The Shala

The Shala Yoga Classes, Workshops and Yoga Teacher Training | Retreat Days | Livestreamed and In Studio | A sa

The Shala was founded by Gingi Lee in 1997, as one of London's first dedicated yoga centres. In 2014, the Shala expanded and took over a newly refurbished space in a Victorian warehouse in West Norwood, on the fringes of West Dulwich. And in 2016, it developed a well respected teacher training programme. The beautiful purpose-built new centre incorporates three light-filled studios, a therapy room, reception, changing facilities and a small coffee bar for post-practice coffee. There daily classes encompassing a range styles including ashtanga, vinyasa flow, Mysore self practice, yin and restorative and Jivamukti yoga. The centre is just minutes from West Norwood overground station and is easily accessible from South London's surrounding neighbourhoods including Clapham, Balham, Brixton, Tulse Hill, Herne Hill, Dulwich, Crystal Palace, Forest Hill and Croydon. There are direct train links from Victoria and London Bridge, various buses and cycle racks and free parking nearby. The space is a sanctuary, peaceful, but vibrant and always warm and welcoming. A dedicated yoga space in which to enhance and develop physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. A place to roll out your mat, be part of a community, share, heal and grow. Our teachers all share a deep love and respect for yoga and have a passion for sharing their knowledge and for training a new generation of teachers. Shala classes place an emphasis on encouraging students to develop an individual practice. Our ethos will always be centred around forming a close personal touch on all that we do. Being independent, sharing the love of the practices, and having a positive connection with like-minded people. The centre is also a hub for new life with classes for pregnant women, mother & baby, kids yoga, and teens yoga and a range of workshops from Aerial Yoga to Sound Baths and Breath Work.

A midwinter pause to soften, listen, and move inward. This gentle workshop weaves Yin Yoga, Pranayama, and Meditation to...
13/01/2026

A midwinter pause to soften, listen, and move inward. This gentle workshop weaves Yin Yoga, Pranayama, and Meditation to explore the three Dantiens — grounding the body, opening the heart, and clarifying the mind.

Expect slow, nourishing practice, subtle breathwork, and moments of deep stillness, with sound gently supporting the journey. A space to reconnect with your inner rhythm and let everything settle.

Yin Yoga, Pranayama & Meditation Workshop
Saturday 31 January 2026 | 2:00–4:30 pm
With Emma Peel | £40

Suitable for all levels. Come as you are.

13/01/2026

A slower way in. A deeper way of listening.

Yin Yoga invites deep unwinding, nervous system calm, and the kind of stillness that allows real change to happen.

Our Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Melanie Cooper is held in a supportive, non-dogmatic space where you’re invited to receive as well as to learn.

You’ll explore yin poses, sequencing, fascia and meridians, the use of props, and hands-on assists while reconnecting with your own practice and refining your teaching voice.

The training includes two live days (in studio or livestream) plus nine hours of on-demand content released in January, available for six months.

It can be taken as a stand-alone Yoga Alliance accredited course or as part of our 300-hour programme.

21–22 February 2026
In Studio or Livestream

Ever feel like your body just needs more space?Bodyrolling is a gentle yet powerful way to release deep-held tension, de...
12/01/2026

Ever feel like your body just needs more space?

Bodyrolling is a gentle yet powerful way to release deep-held tension, decompress the spine, and restore balance from the inside out. Using soft Yamuna balls, we roll slowly and consciously, allowing muscles to soften, alignment to improve, and the nervous system to settle.

Think deep release without force.mSupport without strain.
And a body that feels lighter, calmer, and more at home.

Join Gingi Lee for Bodyrolling Bliss
Saturday 17 January
10:00–12:00
In studio

Supporting pregnancy with skill, care, and deep respect for the body.Our 5-day Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training with Alex...
09/01/2026

Supporting pregnancy with skill, care, and deep respect for the body.

Our 5-day Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training with Alexa Dean is an immersive, heart-led training for those wanting to confidently and safely teach pregnant women. Rooted in anatomy, mindfulness, movement, and lived experience, this course offers the tools to guide pregnancy yoga classes with clarity and compassion.

Ideal for yoga teachers, trainees, doulas, birth workers, and practitioners ready to deepen their knowledge and support this transformative stage of life.

4 March (virtual intro) + 5–9 March 2026
In studio

09/01/2026

Join Daniel Simpson on 14 January for an interactive online session of the Yoga Philosophy Club, exploring yogic ethics in both traditional texts and modern life. Together we’ll reflect, question, and inquire into what makes actions wise, skillful, and aligned.

We’ll explore questions like:
• How do we define right action, and how much does context matter?
• Are Patañjali’s yamas and niyamas still the most useful guide?
• Do different situations call for different values?
• Does practice naturally lead to ethical living, or is something more needed?

A thoughtful space for conversation, curiosity, and perspective.

Find out more and join us here: https://bit.ly/shala-club-3

08/01/2026

A different kind of Friday night

Stillness. Quietude. Introspection. Reset. Presence.

