Singapore Yoga Studio Review – Sweatbox Yoga – The Yoga Society: @TheYogaSocietySG

Great for getting your zen on amidst lush greenery

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I know I start every post raving about how beautiful each studio I visit. It hit me recently that it’s because I’m drawn to checking out pretty studios. I’ll admit; I procrastinate visiting studios known for great practices but bare furnishings.

Now I’ll be honest with you guys: I wanted to visit Sweatbox Yoga at Turf City because of all the pretty photos I saw on instagram. And it did not disappoint!

Both studios are framed by floor-to-ceiling glass windows, overlooking the grass fields and stadiums beyond. I wouldn’t be surprised if the studios used to be VIP racetrack viewing galleries.

What I love about Sweatbox Yoga is also that it isn’t in yet another shophouse. Not that I have anything against shophouses (love the heritage feel) but being in a mall means you get all the amenities that a mall offers. Turf City boasts a massive (free!) carpark, a Giant supermarket (pun intended) and tons of food options.

http://sweatboxyoga.com.sg/

Class

Sweatbox Yoga offers a range of hot and non-hot classes.

You can guess from the name of the studio that the bulk of the classes offered are hot classes, which unfortunately I’m not a fan of.

I had attended the Vinyasa Mix class led by Marian, which I really enjoyed. The 75-minute session was pretty strong and felt more like a fast-paced Hatha class rather than a Vinyasa practice. Marian handed out lots of helpful alignment cues while we held the asanas. We had to hold the poses for several breaths whilst Marian corrected us, which is why it felt more like a Hatha class. 75 minutes is probably the perfect length for a class like this. We finished off with some handstand playtime, which is always lots of fun. There was plenty of wallspace for the entire class to hop against.

I had also attended a Yin & Myofascial class one evening. The class was a sequence of gentle stretches using blocks and tennis balls for some pressure on trigger points. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this one as much. I can’t quite describe why. I usually find Yin classes relaxing rather than boring, so this really perplexed me.

Check out their website http://sweatboxyoga.com.sg/class-types/ for class descriptions.

Price

Sweatbox Yoga brands itself as an upscale studio so its rates are naturally pricier than the average boutique studio.

Unfortunately Sweatbox does not post their rates online. One of the draws of boutique studios is how transparent pricing is – no more dealing with shady gym sales associates who offer different rates to different students.

Whilst it’s not clear how much they charge online, there is a clear printout at the front desk with the full price schedule.

1 class costs $35, but they also offer the usual 10, 20 and monthly class packs.

They sometimes run great promotions for first-time trial classes on their Facebook page, so be sure to check it out before booking your first class!

Updated April 2017

Studio

The studio is perfect to get your zen on. Large glass panels frame each side of the room (blinds are drawn on the windows facing the inside of the studio during practice), offering an amazing view of the greenery outside.

Class sizes are small, with each of the 2 studios accommodating about 20 mats each. There is also a suitable gap between each mat (see picture below).

The studio uses Manduka mats.

Changing Room

There are separate male and female changing rooms to the left of the reception. In contrast to the beautiful finishing outside, the changing room had little frills and furnishings.

There are 3 shower stalls in the female toilet (with shower curtains), a small vanity area with a hairdryer and a wall of lockers with combination locks.

There is a separate dry changing room behind the reception area. This one was a little strange because there was an office chair in there the last time I used it – I’m not sure if it was used as a store or if the office chair was meant to replace a stool? For a studio that brands itself as upscale, this was a little strange.

The toilets are down the corridor from the reception. It’s one of those standard mall toilets, which you won’t expect from an upscale studio. But I’m nitpicking here because what matters – the main reception and studio – are very nicely put together.

Amenities

There are towels for rent.

There is a water fountain provided to fill up your bottles beside the changing room.

There is a sofa to rest on before/after class or get a bit of shopping in with their range of activewear on sale.

Location

Sweatbox Yoga is on the 5th floor of Turf City. You’d have to take a very specific lift (lift 6) beside the Dancing Crabs restaurants. But once you find your way to Dancing Crabs, you’ll be able to spot the signs to point you to the correct life.

The most convenient (and perhaps reasonable) way to get here is by driving or taking a taxi. Park close to the entry of the carpark as that’s the side the studio is at.

The closest MRT is Sixth Avenue MRT Station, but it’s quite a long walk up a slope.

I like that there are plenty of parking spots and that there are so many food options in the mall itself, ranging from ba chor mee at Eat to pasta at Pasar Bella.

Classes attended at Sweatbox Yoga were paid for by The Yoga Society.