The best yoga in London

Over at Digme Fitness (formerly known as Another Space) in Covent Garden their head of yoga Chris Magee has a loyal army of followers for his classes. The sessions hit the sweet spot between a physical workout, pushing you to raise your heart rate, improving flexibility and helping your mental state. The studio’s lunchtime conditioning classes are ideal for perfecting your technique, too. If you want to get a really good sweat on try the amazing hot yoga classes; the studio is heated by infra-red, said to reduce muscle inflammation. No need to lug your heavy gym bag either – Digme Fitness’s super-luxurious changing rooms are stocked with extra fluffy towels, Cowshed products plus straighteners and dryers. Exit looking fresh and pick up a berry blast smoothie from the juice bar on the way out. 

Perfect for... light-hearted yogis who want a fun, action packed class with great facilities. 

Average price per class: £22 per class. 

Introductory offer: None as such, but you get a free class when you refer a friend.

Monthly membership: £99 a month for five classes, £190 for 10, or £375 for 20. 

Find studios in Bank and Covent Garden. 

Frame is well known for its selection of fun and challenging fitness classes set in uber-cool gyms across London. Their dedicated yoga studio is long overdue and while the gym runs yoga classes across all locations, it’s Frame King’s Cross where a dedicated yoga space has been created. The space is a little rough around the edges and could do with a bit of warming up – but that’s what the stretching is for (sorry)! Frame run a series of classes ranging from vinyasa flow to power yoga to specialised wellbeing workshops. Classes are usually packed, so get there early to get a good spot – mats and bolsters are provided.

Perfect for… yogis who like to feel the burn

Price per class: £16

Introductory offer: Two classes for £20.

Monthly membership: £60 for six classes a month in one chosen studio, £180 for unlimited classes across any studio.

Find studios in Kings Cross, Fitzrovia, Angel, Shoreditch, Hammersmith and Victoria.

Meditation, but make it epic. Doom Yoga is a slow vinyasa-based flow yoga practice in an authenic yoga shala space but with one hell of a soundtrack. Loud, heavy drone, ambient, electronic, psychedelic and doom metal music is played in an atmospheric Hackney studio as founder Kamellia Sara teaches you to be at one with your body. It's like a gig, but one you can stretch to. Look out for live events, where musicians such as Sunn O)))’s Stephen O’Malley provide a backdrop to your practise. There are also regular sound healing sessions and gong baths. 

Perfect for... sonic adventurers.

Average price per class: £15

Monthly membership: £60 for unlimited classes

Sound Temple Studio, 6 Sylvester Path, E8 1EN

Wannabe yogis should hop to this yoga studio just off Hornsey High Street, for a welcoming and open introduction to the practice. One Yoga London runs brilliant Yoga Basics classes that are chatty and laid back. You can challenge yourself, take it easy or fall on your face without worrying about what your fellow students will think. More experienced yogis can challenge themselves at dynamic Yoga Flow classes, as well as Hatha, Yin, Honey Flow and Restorative yoga sessions. The classes vary depending on the teacher but there’s a focus on strength and physical fitness as well as mental wellbeing; most classes close with a thoughtful moment of reflection. All classes take place in bright, clean first floor studio, where mats, blankets and props are provided.

Perfect for… self-conscious yogis 

Average price per class: £14

Introductory offer: £35 for 14 days of yoga

Monthly membership: £99 for unlimited classes 

Priory Park, Pavillion, N8 8LQ

Down to Earth's peaceful flagship studio on Tufnell Park’s bustling Brecknock Road is a popular neighbourhood spot – on a Saturday morning there’s even a reserve queue! Founded by a design-loving Central St Martins graduate, the large upstairs studio has big windows all along the far wall and wooden floorboards, making it spacious and light. Classes run throughout the day all week, offering many types of yoga, as well as pilates, and there’s classes for kids and teens, too. There’s limited space to change – just two small cubicles – so most people arrive already in their kit. Mats are provided.  

Perfect for... Serene, sophisticated yogis 

Average price per class: yoga/pilates drop-in: £16

Introductory offer: £40 for 14 consecutive days of yoga and pilates at Tufnell Park

Monthly membership: £99 per month

Tufnell Park

Triyoga is a yogis paradise. Their studios, which are shoe-free-zones fyi, are all calming colours, raw materials and hushed tones. You’re met with the gentle scent of incense at the door, before you pad through to one of the studios. Triyoga have an impressive line-up of classes on their rosta, from classes designed for newbies or yin and restorative sessions for those wanting a gentler practise to dynamic vinyasa flow classes, ashtanga, nidra yoga and steamy hot yoga sessions. Kids, toddlers and teens can get stretchy at Triyoga too, and there are also classes for pregnancy, stress, back problems and free yoga for cancer classes to help cope with cancer and cancer treatments. With knowledgeable teachers, loads of open level classes and spacious facilities, Triyoga is a serene spot to escape the stress of the city and rediscover your zen.

