The Light Centre

Lovely teacher with with great yoga flow. Started and ended on time. Clean studio and great music. Also a great juice/​health food store in front.

Lovely space. Great yoga classes

Great place with people willing to help you clear your mind and spirit and to feel good agaiN!

sophie’s saturday anusara class was good. i usually do ashtanga/​vinyasa flow classes, but this one was good, b/​c anusara is all about alignment and correct form, and sophie really corrected my form.
katie’s ashtanga class is also great. i can’t wait to try more classes!

I’m an astanga girl, through and through.
I sometimes think to myself, «Larissa, you should go to a not-​astanga class for a change of pace. You know, keep yourself challenged; develop your yogic knowledge». Sometimes I go through with this train of thought and end up in a miscellaneous yoga class with an instructor who chatters incessantly and has me doing squats for a full hour and no other recognisable form of asana so as to have me cursing myself under my breath for 60 minutes. I mean, if I wanted to go to a legs, bums and tums class, I would have gone to the gym. Right?
So, this happened to me tonight at the Light Centre.
But DESPITE this, I’m giving the place five stars.
That’s right.
The space was magnificent for the central London location. Abundant changing rooms, a spacious sitting room with all manner of comfortable couches, futons and chairs, magazines and books, tea and filtered water. The guy on the reception whom I have encountered twice now has been completely friendly and welcoming on both occasions. Also, there are showers, apparently (though I have not seen them).
Sure, the two studios aren’t much to look at, but they’re functional. I don’t need my yoga studio to be grand, as it’s just me and my mat when it comes right down to it.
Two other things to note: Stewert does many Jivamukti classes here throughout the week. I know him from a stint of taking one of his classes at another yoga studio before I moved out of its area, and he is a fabulous yoga instructor. The best conventional instructor (i.e., leading a class, giving verbal instructions, encouragement, the occasional postural correction) I’ve encountered in London.
What excites me most about this studios is that is does a morning «assisted practice» (read: mysore-​style yoga), the monthly cost of which is as low as £48! I used to pay £100 for mysore yoga, and that was with a SUBSTANTIAL student discount. Speaking of prices, otherwise, they’re really cheap here. Starting from £9 for an hour, £10 for one-​and-​a-​half, etc, the cost is lower than other studios I’ve researched in less accessible/​commutable areas. Plus, you can get a discount for purchasing £50 or £100 pre-​pay increments.
As for me, I’m going back to take the Light Centre up on its £10 for 10 days of morning «assisted practices».
Expect a report back.
PS, it’s not just yoga here. There are pilates classes and holistic therapies (eg, massages, detoxifications, etc.).

My friends Julie and Bindu dragged me here early on a Saturday morning for their weekly class with Stewart (Stuart?). Kicking and screaming as I was going in, I was the picture of sweaty, happy calm coming out.
Stuart has got to be one of the best teachers I’ve encountered in London — he’s funny, got a great Scottish accent, and really pushes you. The first time I went, I literally saw a guy pouring sweat (i.e. a human fountain) — I didn’t know that was possible.
Other classes are good, but Stuart is definitely a star. A tad pricey and out of the way, but good for a go.

After the hustle and bustle of London finding somewhere with the calming environment of the Light Centre is a godsend. They have a great range of classes, friendly staff and have recently introduced a whole range of complimentary therapies.
Personally, I’ve recently tried out Reflexology at the Centre and was thoroughly impressed with the treatment I received. I wish them the best of luck! It is clearly one of the best new places to do yoga in London.