Yoga Sangha

Deuxième expérience en yoga pour tout autant de centres et je crois bien né plus avoir à chercher! J’en suis maintenant rendue à suivre religieusement les cours de Carine de Yin Yoga. Excellent pour les débutants, elle s’assure que chacun est dans une position convenable et sécuritaire. Pour les plus avancés, elle suggère des alternatives. Après les cours, elle reste sur place pour les éventuelles questions ou commentaires!
Les locaux sont très propres et propices à la relaxation.
Pour les prix ce n’est pas donné, comme partout ailleurs, mais on peut avoir 5 $ de rabais si on est étudiant. Ils offrent aussi des forfais plus avantageux pour les non-​étudiants.

This is definitely one of the prettiest yoga studios I’ve ever visited. It has a very zen and spa-​like feel to me, and the yoga instructor I had was very friendly and patient with my rudimentary level of French. We went into a studio upstairs, and it was a great advanced level class and a lovely way to end a busy weekend of sightseeing and travel. Towards the end of the class, we did a great meditation sequence. It was nice for me because she spoke a little slower and bit more contemplative and I could understand her French very well.
The bathrooms were nice and there were plenty of open lockers to utilize. You can tell they put a lot of thought into the space — candles, beautiful decorations, and tea.
If I’m ever in town again, I’d love to come back.

I came here twice for yoga on a recent visit to Montréal. Sangha is conveniently located just steps from Sherbrooke station and feels like an urban oasis. The facilities are news, super-​clean, and very calming. There are 2 spacious studios — 1 on the main level, 1 upstairs. The reception area includes a small smoothie and snack bar where they serve complimentary tea. There is also a small boutique with yoga wear, mats, DVD’s, books, etc. I found the service very friendly, even to an anglophone with just passable French. Zero attitude and it was fun to practice my French. Changerooms are really nice and spa-​like, with one shower and lots of lockers (but you need to bring your own lock). They can provide towels at the reception area, although I don’t know if there’s a charge for that.
They have a busy schedule of several classes daily, so it’s great because there’s so much to choose from. I took the Hatha class on Saturday with Josianne and really enjoyed it. Although it was entirely in French, I could follow along (I agree with Velma — the amount of French you need is inversely proportional to how much background you have in yoga). Josianne was a patient teacher with attention to detail. I also tried the Shakti Flow class on Sunday with Marjorie. I didn’t really enjoy it as much, but that was partly my own misunderstanding of what the class would be. I usually do Ashtanga and i thought it would be a similar flow or vinyasa-​type class. Shakti flow is actually more like Nia, fusing some aspects of yoga with pilates or dance. There was a lot of hip circles and waving our arms with our eyes closed, and it wasn’t much of a workout for me.
It is expensive at $ 18/​class, but I got the $ 20 weekly pass for newbies so that wasn’t so bad. Mat rentals are $ 2. They also have a clinic in the basement for massages and other treatments.
I would come back for yoga next time I am in Montréal, but I would stick to Hatha or Vinyasa classes instead of Shakti!

This is a great yoga place — lots of classes on offer, both the drop-​in and 7-​week package variety. There are quite a few teachers in the schedule, which I personally like — if someone isn’t a good fit, there are plenty of other classes to choose. I haven’t been to many yet — but i was convinced enough by their biannual free open day offering to buy a 3-​month pass. It’s mostly Hatha, with some kundalini and meditative practice thrown in. The pre-​paid 7-​week courses include prenatal, postnatal-​with-​baby, and I believe childrens’ courses.
The teachers I’ve worked with so far have been really genuine, friendly and it’s a welcoming environment. It’s pretty pricey though. Current prices are posted online. If you buy a pass, you can also track your usage of it online (they give you a barcode thing that you scan in before each class, and a username/​pwd for their site).
Terrific location just around the corner from Sherbrooke Metro, on St Denis in the lower Plateau. Yoga Sangha has the second and third floors of pleasantly-​creaky old brownstone. Exposed-​brick walls, big windows, not enough mirrors though. The thai restaurant on the ground floor can make for a … fragrant evening class, but apart from that its a really nice facility. There are changing facilities, lockers and a shower for men and women (seperate). They also have treatment rooms in the lower-​ground floor. The décor is kinda urban day-​spa — meets — tibetan-​inspired yoga-​chic.
All classes are in French; if you’ve done some yoga before, and your french is just-​ok, you won’t have a problem. I would say you’ll need french in inverse proportion to your yoga knowledge.