Moksha Yoga Danforth

Way too many people packed into a small room. They are always bugging you to move your mats around to pack yet more people in. The change rooms don’t even have signs, for some reason. Who wants to walk into the wrong room by mistake? Wouldn’t recommend this place at all.

This yoga studio changed my life.
Clean, chemical free, kind, diverse, community-​minded: Moksha gets my blood and sweat moving, centers me, makes me feel resilient, young-​forever, and able.
I’ve said, joking-​not-​joking, that this Moksha studio makes it possible for me to live through another Toronto winter.
What is Moksha? it is Vinyasina yoga in a heated studio. Hot, but not too hot.
Not pass-​out-​Birkram-​hot. It’s sweaty-​doable-​hot. Detox-​hot. Get-​your-​blood-​moving hot. Skin-​feels-​like-​sweet-​butter-​afterwards hot.
Whenever I do my Moksha my BFF says, «Your Skin Looks Amazing!»
And also, my bod feels strong and looks fantastic. (You should see my arms!)
Great teachers. Peacefully calm. I joined as a member – unlimited classes a month, reasonable.
OM.

I’m not a big yoga person, but love exploring movement, flexibility, learning about my body and staying healthy. I have resisted hot yoga for years. My loss! Only a few days in and this place has me hooked. No hipster yogis, just smiling faces, warm spirits, and teachers that have already taught me new things, made me feel welcome and have even had me giggling in class. Thats right baby,…feel the toxins sweating out, and the love soaking in!

Never tried hot yoga until a few months ago, and now I’m definitely a fan. I’m not the bendiest person around, but that’s okay, that’s why I’m here! Moksha Danforth is a very welcoming place, and it has a great atmosphere. I recommend Matthew’s class on Monday nights. He makes adjustments and helps you get into poses with gentleness. I always feel great after his class :)
Hopefully they will bring back Hot Pilates this fall, as I would love to try it!

Just steps away from Chester Station, the Danforth location of Moksha Yoga occupies the second and third floors above an eco-​conscious retailer called Grass Roots. It can be pretty easy to miss when you’re walking on street level, but with classes running all throughout the day, chances are you’ll catch a few mat-​toting, smiling folks with the unmistakable hot yoga afterglow on their way out as you get closer. During the summer months, I like to bike to classes as there’s a convenient row of posts just outside the building.
Upon going up a steep flight of carpeted stairs, you’ll catch a huge whiff of the Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap they stock the showers with. Moksha also rents out yoga mats and towels for a small fee, which is convenient if you’re coming directly from work or just in a rush. I’d definitely recommend timing your arrival a good ten, fifteen minutes before class is set to start as they don’t permit latecomers. For first-​timers, you’ll need the time to register at the front desk, plus it’s also nice to give yourself a few moments to just lay on your mat and adjust to the heat.
I’ve tried both the classic Moksha classes as well as the faster-​paced Moksha Flow, and I have to say that they’re both amazing. The studio can comfortably fit around 30 people, though you may want to try for a off-​peak time (eg. not 6:30am weekday or 8:30pm Friday) for a less crowded practice. The variety of instructors mean that each class has a personalized feel despite being based on the same set of poses. I also enjoy how they often start the class with a quote or message that can be reflected on for the 60 – 75 minute duration.
A full schedule of class times and the instructors teaching them can be found on their website at:
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Download the Unilocal app for a free introductory class upon checking in! There’s no reason to put off trying hot yoga any longer, your muscles will thank you for the experience (:

A few years ago I used to volunteer there for the Karma exchange in receiving free yoga classes. The staff are great the environment is spacious and clean.
I went in last week for a 90 minute deep tissue massage. I brought in my medical report on my back surgery for the RMT. We discussed the things I would like focused on for the first 60 minutes and whatever else after that.
I found the room a little overpowering with the scents from the oils, at one point I wasn’t sure if I was going to have an asthma attack. I managed to acclimatize to the scents. The RMT created a combination oils of lavender, cinnamon and Eucalyptus for an immune fighting buster.
Overall, I found the massage enjoyable from a relaxation perspective and not from a deep tissue perspective. If I fall asleep it was relaxation, if I’m deep breathing then it’s deep tissue. She did ask a couple of times how I was, how is the pressure; I responded when you apply too much I will let you know. You can go deeper. So for $ 130 I was slightly disappointed. Yes it helped but the area that I requested be focused on was not focused on. Even when she asked me to turn over I asked if she was going to work on x, and she said yes but then did not.
This felt more like a spa experience and not a treatment experience, which is not what I requested.

