I joined The Shala a couple of weeks ago with their 45 pound intro month deal. I've been quite a…read morefew times since then, to both yoga and Pilates classes. This weekend they're having a free shiatsu massage workshop that I am dragging my husband to. The studio itself it beautiful. It has three different spaces, nice hardwood floors, and showers. It's well-lit and has a nice "energy." You can say that sort of thing in a yoga review. I really like Claire, who teaches pilates. She's super friendly and helps students individually. She works with students at their own level, which I appreciate. The general vibe of the studio seems a little serious, but people are also pretty friendly. I've met a couple of nice women, and people are welcoming for sure. My main feedback is they don't do a lot of adjustments in class, which is something I really liked from Satori Yoga in SF. I think adjustments are really helpful both for safety and learning. They let you use their mats if you have a towel to put on top. I really do need to buy my own mat, since communal yoga mats tend to a smell a little funky. I really like that this place is walking distance from my house and an actual studio/community, not just a single teacher renting a space. It's near West Norwood/Tulse Hill train stations, and really not a far walk from Streatham.

Set in the heart of Norwood, this yoga studio is easy to get to with excellent rail and bus links,…read morewith the nearest station being a five minute walk away and bus stops opposite the studio. Once inside, the studios are on the third floor, before entering the yoga/Pilates studios there is a beautiful open and modern reception area with comfy seating and the temptation of a post class or treatment coffee or tea. There are changing rooms for both female and male students with showering facilities and clean modern toilets. The studios are all light and airy and retain some of their original features from the buildings previous incarnation. A special feature for winter and cold evenings is the under floor heating, perfect for a 6:30am Mysore class on a chilly January morning. All the teachers I have met so far are warm friendly and so unpretentious, their knowledge of all the disciplines on offer is not only extensive but trust-worthy. I've been attending the studio for over a year now and so happy that South London is supplied with yoga studios that are not only clean, modern and large, but warm,friendly and welcoming in every sense.

My first class at Bikram Yoga Richmond was my first yoga class, ever. I decided to try it out in…read morehopes of facilitating my full-time dance training. BYR is pro-eco-friendly, which I like - their carpet is created is recycled material, their heating system is low-energy, even the shower gels are organic! The studio is located above a row of shops, with a nice reception area and large, spacious changing rooms with three shower cubicles and cubby-holes for storage. There is also a communal hairdryer and a large fan which is great for taking away the summer (and post-Bikram) heat. The studios are big enough for the twelve or so people who attended. There are mirrors on two surfaces of the rectangular room, to check alignments and postures. Another aspect of the studio which I loved was the row of much-needed daylight at the back of the studio to counteract the stuffiness of the heat. I brought a tiny towel to my first class, and Kristin, the instructor, kindly offered me a complimentary bath towel, which spanned the entire yoga mat. (The mat is rentable for £1.) It was much needed, as I was sweating buckets by the time we got to the floor series. She also gladly told me that I was working on the exact same spot that Andy Murray was on a few months ago! The class started with a breathing exercise, which greatly helped me get through the entire 90 minutes without feeling faint. I love how the instructors are constantly speaking, giving us imagery non-stop, so that there isn't really time for us to get slack or unmotivated, as we are always receiving new information to work with. The class was no doubt challenging, but the focus of the whole group was great, and I went back for a second class the next day. The shower afterwards is probably the best part of the whole thing. There is a lot - A LOT - of sweating in Bikram Yoga, and I recommend first-timers to definitely come prepared with a change of clothes and underwear, and a towel. BYR's prices are reasonable, and they've got many packages and student deals on the website. I'm definitely going back some time soon! It'll probably be a lovely thing to do in winter.

I've done Bikram at a number of studios in the US and the UK and BYR is one of the best, if not the…read morebest. The studio reception and changing rooms are light and fresh and sympathetically decorated. i feel like i am visiting a friends house! The heating system is really spot on, especially the humidity levels. i get all the benefits of the heat and sweat but i don't seem to get dehydrated after practice here like i have done in other studios. The instruction from Kristin is always excellent. Consistent with Bikrams unique instruction style but also personalised and encouraging. She always has a smile for everyone which is just what you need when you are struggling to make a pose. Namaste!

Yoga Junction is affiliated to the British Wheel of Yoga and is as much a place to take class, as…read moreit is to learn how to become a qualified yoga instructor. With over fifty classes per week ranging from beginners to instructor classes, you are spoilt for choice. The standard of teaching is very high. There are two studios, of which both are spacious and airy. Like most schools they are trying to get students to commit to booking block classes. There best offer is £100 per month for unlimited walk-in classes. If you do want to just PAYG classes range from £7-£12 which is cheaper than most schools.

highly rate this place, not just for the bright, airy and relaxed enviornment, but more for Tara…read moreFraser's classes. She founded the place quite a few years ago now, and is one of the most down-to-earth teachers i've had the pleasure to learn from. her style is of the desikachar/krishnamacharya variety, which means that the focus here is on exploration for individual needs. alongside beautiful postural awareness, the classes introduce more than just the physical side of the yoga coin, tara also manages to drop in all manner of theory/philosophy without ever coming across as worthy or detatched. alongside weekly classes and workshops, she also teaches the BWY (british wheel of yoga) teacher training course.

