Great for those who like a structured curriculum
Helmed by experience instructor Priyan, The Nithya Priyan School of Yoga is probably the only studio in Singapore that structures its classes based on a weekly theme. The theme for the week will determine what the peak pose is for each class. Each week’s theme then builds up to a 27-week syllabus that allows practitioners to experience a full range of asanas.
Some teachers in Singapore have their own daily or weekly themes, but it’s nice to for the studio to have such a structured approach to maintain the quality of the classes across their teachers.
Class
It isn’t just the overall theme that is structured, the class themselves are also well defined. Rather than offering every class to every level, NPSY’s classes are segmented into Basic, Essential, Intermediate and Flow. It’s clear that the team had put a lot of thought into structuring their offerings to address both needs and wants of their students (let’s be honest, we all want to keep working on what we’re good at and avoid classes focusing on asanas we’re weak at).
All of the classes have peak poses that correspond to that week’s theme (e.g. wheel pose for backbend week), except for Flow which is based on the prior week’s theme. The theme and peak pose for each level is announced on their Instagram and website every Sunday so you know what you’re in for for the week. I like this a lot – knowing what I’m going to be working on before I walk into class. On the flip side, I find myself avoiding the weeks where I don’t like the theme.
I’ve only tried the Basic, Essential and Intermediate classes at NPSY and find that my experience still highly depends on the teacher (like any other studio), despite the standardization.
My favourite classes were with Priyan himself. His classes are always completely packed so do book early! It’s no surprise that he has such a strong following from his prior stints at Meraki Yoga and Yoga Lab. Priyan gives very clear cues, with that bit of warmth to remind us not to take ourselves and our practice too seriously. I also appreciate teachers who ask ahead of class if we were uncomfortable with assists. Priyan did this while the class had their eyes closed so no one would feel uncomfortable saying so – how thoughtful!
In the interest of a fair review, I should also mention a not-so-positive experience my friend and I had in one of the classes by another teacher at NPSY. We had attended an Essential class, where the peak pose was wheel. Towards the end of the class, the teacher had instructed my friend to try dropping back into wheel from standing backbend even though she said she wasn’t ready. I suppose most students will say they’re not ready even if they are but are just afraid and the teacher probably judged that she was warm enough – but she was not. She ended up feeling a pinch in her lower back the next day. I don’t think this instructor teaches at NPSY regularly.
Price
Updated December 2018
Studio
The studio is a homely space the edge of CBD and Chinatown. The reception desk is a nice inviting communal table that makes you feel like you’re in a friend’s living room.
Class sizes ranges depending on the studio assigned for that class. The main studio can fit ~15-20 mats. It felt like more than 20 because the mats are placed really close together but on the upside, we all have the wall to our backs. The smaller studio on the mezzanine floor can fit ~10-15 mats, but there is more space in between the mats.
The studio uses NPSY-branded Manduka mats.
Changing Room
The changing area is as cozy as the reception.
There is a vanity area beside the lockers with basic amenities and wait for it… a Dyson hair dryer! Fancy!
There are 2 shower/toilet cubicles so it can get a bit too crowded in between classes. There are 2 sinks outside the cubicles.
Amenities
Location
The studio is on the third floor of (you guessed it) a shophouse in Chinatown (235A South Bridge Road).
Roadside parking can be hard to find in the evenings given the sheer number of bars and restaurants in the area. There is a big open air carpark about a 2-min walk away from the studio along Club Street.
For those taking the MRT, it is a a bit of a walk from Chinatown MRT or Telok Ayer MRT.
The Yoga Society: @TheYogaSocietySG 