A very chill yoga studio!
I have been to others that are quite snooty, but Moksha Danforth is your friendly neighbourhood studio.
My favourite teacher is Michelle. She is super warm and friendly.
Weekend classes tend to be jam packed. Best time seems to be morning ones during the weekdays.
I buy the class package because I am not dedicated enough yet to get an unlimited monthly pass (hope to get there someday).

I’ve been going to Moksha Danforth for close to a year and really enjoy it. Great vibe and wonderful instructors.
I do find some of the evening/​weekend classes packed solid. In those instances, the womens’ changeroom is way too small to handle the capacity. As a result, I tend to go to the 6:30 am classes.
Other than that, Moksha is a great studio and I would recommend it to anyone.

This studio is my favourite one to go to nearby with lots of positives:
— Great location (at chester station, a few stops away from me)
— The instructors are amazing — I’ve tried the moksha and moksha flow classes with three or four different instructors and all have the same level of quality regardless of what they are teaching
— The hot room is always clean (they insist on cleaning the floor between each class before you go in to lie in shavasna)
The only thing is that the change rooms are TINY. Because the location is so popular, it gets crammed pretty quickly, which makes it particularly difficult to peel off your sweaty clothing :)
all in all though, it’s a great place for yogis of any skill level to take in a great hot yoga class. I highly recommend it to anyone in the neighbourhood.

I came here a couple of years ago on an intro pass and it was part of a many studio yoga blitz, on many passes, from studios all over the city.
Out of all of them I like Moksha Danforth best. The studio is very cozy and the vibe is chill. Unlike many of the studios downtown, it’s very down to earth.
I like all of their eco-​friendly initiatives.
The instructors are knowledgeable, professional and available after classes. During class their instruction is accurate, detailed and helpful. If you listen and follow their advice you will improve your practice.
I’m sure the regulars have their own cliques but you would never really know. It’s unpretentious and friendly. There’s a spot to sit and drink tea and eat fruit. If I wasn’t so overheated and well worked after class I would probably join in. :)
My only complaint is that I rent mat towels and I was in a 90 minute class with one, and there was no way it was washed! It smelled SOOO bad (unfortunately didn’t realize this until the first child’s pose) and there were about a million long black hairs on it that were stuck all over me throughout my practice. It was a little distracting, to say the least. The reason I still give 5 starts is because this was an isolated incident and I really should just suck up the $ and buy my own.
I’ve been to 6 classes since the intro pass and I’m considering becoming a regular student here.

I came here on their intro pass. I think I came to about 4 classes in 10 days. Because it’s hot yoga, I definitely has preference for their shorter classes (60 min or 75 min).
The staff and instructors are really nice. I tried the flow class, regular moksha as well as the yin yoga class. I had preference for both yin yoga and the flow class.
The location is great. Really close to home. I wish I liked hot yoga more, but I like it now more than I did before.
I’ll be back!

This is a great location for Moksha but there are a few things. Note: the last time I was here was Summer, 2011 but I went a few times to this studio during their generous one week pass discount. I would give this more of a 3.5 star and it’s mainly because of the studio and not of the quality of service.
VIBE
I love that people chill in the waiting room here after class. It’s pretty cool. The members and staff are very welcoming.
The changing rooms are very small. Only two showers so if you’re wash and run, you’re going to have to wait.
THE CLASS
This is what probably used to be a second level apartment above a store and with the low ceilings and minimal windows you can tell.
The class is pretty hot but I’ve had hotter (i.e. Tula). That said, I still detoxify immensely. I feel the classes get really really crowded especially during peak times. It’s why I’m hesitant to join the studio on the regular.
The instructors I’ve had are very good and give you options to adjust.
In the summer, I remember there was construction going on during a class. Not conducive to concentration but I think it’s all over now and not the fault of the studio at all (it just sucked at the time).
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
I do hope Moksha would move on the Danforth or somehow expand to another location in the area, especially with it’s level of service and quality of teachers.