Perfect for... yogis wanting to explore and expand their practice

Price per class: From £12

Introductory offer: £35 for 7 consecutive days 

Monthly membership: £125 a month for unlimited classes.

Find studios in Chelsea, Camden, Ealing  and Shoreditch

This small, pretty yoga studio in Dalston is one of the most welcoming in East London – and that’s not only due to their toasty underfloor heating. Teaching classes of 15 students, Naomi Reynolds, a former ballet dancer, and her team of instructors are friendly and super-attentive, always finding time to work with each student. The practice is dynamic vinyasa yoga, but if you’re a total newbie this is still a good place to start. There are at least five A1 beginners’ classes a week, taught by one of the loveliest instructors around. Arrive early for the weekend morning classes, they fill up fast.

Perfect for… beginner-to-intermediate yogis looking for a bit of guidance

Average price per class: £15

Monthly membership: Ten Class Card (valid for three months) for £120

105 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EB

Set up in 2015, MahaDevi is relatively new on the yogi scene. It’s a cosy space on Holloway Road – mats, blocks and straps are provided, but otherwise it’s a fairly basic studio, and that’s no bad thing! The modest space means that classes have a maximum of eight people, making it ideal for newbies who might need some one-to-one attention. The studio also runs a yoga therapy programme for children with disabilities, which are subsidised by profits from the adult classes. At £13 per session, it’s pretty affordable, and on top of all those post-yoga endorphins, you can feel good knowing that your money is going towards a worthy cause.

Perfect for… beginners

Average price per class: £13

Introductory offer: First class for free

Monthly membership: You can’t get one but you can buy a block of five classes for £55 or ten classes for £100

102A Holloway Rd, N7 8JE

This specialist Iyengar yoga studio has two very spacious and bright practice rooms, so you don’t feel squashed by everyone else’s positive energy (and sprawled legs), which means you can breathe yours in all the more. The instructors are very encouraging and attentive, but advanced. There’s a lot of equipment (which is provided) involved – you name it, you’ll bend with it, from wooden stools to ropes hanging off the wall.

Perfect for… advanced yogis

Average price per class: £12.50

Monthly membership: 90 Minute Studio Class Yogacard £142.50 and 120 Minute Studio Class Yogacard £180

223a Randolph Avenue, W9 1NL

Can’t get enough of child's pose? You can bend and stretch all around London with MoreYoga, who aim to make yoga more affordable and accessible with their growing number of studios and great value class bundles. Classes on offer include ashtanga, vinyasa, rocket and power flow sessions, as well as morning flows, candlelit classes and sessions that combine yoga with dance-inspired moves for more of a cardio hit. MoreYoga’s facilities can be pretty basic. You'll find changing rooms and toilets, but no showers. But they provide all the mats, blocks and bolsters you’ll need during class. 

Perfect for... doing your triangle pose all around town

Price per class: £11 for a single session. 

Introductory offer: £10 for three classes or £1 for first month (selected studios).

Monthly membership: £79 a month for unlimited classes.

Find studios all over London. Central: Aldgate, Old Street, Soho, Tower Bridge, Victoria / North: Angel, Caledonian Road, Camden, Finsbury Park, Harringhay,, Winchmore Hill / South: Balham, Bermondsey, Brixton, Clapham Junction, Croydon, East Greenwhich, Forest Hill, Greenwich Creekside, Lewisham, Surrey Quarys, Tulse Hill, Woolwich / East: Hackney, Haggerston, Stoke Newington, Stratford International. 

After being greeted warmly in the garden walkway, as soon as you step into the centre you are hit with a sense of calm, soon to be disrupted by the fact you have to change in the loos as there are no changing rooms – just come in your kit to avoid this. The classes themselves are very focused on breathing and keeping your mind in the present, meaning you’re not thinking about the 10,000 emails you’ll be receiving in the morning. Equipment is provided for the variety of classes they offer, including a whopping 2.5-hour class on a Thursday evening!

Perfect for… yogis that need to relax the mind and body

Average price per class: £9-11, but lunchtimes Mon-Fri are by donation

Monthly membership: there is no membership system – just drop in.

