THE BEST YOGA STUDIOS AND EXPERIENCES I HAVE COME ACROSS ON MY TRAVELS

October 18, 2015

Since being introduced to yoga by my loving sister over three years ago I have since bounced around from one different yoga studio to another. Having a job that revolved around traveling I have been fortunate enough to visit a variety of studio types on different parts of the globe.

I have experienced the super tranquil to the upbeat, the swanky, mediocre, boring, brilliant to name a few. Many yogis have a particular style of yoga or studio they like to stick to and I am by no means an exception, however from exploring the studios available to me through traveling, I have unintentionally landed up taking classes that might not have been my first choice but may have been exactly what I needed. For example, I have a wild monkey mind and naturally attracted to power yoga with loud music but more meditative yoga would be much more beneficial for me. Had I not unintentionally taken these classes I might never have fully understood the benefits of varying your yoga ......like anything in life, we find sweetness in the balance.

Looking back on all these past experiences, I have three studios that have stood out to me in particular and I feel the need to share their special sparkle.

Since Cape Town is my home town I will start with The Yoga Life in De Waterkant. This studio had me hooked from my very first Saturday morning power class. Studio visits prior to this had me skeptical with their "self enlightened” hippy dippy approach. Being able to dive straight into the power classes at The Yoga Life with their invigorating playlists, airy studio space and a spectacular view can be credited to me easing into my yoga journey at my own pace. In saying this the pace of their power classes are anything but slow and I have never sweated more from a yoga class than at this studio, perfect for the fitness junkies. They offer many other styles of yoga from Vinyasa, Bikram and Sculpt, the Power just happens to be my studio favourite.

Go visit their website here for more information and location details.

The next studio that stood out for me was actually more of a compilation of different teachers teaching at the same space which went through a change of two companies. The first being Bali Yoga Teacher Training Twin Power Yoga on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, USA then secondly Haute Yoga which is currently occupying that space. I had teachers from both studios affect my life profoundly and it is through these teachers that my willingness to embark on a spiritual journey was awakened and inspired me to take on my 200 hr RYT yoga teacher training in Indonesia.

Both studios gave extremely well rounded and strong vinyasa classes but what resonated with me about these teachers was how grounded and natural they were. None of their classes felt recited and the enormity of what they shared simply felt like a natural extension of their being. I have written to these teachers personally so they will know who they are, you have changed my life for the better and I am forever grateful. One of these amazing teachers is Caroline Wybar who shone an extraordinary light in my life which I intend to keep shining and she has her own website here where she offers workshops and retreats, I can not sing her praises enough!

Last but not least is Laughing Lotus (Brooklyn & Manhattan studio), my love of these studios did not end at their magnificent murals but carried throughout the whole experience. The flow class Laughing Lotus Studio In Brooklyn NYC I took with both teachers from each studio where executed with such finesse on alignment whilst remaining sweet and playful. They are on point with everything from the vibrating chanting of Aums to a harmonium, divine playlists to the phenomenal savasanas. Much like the teachers mentioned earlier these teachers also stood out to me on how connected they were to the practice & what they were sharing. Laughing Lotus definitely leaves you walking away with that happy yoga high and is the highlight of my things to do when visiting NYC.