Two classes down at Ten Health & Fitness and I'm definitely a fan. First of all, they are on…read moreClasspass, so you can try a class without commitment- big plus. I never thought I would like pilates. For some reason, I imagined it like yoga but without all the good parts, but it's actually quite dynamic and not like soul-less yoga at all. The studio offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced Reformer classes, their own spin on HIIT called TenHIIT, personal training, as well as massage. I've tried the Beginner Reformer class and TenHIIT. Reformer was was an hour long, small group: only about 4 people in the class, but I still would have liked a little more personal instruction. TenHIIT was an even smaller group: only 2, me and one other girl, in the class. Our instructor tortured us with a variety of strength and cardio circuits: weights, squats, lunges, jumping jacks... repeat x4 then onto treadmill sprints, TRX arms, burpees, plank... it was 45 mins of *tough*. Really, it's just like having a personal training session but on Classpass. The showers look nice (I showered at home before work) and there's towel service, which is convenient. 4 stars for small classes, great value, and variety from targeted Reformer for newbies like me to kill-me-now personal training sessions.

I tried my first ever reformer Pilates class at Ten Health and Fitness and I'm addicted. It's…read morebecome my favourite work out by far. Got to admit - I was kind of nervous for my first class and wasn't entirely sure what to expect but I came out feeling amazing. My alignment and posture has improved massively since starting these classes. The beginners class moves nice and slow to get you used to using the reformer. Do advance to the intermediate when you are ready to keep challenging yourself though. The studio is gorgeous and have 5 other locations around London. Each just as lovely!!

A true yoga centre in every sense of the word, Sivananda Yoga Centre encapsulates yoga and its…read morephilosophies as a way of life, not just as a class. The centre is beautiful and you feel such a sense of authenticity. Every aspect of yoga is covered and there is a large array of retreats, workshops, speakers even cooking workshops to try. Every Friday there is a free class of Satsang, chanting, meditation and talk on the spirit of yoga. There is so much going on here I can not imagine a more authentic, fulfilling yoga centre anywhere in London.

I'm going to check my personal needs at the door when it comes to this review, because although I…read moredidn't get what I needed out of the class I attended, this had nothing to do with any deficiencies of the centre and everything to do with what sort of yoga I personally practice. The centre itself was lovely. Everyone was really welcoming, and you'll be pleased to find that the first class you attend is complimentary. When you do start paying for classes after this, I dare you to find a cheaper yoga class anywhere in London. Because Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre isn't a for-profit institution, you are basically paying the cost of staffing and general upkeep of the centre. The entire atmosphere is calming, clean and conducive to yoga. The centre has a reception area and a shop at the front, a tea room across the quaint courtyard to the back and two light-flooded yoga rooms past the fitting rooms and toilets in the practising area out back, adjacent to the tea room. The centre offers classes on a drop-in basis, but you can also take courses to correspond with your personal level. It also runs workshops on things from chanting to mastering the headstand. Having said all this, I'm pretty bummed that I probably won't return to Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, even though it's pretty close to where I live. You see, for anyone who's not done sivananda yoga, it's a slow-moving practice. Lots of savasana and balasana. Lots of lying on the ground. Not a lot of movement. While I totally appreciated the attention to breath work at the beginning of the class (you'll be hard-pressed to find any yoga class that dedicates 30 minutes solely to pranayama), the asana series just wasn't active enough for me. I need an active asana to centre myself and relax my mind; otherwise, my mind wanders like crazy and I don't get out of the practice what I really should. But if you like a slower-paced practice, if you're an iyengar yoga type of person, you'd probably totally dig the sivananda style and you'd totally love this centre.

Headed here for my first ever yoga class as the evening timing worked perfectly around my family…read moreschedule. Being a first-timer, I was pleased to see that mats and all the other bits needed were provided, saving me potentially wasted purchases if I decided it wasn't for me. I was given a warm welcome and the class size of 11 people of a mix of ages and abilities meant I was not overwhelmed or self-conscious at my complete lack of flexibility! I think it represents great value at £12 for 90 minutes and a discounted rate is available for booking a number of classes in advance. Online booking and cancellation make the whole thing a breeze and the instructor was very patient, offering clear advice on how to improve. All in all, a very positive first yoga experience for me and I can happily recommend the North London Yoga Centre.

It is rare for me to leave a review of anything on the internet but in finding this particular yoga…read morestudio, I feel compelled to do so. I have tried many Iyengar yoga studios in my lifetime and this one in East Finchley run by Patsy Sparksman is far and away the best I have been to. Patsy teaches with other teachers in the room to ensure every student has individual attention. This is such an important aspect of iyengar yoga that I do not know why other teachers have this system in place too. The Iyengar Yoga Studio in East Finchley is a unique non-judgmental Iyengar yoga teaching studio that i feel very fortunate to have found out about.

I've been going to this place for 3 and a half years and it's radically changed my approach to…read moreposture, balance, feeling good in my body and generally about myself. I've trained muscles I didn't know I had, my core muscle strength and flexibility has tremendously improved. So much so that I can contemplate doing mixed martial arts now - which I would have found hard to imagine before. The review below is not to be trusted: that are never other teachers or teaching assistants. There is only one tutor per class. Only 12 students max can attend per class. Tutors are all highly trained and 100% committed to what they do. The three main tutors are partners. The small but airy and inspiring studio has been designed by an award winning architect. I couldn't recommend it more. In fact I probably shouldn't, as there are so few places there...

I just wanted to say a big thank you to Peacock , I really did have a great first session !! It…read morewas challenging yet fun and got a really good workout out of it !! will definitely be gong back for more ... Thanks again and keep up the good work Simon Kane

My husband and I were looking for a great Reformer Pilates Studio in London. We have both been…read moregoing to Peacock since they opened. We were trying to find something which would keep us fit but most importantly that we wouldn't get bored of and would commit to. It is most definitely the best Reformer Studio in London and the most exciting part for us is that they even have a trampoline for cardio. Peacock are fantastic at adapting to ones specific needs and they have transformed our bodies and minds. We look forward to every session. I would highly recommend this to anyone of any age or fitness level.