Yoga Studies – A Deeper Journey into Yoga
12 Saturday mornings | 10 April – 14 August 2027
Over the years, several of my students have expressed an interest in taking my Yoga Teacher Training Course – not because they want to become yoga teachers, but because they would love the opportunity to study yoga in much greater depth.
A teacher training course involves many hours devoted specifically to learning how to teach: class planning and sequencing, teaching practice, observation, assessment, professional responsibilities and all the other skills needed to prepare someone to teach safely and confidently.
For someone who simply wants to deepen their own practice and understanding of yoga, much of that isn’t necessary.
So Yoga Studies has grown from the idea of taking the parts of teacher training that are valuable to the serious yoga student and creating something specifically for those who want to explore yoga more deeply – without training to become a teacher.
Over twelve Saturday mornings, we’ll have time to go far beyond what we can normally explore during a regular yoga class.
We’ll delve deeper into āsana and prāṇāyāma, explore meditation, kriyās and bandhas, study Patañjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga and the first chapter of the Yoga Sūtras, and spend time with Sanskrit pronunciation and chanting.
This will be an opportunity to practise, study, question, discuss and experience the different aspects of yoga, and to understand more deeply how they fit together.
The Saturday Morning
Each study morning will run from 8.00am–12.15pm, with a breakfast break and short gaps between some modules.
The course is spread from April to August, giving you time between sessions to absorb what we have studied and to bring aspects of it into your own practice, and life.
Course dates in 2027:
10 April · 24 April · 1 May · 15 May · 22 May · 5 June · 19 June · 26 June · 10 July · 24 July · 31 July · 14 August
In person or live online
You are welcome to join the course in person or live via Zoom. Both options are available whether you choose the complete Yoga Studies course or individual modules.
As space is limited, in-person places will be prioritised for those booking the complete course.
All sessions can be attended live via Zoom, so the complete course is equally available to those who don’t live locally.
Āsana
8.00–9.25am
Each morning will begin with an Āsana session, combining practice with a more detailed exploration of the postures themselves.
We’ll look closely at many of the familiar postures we regularly practise, as well as exploring some that we may not usually include in a regular class. We’ll break postures down and look at alignment, positioning, common difficulties, modifications and benefits, giving you a greater understanding of both the posture and your own experience of it.
There will be time to explore the finer details that can easily be missed when moving through a normal class, and to notice how small changes can affect the way a posture feels.
The aim isn’t to achieve increasingly advanced postures, but to develop a more informed, attentive and confident personal practice, with a deeper understanding of the āsanas we practise and why we practise them.
Prāṇāyāma
9.30–10.00am
Prāṇāyāma is much more than simply ‘breathing exercises’.
We’ll begin by exploring the traditional yogic understanding of prāṇa and the nāḍīs, establishing a comfortable sitting position and learning how to observe and count the breath.
Over the twelve sessions we’ll gradually develop our prāṇāyāma practice, giving you time to try different techniques, become familiar with them and understand their place within yoga.
Kriyās & Bandhas
10.00–10.15am
These short sessions will introduce some of the traditional cleansing practices of yoga and explore the bandhas, often described as energetic locks.
We’ll look at what these practices are, why they have traditionally formed part of yoga practice, and experience those that are appropriate for us to practise together.
Breakfast Break
10.15–10.45am
Time for breakfast, tea and conversation before we move into the study part of our morning.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
10.45–11.00am
Yoga is far more than the physical postures we practise on a mat.
We’ll begin with an overview of Patañjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga, before spending a session with each of the five Yamas and five Niyamas – the ethical principles that provide the foundations of classical yoga.
Rather than simply learning their definitions, we’ll consider what ancient ideas such as ahiṃsā, satya, aparigraha and santosha might mean in our own lives today.
Our final session will bring them all together.
Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras – Samādhi Pāda
11.00–11.25am
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are one of the foundational texts of classical yoga.
During the course we’ll concentrate on Samādhi Pāda – the first chapter of the Yoga Sūtras.
We’ll read the sūtras in Sanskrit along with their translation and explore what Patañjali is actually saying about the mind, practice, meditation and yoga.
No previous knowledge of the Yoga Sūtras or Sanskrit is needed.
Sanskrit & Chanting
11.30–11.50am
Sanskrit is woven throughout the practice and philosophy of yoga.
These sessions will be about become more familiar with Sanskrit sounds and pronunciation, explore some of the words we encounter throughout the course, and enjoy chanting together.
We’ll learn and practise traditional chants gradually, so there is absolutely no expectation that you already know how to chant – or that you have a ‘good singing voice’.
Meditation
11.55am–12.15pm
We’ll finish each morning with meditation.
During the early sessions we’ll explore pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi – the inward-facing limbs of Patañjali’s Eight Limbs – and look at the distinctions between them.
As the course progresses, this time will increasingly become simply an opportunity to practise: sitting comfortably, turning our attention inward and allowing the morning’s study to settle.
Who is Yoga Studies for?
This course is intended for students who already have some experience of yoga and feel curious about what lies beyond a regular āsana class and their mat.
You do not need to be flexible, able to sit in Lotus Pose, know Sanskrit or have an advanced physical practice.
What matters much more is an interest in yoga and a willingness to explore it more deeply.
If you’ve completed a TTC, this could be a very useful refresher.
Course Cost
The complete 12-week Yoga Studies course includes all seven modules with their course notes, handouts and supporting study materials.
Alternatively, you can choose individual modules to follow for the full 12 weeks:
- Complete Yoga Studies Course – £895
- Āsana – £395
- Prāṇāyāma – £150
- Kriyās & Bandhas – £85
- Eight Limbs of Yoga – £85
- Yoga Sūtras – Samādhi Pāda – £135
- Sanskrit & Chanting – £110
- Meditation – £110
Booking the complete course offers the best value, while individual modules give you the flexibility to focus on the areas of yoga that particularly interest you.
It may appeal if you’ve ever thought:
I’d love to do a yoga teacher training course – I just don’t actually want to become a yoga teacher.
If that resonates, this is the course I’ve created for you.
With any questions, or to book your place, please email me at: jody@jody-yoga.com