Fitness & Health: HAPI yoga times in Dubai

Kara Martin 20:14 26/04/2017
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  • Try out a new venue in town.

    From hosting yoga classes in inspired spaces such as art galleries, to inviting some of the trendiest teachers the world over to run incredible and creative workshops, and even throwing pop-up glow-in-the-dark classes, Urban Yoga in Dubai is always on a mission to make yoga an even cooler experience for the greater public.

    It’s no wonder they’ve opened up their second studio in the up-and-coming arts hub Alserkal Avenue, teaming up with hipster holistic lifestyle brand HAPI.

    We were very eager to pay them a visit. The two homegrown brands will be working together at Alserkal to inspire the community to live happier lives through good food and mindful exercise under one roof, and this is the Al Quoz destination’s first purpose-built yoga studio running regular classes.

    Kimerberly Stokes, co-founder of Urban Yoga said: “We are delighted that we are now able to reach more people in the yoga community through this central location.

    “We couldn’t have asked for a better partner than HAPI for this expansion as we are now able to work together to reach more people and inspire the community to live happier and healthy lives”.

    Much like the Urban Yoga’s original studio in Business Bay, HAPI has a large open-plan, loft-style setting that would fit right in in the trendiest neighbourhoods of New York or London.

    The small and intimate yoga studio is quiet with a large window wall overlooking the cafe below that serves up everything from cold brew coffee to organic burgers and a healthy bone broth that’s hard to pass up after a tough practice.

    Urban Yoga, as a brand, prides itself on yoga instruction for the urban and modern mindset. This makes their new set-up in the ultra-hip Alserkal is pretty perfect, really.

    In the chaotic fast-paced world we live in here in the Emirates, they know exactly what you need at the end of the day and their classes are highly popular.

    Instruction is very anatomy-focused, with much emphasis placed on your body and how to move it in way that will benefit you both physically and mentally, and we’ve never not left their studio feeling practically reborn.

    They teach various styles and difficulty levels, allowing students to select the class that suits exactly what your body is craving – from gentle candlelit flows and restorative Yin Yoga, to more strengthening and re-energizing styles such as Strala Strong (an imaginative and invigorating signature class of famous modern yogi Tara Stiles).

    Urban Yoga Dubai

    • What: Urban Yoga
    • Where: HAPI, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz
    • Verdict: This is an inspiring and energising class. We’d be very “HAPI” to hang out there once again.

    After a heavy night, we braved a morning Flexibility Flow class led by “Urban Yogi” Liberty that was just what the doctor ordered.

    It’s a very smooth flow peppered with plenty of Vinyasas that was clearly designed to coax greater mobility out of all of the body’s major joints and muscles groups.

    As you’re asked to hold some of the poses just a bit longer, the sequence also creates more elasticity in the tissues.

    We admit to feeling a bit poorly when we entered the class, but this is where Urban Yoga’s cool, curated music playlists also come in handy; as does Liberty’s calm and collected guidance. We powered through and sweated away all of last night’s toxins.

    It was a very well-balanced class that inspired both ease and energy, and reminded us just how powerful and healing yoga can be.

    For schedule information and to book a class, visit www.urbanyoga.ae or search for Urban Yoga on the Mindbody App.

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