee
Co-founder & Lead TeacherFounder of The Shala and The Shala School of Yoga. Teaches from the heart with compassion, love and humour.
Read profile →Embodied Asana – The Art & Science of Physical Practice
with Gingi Lee, Melanie CooperA four–day deep dive into the how and the why of teaching posture. Led by Gingi Lee and Melanie Cooper, who together have more than fifty–five years of combined teaching between them, this course is for yoga teachers who want their asana classes to feel alive, layered, and modern day relevant.
Overview
All Courses
Asana, taught with depth
How many ways can you teach a forward bend? How do you keep asana alive – for your students and for yourself – class after class, year after year? This course is designed for the teacher who has been asking those questions.
Across four days, Gingi and Melanie open up the practice of teaching posture from every angle: the structure you can see, as well as the biomechanics, energetics and breath you can't. You'll work with the science of movement and the art of communication – exploring how to adapt postures to different bodies, how to layer meaning into a vinyasa class, and how to bridge traditional teachings with contemporary understanding without losing the thread of either.
The course is thematic rather than style–specific, so it builds on whatever lineage you've trained in. Expect tuition, teaching practice, peer and tutor feedback, discussion, debate, and the kind of enlightening conversation that happens in a room full of working teachers. Take it as a standalone CPD or as a core module of the 300–hour programme
"Asana is the springboard for so much more – it's usually how people first meet yoga, and so it's our chance to ignite a passion for the whole of it."
Who is this course for?
200-hour Yoga Teachers
300–hour trainees – this is a core module of the programme
Teachers of ashtanga, vinyasa, flow, yin and other styles
Experienced teachers seeking fresh inspiration and CPD hours
Teachers wanting to make their classes more inclusive and adaptive
What's included?
4 days of training In Studio
6 months access to a supporting library of on–demand videos
Teaching practice with tutor and peer feedback
Discussion, debate and Q&A sessions
Yoga Alliance accredited (YACEP or 300 hours)
Limited livestream places available
£595
Course Dates
22–25 January 2027
10am–6pm each day
Good to know
- £150 deposit reserves your place. Save your bank details at checkout and the balance is taken automatically 21 days before the course starts.
- 300–hour students receive a 10% discount on subsequent modules once they have booked Core Module 1 or this Core Module 2 plus two further modules (priced at £395+) – email us to apply the discount before the final balance is taken
- Hours count towards 300–hour certification or CPD hours.
- 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 by lowering card processing charges.
- Bursary available: one 50% bursary place is offered each year. Learn more →
- FAQs Learn more →
- T&Cs Learn more →
Register Interest View Dates
After this training, you will be...
01
A more confident teacher of asana, equipped to layer biomechanics, energetics and breath into every class
02
A more inclusive teacher, able to adapt postures across body types and abilities, and to teach students how to self–modify safely
03
A teacher fluent in both tradition and contemporary movement science, bridging Patanjali's eight limbs with modern understanding of pain, the nervous system, interoception and more
04
A Yoga Alliance YACEP–credited teacher with 40 hours of Level 2 certification or hours toward your 300–hour qualification
What Our Students Say
What our students say
"What a privilege it has been to be guided by such incredible teachers. Not just for their knowledge, but for the way they hold space – steady, generous, wise. I've felt supported, challenged, and deeply held by the community and the space itself. There's something powerful about learning in an environment where you feel safe enough to soften and brave enough to grow. Grateful."
Becs, 300-hour Trainee
More testimonials
"An exceptional experience. The expertise of the teachers shines through in every detail – from the inspiring use of language to promote inclusivity, to the thoughtful blend of discussion and practical teaching. Gingi and Melanie are truly fantastic teachers who share their wealth of knowledge with incredible generosity."
Sonia, 300-hour Trainee"An amazing course that I think any teacher should do no matter where they are in their teaching journey. Mel and Gingi are amazing. Loved these 4 days together and I came away full of inspiration and with a deep feeling that I am on the right path."
AM, 300-hour Trainee"It's been 4 days of hanging about (quite literally) with the most incredible course teachers and meeting wonderful fellow yoga teachers. So much inspiration and so much love for the practice. The Shala really is an incredible place."
CG, 300-hour Trainee"This course with Gingi Lee and Melanie Cooper exceeded my expectations. The content was fantastic and delivered in a really open, friendly and interesting way. It didn't feel rushed or too slow. The teachers have so much knowledge. The Shala is an amazing place and I'd recommend this course to everyone."
CR, 300-hour Trainee"Both Melanie and Gingi are amazing teachers – they listen, they are approachable and make you feel welcome. I felt like I could be myself and was encouraged rather than forced to participate. Great course, great venue and fantastic people."
CR, 300-hour Trainee
Deepen your knowledge
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Refine your teaching
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Layer the practice
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Adapt to every body
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Teach with intention
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Inspire your students
Your teachers
Melanie Cooper
Lead Teacher Trainer – 300 hours, Yoga Nidra, Yin, Pranayama, Yoga AnatomyLead trainer on both flagship programmes, with decades of practice and teaching experience.
Read profile →Gallery
Shala moments
Course details
- A deep dive into the science of how we move – anatomy, biomechanics and the body in posture
- Working with specific muscle groups in depth
- How to approach difficult and peak postures, and how to sequence toward them
- Modifications, adaptations and accessibility across body types and abilities
- Cues, communication and teaching language
- The art of really resting – restorative principles and recuperation
- Teaching practice, with tutor and peer feedback
- The science of pain – how pain actually works, and how to use that knowledge in your teaching
- Yoga and neuroscience – using understanding of the brain, nervous system and vestibular system to develop strength, flexibility and ease
- Do we stretch muscles? How do we gain flexibility? Do muscles actually lengthen?
- Does alignment matter? Do we need alignment to protect our joints?
- Asana in the context of Patanjali's eight limbs – placing physical practice within the wider tradition
- The intersection of traditional and contemporary yoga – respecting lineage while moving with modern times
- Consciousness and interoception – what makes us aware, and how the practice can support that
- Bringing depth and meaning into a 60–75-minute vinyasa–based class
- How to layer your teaching of asana so it stays alive over years of practice
- Working with the individual and the mixed–ability group
- Educating students to find safe range of movement and self–modify
- Approaches to avoiding injury – for you and for your students
- Working with beginners
- Keeping your own teaching fresh and inspired
- Teaching practice woven through all four days
- Tutor–led feedback and coaching (no formal assessment)
- Peer feedback and peer–inspired learning
- Discussion, debate and Q&A sessions
- Library of on–demand video resources to support your learning, accessible for 6 months
- Counts as a core module toward the Shala's 300–hour Yoga Teacher Trainin
- Mandatory for those joining the 300–hour programme (unless not teaching asana)
- Certificates issued once all coursework has been completed
Course Dates
Course dates & schedule
22
Friday · Jan
Day 1
10am–6pm
Form, function and the foundations of embodied teaching — grounding practice, hands-on assists, modern alignment and a deep dive into backbends
23
Saturday · Jan
Day 2
10am–6pm
Props, pain science and student empowerment — using support to challenge and adapt, understanding stretch and discomfort, and an asana lab on forward bends.
24
Sunday · Jan
Day 3
10am–6pm
Exploration and edge — peer teaching with feedback, assisting in yin and restorative settings, building strength and mobility, and an asana lab on hips and twists.
4
Monday · Jan
Day 4
10am–6pm
Integration and confidence — student-led sequences, arm balances and inversions, the nervous system in asana, and a closing practice and reflection circle.
Future Cohort
This course will run again
Can't make the dates? This training runs once year. Here's what's next on the calendar.
January 2028 tbc
In Studio
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