Fancy dipping your toes into the world of yoga without the long-term commitment? Check out these fun drop-in classes around Hong Kong.
You would think any kind of list involving yoga classes in Hong Kong would be miles long, and in most cases you would be right – but with drop-in classes, not so. In fact, yoga studios that let people come and go, participating when they please, are something of a needle in a haystack. Or at least, if they’re out there, they’re being drowned out by the bigger, stretchy pant-wearing behemoths who demand memberships and package deals so they can skin you for a good chunk of money up front. That’s no good for a lot of us, we don’t want to sign up for 12 classes, we’ve never even tried yoga, we might hate it. So, we’ve had a dig about, cutting through the ‘save money when you buy 900 classes’ rhetoric, to bring you the best drop-in yoga classes.
Blue Door Studio
Achieving the near impossible by having a quiet, reclusive space in the heart of Wan Chai, Blue Door Studio is ideal if you work in the city and want a bit of an escape while doing your moves. With five professional trainers all adhering to a classical approach to yoga in terms of philosophy and practice, and drop in classes available, Blue Door Studio is a safe bet for beginners and experts alike. At the very least, you’ll get some peace and quiet – bliss!
Blue Door Studio, G/F, 28 Sau Wa Fong, Wan Chai, (+852) 6468 5859 $280 per class (click here for more information)
Yoga Union
A yoga studio that seems to adhere to the altruistic, intrinsically non-commercial message that’s a big part of the culture. Yoga Union delivers quality yoga classes in the heart of Central where you pay whatever you want per class while still providing mats, changing rooms, and showers. The classes themselves strike a balance between developing strength in different body parts while also imparting the meditative wisdom of the practice.
Yoga Union, 3/F, Unit 3A, 10 Arbuthnot Road, Arbuthnot House, Central, (+852) 9330 3548 Contribution of $100 – $150 (click here for more information)
Greengrass Yoga at Mihn Club
For a totally unique experience, head to nightclub Mihn Club in Sheung Wan and enjoy one of two weekly drop-in yoga classes with certified teacher Sophia Greengrass. The popular Vinyasa Groove class on Thursdays fuses the ancient tradition of yoga with the union of the mind, body, and soul, with today’s underground beats spun by boiler room DJ Sunsiare and founder of Fauve Radio, Roman Fx, who has played at Wonderfruit, Sonar, and Shi Fu Miz. Along with Sophia and the Funktion 1 sound system, you will be guided through a full body warm-up before tackling a sequence of postures designed to build fire in the muscles and get your heart rate up to the beat of the music, leaving you feeling totally regenerated. Alternatively, the Inner Space class on Tuesdays invites you to travel into the deep spaces within through a Hatha yoga session designed to open the body and create space for energy to flow fully through the chakras. Slower-paced ambient beats will play softly in the background to enhance a spiritual atmosphere as you are guided through a series of poses with a focus on transformative breathing.
Mihn Club, 4/F, 279 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan (+852) 9067 5371 Vinyasa Groove: Thursday 7pm – 8pm Inner Space: Tuesday 7.30pm – 8.30pm $150 per drop-in class, bring your yoga mat, a small towel (click here for more information)
Yoga Aloha
Tucked away between Causeway Bay and Wan Chai, Yoga Aloha is a great launching pad if you’re curious as to what the fuss is all about with this yoga business. They offer some great classes such as Yin Yang which is a challenging, but doable, session of longer poses that increases strength and endurance, Candlelight Yin which is more meditative and intended to help you sleep and de-stress, and – if you’re looking to strengthen your core and do some serious sweating – Yoga Aloha’s Core & Arm Flow and Detox is the way to go.
Yoga Aloha, 1/F, Fu Tak Building, 367 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, (+852) 2565 7088 $250 per drop-in class (click here for more information)
Kita Yoga
This out-of-the-way, relaxed studio clearly seeks to make starting yoga a bit more palatable and understandable for a newbie while also modernising it in it’s own small way – for example, Kita's Hangover Class does exactly what it says on the tin – I understand those words. Good. In terms of modernisation, their Vinyasa Flow to Deep House Tunes might not exactly sound ground-breaking, but something as simple as changing up the music can maybe freshen things up for the more experienced out there who are fed up with old-school yoga tunes.
Kita Yoga, 1 U Lam Terrace, Sheung Wan, (+852) 5323 1978 $300 per class (click here for more information)
Iyengar Yoga Centre
Named after world-renowned yogi, BKS Iyengar, the Iyengar Yoga Centre is one of the cheapest and most community-driven yoga studios around. They have a very busy schedule of workshops and classes for beginners and experienced yogis alike, all of which you can drop in and out of as you please without any long-term commitment. Classes start from as low as $120, and if you like what you see, you can properly enrol and join the monthly two-hour self-practice class, which allows yogis to meet and practice together for just $50.
Iyengar Yoga Centre, 9/F, The Pemberton, 22-26 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, (+852) 2541 0401, $50 – $150 per class (click here for more information)
Yoga BamBam
No memberships, no contracts, no salespeople harassing you, Yoga BamBam is all about freedom. You just check out their schedule, rock up on the day, and boom – yoga. Both of Yoga BamBam’s studios are nestled on quiet, leafy areas (or, as leafy as you’re likely to find in Hong Kong), but are still easily accessible. There’s a huge range of classes on offer that are ever changing and ever evolving. If you’re looking to test the waters with yoga, then this is where to go.
Yoga Bam Bam, 28 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan, (+852) 5500 3117 $150 for first-time visitor, $200 for repeat drop-in (click here for more information)
Embody
Opening its doors in 2008 in the serene surrounds of Discovery Bay, Embody is one of the best boutique pilates and Yoga studios around, offering classical Pilates and various forms of Yoga. There’s a huge range of classes catering to every kind of lifestyle, need, and goal with things like pre and post natal classes, mummy and baby yoga, kids classes, zumba infused with Bollywood, piloxing, fat burning, and of course, traditional yoga and pilates. All of Embody’s classes are available for single session drop-ins, or you can buy them in packages for a discount so there’s no pressure.
Embody, Studio 225, 2/F, Block D, Plaza Lane, Discovery Bay, (+852) 6624 8712 $150 per adult class, $135 per kids class (click here for more information)