I tried my first class at the Danforth Moksha Yoga Studio. I’m recovering from a injury and I was nervous about returning to any activities outside of physio. However my massage therapist and physiotherapist both suggested I try Amanda’s Yin Yoga Class.
I arrived early and had a conversation with Amanda before class. During the entire class, I was careful moving from stretch to stretch, but also could feel that the instructor was aware of myself and everyone else in the class. She would come around and adjust or make suggestions when appropriate.
It felt safe, warm, and relaxing.
Even with lots of modifications, I left with that amazing yoga high.

Almost a year since my last review, I wanted to update.
The studio is still one of my favourite ones to go to. It’s easy to get to (subway, and there is ample parking — free on Chester or the streets near it, and a large green P as a last resort).
They run the place well, although it can get crowded, I’m never annoyed. The quality of instruction is always very good (Michelle is one of the best). The studio itself has cork floors and they clean the floors and air out the studio before every class.
My favourite is the Level 2 Moksha class. MIchelle does a great job building on the foundations of the basic poses, as well as adding flows in between. I would say it’s a true Level 2 class.
I sweat buckets! The showers, there are 2, and both has an invigorating watery soap thing which is nice.

This first time I ever tried Hot Yoga was at this location. It seemed to be very daunting at first but it was an excellent experience. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I appreciated the environmentally friendly atmosphere and their holistic (rather than superficial) approach to yoga.
The have complimentary hair pins and hair-​ties in the change room — a huge bonus for a forgetful person such as myself!

Came here on a Karma night and loved it so much I paid full price to come back for a regular class. This was my first time at hot yoga and prior to this I’ve only done regular yoga… I don’t think I can go back, hot yoga kicks regular yoga’s butt IMO. It’s such a relaxing detox that makes me feel so refreshed, rejuvenated and new after. It also has helped with my problem of feeling bloated all the time.
The Karma class I tried was only $ 5, a little packed but the benefits are what makes it worth it. The other class I tried was their Moksha Flow class, which was more difficult and not as relaxing but provided more of a workout. Make sure to bring water, a full change of clothes and a yoga mat if you have one to save money on having to buy stuff when you get there.
I usually go home to shower when I go to the gym or workout but I definitely felt that a shower was necessary after hot yoga — and luckily they have dividers between their showers stalls, that are enclosed and private!

I have to say that I’m absolutely bias towards this location. My first happy memories of hot yoga originates here. Prior to practicing at this studio, I had only ever been exposed to this most sweaty of athletic endeavours at one other place. The difference is like night and day! The neighbourhood is swell (what’s not to love about Greektown? Grilled calamari at Astoria, shopping at cute neighbourhood stores and more eating galore). Public transportation is easily accessible (love that Chester Station is just around the corner — literally). Lots of street neighbourhood parking if you bother to treasure hunt for those most precious of parking spaces. After having now tried a plethora of yoga studios, I now realize that both the waiting area, change room and studio is a bit small, but I still really enjoy the space. The yoga colours, décor and vibrant vibe are just so very different from the grey, drab and dare I say it, icky, atmosphere from the first hot yoga studio I ever went to. The indescribable vibe and energy at this studio is just so positive and inexplicably different from other places I’ve been to.
The teacher today was amazing and very helpful. She made some adjustments when I was struggling with a pose, then I noticed she came back when it was time to work on the other side and helped me out enormously again.
The studio space is one floor above the change area. I always feel like I’m climbing into someone’s attic, which oddly enough, I find extra special. What can I say? I’m bias! There are two shower stalls in the women’s change room. Watch out for the soap dispenser! Maybe I’m just short… one time when I pumped the dispenser, it squirted into my eye! Ow! I also find that unlike other studios, people don’t really shower here. I think it might be because most of the students live in the area and like Jennifer M. simply go home to clean up, so no need to hurry to the shower after.

