Great for those with a strong practice or interested in acro-yoga.
The Yoga Mandala is helmed by insta-famous yogi, Jessica Sinclair (@jessica.r.sinclair), who co-founded the studio. You’d probably find The Yoga Mandala’s bright airy studio familiar as it’s often featured on Jessica’s and local singer Sara Wee’s (@saraweeyogic) instagram pages.
http://www.theyogamandala.com.sg/
Class
The Yoga Mandala offers a pretty wide selection of yoga classes, ranging from beginner flow, pre/post natal to acrovinyasa and arm balance/inversion. They also offer classes in Mandarin.
The class I attended was a Power Up class led by Sara (she was a substitute for this class so the class I attended might not have been a proper representation of the usual Power Up sessions).
I honestly haven’t enjoyed myself so much in a class for a while. It was a fast-paced flow class that incorporated tons of arm balances and inversions – we tried everything from baby crow to flying a one-legged crow.
I haven’t been enjoying a lot of strength-based classes I’ve attended recently – it often felt as though the instructors’ goal was for me to curl up in a ball and cry; all the while telling us (in a yoga voice) that we should listen to our body even as they scream “hold that chaturanga! Hooooooold!” in the very next breath. I digress.
Sara worked us hard without pushing us to the point of fatigue. This allowed us enough energy to try out the fun arm balances and inversions. She even worked in some acro-yoga for us to try. Whilst terrifying, it was a whole lot of fun!
There were about 8 people in class so we each got quite a bit of attention.
Price
The Yoga Mandala is a little pricey for drop-in, but very affordable if you buy the multiple-class packages.
In my opinion, the range of classes here cater to too wide a group. I’d only be interested in 2 out of the ~15 classes here. Buying a big class pack won’t make sense for me as there aren’t many classes (that I’m interested in) for me to choose from.
Updated April 2017
Studio
The studio occupies the third floor of a shophouse along Telok Ayer Street. A stair from the main street leads you into The Yoga Mandala’s landing where you can leave your shoes. The next set of stairs leads you directly into the main studio.
A tiny table behind the stairwell (turn around if you’re facing the mats) serves as the reception. The changing and fittings rooms are behind the “reception”.
The studio is bright and airy, framed by large french windows that are possibly as insta-famous as its founder. Soft parquet lines the studio’s floor and a large panel of mirrors gives the studio a sense of spaciousness.
I can’t tell where the mats are from but they feel very much like Affirmats used at Barre2Barre (click for my review) – spongey and firm enough but a little too rough for my liking.
My only gripe is that the mats, like at The Yoga Co (Pahang Street), face the center of the room. It’s a little awkward to be looking right into your neighbor’s eyes in Warrior II or coming face-to-face in Updog. Also, those on the mats lining the mirror won’t have the benefit of checking the mirror for alignment because they will have their backs to it.
Changing Room
There are 2 toilet cubicles that also serve as shower stalls.
There is no vanity area, only 2 large sinks outside the toilet/shower stalls.
You’ll also find a large wall of lockers which come with their own keys in the changing room.
There is also plenty of merchandise in the changing area if you’d like a spot of shopping after class.
Amenities
Location
The studio is on the third floor of 134B Telok Ayer Street (above Sarnie’s cafe).
There are so many food choices in the area, ranging from hawker fare at Lau Pa Sat or cafes along Telok Ayer.
Roadside parking can be hard to find in the evenings given the sheer number of bars and restaurants in the area. Parking in the skyscrapers nearby can be ridiculously expensive. I would suggest only driving here on weekend afternoons.
For those taking the MRT, it is a short walk from Telok Ayer or Downtown MRT stations. Those who would like to warm up before class can walk from Raffles Place or Tanjong Pagar MRT stations.
The Yoga Society: @TheYogaSocietySG 