The purpose of this feature is not simply to explain what Moksha Yoga is, but to delve into the more perplexing realm of its apparent non-existence in London, a city so seemingly up to date with the latest trends and fads – from neon tights to Pay by Phone Parking services.
According to the official Moksha Yoga website, Moksha, literally ‘release’, “takes you through a series of strengthening and toning postures in the detoxifying calm of a heated studio”. This form of hot yoga was founded by Toronto’s Ted Grand and Jessica Robertson.
I recently relocated to London from Montreal, Canada, where Moksha Yoga is as popular as the frozen yogurt craze (I’m sure you’ve heard of Pinkberry, Snog, or Yeh – if not, you’re missing out). To my astonishment, Moksha seems to be missing here. Thus began my hunt to uncover the mystery of Moksha in London.
My heart raced at each sight of a ‘Moksha Yoga London’ search result on Google. Heart rate slowing, I realized each site was referring to the lesser-known Canadian city of London, Ontario.
Upon consulting the official Moksha Yoga website, it is clear that Moksha Studios exist in Canada, the US, the Caribbean, and Switzerland. There is an affiliated studio in London, England, which offers classes taught by Naomi Reynolds, a Moksha Yoga certified teacher; I am waiting to hear back on whether these classes resemble the Moksha I knew in Montreal. Could Naomi be my only hope?
Left with no other choice, I decided to give in and attend a Bikram Yoga class in Soho. While this type of hot yoga is similar to Moksha (and equally challenging), it is more structured; it consists of an exact set of 27 postures, practiced in a specific order, each held for a fixed amount of time. Some might enjoy such repetitiveness, but I find it tiresome (pun intended). Moksha yoga is varied – instructors have the freedom to decide which postures to guide the class through, and in what order. While many of the postures are the same as those practiced in Bikram, Moksha classes include more flows (akin to a sun salutation) and certain beneficial postures not included in Bikram’s specific set of 27.
When I asked Paul, an instructor at Bikram Soho, if he had heard of any Moksha Yoga studios in London, he replied “maybe in Brighton”. Sure enough, there is a Moksha Yoga studio run by Susie Law in Brighton & Hove. The problem: it is not in London. Do I really have to drive 1.5 hours south to enjoy 1.5 hours of sweaty ‘release’?!
A week later, I needed my hot yoga fix again. So I tried a different Bikram studio, in Fulham. After completing the beneficial but same 27 postures (and 2 breathing exercises) I had done a week earlier, I approached Raj, who has been teaching Bikram for a year. According to him, “the most popular place for yoga, especially Bikram, is Canada. Moksha just hasn’t caught on here yet.” Perhaps it is as simple as that. He suggested two venues that might provide Moksha classes – the Life Center in Notting Hill and the Alchemy in Camden – both dead ends on my road to uncover Moksha in London. Neither website listed any Moksha classes.
According to Robertson, co-founder of Moksha Yoga, “a Moksha studio would be so well received in London. We get requests for one all the time.” So Moksha has caught on here, but for some reason, no one has opened Moksha Yoga London yet. Robertson then enquired whether I am simply a “wandering Mokshie looking for a home” (yup that’s me!) or if I want to become certified and open the first Moksha studio in London (never say never, but not right now!).
Danielle Hardy, who has attended 15 sessions of Bikram but never heard of Moksha, says she likes the Bikram’s heat factor but gets bored of the same routine. “At first I loved Bikram, I could feel a difference in my body right away, but then I plateaued. I don’t feel challenged anymore.” The diversity of Moksha could lift Hardy to new yoga heights.
So my options are: become a certified yoga teacher, drive 90 minutes, or settle for Bikram. I guess for now, I’ll do the latter. But my hunt has revealed that there is a market for Moksha in London and yoga goers like Hardy would certainly benefit. The mystery remains – when will Moksha Yoga London open?
Namaste
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