2010 Apr 04 Reaching Nirvana: Beijing's Yoga Clubs
Tigers, like all cats and other sensible folk, stay limber by stretching as often as they can. Enjoy the year of the tiger by taking up hatha, bikram, ashtanga or vinyasa yoga at these studios.
Alona Pilates & Yoga Studio
Experienced, English-speaking instructors teach Mat Pilates and Reformers Pilates to individuals and classes of up to ten students. Also offers power and hatha yoga, belly dancing, and prenatal and postnatal “yogalates” classes. Aspiring teachers can enroll in Polestar Pilates of Miami Mat and Reformer Certification training, held monthly.
Daily 7.30am-9.30pm. 5/F, Heavenly Spa, Westin Beijing Chaoyang, 1 Xinyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District. (5922 8888) 朝阳区新源南路1号金茂北京威斯汀大饭店5层
Bikram Hot Yoga
Mainland China’s first and only authorized Bikram hot yoga studio features Bikram-certified teachers Huiping Mo and John William. Bikram Yoga is the original hot yoga system from the USA (www.bikramyoga.com). All classes are 90 minutes long, conducted in a specially designed heated studio (38C), and are beginner-friendly. Drop-in (RMB150) and membership also available.
Daily 10am-6.45pm. 5/F, Bldg E, Pacific Century Club,2A Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (6539 3434, 139 1051 3285) 莫慧萍比克拉姆热瑜珈，朝阳区工体北路甲2号盈科中心会所E座5层
Fine Yoga
Offers traditional ashtanga yoga, taught by experienced instructors, for all levels, together with hot yoga, kids’ yoga, hatha yoga and prenatal yoga. Costs RMB 700 for ten classes, RMB 800 per month and RMB 6,000 per year. Classes run throughout the day and evening. Extensive workshop programs with world-renowned instructors are also offered.
Mon-Fri 6-9pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm. Rm 501, Tower A, Soho New Town, 88 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District. (8589 6474, 139 1176 7521) www.fineyoga.com 朝阳区建国路88号Soho现代城A座501室
Mountain Yoga
Organizes and hosts yoga retreats in the mountain areas northwest of Beijing. Weekend workshops sometimes feature special guest teachers and themes such as art, photography, cooking and Bollywood dancing. Also offers yoga travel packages (USD200-980 per person), which include yoga on the Great Wall, vegetarian food, qigong instruction and herbal foot massage.
6 Gongzhufen Cun, Fragrant Hills, Haidian District. (6259 6702, 139 0102 1322) www.mountainyoga.cn 海淀区香山公主坟村6号
Nirvana Yoga Club
Class sizes are small at this yoga club, with offerings in ashtanga, vinyasa, hatha and pilates. RMB 3,600 per 70 visits, annual card RMB 5,000 for unlimited visits; hot yoga annual card RMB 6,000. Discounts available. Carries a full range of mats (RMB 260), bags, clothes and blocks. Daily 9.30am-9pm. 2A, Unit 5, Shijicheng, Yuanda Lu (100m south of the Golden Resource Shopping Mall), Haidan District. (5198 0591) 海淀区远大路世纪城5单元2A（世纪金源购物中心南100米）OM Yoga 42 Specializes in hot yoga, where the studio temperature is kept at 42-48°C, but also offers other limb-flexing courses. Classes are available in English, Chinese or both. Prices start at RMB 160 per class with monthly (RMB 1,900) and yearly (RMB 9,900) member-ships available.
Rm 9102/9103, Lido Apartment Bldg, Chaoyang District. (6437 8810) www.omyoga42.com.cn 朝阳区丽都公寓9102/9103室
OM Shanti Hot Yoga
The first studio in China to offer the Canadian cardiovascular-focused hot yoga series, Moshka, knowledgeable instructors and a tranquil environment make this an excellent venue to practice, whether you are a beginner or an experienced yogi.
Mon-Fri 10am-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm. B1117 Building #11 Jianwai Soho, Chaoyang District (5869 2849) www.omshantiyoga.cn 市朝阳区建外Soho西区11号楼B1117
Sunplace Sports & Fitness
Indian instructor teaches traditional hatha yoga and regular yoga classes (in English).
Daily 10am-10pm. 26 Laiguangying Xilu, Wangjing Beiqu, Chaoyang District. Contact Jane Zhao (8491 8999, 136 0106 0802) 东方全红体育健身中心，朝阳区望京北区来广营西路26号
Yoga Yard
This friendly center offers hatha vinyasa yoga classes at various levels, as well as pre- and post-natal yoga. Yoga mats, bags and wellness products are available for sale. Costs range from RMB 100 for a single 90min lesson, RMB 1,000 for an unlimited one-month pass and RMB 8,800 for a whole year. Discounts are available for new students, while special discounts are offered each quarter. Check website for details.
6/F, 17 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District. (6413 0774, info@yogayard.com) www.yogayard.com 瑜伽苑，朝阳区工体北路17号6层
Yogi Yoga
Indian master Mohan teaches a blend of yoga forms overlooking the serene Ritan Park, with a heavy focus on stress management and meditation through hatha yoga. Private lessons available (RMB 300). Annual membership: RMB 8,500.
1) North Gate of Ritan Park, Chaoyang District. (8561 5506/07) www.yogiyogacenter.com; 2) Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm. Tennis Center, Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang District. (6592 2791); 3) 5/F, Oriental Plaza, 218-2 Wangfujing Dajie, Wangfujing. (6513 2188) 1)悠季瑜伽，朝阳区日坛公园北门 2) 朝阳区朝阳公园网球中心 3) 王府井大街218-2东方广场西配楼五层
You might also be interested in :
Living La Vida Local: Going Organic in Beijing, Health Rave and Women Who Do Yoga
First things first: the St. George’s Day Charity Dinner we’ve been going on about for weeks takes place tonight. See our interview with the founder here. We can’t guarantee they have any tickets left at this point, but contact saintgeorgebeijing@gmail.com if you’re interested in snagging a last-minute seat. Otherwise, it’s all about yoga and health this week. Yoga Yard is launching a new film viewing series starting this evening, the ever-popular Heyrobics is again teaming up with The Hutong for an “unforgettable extravaganza” (their words, not ours) tomorrow afternoon, and INN (International Newcomers’ Network) is hosting a panel of organic farmers, dairy producers, retailers and organic food movement leaders to tell us what “organic” really means in the Middle Kingdom.
Living La Vida Local: Free Yoga Classes, Whisky for Women, and a Murder Mystery Dinner
Lots to look forward to this week, especially with International Women’s Day coming up on Thursday, March 8. Don't know how to celebrate the holiday in Beijing? We have a few related events to recommend, as well as details on free yoga classes, networking for start-ups, and a murder mystery dinner party.
Can You Handle the Heat?: Hot Yoga in Beijing
Steam hissed from the ceiling. Bare skin, glossy with sweat, lay heaving all around me. No, I wasn’t on the set of some porn film. I was at hot yoga, feeling faint. And the class hadn’t even begun yet.
Meditational Pursuits
Just as our bodies are finally starting to recover from the excesses of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, we find ourselves staring down the feasts and festivities of China’s Spring Festival. In order to give our bodies and minds a chance to recharge when the fun is over, why not take up a yoga class and let life’s stresses melt away? Sign up and get flexing at one of the following centers.
