As the yoga and fitness trends continue to flourish, the number of yoga studios in Dubai keep on increasing. People often ask me what’s the best yoga studio in Dubai, so I decided to take a yoga class at each of the 10 most recommended studios to create this list. I’m not a one-studio kind of a girl; I like diversity, with new surroundings and new people. Visiting all 10 studios was a fantastic experience as I had the opportunity to meet inspirational yogis and learn a thing or two. I was completely unaware of Mysore style yoga until I met Joumana Saber from Yoga Room Dubai, and I had no idea how popular swing yoga had become in the city. If you get the chance to visit all 10 studios, do; there’s something special about each one.
ZOGA
Best for: Downtown yogis who want to refuel after class
Location: Downtown
Cost: Drop-in class is AED/SAR 85
What’s included: Mat and towel
Top tip: Don’t leave without trying something from the café
Downside: The dry room gets very warm when there’s hot yoga in session next door
Zoga is more than a yoga studio; it’s also a health-conscious café and boutique catering to the Downtown Dubai yogi community. Its managing partner Kamelia Salimi has created a dynamic brand that offers a wide range of both hot and regular yoga. The two-room studio is set on the ground floor and has access to street parking. The juice bar and homemade treats will get the seal of approval from both vegan and non-vegan yogis.
TALISE SPA YOGA
Best for: Beach yoga
Location: Madinat Jumeirah
Cost: Drop-in class is AED/SAR 80
What’s included: Mat, towel, and water
Top tip: Stay and use the shower, steam, and sauna facilities after class
Downside: You’ll get sandy
It’s all about the location. The Talise Spa Madinat is one of the only places in Dubai that offers regular beach yoga classes. From the spa, it’s a short buggy ride to Al Qasr beach next to the Burj Al Arab. It’s a relaxing experience with unparalleled views.
URBAN YOGA
Best for: Feeling like you’re in New York City
Location: Business Bay
Cost: Drop-in class is AED/SAR 80
What’s included: Mat and towel
Top tip: If you’d like to take back-to-back classes, the second class is AED/SAR 40
Downside: Parking is scarce
This loft-style, two-room venue tops my list as Dubai’s coolest studio. The exposed brick walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and polished concrete floors scream NYC. It’s modern, clean, and has a great mix of both male and female instructors. The studio has a laid-back and fun vibe and is popular with the fashion, media, and PR crowd. If you’re advanced in your practice, try the level 2 Strengthening Yoga Class. For soon-to-be moms, the prenatal classes come highly recommended.
ZEN YOGA
Best for: Feeling part of the yogi community
Location: Media City
Cost: Drop-in class is AED/SAR 85
What’s included: Mat and towel
Top tip: Ask about upcoming workshops hosted by international yoga gurus
Downside: No toilet inside the Media City studio, so you have to go down the hall
As one of the first yoga studios to open in Dubai back in 2006, Zen Yoga is an established yoga brand in the UAE. With three locations—Media City, Emirates Hills, and Jumeirah—Zen has a loyal following with a friendly community of dedicated students. I visited the Media City location to take the popular intermediate level, 90-minute Dynamic Vinyasa Flow class. There are two small rooms in the studio and classes during peak times (after work) are usually full, so you’ll need to book ahead.
YOGA ROOM
Best for: Serious students who want to learn Mysore-style yoga
Location: JLT
Cost: Drop-in Ashtanga class is AED/SAR 80
What’s included: Mat
Top tip: Hydrate beforehand as water is not permitted during class
Downside: They don’t provide towels
If I traveled to India to learn Ashtanga, I would imagine a studio similar to the Yoga Room in Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT). It’s a small, one-room studio with a non-pretentious vibe. Greek/Lebanese founder and instructor Joumana Saber sets the tone and you feel her positive energy as soon as you enter the studio. Yoga Room specializes in the “Mysore style,” which is a distinct method of teaching Ashtanga following the traditions of the late yogi Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, from Mysore, South India. There’s a shrine dedicated to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois inside the studio, along with a chart of all the postures within the Ashtanga series. Students of all levels are able to practice the Mysore style, but they aren’t permitted to advance to the next pose in the series until they’ve mastered the previous. Mysore style requires regular and consistent attendance and drop-ins are not available for its classes.
