Yoga and Pilates have at last taken root in Paris: studios tend to be minimalist but chic, modern zen oases hidden in grand old buildings. Here are 12 of the most inspiring spaces in which to hone your handstands and open your chakras with Parisian style.
Yuj studio at HOY (Home of Yoga), Rue des Martyrs (Photo: HOY Paris)
Paris might have been a late bloomer when it comes to the yoga craze, but lycra leggings are now almost as ubiquitous as berets on the streets of the French capital. Basically, Paris made yoga chic. Myriad studios have sprung up to cater to this rapidly increasing demand for sun salutations, and many of them are intelligently designed spaces in Haussmannian buildings or converted 19th-century warehouses. They have attracted not only renowned international yogis teaching in English, but also a new generation of excellent French instructors. Whether you’re seeking Kundalini or Kirtan, a handstand workshop or intensive teacher training, there is now something for every yoga addict in Paris.
Jivamukti Yoga Paris
Jivamukti Yoga Paris (Photo courtesy of Jivamkuti Yoga Paris)
Jivamukti Paris Center along the Canal St-Martin comprises two rooms spanning 423 m² (named ‘Hanuman’ and ‘Lakshmi’) decked out with shrines and incense, as well as a vegan café to relax in after a challenging 105-minute class. The first 15 minutes of any Jivamukti-style session begins with chanting and a few spiritual words of wisdom based on a monthlong theme, so you can enjoy a moment of contemplation and musical commune before getting into asana practice. The French and international teachers are among the best in Paris, most having undertaken the demanding 800-hour Jivamukti training. Their sequencing is creative, adjustments are soothing and instructive, and they always show care towards their students. Jivamukti, if you were wondering, means ‘liberation in this lifetime’.
92 Quai de Jemmapes, 75010
My Ginger
My Ginger: immersion (Photo courtesy of My Ginger studio)
Founded by sisters Jennifer and Candice in June 2022, My Ginger is one of the most beautifully designed new yoga studios in Paris. Once you enter through a picturesque courtyard in Saint-Germain, an Yves Klein-blue corridor leads to a room equipped with eight projectors for ‘immersive’ classes with images dancing across the walls. Music and unique environments transform the space. Thoughtful design is everywhere you look, right down to smartphone charging docks in every locker.
13 rue du Vieux Colombier, 75006
Yuj
Yuj studio Pigalle (Photo courtesy of HOY Paris)
HOY is Home of Yoga: a boutique hotel with vegan fine dining, a spa, a rather fancy florist, and a yoga studio run by Yuj (the latter has five other studios in Paris and nearby Boulogne-Billancourt, as well as a line of high-end yoga apparel and mats). A few twinkling lights illuminate the practice space on the first floor. The class is likely to be a dynamic flow with some fitness elements, taking place under infrared heating to relax the muscles. It may be accompanied by a playlist as you move in near total darkness, a few candles excepted. You will emerge with the glow of someone who just did yoga in a very stylish place. Prolong that glow with a trip to the in-house spa for some less common treatments, ranging from traditional African massage to body painting or holistic CBD treatments.
68 Rue des Martyrs, 75009
Rasa Yoga Rîve Gauche
Rasa Rîve Gauche (photo : Rasa Yoga)
Just across from the Notre Dame Cathedral in the Latin Quarter is a heavy wooden door. And behind that heavy wooden door is a peaceful courtyard leading to this haven of a yoga studio, founded by Daniela Schmid in 2005. Rasa’s decor is stripped back yet natural, warm and chic. Here you’ll find spacious room with skylight adjacent to a smaller, dedicated Iyengar space with ropes. International teachers lead classes mainly in English; some of the best in Paris can be found here, like the American Iyengar specialist Shane or the big-hearted Quebecois Antoine. In addition to self-led mysore, the schedule features a variety of styles including vinyasa ‘liquid flow’, Kundalini, Iyengar, nidra, sound healing or ‘face yoga’ workshops. There was even a brief ‘surf yoga’ phase (on wooden boards instead of mats) that was the talk of the town.
21 rue Saint Jacques, 75005
Kind Yoga
Kind Yoga studio, class with Alix Alleguede (Photo courtesy of Kind Yoga Paris)
Created by Nathalie and her sister in 2020 as an extension of their brand of French yoga leggings, Kind is now a yoga concept encompassing a studio, active wear and a vegetarian café in the 2nd arrondissement. The snow-white surfaces of the practice room help still the mind so you can concentrate on postures and alignment, with a spacious changing room and shower for after class. Beginners’, intermediate and advanced vinyasa are offered, as well as handstand workshops, candlelit evening vinyasa and sound baths. Some of Paris’ very best yoga instructors teach here regularly – Tatiana Avila Bouru for one, as well as international visiting teachers like Hiro Landazuri for intensive workshops.
