Yogaloft, a new space in Queens Park, wants you to decide which yoga style is best for you. Be quick to sign up for the introductory £30 for 30 days offer and get access to unlimited classes…
Yogaloft is an airy studio, as the name suggests, on Queens Park’s Lonsdale Road. Within minutes, my shoes are off and I’m cradling a Pukka tea, and there’s soft music filtering from an unseen source. I’m already relaxed, and I haven’t even tried the yoga yet.
Owner Susannah Tomkins created Yogaloft with the intention to provide a space for people of all levels to practice yoga. “I wanted to create a beautiful, peaceful space that could be dedicated to yoga practice,” she says. The studio’s clean white walls and heated flooring offer a calm respite from the world outdoors.
Susannah had been practicing yoga for over 10 years before opening Yogaloft last month. She personally selected each of the instructors, who each specialise in a particular style of yoga. “I wanted somewhere where all the styles of yoga could be found under one roof,” Susannah says.
What styles? I ask, my knowledge of yoga consisting only of “downward dog”, and “upward dog” thanks to a yoga-at-home video that is collecting dust in a back corner of the TV cabinet.
For one, Susannah explains, there is Iyengar yoga, a form of Hatha yoga that uses props to enable you to hold each pose, or asana, correctly. Iyengar yoga concentrates on alignment to help improve physical and emotional wellbeing. Iyengar is the fastest growing yoga style and a personal favourite of Susannah, who recommends doing some Iyengar classes to improve your alignment even if you choose to focus on another style.
Hatha yoga is pure yoga, Susannah says, the root of many modern yoga styles. Instructor Faustomaria Dorelli’s Hatha class has already gathered a cult following of Hatha enthusiasts (make sure you book in advance for this one).
Ashtanga is a strong and vigorous practice, following a set sequence of asanas that encourage you to go deeper into the pose each time you repeat them. Following a relaxed style of ujjayi breathing synchronised with the postures, ashtanga works to improve strength and circulation.
I sign up for a dynamic yoga class, an “energetic” practice with a wide spectrum of postures. The studio is equipped with everything you need for practice: mats, props and even blankets for the final relaxation. I roll out a mat, ready for the instructor, Androula Demetriou, along with the rest of the class, which already consists of some established regulars.
I can feel the under-floor heating beneath my mat as Androula takes us through a dynamic sequence set to soothing Indian music. Luckily for me, you don’t need to be flexible or have an existing knowledge of yoga to join the class – we are told just do what we can and the rest will come with time.
Androula uses aromatherapy creams to aid relaxation, and her practice is fast and fun. The hour-and-a-half class goes by in a flash and I’m left feeling stretched, energetic and relaxed.
For a limited time, Yogaloft is offering a £30 for 30 days introductory offer, allowing you to go to as many classes as you like for a month, so you can discover which style is best for you.
If you are completely new to yoga and overwhelmed by choice, you can sign up for a six-week beginner course for £60, which takes you through the very fundamentals of yoga.
Class bundles cost £90 for 10 classes and £50 for 5. Sign up at www.yogaloftlondon.com or visit Yogaloft at 3 Lonsdale Road, Queens Park NW6 6RA.
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