EXHALE
Best for: Females only
Location: JBR, Dubai Marina
Cost: The first class is free and a drop-in class is AED/SAR 80
What’s included: Mat and towel
Top tip: Arrive early to get a good spot in the studio
Downside: Some of the classes are over-packed
Exhale is a popular ladies only studio in the Dubai Marina. It’s located at the start of JBR in Murjan 1, Plaza level, with plenty of street parking. The studio has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere with an abundance of natural sunlight, and a second room for reformer Pilates. The Vinyasa class I took had a mix of yoga students with a range of different fitness levels. The instructors emphasize leaving your ego at the door and to practice with a non-competitive spirit and open mind.
INSPIRE YOGA
Best for: Yogis who want class diversity
Location: Jumeirah 3, Sheikh Zayed Road
Cost: The first class is free and a drop-in class is AED/SAR 75
What’s included: Mat and towel
Top tip: Sign up for the one-week unlimited yoga for AED/SAR 100 to try all the classes
Downside: Classes run over so if you have time constraints, you’ll need to wear a watch
Inspire Yoga, started by husband and wife John and Elisa Lossifidis, has a warm and welcoming vibe with an impressive class offering. The studio has two yoga rooms and each room has a signature landscape mural. Next to the reception, there’s a wooden table with benches where students can hang out and drink complimentary tea before or after class. I took the Vinyasa Flow class with a focus on arm balance poses—perfect for advanced yogis who want thorough guidance for these challenging poses. Inspire Yoga is located next to Jones the Grocer on Sheikh Zayed Road and there’s plenty of parking in the front of the building.
VOYOGA
Best for: Non-Bikram hot yoga and swing yoga
Location: TECOM
Cost: Regular yoga is AED/SAR 65, swing yoga is AED/SAR 90
What’s included: Mat and towel
Top tip: If you’re new to hot yoga, take Voyoga hot as it’s easier than Bikram
Downside: It can be difficult to find, so use Google Maps
Voyoga founders and yoga instructors Raj Sunner and Victoria Cunningham are a welcoming and friendly duo who opened their studio a few months ago in the I-Rise tower in TECOM. This is a great studio for beginners to yoga as their teaching style is patient and encouraging. The two-room studio offers regular yoga, swing, and hot yoga. If you want to try hot yoga but you’re put off because of the intensity of Bikram hot yoga, try the Voyoga hot class. It’s 60 minutes instead of 90 minutes, and it has a slower pace.
BODY LANGUAGE
Best for: Feeling like you’re at a yoga retreat
Location: Al Barari, Nad Al Sheba Area
Cost: Free for Body Language members and AED/SAR 50 for guests
What’s included: Mat and towel
Top tip: Visit Al Barari’s restaurant The Farm while you’re there
Downside: It’s far
Body Language is located inside Al Barari’s luxury living development founded by Emirati entrepreneur Zaal Mohammed. Al Barari is a botanic haven full of lush greenery—a welcoming escape from Dubai’s concrete jungle. My favorite feature is the studio’s glass walls. Gaze out at the flora and fauna as you flow through your yoga practice with yogini Stephanie Mulet.
RAWR YOGA
Best for: Express 60-minute Bikram
Location: Media City
Cost: A 90-minute class is AED/SAR 85 and a 60-minute class is AED/SAR 75
What’s included: Towel and you can pay AED/SAR 5 to rent a mat
Top tip: Take Rowena’s classes
Downside: There’s a 6-month expiration date on packages
Rawr Yoga in Dubai Media City is known for Bikram hot yoga. Bikram Choudhury founded this style of yoga where the room is heated to 40-degrees with 40% humidity and involves a series of 26 asanas (poses) with an opening and closing breathing exercise. Located on the 7th floor of the Concord Tower, yogis can enjoy views of The Palm Jumeirah as they flow through the guided asanas. If you don’t have 90 minutes, they’ve introduced an express 60-minute Bikram class. The studio is clean and was recently renovated with the addition of a second dry yoga room. They also have healthy treats at Muncherie so you can refuel after class.