41 Rue Beauregard, 75002
Snake and Twist
Snake and Twist Pilates (Photo: Snake and Twist)
Founded by the undeniably bootylicious trainer Marcia Segal, Snake and Twist is a fitness-oriented experience based out of two Paris studios, in the 9th and 16th arrondissements. Reformer and Romana’s Pilates, Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis, and Lagree Fitness (a Californian cardio training method) are all on the program, as well as Power Vinyasa yoga (inspired by Baptiste Power in San Francisco) with infrared heating. The classes on state-of-the-art Megaformers will help you combine cardio, strength, endurance, balance and flexibility into one training session. The studio in the 16è near Trocadero is fully equipped for Gratz Pilate and also boasts a juice bar and boutique.The fluoro lighting, neon slogans and Instagram-ready clientele are bound to get your motivation levels pumped.
66 Bis Rue Saint-Didier 75016 and 53 Rue Rodier 75009
Māyāshala
Mayashala studio, 11è Paris (Photo: Claire Jaillard for Mayashala)
This relatively small, intimate studio near Oberkampf is minimalist but light and cosy, and deeply authentic, with a focus on quality teaching. Seven styles of yoga cater for beginner to advanced yogis and include ‘liquid flow’ and sound baths, as well as a thorough yoga teacher training program. The instructors’ caring energy can be felt in each class, particularly through gentle and generous adjustments.
4 Cité Griset, 75011
Mama Yoga
Mama Yoga Batignolles (Photo courtesy of Mama Yoga)
Open since September 2023 in a leafy corner of the quietly hip Batignolles neighborhood, Mama Yoga is an oasis of calm. Simply adorned with a gong, chimes and signature rounded mats, the light-filled studio is equiped with infra-red heating, and intimate enough to feel the benefits of warm practice for certain classes. This small studio has drawn some of Paris’ most appreciated teachers for sessions ranging from all levels to intermediate: try Tony Chassan’s long Saturday heated afternoon vinyasa, handstand focused exercises, or creative workshops such as blindfolded yoga to hone your practice. As a bonus, you are well situated for a post-yoga reward at one of the trendy cafés nearby.
60 rue Boursault 75017
Naya
Naya Studio (Photo: Facebook)
Just a short stroll from Place des Vosges, Naya is your one stop in the Marais for total nourishment, inside and out: after an enriching yoga class, stay for a generous and wholesome lunch at the ayurvedic vegan café, where founding chef and yogi Adrien gets creative. With their calming, solid stone walls and lush vegetation, the two yoga rooms are warm and intimate. Adrien has brought some of Paris’ most gifted and benevolent teachers into the fold: like Rachid, whose handstand workshops are revelatory and who can identify the slightest tension in your body before you’re even aware of it; or Caroline, who sings with absolute conviction during Kirtan sessions with featuring live music and chanting.
26 Rue des Tournelles 75003 / nayastudio.paris
Chītā
Aerial yoga classes (Photo courtesy of Chita yoga studio, Paris)
Yoga doesn’t have to be an earthbound pursuit, but few studios in Paris give its students the opportunity to leave terra firma and fly. Based in the 16th arrondissement’s Etoile district, Chita opened in October 21 and specializes in aerial and trapeze yoga, while still offering plenty of time on the mat with therapeutic yoga (digestion, breathwork), barre, Pilates, and meditation classes. Enter through a secluded Parisian courtyard and take wing in this small but cosy brick-wall space as you twist and stretch in securely suspended hammocks. Those new to aerial yoga will need to feel reassured as they leave the ground, and the quality of teaching and personal attention here (in French with some English when required) ensures you can place your trust in the instructors. Chita also supports a charity dedicated to the protection of leopards – the studio’s name means ‘leopard’ in Hindi.
71 Avenue Victor Hugo 75016 / chitastudio.com
Gérard Arnaud Yoga (Care)
Gérard is a French yoga legend. A direct student of B.K.S. Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois, he has been practicing since 1967, lived in India, and has trained more than 1000 yoga teachers, including some of the best in the Paris community today. He founded his two studios in the 11th arrondissement long before yoga got trendy in Paris; they are the seat of the Fédération Française de Yoga. He still teaches a weekly intensive workshop, surely the most authentic and disciplined yoga to be found in Paris. The rest of his team have been trained by Gérard personally, so you know you’ll be in good hands.
Rituel Pilates
Rituel pilates (Photo: Rituel, Paris)
Don’t be intimidated by all those machines: Rituel is a warm and inviting studio with an excellent team of 23 professors to assist in GYROTONIC®, GYROKINESIS®, Xtend Barre and yoga classes. The bright and airy studio for floor work is particularly beautiful with its ornate high ceiling. Rituel was one of the first dedicated Pilates studios in Paris and remained one of only two until 2015.
16 Rue de la Grande Chaumière, 75006 / www.studio-rituel.paris