51 Roman Rd, E2 0HU

Formerly residing in Clapham and now in a refurbished Victorian warehouse in West Norwood, The Shala has been running for over 17 years and has a long-standing reputation for its excellent teaching and welcoming vibe. The yoga studio offers daily ashtanga yoga classes (traditional mysore style for beginners and intermediate) as well as workshops and yoga for pregnancy. Classes are small with an emphasis on spiritual as well as physical wellbeing.

Perfect for… yogis that ‘ommm’

Average price per class: £18.50

Introductory offer: £30 for trial 30-day pass

Monthly membership: £80 for unlimited for 8 months

1 Chestnut Rd, SE27 9EZ

Formerly called Jivamukti Yoga London, this yoga studio hosts independent specialist instructors of this form of yoga. Jivamukti is ashtanga-based yoga which incorporates spiritual elements, like chanting. The centre has a smart feel with a hippy edge – represented by altars in each of the two studios complete with photos of Indian gurus. There's also a fitness shop where you can buy kit for perfecting your moves at home. The classes themselves are pretty intense, so best not make this the first ever yoga you try, but great for those already practising.

Perfect for... yogis that can keep up

Average price per class: £17

Introductory offer: £40 for 5 classes

Monthly membership: £99 per month for unlimited classes (12-month contract)

300 Kensal Road, W10 5BE

Tucked away in leafy Denmark Hill, this cosy, Japanese-style studio was founded by a Zen master who learnt his craft at Rinzai monasteries in east Asia. Classes have a traditional, restorative edge. Some add meditation and mindfulness, while the early morning vinyasa flow lessons are an instant pick-me-up. Most are drop-in sessions, letting you join on a whim. The studio doesn’t have the fancy trappings of its larger city-centre counterparts (there are no changing rooms or towels), but all the equipment is provided, and the airy wall-to-ceiling windows and huge wall canvases painted with calming circles will instantly inject a dose of Japanese Zen into your day.

Perfect for… spontaneous stretchers

Average price per class: £12 drop in 

Monthly membership: No membership system here, just drop in. 

2D Camberwell Grove, SE5 8RE

One of the first yoga studios to open in Hackney nearly six years ago, Stretch is community-focused and unpretentious, offering a wide range of yoga classes. That means there’s something for everyone, whether you want to stretch out sore, tight muscles, work up a sweat or restore mindfulness and calm. The Stretch universe has expanded to classes that complement yoga, including HIIT, capoeira and functional fitness (using TRX, kettle bells and boxes for a full-body workout). Stretch now has two studios in the East End – one on Columbia Road, the other just off Broadway Market. They also offer yoga holidays around the world and teacher training.

Perfect for… adventurous yogis.

Average price per class: £14 for 60 minutes.

Monthly membership: £110 

59 Columbia Rd, E2 7RG / 6 Ada St, E8 4QU

Disclaimer!! Bring shower things, you will need them (you can rent towels)! Hotpod Yoga, based across five sites in Belgravia, Dulwich, Hackney and Notting Hill, as well as this Brixton branch, is relaxing as well as challenging – the latter, however, is mostly because you are in a giant inflatable pod filled with 37-degree air, whilst also trying to perfect your chair pose! Facilities are simple, but do the job well – there’s a bowl of hair-ties in case you forget, as well as water and snacks for you to buy. The instructors are very encouraging, but don’t pressure you to do anything you feel you can’t. If you can’t take the heat that’s also fine, and you’re welcome to sit out and cool down as often as you like.

Perfect for… yogis that like to feel the heat

Average price per class: £14

Introductory offer: £20 for a one-week unlimited pass

Monthly membership: £85 (any time) or £60 (off-peak)

Various locations. Check the website for more info. 

Run by husband and wife team Sean and Emma, this studio is the perfect mix of the vibrant Bussey Building and the specious tranquillity of a yoga studio. Not only are you greeted by friendly faces, and a complimentary cuppa if you fancy it, but the couple’s little dog, Misty, will pop in to say hello! The instructors are very welcoming and attentive, and not too pushy when it comes to more complex moves – you are just encouraged to join in and do what feels comfortable. There are two studios in the building, and the newer one is in the process of getting a specialist therapy room.

Perfect for… yogis that like to take it easy

Average price per class: £16

Introductory offer: £4- for 21 days unlimited yoga

Monthly membership: £240, 20 studio classes, 3 month expiry

Locations in Peckham and Streatham.