Situated amidst hipster favourites, Golden Turtle and Pizzeria Libretto, YogaSpace rests at the heart of gentrifying Ossington/Dundas. Offering various types of bodywork therapies, as well as a special focus on pre/postnatal yoga, birth preparation and yoga with young children, YogaSpace is a very unique studio but its drop in classes are accessible to all.

The studio itself has two warm, spacious and tastefully decorated studios with exposed brick. The change room is also large, but the layout is somewhat awkward, so there is not actually that much room to change. However, it does offer showers, washrooms, and an entire wall to store mats.

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I took the Vinyasa 1/2 class with Adrian and it was a little easier compared to other classes I’ve taken classified at the same 1/2 level. This class would probably fall under level 1 in other studios. The class itself had 11 students, with the average age being slightly older than other studios.

Adrian himself has a soothing voice and a kind presence. These qualities coupled with gentle lighting and a chanting soundtrack gave the class an emphasis on rejuvenation and relaxation despite the physical demands of certain poses. Students sighed heavily throughout class during exhales, and this release of tension was encouraged throughout.

YogaSpace offers a wide variety of services, and this place has a lot of appeal for students who can take advantage of its specialities. Having said that, students of all levels can benefit from this studio. The amenities are quite good, there are many teachers, and I frequently hear about YogaSpace from the yoga community in TO, so if one lives in the area, it is worth checking out.

[edit] I bought a $20/week for new students pass so thought I would update this space:

  • Took another class with Adrian, again, a Vinyasa 1/2 and felt this one was more challenging. He was not shy about adjustments, which I enjoy but perhaps students might want to inform him beforehand.
  • Had a 2 hour Yoga Flow class with Dale, who has an incredibly kind and soothing voice. A much slower paced class with poses held somewhat longer. Students were encouraged to feel energy flows through their pranic body; we began with an exercise based on chakra points and also did more Sanskrit chanting.
  • Had a lovely class that really focused on being present in the body with Yosh
  • Bibi’s 2 hour class is unique and creative, executed with a slower hatha style.