The best yoga studios in Sydney

With studios in Marrickville, Surry Hills and Newtown offering a ridiculously well-rounded wellness schedule – from weights classes to nightclub-style dance sessions – One Playground is arguably Sydney’s best independent gym chain. And though gyms aren’t generally known as sanctuaries of zen, the yoga classes here are incredible. Book in for a lunchtime yoga flow and you’ll return to your desk a new person. At the Marrickville studio, you’ll also find a wellness lounge (complete with infrared saunas), a wonderland-like creche and five-star-hotel-like bathrooms – all for a surprisingly affordable membership fee. Want to give it a go? You can book in for a free trial session at any of One Playground’s super-sleek studios (we guarantee you’ll be coming back for more).

This airy studio in Surry Hills holds a bevy of regular yoga classes that run from sunrise to sundown, along with a variety of workshops covering off subjects like breathing, meditation and inversions. They also have an ongoing teacher training program for those who are looking to take their practice to a new level.

If you’re a sucker for sound healing, this is your place. Humming Puppy gets its name from the soundscape that plays throughout the classes – a combination of digital and organic sound frequencies of 7.83hz and 40hz, used to mimic the grounding vibrations of the earth and regulate human brainwaves for clarity and concentration. Classes here are beautifully paced and perfectly esoteric, with intention setting, breathing practices, asana (movement) and meditation all complemented by the healing hum. A $45 intro pass will score you seven days of unlimited yoga.

The vinyasa classes at these eastern suburbs studios are high-intensity and an excellent workout, but the main draw (in my opinion) is their yin yoga offering – with classes that will reset your body and soul in a way you didn’t know you needed. Membership will score you access to both the Clovelly and Randwick studios, and the daily timetables feature a range of classes throughout the day. I’d suggest starting your day with a stretch in Clovelly, then heading down to the beach for a dip. Want to try it out? $99 will score you a 28 day intro pass with unlimited access to both studios (plus online classes, if you want to practice at home).

In the hustle and bustle of Kings Cross is a hideaway yoga studio that specialises in hot yoga and pilates with three heated studios. The studios are heated to varying temperatures (21 degrees, 27 degrees and 37), with the hotter rooms playing host to slower, deeper stretches and the 21 degree room hosting more high-intensity vinyasa sequences. Keen to get sweaty? The $80 trial membership will score you unlimited classes for 14 days.

With studios in Surry Hills, Bondi and Byron Bay (plus a sadly now closed location in Redfern) BodyMindLife is something of an institution for the yoga community of NSW – with its teacher training program responsible for some of the best yoga teachers now leading classes in Sydney and beyond. Membership will score you access to any of the three studios, and the diverse weekly timetable offers a range of class times and yoga styles to suit any schedule. If you’re keen to try it out, the 14 day trial is a good place to start ($59 for 14 days of unlimited classes) or you can drop in for a one-off class for $29.

Keen for a challenge? Bikram classes are where it’s at: a high intensity sequence comprising two breathing exercises and 26 repeated postures, carried out in a very hot room over 90 minutes. It’s sweaty and it’s challenging, but you’ll feel incredible once you’re finished. Many of Sydney’s studios offer Bikram classes, but for the full experience, head to a dedicated Bikram studio – this Brookvale studio is one of Sydney’s best. The $39 intro pass will score you unlimited classes for 14 days.