The Life Centre

Isabell’s Finding Balance: a Yin/​Yang workshop at the weekend at The Life Centre Islington was like a perfect day retreat at the end of a long, wet and windy month. I came looking for balance, and balance I found! I left feeling like a different person, with a bounce in my step, ready to enter the new month ahead with a renewed sense of purpose and intention. The 3-​hours were meticulously planned, each section weaving and feeding into the next, neatly punctuated with a reminder to cultivate our sankalpa (intention) each step of the way.
We started by chanting the Guru Mantra as Isabell reminded us that Guru is the remover of darkness within us. We then stepped onto the mat for a strong and heating dynamic vinyasa practice with twists and back bends leaving me energised and embodied. This would have been enough for me to leave a great review, but Isabell had more in store! The energising yang flow was followed with a delicious yin sequence and a beautiful nourishing yoga Nidra which was the cherry on top!
By marrying the yang and the yin (and the Nidra practice) I experienced a real sense of equilibrium and joy. I can’t recommend this workshop enough.
Already looking forward to the next workshop. Thank you Isabell!

I tried a range of yoga classes here, all were really good. I have a bit of yoga experience already which is needed for many of the classes, they do beginners classes and workshops which I hear are good.
The space is lovely, the studios are a decent size but at the cost of the changing space which is tiny.
Recommend trying the introduction 2 week pass.

The best description of Life Centre I have heard was when I brought along friend visiting from San Fran to a class and she said «that yoga class was worse than the one I took in an alley in China and 5x more expensive. In China the mats were cleaner, actually». There you go.
I’ve lived on Essex Road for years. I shop at Planet Organic. I love yoga. I wanted to love the Life Centre out of interest and convenience. In fact, I’ve tried on 5 occasions over 4 years to attend it regularly, always thinking it’s my fault I don’t like Life Centre — by taking different classes (maybe I just need to find the right teacher?), bringing friends (maybe it’s bad because I’m alone?), attending workshops (maybe I need more direction?), and complementary therapies (maybe I need additional help to relax?). Finally I realised that it wasn’t me. It was the Life Centre. It has consistently failed. The teachers are non-​attentive and only concerned with their regulars and inner clique, the reception staff is useless, the management could not resolve a simple over-​billing claim, there are no changing rooms, it is ridiculously hot and noisy, the mats and floor are smelly and GROSS with no cleaning materials available and on top of all, it has central London prices without the central London amenities. Now I shlep it down to Bank to attend Blue Cow Yoga. I’d recommend you do the same.

This is a great beginner’s studio… I ve been doing yoga on and off (mostly off) for the past 5 years, and still consider myself a beginner. But since I’ve become pregnant and my gym membership has expired, I figured doing yoga is a great way to stay healthy and stay off my bum.
I’ve been coming here for the pregnancy yoga classes, and it’s been really great! There are plenty of different teachers in rotation, which I don t mind because they all do different kinds of exercises which help me to stretch out. All of them are very knowledgable and approachable.
The space itself is great as well! It s located off of Essex road, so it doesn’t get too nosy. There are two spacious studios, changing rooms, and a room with one shower. It’s nice that they offer free mats, but some of them are showing lots of wear and tear. But since it’s pregnancy yoga, I do most of it sitting on a blanket. If you’re picky about your mat, just bring your own.
I know that finding the right studio is really important, but you have nothing to lose for 2 weeks unlimited classes for £20. They also offer a lot of packaged deals, which can bring the price of classes to £11 each. The Life Centre also offers «community classes» which make yoga really affordable for £7 a class.

I really really want to like this place but i am having a hard time with a few things. Coming from practicing other international studios, the teacher quality i find it quite high but there is a ton of subbing.
I have only been to 3 classes and the teachers have been great accept for one that is supposedly world renowned. go figure, but i never buy into celebrity yoga anyways.
They offer free mats but they are DISGUSTING. I asked for spray to wipe mine down after class and they didn’t even have any? I asked them when they are cleaned, she said when they get dirty. like once every few months. YUCK!
I don’t know what era we are living in but foot fungus and spreading of illness is prevalent through these mats. This is first time i have ever been to (in 10+ years) a studio that offers mats, yet not tell us to clean them after use. Pretty gross for a nice studio. Cleanliness is part of yoga covered in the Nimyamas as Saucha, so that is why i am surprised to see such lack of care.
Bring your own mat is the only solution, or keep bugging them and they may see the light.

I bitched and bitched before I came back from Vancouver about not being able to find a good yoga in studio in London and dreading practising at the gym. And then I found the Life Centre Islington. Sweet relief.
This is actually a really cool dedicated yoga studio. Very clean and well kept, with always friendly receptionists (trust me, that makes a big difference) and a nice selection of classes. The only complaint I have is that they claim to offer pilates but never in the evening and I can’t come during the day. Also they seem to have more than a few substitute teachers which I think if I go with more regularlity would start to bother me. But then again, switching it up with teacher styles can keep it challenging.
While the name leads you down paths of hippie women who don’t shower and wear their hair in dreadlocks, it is comfortingly yuppish. Free mat rental too. And lockers. Winning.

i can’t comment on the regular classes here, but i attended a «future sound of yoga» class here tonight, and it was AWESOME. unfortunately the instructor and her dj hubby are based out of sydney, but hopefully they come back!
the studio itself is really nice, airy and clean w/​a large changing area plus showers.