Bangkok Yoga

Everybody practises it nowadays, from Madonna, Geri Halliwell to Ricky Martin, and most likely somebody in your office or circle of friends. For many it has become an essential part of keeping fit and healthy, though it's about more than just physical fitness. Yoga is an ancient and spiritual concept. Through breathing techniques and specific positions, yoga practitioners can enhance and induce meditative states.

Yoga is very popular among locals and expatriates in Bangkok, where life can be extremely exhilarating but at the same time stressful often causing people to distance themselves from inner peace. Yoga is a way of revitalizing and finding a balance between body and mind, and thus a key in promoting health and well-being. It has all sorts of benefits, from weight loss, to strength improvement, to flexibility and mental concentration.

Many of the five-star hotels offer drop-in yoga classes, but plenty of yoga studios seem to be popping up around town, most of which offer attractive promotions to long- and short-term yoga enthusiasts all year round. Bangkok's well-known yoga centres include California Wow's Planet Yoga on Sukhumvit 23 and Bikram Yoga on Silom, or Yoga Elements on Soi Chitlom. Bikram yoga is also offered at Absolute Yoga with branches on Langsuan and Thonglor.