Beijing's best yoga studios

Limber up and get fit at one of these yoga classes

Best for Hatha Yoga

Yogi Yoga

Indian instructor Yogi Mohan brings out his students’ inner Zen with the calming practice of Hatha yoga. Born and raised in Rishikesh, considered the yoga capital of the world, Mohan, along with his wife, former Elle China editor Yin Yan, was one of the first pioneers to bring yoga to the capital around  ten years ago. Hatha yoga is great for beginners – its slow-paced stretching, simple breathing and meditation exercises are the perfect way to unwind after a tough day at the office. The couple's yoga empire stretches beyond the capital with teaching centres in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Price 200RMB per class; one year's  unlimited classes 10,000RMB.

Yogi Yoga Tennis Centre, South Gate of Chaoyang Park, 1 Chaoyanggongyuan Nan Lu, Chaoyang district. Open 9am-9pm daily.

Best for Ashtanga yoga

Yoga with Yonnie

Australian Yonnie Fung likes to keep things intimate at her studio by limiting her classes to six people per session. The former corporate lawyer frequently returns to India to update her skills and is certified by the Yoga Alliance with 500 hours of training under her belt. Students can try two levels of Ashtanga, aimed at beginner or intermediate learners. The practice, popularised by Indian yoga master K Pattabhi Jois, is a more athletic style of yoga that synchronises your breath  with series of postures. Yonnie requires dedication from her students; participants are asked to sign up for a six-week session and attend every class.

Price 1,900RMB for 12 classes on weekdays over a six-week period or 950RMB for six classes on Sundays. Private one-on-one classes are 500RMB for one hour.

Yoga with Yonnie Secret location near Andingmen subway station (participants will find out once they sign up). To find out more about the centre, visit her website www.yonniefung.com.

Best for pre- and post-natal yoga

Yoga Yard

Open for more than a decade, Yoga Yard is a must-try for mums and mums-to-be. Their pre-natal classes are designed to support the body during pregnancy and teach breathing techniques that can come in handy during childbirth. Post-natal sessions come in two variations: 'Mommy and Baby' and 'Post-Natal Integration'. Both help to rebuild core strength and toning, which should ease childbirth-related tension and pain. 

Yoga Yard is also the most popular studio in town for Vinyasa, or flow yoga: sweaty, heart-pumping classes focused on continuous movement and matching that movement with breath. The studio also offers a range of styles and levels so that students can find a class that best suits their experience and needs.

Price First class 70RMB; pre-natal classes 100-150RMB per session; post-natal classes 100RMB per session. Memberships start at 1,100 RMB for one month of unlimited classes.

Yoga Yard Sixth Floor, 17 Gongti Bei Lu (across from the Workers’ Stadium North Gate), Chaoyang district (6413 0774). Open 7am-9.30pm Mon-Fri; 8.30am-7pm Sat-Sun.

Best for hot yoga

Yihe 42

Especially nice during the frosty winter months, Yihe 42's 40-degree classrooms help students to stretch deeply, increase their heart rate and improve circulation. The studio offers Bikram yoga classes, a practice based on a series of 26 postures. Studio owner Cherry Wang is certified with Bikram's Yoga College of India and in each class helps to ensure students get a healthy and safe hot yoga experience.

Price 300RMB per class; one month of unlimited classes 3,200RMB; 50-class card 7,600RMB; 80-class card 9,600RMB; one-year memberships 16,800RMB.

Yihe 42 (Sanlitun Branch) Third Floor, Building 1, Shimao Plaza, Chaoyang district (8405 9996). Open midday-7pm daily.

Best for Iyengar Yoga

Le Yoga

This Lido studio offers a wide range of classes like Iyengar, hot yoga and pre- and post-natal, and regularly has special workshops and international teacher residencies. On top of highly experienced and certified instructors, the studio environment is also extremely clean and updated with spacious and amenity-packed locker rooms and heated floors throughout.

Price Single class 300RMB; 72-class pass 10,288RMB.

Le Yoga Unit 1, 3 Hairun International Apartment, Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang district (5135 8880).

Best all-round studio

Fine Yoga

With two Beijing studios (CBD and Dawanglu), Fine Yoga specialises in Ashtanga yoga, which follows the same sequence of poses in a precise order during every class. Owner Sherri Rao trained under Ashtanga legend Pattabi Jois and has a dedicated team of teachers who all have studied abroad under renowned teachers of different yoga styles. Perhaps the company's biggest pull is the Fine Yoga Hubei Retreat Center, which is surrounded by tranquil lakes and scenery and open for retreats all year round.

Price Drop-in class 200RMB; 50-classes 5,000 RMB; three-year unlimited classes 22,800 RMB.

Fine Yoga Blue Castle International Centre, Tower 2, Sixteenth Floor, 3 Dawang Xi Lu, Chaoyang district (151 0102 2929). Open 7am-8.30pm daily.

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