This Friday for our "alternative Friday night" we have breathwork with Emma Landolt, an opportunity to unwind the week in a way that fills your cup. This is an evening to slow down, breathe deeply, connect meaningfully, and arrive back in your body.

Come as you are.
Leave feeling grounded, nourished, and more yourself.

Friday 9 January 2026
7:00–8:30 pm

An accessible, grounded exploration of the Primary Series where breath, movement, and alignment meet. In this workshop, ...
07/01/2026

An accessible, grounded exploration of the Primary Series where breath, movement, and alignment meet. In this workshop, we slow the pace of Ashtanga Vinyasa and explore it through an Iyengar lens, holding postures a little longer and using props to support clarity, strength, and ease.

A space to refine, understand, and reconnect with the roots of the practice.

Saturday 17 January 2026
2:00–4:00 pm
with Kate Towers

07/01/2026

This 4-day immersion with Gingi Lee and Melanie Cooper is an invitation to reconnect with why you teach, and to expand how you teach.

It’s for teachers who feel ready to refresh their approach, deepen their relationship with movement, and bring more sensitivity, creativity, and intelligence into the way they hold space.

Across four days, we’ll explore biomechanics, breath, energetics, and adaptation — not as dry concepts, but as living tools you can feel in your own body and immediately bring into your classes. The focus is on real people, real bodies, and real rooms — so your teaching becomes more responsive, inclusive, and alive.

The in-studio training is now fully booked, and we’re delighted to open the final 2 places for livestream attendance.

📅 23–26 January 2026

NEW CLASS with Richard Knight: Yin Yoga & MeditationSlow down, melt in, and find your center.Join Richard Knight for a Y...
06/01/2026

NEW CLASS with Richard Knight: Yin Yoga & Meditation

Slow down, melt in, and find your center.

Join Richard Knight for a Yin Yoga & Meditation session where stillness meets soul nourishment. Gentle long-held postures + mindful reflection = a space to reset your body, mind, and spirit.

Tuesdays, starts Jan 6
8–9 PM
Mysore Studio The Shala

06/01/2026

Our longest standing student - Sara, who has been practising with the Shala and Gingi for about 3 decades! Sara you are an inspiration and a legend!

These words come from teachers who left feeling more confident, more creative, and more at home in their own bodies and ...
05/01/2026

These words come from teachers who left feeling more confident, more creative, and more at home in their own bodies and teaching.

If you’ve been craving a way to teach that feels intuitive, supportive of the nervous system, and truly alive, this training might be for you.

Somatic Yoga Teacher Training
31 Jan – 1 Feb 2026
with Charli Van Ness

Swipe through to hear their experiences ✨

In a world that moves fast, yin invites us to slow right down.Long-held, floor-based postures create space to soften, re...
02/01/2026

In a world that moves fast, yin invites us to slow right down.
Long-held, floor-based postures create space to soften, release, and simply stay with what is.

Through stillness, we listen.
To the body.
To the breath.
To the quieter movements of the mind and heart.

Join Norman Blair for a nourishing afternoon of Yin Yoga that supports deep release, reflection, and a gentle return to balance. Suitable for all levels.

Address

1 Chestnut Road West Norwood
London
SE279EZ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 8pm
Tuesday 6:30am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 9:30pm
Thursday 9am - 9:30pm
Friday 9am - 9:30pm
Saturday 8:30am - 6pm
Sunday 9:30am - 9:30pm

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Our Story

The Shala was founded by Gingi Lee in 1997, as one of London's first dedicated yoga centres. In 2014, the Shala expanded and took over a newly refurbished space in a Victorian warehouse in West Norwood, on the fringes of West Dulwich. The beautiful purpose-built new centre incorporates three light-filled studios, a therapy room, reception, changing facilities and a small coffee bar for post-practice coffee. There are 40+ classes a week on offer with a encompassing a range styles including ashtanga, vinyasa flow, Mysore self practice, yin and restorative and Dharma yoga. The centre is just minutes from West Norwood overground station and is easily accessible from South London's surrounding neighbourhoods including Clapham, Balham, Brixton, Tulse Hill, Herne Hill, Dulwich, Crystal Palace, Forest Hill and Croydon. There are direct train links from Victoria and London Bridge, various buses and cycle racks and free parking nearby. The new space is a sanctuary, peaceful, but vibrant and always warm and welcoming. A dedicated yoga and Pilates space in which to enhance and develop physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. A place to roll out your mat, be part of a community, share, heal and grow. Our teachers all share a deep love and respect for yoga and Pilates and have a passion for sharing their knowledge. Shala classes place an emphasis on encouraging students to develop an individual practice. Our ethos will always be centred around forming a close personal touch on all that we do. Being independent, sharing the love of the practices, and having a positive connection with like-minded people. The centre is also a hub for new life with classes for pregnant women, mother & baby, kids yoga, and teens yoga and a range of workshops from Mindfulness to Breath Work.