£180
CPD Vedic Chanting: A Three-Part Foundation Course with Helen Macpherson
Following the success of Helen’s introductory workshop, we are delighted to offer a deeper exploration of this ancient practice with a Vedic Chanting Foundation Course.
The Veda-s are among the oldest known texts still in use today and form the foundation of much of India’s ancient wisdom tradition, including the origins of Yoga. For thousands of years these teachings were preserved through an exact oral tradition, passed carefully from teacher to student through listening, repetition and sound.
Vedic chanting is not about singing or performance. It is a practice of attention, breath, listening and precision, offering a different way to experience the depth of Yoga beyond physical practice.
Across three sessions, Helen will guide students through traditional methods of learning chant, helping you develop confidence, understanding and your own relationship with sound. It is possible to join at any point.
This practical course will explore:
• Traditional Vedic chants
• Sanskrit pronunciation and sound
• The history and background of chanting
• The relationship between sound, breath and meditation
• Mantra within the wider yoga tradition
• How chanting can support your personal practice or teaching
Helen Macpherson is a yoga teacher and teacher trainer in the tradition of TKV Desikachar and Sri T Krishnamacharya, with a special interest in the use of sound and mantra. She has studied Vedic chanting for over twenty years and runs international Vedic Chant Teacher Training Courses with her own chant teacher, Radha Sundararajan.
Helen also teaches classes and one-to-one therapeutic sessions and assists her partner Andy in Yoga Teacher Training Courses.
This course is suitable for:
• Yoga teachers wishing to deepen their understanding of Yoga beyond āsana
• Yoga trainees building knowledge and CPD hours
• Students interested in Yoga philosophy, Sanskrit and traditional practices
• Anyone curious about the effect of sound, breath and chanting
This course will also complement the upcoming Yoga Philosophy workshops with Andy Curtis-Payne, giving students a greater understanding of the oral tradition through which these teachings have been preserved.
Vedic Chanting: A Three-Part Foundation Course
with Helen Macpherson. It is possible to drop in to individual sessions, please contact for price.
£180 Standard Price for two sessions
£150 for SYT Graduates, Trainees & Yoga on the Lake, for two sessions
Saturday 7 November 2026, 11:00am–3:00pm
Session Two: Developing Your Practice
Exploring traditional chants, mantra, pronunciation & the relationship between sound, breath & attention
Saturday 12 December 2026, 11:00am–3:00pm
Session Three: Deepening Your Understanding
Integrating chanting into personal practice & exploring the wider tradition of Yoga
£450
Instalments available
Individual workshops on sale, see below
CPD 4-Part Workshop Series with Andy Curtis-Payne
Andy Curtis-Payne is one of the UK's most experienced and respected yoga teachers, with over thirty years of teaching and study within the tradition of Sri T. Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar.
In 2008, Andy was personally appointed as a Teacher Trainer by T.K.V. Desikachar, a reflection of his depth of knowledge, integrity and commitment to preserving the authenticity of this classical tradition. He has undertaken extensive study at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India, where he has deepened his understanding of yoga as a holistic discipline that can be adapted to meet the needs of every individual.
Alongside teaching classes, training yoga teachers and mentoring practitioners, Andy has developed particular expertise in yoga therapy, working with people experiencing a wide range of physical, mental and emotional health conditions. His approach is thoughtful, compassionate and firmly rooted in the principle that yoga should serve the individual, rather than expecting the individual to fit the practice.
Andy has also made a significant contribution to the development of yoga therapy in the UK, serving as Chair of both The Society of Yoga Practitioners (TSYP) and the British Council for Yoga Therapy.
This four-part Continuing Professional Development (CPD) series offers a rare opportunity to study with one of the UK's most experienced senior teachers. Drawing on decades of practice, teaching and study, Andy combines the wisdom of the classical texts with practical application, helping participants develop a deeper understanding of yoga beyond the physical practice.
These workshops are suitable for qualified yoga teachers, trainee teachers and dedicated practitioners who wish to explore the philosophical and practical foundations of classical yoga in greater depth.
£450
£400 for SYT Graduates, Trainees & Yoga on the Lake Members
Saturday 31 October 2026, 11:00am–3:00pm
Yogāsana: Origins, purpose and practice
Saturday 28 November 2026, 11:00am–3:00pm
Prāṇāyāma: The breath of life
Saturday 23 January 2027, 11:00am–3:00pm
Bandhas: Exploring the energetic locks
Saturday 06 March 2027, 11:00am–3:00pm
Dhyānam: Meditation in theory and practice
£500
50 Hours
- 16 & 18 Oct, 2026
50-hour Pregnancy & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training
This 50-hour Yoga Alliance Professionals UK accredited training is designed for qualified yoga teachers who want to confidently and safely work with pregnant and postnatal students.
You will learn how to adapt yoga for each stage of pregnancy, support common conditions, and teach in a way that is both clinically informed and practically grounded.
The course combines live teaching, integration sessions, and structured self-study, giving you the skills to apply this work immediately within your own classes or specialist offerings.
