Review of Yoga studios in London

The good thing about London is the great offer it has in almost everything we want to do, including yoga!

Having tried a few intro offers since I have been practising, here is a summary of each yoga studio – from difficulty level of the class, to whether they have shampoo in the showers.

I started my practise in Indaba studio as it was close to work at the time, completely fell in love with it, and then had to stop going due to moving jobs a few months later. That change led me to a big search of something closer with a similar yoga quality/quantity. I also like to try different studios in order to find the best classes and teachers for me, I think it’s a great way to discover new teaching styles and cool studios!

In regards to the list below, since the level of yoga can be very subjective, here is a quick guide of what I mean by the different levels: Beginner (Sun salutations, fundamental seated poses and twists, warrior 1, 2, 3…); Intermediate (headstands, beginners versions of arm balances and backbends, etc.); Advanced (elbowstand, handstands, full splits, great variety of deep backbends and arm balances, and backbends IN arm balances – such as scorpion handstand… Crazy stuff!)

Please note – the bullet point answers are based on the period I visited the studio, and might have been changed since then. I apologise if I any of the specific details are not 100% accurate.

I decided to exclude the price part because 1) all prices can be found online 2) expensive/cheap is, again, a personal value 3) it really depends on how often you practise – some monthly deals are great, otherwise I’m a big fan of bulk class passes!

Headstanding pre-class at the House of Yoga

Indaba yoga First tried on Jan 2016 – intro offer and regular classes

Pretty new installations, comfortable and warm. Plus has nice touches such as the complementary tea. To me, this is the best yoga studio I ever tried so far – and it was the first I tried! Not only due to the comforts or kind staff, but also due to the high level of the classes and teachers. (I haven’t been paid by them, I promise!) If you want to go far and master your practise, do not miss the Dharma Yoga classes by Mark Kan.

Number of showers? 4
Shampoo or gel included in showers? Yes
Lockers – Yes, with key
Hairdryer? Yes
Free water? Yes, and free tea!
Size and number of studios? 2 big studios and one small one for workshops
Level of yoga? Basic, intermediate and advanced
Mat freshness conditions – Mats are placed on a dirty pile after the class and cleaned/dried by the studio, so they are pretty clean!

Triyoga (Chelsea) First tried on Aug 2016 – intro offer

When you go in, you can quickly tell this yoga studio is part of a bigger business chain, with other studios spread around London. The installations are spotless – new, clean, all very professional looking. The staff is nice and you can even check into the class digitally, without having to tell the receptionists. Comfortably and easy would be the definition, with a sense of “poshness”/”coolness” that other studios don’t have.

Number of showers? I recall 4, but can’t remember for sure now
Shampoo or gel included in showers? Yes (I think!)
Lockers – Yes, with key
Hairdryer? Yes
Free water? Yes
Size and number of studios? Site says 3 but I was only in 2, both pretty big
Level of yoga? Beginner to easy intermediate (considering the resources of the place I thought the level was not as “advanced” as expected at the time I tried. Maybe because there are so many students, the classes are have become more mainstream, who knows?)
Mat freshness conditions – Mats felt fresh and clean, I think the studio took care of the cleaning post-class

The Hotspot yoga First tried on Sept 2016 – intro offer

Older installation in a small, family-feeling studio. As opposed to other studios, this one is only about bikram yoga in all shapes or forms. If you like this type of yoga, you’d probably love it there. The room temperature is the hottest I ever experienced to date, and I must say it was uncomfortably hot at times for me, closer to pain than to pleasure. The classes all follow the same ashtanga series, which was cool in order to learn them, but at times it became a bit monotonous. Now, the relief feeling after the class was amazing!

Number of showers? 4
Shampoo or gel included in showers? Yes
Lockers – No, but you can leave your phone/purse inside the class
Hairdryer? Yes
Free water? Nope, and it is much needed for those classes
Size and number of studios? 1 very big room
Level of yoga? Beginner to intermediate, although you need to have a pretty advanced physical condition to stand that heat!
Mat freshness conditions – Studio takes care of the cleaning. Despite the huge amounts of sweating going on there, the mats always felt freshly cleaned

The Poweryoga Company First tried on Oct 2016 – intro offer and then regular classes

This is the studio I’m currently committed to due to a mix of reasons. Convenient location, “high” enough yoga level, good teachers and comfortable enough installations. Even if it is based in an old building, the place is charming and has a nice vibe. It has good yoga options available and checks all the boxes in terms of essentials.

Number of showers? 3, the changing room can sometimes feel a big cold, probably due to the high ceilings of the place
Shampoo or gel included in showers? No
Lockers – No, but you can leave your phone/purse in reception if required
Hairdryer? Yes, and straightener
Free water? Yes
Size and number of studios? 2 – one big, another medium
Level of yoga? Beginner to intermediate
Mat freshness conditions – Mats are cleaned by students after class and hanged to dry out, so not too bad

House of Yoga First tried on Jan 2017 – intro offer

Very new installations, nice staff, comfortable and warm place, keen to offer students a good experience. I tried this studio recently and I did like it, nice staff too. The evening classes are getting very busy there, probably due to the winning combination of comfort, good intro yoga level and accessibility.

Number of showers? 6 (the water is VERY hot in some of them!)
Shampoo or gel included in showers? Yes gel, shampoo and conditioner 🙂
Lockers – Specific individual compartments (with cool yoga names) without lock – you can leave your phone/purse inside the class
Hairdryer? Yes, and straightener!
Free water? Yes
Size and number of studios? 2 – one big, another medium
Level of yoga? Beginner to intermediate (with one class option of hard intermediate)
Mat freshness conditions – Mats are cleaned by students after class and rolled straight after, so they are a bit smelly

I hope this guide helps if you are thinking of choosing a yoga studio in London, or trying it for the first time. However, I believe the best thing it to try studios for yourself based on convenient locations (London is BIG) and what you consider important in your yoga journey. Don’t be afraid to explore – and take advantage of the Intro offers!

The next one I’m very keen to try is The Shala in South London – they do Dhrama yoga, which is the advanced level I’m hoping to restart (Mark Kan teaches there too). I’ll let you know how it goes, Namaste 🙂