Finding serenity in the city is no longer an impossible task since London is in abundance of premium yoga studios. This is your curated guide to London’s best studios to find your zen.
Strek – Islington
A hidden sanctuary on the corner of a quiet cobbled street, you wouldn’t guess you were only minutes away from the lively Highbury & Islington station. Take yourself up the solid wooden steps to be stunned by the unique vaulted roof which will shield you from London’s noise in your practice. The room is minimalist, using only natural materials and tropical planting in homage to the soulful aura here. Our delightful instructor, Roberto, says life is never dark under the high beams of Strek. He says in an alluring tone, “Even if it is raining outside, life is never dark here”, and within minutes of our practice, I had a lightbulb moment where this became so clear to me. The room is uncluttered and in abundance of natural light pouring from the sky – you could almost mistake yourself for being in Bali. Roberto is so full of joy he encourages us to laugh to ourselves if we wobble when challenging ourselves to a more testing posture!
Nevertheless, classes are not at all exclusive to the well-rehearsed yogi and there’s a real community feel here. Students are encouraged to stay as long as they like to connect with others over the seriously good coffee and handmade snacks, all of which are served in the gorgeous ceramics by local business, Studio Flea (I’m a particular fan of the booby cups). The investment in the community is further reflected by Strek’s ‘Autumn of Wellness’ programme; a series of events, courses and workshops to keep the mind, body and soul feeling primed as the days begin to darken.
Who’s it for?
For those looking to discover full mind-body connection to oneself, with the help of London’s finest instructors
What does it cost?
Individual class £16, memberships from £105 p/m
Facilities:
Mats, blocks and props provided
Full shower facilities with GHD Hairdryers and luxury wash products
Refuel coffee and snack bar with a lounge area
Easy to use coded lockers
Fly Ldn- City
If you’re already a part of London’s yoga scene, you’ll instantly recognise that cinematic backdrop to the poised silhouettes which stand before it. Yes, this is Fly Ldn – home to the iconic 20ft, 4k display which projects stunning natural landscapes throughout class, so you can escape the concrete jungle of London and properly lean into relaxation. That’s not to say you need to be a devoted yogi to go here though, since Fly has a simple yet elaborate class offering to suit every ability. Check in with each element of your body in ‘Flowlife 45, 60 & 75’ [minutes]; a dynamic class designed to help you mobilise and develop your practice if you’re already familiar with foundational postures. But if you’re looking for something more restorative to complement any high intensity training, give either the ‘Chill’ or ‘Slow Flow’ classes a try.
There’s an exceptional ambience here, assembled by the patient instructors and their choreographed flows which submerge you into a state of physical – mental equilibrium. I found I could really indulge and properly check in with myself during Andrew’s Sunday morning Slow Flow, which was well-paced so that I could mindfully work through more challenging postures without feeling rushed and unstable, but never slow to the point where I felt disengaged with my mind wandering off elsewhere. The multi-sensory experience was so immersive, that even both my colleague and I were brought to [happy] tears by the end of our practice!
Who’s it for?
Those yearning for a truly immersive experience
How much?
Individual class £17, memberships from £115 p/m
Facilities:
Mats, blocks and props provided
Full shower facilities with Cloud9 Hairdryers and luxury wash products
Refuel coffee bar
Easy to use coded lockers
The Refinery – City
You might be baffled why a studio with comical 70s fitness branding is included as a place to find some zen, but after visiting The Refinery for a barre class with the brilliant Kage Douglas (who you might already recognise from home workouts with Fiit), I learnt that the experience spans beyond yoga and fitness classes. The Refinery is an underground wellbeing haven in the edgy Borough of Hackney, offering not only yoga and fitness classes, but with the addition of holistic therapies such as massages, Ayurvedic treatments, hypnotherapy to Reiki and herbal medicine to make this a truly inclusive destination for discovering wellness. Baffled by Downdogs and Crows, Vinyasa and Kundalini? Look no further since The Refinery offers classes with an array of yoga styles to cater for every individual’s needs in a fun yet intentional way. “We take what we do very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously!”, says Founder and yoga guru, Zoe, who expands on her belief that personal health is like a complex network; a network that can be affected by the constant changes of our surrounding environment. The external stresses of a 21st Century lifestyle springs to mind!
