Yoga in Amsterdam
Amsterdam can be a wonderful place if you are looking to continue or pick up a yoga practice. It seems like there’s a yoga center on very other street corner. And there are styles to suit every taste; Bikram, Iyengar, Hatha, Svaha, Kundalini, you name it. Pilates, massage and many other kinds of body work are also well represented. We have cherry-picked a selection of yoga studios we recommend you check out while in town. A drop in yoga class typically costs around 10 Euros, and most teachers do English, too.
Yoga Amsterdam Centre
Yoga Studio Momo
With its wooden floors, clean white interior and located on the second floor of a stately “grachtenpand” overlooking the canal, Studio Momo breathes an atmosphere that will attract yoga veterans and newcomers alike. As an antidote to our hectic times, the schedule has a strong emphasis on “yin-yoga”. This is a quiet practice that focusses on stimulating the meridians and relaxation. Up for a bigger physical challenge? We can heartily recommend “Acroyoga”; a form of partner yoga, that combines elements of acrobatics, Thai massage and ‘therapeutic flying’. If you are looking for a bit of non-alcoholic fun, their regular music nights form an excellent opportunity to meet new like-minded people.
Herengracht 377
www.studiomomo.nl
Mindful Yoga (Yoga Amsterdam East)
“It’s not the life that matters… It’s the courage you bring to it.” This is the motto of Mindful yoga, where the two female lead teachers attend not only to the physical body of their students, but to the spiritual aspects of the practice as well. The yoga studio is located on the top floor of a residential home. Guru Deva and Ram Ravi are both inspiring Kundalini Yoga teachers. It is a complete, dynamic and sometimes challenging practice. But the challenge is different for every body. It can heal many ailments, ranging from a painful back to depression. You do not need to be especially limber to practice it. And one level fits all; meaning that regardless of your level of fitness or experience, you will be challenged.
Tweede Oosterparkstraat 241
www.mindfulyoga.nl (web site in Dutch)
Shirley Woods Yoga Practice (Yoga Amsterdam West)
Located on the first floor of an historical building in the western tip of the city-center, Shirley Woods Yoga Practice is held in a beautiful, softly lit room that can accommodate over 25 practitioners. Seeing that groups are usually small, of approximately 8 to 10 people, you’ll have a lot of personal space for your practice. The teacher, Shirley, is a warm and compassionate woman with over 15 years of experience in Ashtanga yoga. She also teaches a relatively new kind of yoga called Vijnana. It is a softer kind of yoga that bears the motto: Practice From Within. There is no mirror present, as students are encouraged to feel the postures from inside.
Elandsgracht 105
www.yogapractice.nl
Unlimited Health (Yoga Amsterdam South)
Offering a combination of Yoga and Raw Food, this roomy yoga centre / restaurant in “De Pijp” has boomed over the last couple of years. And it’s easy to see why. Owners Anil and Helen are dedicated to bringing a healthy lifestyle within reach of everyone. Lower than average prices and a full schedule of yoga classes taught by inspired lead teacher Anil make for an attractive formula. He calls his style of yoga “Holistic”. Emphasizing that much of todays yoga is fragmented, his classes typically include a combination of Sun Salutations, Fire Breathing and silent meditation. It keeps old age away, he insists. And Anil himself serves as the poster child for his philosophy. He is 65 years old, but were it not for his grey hair, you would easily give him twenty less.
Van Ostadestraat 234
www.unlimitedhealth.nl
Yoga Studio Padma (Yoga Amsterdam North)
This studio has three experienced main teachers, with an emphasis on traditional Hatha Yoga. This studio has been around for over 25 years and has a lot of regulars coming. The teaching is accessible, and the room is spacious - it’s a school class room. Address: Kalkoenstraat 11g
www.yogapadma.nl
International Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training (Yoga Community in Amsterdam)
If you are here for longer and want to deepen your practice, consider doing a Teacher Training. Amrit Nam Sarovar International School of Kundalini Yoga offers a 1-year Training in Amsterdam. It is open for everybody, also for people who have no previous experience with yoga. The idea behind that is that everyone has a body, and anyone who wants to develop himself further spiritually, or even as a human being, cannot bypass this obvious fact. You will get the tools to practice at home, and later, when you have developed it a little further, you learn how to transmit this experience to others. Without exception this training involves major personal transformations, so that you can be in the world in a happier, healthier, fitter, clearer and less judgmental way.
www.amritnam.nl