Yoga in London

London has one of the largest and most varied yoga scenes in Europe. You can find long-established institutes for Iyengar and Sivananda yoga, busy flow studios, specialist Ashtanga shalas and community classes in almost every neighbourhood.

Many studios offer introductory offers for new students and run part-time or modular teacher trainings designed around working life. Classes run all year round, and the city’s parks host outdoor sessions in summer.

A long yoga history

Yoga has been taught in London for well over half a century. B. K. S. Iyengar taught here regularly from the 1960s, and the Iyengar institute in Maida Vale (now Iyengar Yoga London), opened in 1984, remains a centre for that method. The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Putney offers classes and courses in the Sivananda tradition. Adult education colleges and community halls have run yoga classes since the late 1960s, which is one reason yoga in Britain reaches well beyond commercial studios.

Styles and where to find them

Almost every style is taught somewhere in the city. Iyengar yoga is strongly represented, with certified teachers across London. Ashtanga students will find early-morning Mysore-style programmes at specialist shalas. Larger studio groups offer broad timetables of Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, restorative and pregnancy yoga from early morning until late evening. There are also hot yoga studios, and many leisure centres and gyms include yoga classes in their memberships.

How classes and passes work

Most studios let you book single classes online, and regular students usually buy class packs or monthly memberships. Many studios have an introductory offer for new students, which is a sensible way to try several teachers. Mats and props are normally provided, though it is worth checking. Classes are labelled by level; if you are new, look for a beginners’ course, which runs over several weeks and teaches the basics in order. Lower-cost community classes are run in many neighbourhoods.

Teacher training in London

Trainings in London are usually part-time, spread over weekends or modules across several months to two years, so they can be combined with work. Yoga teaching is not regulated by law in the UK, so a certificate’s value depends on the school and the body behind it. The British Wheel of Yoga, founded in 1965, runs long-form teacher training; Iyengar Yoga (UK) certifies teachers of that method after a lengthy period of study and assessment; and many studio trainings are registered with Yoga Alliance or Yoga Alliance Professionals, which are private registries. Ask who the lead trainers are and how teaching practice is assessed.

When to come and getting around

Yoga runs all year. September and January are when new courses and trainings tend to start, and timetables thin out a little in August and over Christmas. In summer, outdoor classes take place in parks when the weather allows. Studios are spread across the city, so choose ones near where you are staying or working: a class within a short walk or one Tube or bus ride is far easier to keep up than one across town.

Good to know

• Book ahead for popular evening and weekend classes, and check the late-cancellation rules
• Arrive ten minutes early for your first class; many studios do not admit latecomers
• Tell the teacher about injuries or pregnancy before class starts
• Workshops with visiting teachers have limited places, so book early

Questions