I was thoroughly impressed with my first experience here. I came with a friend for the introductory…read morecourse, a level 2 Vinyasa class. I do practice yoga and while I do it at home I find classes are much better, you just get more out of practicing. I had been going to Bikram yoga classes for several months, I wanted to mix things up a bit and get more into the poses and building up strength in other parts of my body. This seemed like a good way to do it. The class was fun. The instructor Steve was fantastic. Very charismatic, he provided equal does of instruction with humour and personal stories throughout the session which made it way more fun. Steve both does the poses and walks around ensuring that everyone is in the poses correctly, readjusts where necessary and provides encouragement throughout the class too. Steve understands why you come, to relieve stress and to find balance and the breathing exercises focus on detoxing yourself from the negativity in your life, what ever that may be. A great class and needless to say I will be adding this to my Bikram classes and cycling.

I have been to around three different yoga studios in Auckland. I'm not an expert but then I'm not…read morea full on beginner either. The Yoga Sanctuary is my favourite of the lot. I think it's a combination of the tutors and the comfortable surroundings. I don't feel like anyone is looking at me in a weird way like I do at East West (bikram yoga) and everyone seems to be really friendly and relaxed and accommodating to your needs. I did the align and flow class one time, which I thought was a little bit boring, or easy or something. The next day I was in more muscle pain (the good kind) than I've had in years, so obviously I was wrong. Usually I go to the Level 1 Vinyasa class and I feel pretty happy about it. They mix it up a lot, which is cool for me because as soon as I start getting bored during exercising I want to go home. One other thing I think is cool, is that the tutors seem to be pretty 'normal' - they do go through a lot of the spiritual stuff when they talk, but not in a way that makes me feel like, 'oh my god these bloody hippies let's get on with it', if that makes sense.

I love this place, yes I enjoy yoga and that is probably a prerequisite but even if you haven't…read morebeen, you might too. You never know until you try. Being a person that really feels the cold, the idea of doing yoga in a room heated to 35 degrees seemed pretty good. Classes are easily booked online, you just rock up with your yoga mat and a lot of water (they have this stuff available at the studio though if you are new or can't be bothered bringing your own). There are a variety of classes, different levels and types of yoga here and the timetables are on the website so you can take your pick. The studio itself is very nice, good showering and changing facilities. So great in fact you leave and no one would know you had just sweat out a large percentage of your body's water volume. It's a great workout, this yoga burns on average 3000kj per session! All the classes I have taken have been with Fiona, she is one of the most nicest people on the planet. During class she makes sure everyone is in the positions correctly so you really get the most out of your session and the benefits through correct positioning. If you have not tried hot yoga before, but have done yoga at room temperature give it a go, it's yoga amplified.