7 of the best places to take a yoga class in Vancouver
With all that’s happening in the world, an in-person yoga class has never felt so good. If you’ve been staying away from studios during the pandemic but are ready to jump back into live classes, here are some of the best places around the GVRD to take a yoga class.
Each of these studios is a wellness haven where you can practice with top-tier yoga teachers and attend workshops to learn about modalities like active breathwork, sound meditation or try an intention-setting cacao ceremony.
Personally, with all of the great virtual yoga classes available these days, it takes a lot to inspire me to go to a live class.
Here are seven studios worth leaving your house for:
One Yoga for the People
Image Credit: One Yoga For the People
From Vinyasa to Flow to Acro to Yin, One Yoga offers a range of class styles along with great community spirit and top teachers. You’ll find this studio in the heart of Gastown, where they walk the talk of community outreach, supporting many youth programs and community initiatives. Mara Branscombe is my fav teacher at One Yoga if you’re lucky enough to see her on the schedule (she mostly teaches online these days). That said, all of One Yoga’s classes and teachers are amazing.
Address: 150 Hastings Street W # 201
Class schedule here.
Guest House at House Concepts
Image Credit: House Concepts Yoga Studio
A genius studio concept, House Concepts includes four movement studios under one roof, offering yoga classes, boxing, bootcamp, and a running club. The space looks even cooler than it sounds, which is an inspiring way to begin a workout, if you ask me. The yoga and movement classes have names like Booty Burn and Power Flow, so you can expect a workout-style at most of the classes here.
Address: 1408 Howe Street
Class schedule here.
Sue Horning’s Classes at Bridge & Enrich
Image Credit: Susan Horning
During Covid, Vancouver’s beloved Sue Horning from Unity Yoga closed up her space on Main Street, but don’t worry, you can still take her energizing classes at Bridge & Enrich studios on Fraser Street. She teaches Hatha, Yin, and Vinyasa. I’d also highly recommend the Saturday classes by Yogacharini Maitreyi.
Address: 718 East 20th Street
Class schedule here
Image Credit: YYOGA
With 10 locations from Richmond to Burnaby and everywhere in between, YYoga offers the broadest range of class styles and locations, so they pretty much guarantee you’ll be able to get to your favourite class at a time that suits you. Classes include Hatha, Hot, Restorative, Yin, and Power. They also offer special events and meditation classes. Many of the locations offer an infrared sauna and a spa-like atmosphere, which is a sweet bonus. All of the YYogas we’ve tried have been very friendly and welcoming.
Address: Multiple locations
Class schedule here.
Shala Yoga Squamish
Image Credit: Shala Yoga Squamish
A bright, intimate space that strives to create transformative experiences through yoga, Shala in Squamish offers smaller class sizes intentionally to cultivate community and an inclusive culture of supportive practitioners. This is the ideal place to meet new friends, take a class, and be led by great teachers like Micaela Carron, or attend a Kundalini workshop with my fav Shae Savage.
Address: #3-40383 Tantalus Rd Squamish
Class schedule here, workshop schedule here.
Kushala Yoga
Image Credit: Kushala Yoga Studio Port Moody
Nestled in Port Moody, the newly re-opened Kushala Yoga is a great place to take a flow, yin, or hatha class and offers all of their classes in studio and livestreamed online. What I love about this studio is that the co-owners, Karen and Chris, are very anatomy-focused, and give great technical cues. I’d also recommend the classes offered by Shanon Brundrette and the workshops offered by my absolute fav Kundali teacher and soundbath guide, Angela Prider.
Address: 3032 St. John’s Street
Class schedule here. Workshop schedule here.
Kahlena Movement Studio
Image Credit: Kahlena Movement Studio
Located in the heart of Edgemont Village in North Vancouver, Kahlena Movement Studio is a yoga, pilates and dance studio run by the lovely Karen Kobel, who leads quite a few of the classes offered. You’ll find a variety of in-person and live streamed classes at this studio, all devoted to aligning participants of all fitness levels. Accessibility is the heart of this studio’s vision. This is a welcoming, community-focused place to take a yoga or movement class, with some great options for kids and family yoga, too.
Address: 3120 Highland Boulevard, North Vancouver
Class schedule here.
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Voila! If there’s one thing this last year has taught us all, it’s that community and connection are more important than ever. If you’re feeling the call to connect more deeply with your own body and soul to support your natural spirituality, here’s a beautiful guided nature visualization, a curated list of must-read spiritual books and a great article on restoring wellness via taking care of your microbiome health. Discover more inspiration for living aligned on Head + Heart.