It was refreshing to be amongst a real mixture of clients when I arrived; while I was about to be burning my butt doing ballet squats, there were others in the reception waiting for therapies, a mother and her pregnant daughter waiting for a massage, and even a couple of pampered pooches being cuddled by members. This is clearly a space for you to take a break and get amongst the community spirit.
Who’s it for?
Those searching for a studio that provides wellness in a fun, un-showy way
How much?
Individual class from £12, memberships from £69 p/m
Facilities:
Mats, blocks and props provided
Listed therapies
Full shower facilities with luxury wash products
Refuel coffee bar
Easy to use coded lockers
Re.Mind- Victoria
Feel welcomed by an instant sense of calmness as you walk through the pastel hues of the Re.Mind store which is filled with the aromatic earthiness of sage from one of the burning Self-Care Co aromatherapy candles. It’s this scent that transported me to a place where I felt ready to de-layer my cluttered mind and connect with the present moment ahead of the Re.Aim class: one of the eight offerings here.
From stepping foot into the studio itself, I noticed it’s adorned with natural elements like Himalayan rock salt lamps and a purifying plant wall, which I’m told is to filter out any harmful toxins in the air so you inhale only the cleanest air possible. Our mystical instructor, Aisha, used techniques such as visualisation, breathwork and the echoing sounds of crystal bowls to guide us in our meditation, further assisting to align us with our inner compass before setting out into the world again. Sure we were encouraged to chant a few loud ‘ahhhh’s’ as a release to intrusive thoughts, but the practice of meditation isn’t just some eccentric trend of the moment – it’s proven to positively impact our resting heart rate, blood pressure, and the sympathetic nervous system (which directs our body’s involuntary response to stressful situations), meaning we are less reactive to stressors and can recover better when we are faced with stress. Seeing as we’re obsessed with our physical health, it’s about time we invested in our mental health by taking time to de-rig our minds, right?
Who’s it for?
Those looking to consider their zen in a more deep-seated way
How much?
Individual class £30, memberships from £195 p/m
Facilities:
Mats, blocks and props provided
Bathroom facilities with luxury wash products
Complimentary herbal teas and filtered water
Sister shop selling beautiful self-care products and homewares
Stretch- Hackney
Husband and wife Carl and Sophie couldn’t find a yoga studio that didn’t feel like it was dictating the yoga law, and it was with this they founded Stretch in London’s East End. There’s an unmissable community vibe at their charming site tucked away behind Broadway Market, making it a safe haven to dock from the bustling streets of Hackney. Stretch harbours an open-armed community of creatives, spiritualists, sporty types, to fitness newbies. What unites members is the mission to make it a habit to feel good with movement (not far from the premise of this series!) and that together through yoga and fitness, we breathe, build strength and connect, leaving any egos at the door. This is a destination for you to allow niggling thoughts to show up and reshape these into positive movement, teaching you to master your mind/body and negate the pursuit of perfection.
From feel-good flows to heart-pumping, total body conditioning workouts and everything in-between, there’s something for all moods and abilities at Stretch, plus all classes are mixed level so you’re never excluded from joining any of them. The ‘Yang to Yin + Sound’ workshop I attended began with the lovely Ainslie taking us through an invigorating vinyasa flow, followed by slow grounding positions for our Yin practice. This was infused with the alchemy of crystal singing bowls played by Tam to help us hone into the long-held postures and release tension in the deep connective tissues of our bodies. By ending our practice in savasana with the nourishing sound waves playing in the background, I was sent into a trance of deep meditation to the point where I was almost asleep!
Who’s it for?
Those motivated by positivity rather than perfection
Individual class £12, memberships from £110 p/m
How much?
Facilities:
Mats, blocks and props provided
Full shower facilities with luxury wash products
Refuel coffee bar
Sister shop selling beautiful self-care products and homewares