Prerequisites:
Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga/Certified 200 Hours or 'working towards'
Outcomes:
- Teach pregnant students safely within general classes
- Design and deliver pregnancy-specific courses
- Understand postnatal recovery and return to movement
Course Hours Breakdown:
- 28 hours live teaching (Zoom + in-person)
- 22 hours self-study, coursework & applied teaching
Total: 50 hours
Schedule
£140
- 31 Oct, 2026
Āsana is the aspect of yoga that most people recognise today, but what are its origins and what was its original purpose?
The root of the word āsana is associated with sitting, staying and abiding, suggesting a stable and comfortable seat for meditation and prāṇāyāma rather than simply a system of physical exercise. Within the classical tradition, posture was never regarded as an end in itself, but as one element of a much broader path towards clarity, steadiness and self-understanding.
Drawing on the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali and the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, this workshop explores the origins, purpose and evolution of yogāsana through a combination of theory, discussion and practical experience. Together with Andy, you will examine how the understanding of āsana has changed over time, what the classical texts actually teach, and how these timeless principles can be applied intelligently within contemporary yoga practice.
The day will invite you to look beyond alignment and physical form, considering how posture supports breath, concentration and meditation, and how a deeper understanding of āsana can enrich both personal practice and teaching.
During the workshop you will explore:
- The origins and meaning of āsana within the classical yoga tradition
- The teachings of the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali and the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā
- The relationship between āsana, breath and meditation
- How the purpose of āsana has evolved through history
- Practical exploration of classical principles within modern yoga practice
- How a deeper understanding of āsana can enhance both personal practice and teaching
Suitable for yoga teachers, trainee teachers and dedicated practitioners wishing to deepen their understanding of classical yoga.
Schedule
£140
- 28 Nov, 2026
Prāṇāyāma, often translated as the regulation or expansion of the life force through the breath, is one of yoga's most profound and transformative practices.
Drawing on the teachings of the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā and other classical texts, this workshop explores the relationship between the breath, the nervous system and the mind. The ancient yogis understood that by regulating the breath, we can influence our mental and emotional state, a principle that remains as relevant today as ever.
Through a balanced combination of theory and practical experience, Andy will guide you through the foundations of classical prāṇāyāma, exploring why these practices were developed, how they have traditionally been taught, and how they can be integrated safely into contemporary life.
Whether you are looking to deepen your personal practice or develop your understanding as a yoga teacher, this workshop offers a thoughtful introduction to one of yoga's central disciplines.
During the workshop you will explore:
- The meaning and purpose of prāṇāyāma in classical yoga
- The relationship between breath, mind and the nervous system
- Traditional teachings from the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā
- Safe and accessible breathing practices
- How prāṇāyāma can support stress management, mental clarity and emotional wellbeing
- The relationship between āsana, prāṇāyāma and meditation
Suitable for yoga teachers, trainee teachers and dedicated practitioners wishing to deepen their understanding of classical yoga.
Schedule
£140
- 23 Jan, 2027
Bandhas are among the most intriguing and least understood practices within the classical yoga tradition. Often described as the energetic locks of yoga, they play a central role in the teachings of the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, where they are introduced as practices that support both prāṇāyāma and meditation.
In this workshop, Andy will explore the traditional understanding of the three principal bandhas, examining their purpose, their relationship to breath and posture, and their place within a classical yoga practice. Together you will consider when bandhas are appropriate, when they should be avoided, and how they can be understood safely and intelligently in a modern context.
Combining theory with practical exploration, this workshop offers a clear and accessible introduction to a subject that is often misunderstood, helping participants develop both knowledge and personal experience.
During the workshop you will explore:
- What bandhas are and why they are practised
- The teachings of the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā on the three principal bandhas
- The relationship between bandhas, āsana and prāṇāyāma
- When bandhas are appropriate and when they may be contraindicated
- Practical techniques for developing awareness and application
- How the classical teachings can be interpreted for contemporary yoga practice
Suitable for yoga teachers, trainee teachers and dedicated practitioners wishing to deepen their understanding of classical yoga.
Schedule
£140
- 06 Mar, 2027
Meditation lies at the heart of classical yoga. Known as Dhyānam, it is the sixth limb of Patañjali's Aṣṭāṅga Yoga and represents the cultivation of sustained attention, leading towards deeper states of awareness and inner stillness.
Drawing on the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali and the wider yogic tradition, this workshop explores what meditation is, why it has remained central to yoga for thousands of years, and how it naturally develops from the practices of āsana and prāṇāyāma.
Combining discussion with guided practice, Andy will introduce a range of classical meditation approaches, helping participants develop a clearer understanding of both the theory and the practical application of meditation in everyday life. The workshop will also include the use of sound and simple chanting as traditional supports for meditative practice.
During the workshop you will explore:
- The meaning of Dhyānam within classical yoga
- Meditation as the sixth limb of Patañjali's Aṣṭāṅga Yoga
- The relationship between āsana, prāṇāyāma and meditation
- Practical methods for developing a regular meditation practice
- Common challenges to meditation and how to work with them
- The role of sound and chanting in supporting meditative awareness
Suitable for yoga teachers, trainee teachers and dedicated practitioners wishing to deepen their understanding of classical yoga.