I have been to Moksha Downtown, Midtown, Markham and now Danforth and I see some similarity between them of course, but also some huge differences.
My ongoing complaint that there isn’t any music, I am beginning to realize that this is a Moksha thing, and this evening the teacher did minimal adjustments, which I am also beginning to realize is a Moksha thing. But since this is now the closest hot yoga to my new home, I may be looking at this studio with a deliberate and necessary optimism…
I attended this evening’s Moksha Flow with Heather at 6:30. This studio definitely had a very different vibe than the other Moksha’s I have been too. The front desk staff was the nicest of any studio I have visited in Toronto yet, and were overwhelmingly warm and welcoming. Seriously, I felt instantly at home. Some studios the front door staff is busy checking their email, busy on the phone, gossiping, etc. Here both girls were friendly, chatty and almost excited that I came (you know what I mean?) Definitely a huge plus for a first time visit. My friend was meeting me for class, and she was waiting on the benches in the main room overlooking Danforth. Lots of seating to wait which is nice. The studio itself is on the third floor.
Teeny Changeroom here, with cubbyholes and no Lockers (I guess this is also a Moksha thing.). A little more accessible than Moksha Midtown but small, and only has two showers. Luckily, the class (although full) holds less yogis than some of the other studios, so that even through it is busy you have less bodies to compete for space with. I didn’t use the showers as I could walk home (hooray!) So I cannot comment on shampoo, conditioner soap etc.
The class itself was good, not really challenging enough, but to be fair there were TONNES of first time yogis for some reason, so I assume she adapted. It wasn’t very hot, more like Warm. I generally like it a bit hotter. The teacher was good, she explained the poses very well, was really warm and friendly. Noticeably different was the patrons. Wide Variety of ages, shapes and sizes, and everyone seemed more «chill» that other studios I’ve been too. Usually people are buzzing in after work, bouncing up to leave class the moment the teacher says Namaste. Here everyone chilled a minute, rested, got up slowly. No buzzing about, no hecticness, must be the neighborhood.
Bonus Points
— Really nice staff. (!!)
— Filtered Water
— Nice Ambiance and Overall Vibe
— FREE APPLES. an entire bushel. awesome. (!!!)
— Warm Teacher Good Class with lots of Vinyasa (!!)
— Good Variety of Weekend Classes
— I can go home filthy and gross because it is so close.(!!)
— Everything was very clean.
— THE most organized shoe/​shoerack/​boots situation ever.
— Good location for TTC, super close to Chester Station
— Lots of Bicycle Parking outside and close to Carrot Commons.
Minus Points
— Only Two Showers
— Tiny Changerooms
— No Lockers
— After work classes at 4:30 or 6:30 (I have to leave work early or stay late)
— No Music
— No Adjustments
— Not really hot enough for me I like Hot!
Dear Moksha Danforth, If you could get Julia from Downtown to come teach an evening class here, I’d be forever most appreciative. But in the meantime, I am looking forward to meeting some of your other instructors.

Moksha Danforth is one of the first few studios I visited with my Passport to Prana card. The studio is located in one of those leisurely parts of Toronto that make summers tiringly fun, and lazy sundays even more enjoyable.
I third the sign issue that both Jennifer and Starr noticed. I went by the studio about 3 – 4 times until I noticed it. If one doesn’t have the address handy, superman vision, or a smartphone in their back pocket, God help them.
The staff at the front desk is very helpful, and eager to get you started on your new relationship with yoga. Their space is although, not abnormaly large, clean, convient and easy to get around. The only complaint I have is the changeroom facility, which is very small and also questionably dark.
The practice room is very large, bright and spacious. My instructor was also very keen to make adjustments and explain the details behind the positions, which is very much appreciated. I find this studio comparable to some of the better Moksha branches throughout the GTA.

I decided to come and visit Moksha Yoga Danforth on a nice Monday afternoon for their Community Class at 2:00 PM.
It is an Anusara Inspired Reduced heat yoga class and the cost is $ 5 for 90 minute. This is the first Anusara Inspired class I ever took, as I don’t really know what to expect.
From the website «Anusara is an elegant practice based on Universal Principles of Alignment and following a heart-​centered Tantric philosophy. Expect detailed instruction in the alignment of each pose and transition, within a class that holds the spiritual purposes of praticing yoga as paramount. Reduced heat. Suitable for all levels.»
Hmmm does it sounded a little boring when they talk about spirtual, philosophy and this or that? And it is suitable for all levels… will it be another those chanting class doing easy poses? I was in for a surprise.
The instructor is one of the best I ever have in any Moksha studios! She is so patient and encouraging giving instructions in a calm and soothing voices. The class was challenging with non stop flow… with no breaks! Though it is a reduced heat class, I was dripping in sweat… drip drip drip on my mat! The poses are more challenging than their usual Moksha series. A mixture of hand balancing poses and a lot of hip openers. And of course I did learn something about muscle energy VS organic energy and trying to get their balance… ok ok no more blahing…
Though the practice room was a little runned down! But I definitely be back for another CC Anusura Yoga class!