It’s no secret I love to travel, with my eyes wide, ears and heart open I feel alive. According to resident yoga teachers that I spoke to in Japan, yoga is well loved but not always prioritized in Tokyo. Eating healthy and finding enough space to roll out a yoga mat can be tricky so here are a few gems that can keep you in the flow while roaming TYO.
Yoga Tree, Shibuya
I did my first public yoga class here with Michael, which was a lovely Sunday afternoon Hatha workshop style class. He kindly gave instruction in both Japanese and English (much appreciated) The class was thorough and mixed level, we walked away feeling connected and like we had learnt a whole lot in 90 minutes. The studio is cash only (about Y3000) and they provide yoga mats for students.
bills, Omotosando
I love Japanese cuisine but if you want something familiar, this is the place to go when you really want a green smoothie, organic coffee and they even have a breakfast dish called ‘the fresh Aussie’. bills is a beautifully designed space to enjoy some post-yoga writing and people watching.
Mois Café, Shimokitazawa
By far, the most trendy ‘burb that I stumbled across while exploring Tokyo. You can easily spend days here winding through tiny side-streets, immaculate vintage stores and organic wine bars, playing 80’s records and checking out the hippest musos in the scene. This sweet café is especially special after a long walk. Be sure to indulge in the green tea matcha–chocolate cake.
NOA yoga studio, Shinjuku
Disclaimer: this class was 100% in Japanese. Although I didn’t understand much of the instruction, I quickly picked up the words for inhale (suimasu) and exhale (hakidashimasu) and Sanskrit is universal so I fumbled and flowed along. The language barrier didn’t matter because the teacher and receptionists were so sweet and welcoming. Totally worth getting out of the comfort zone
Green Shed, Harajuku
I wrote home about this ice cream. No joke. Celery, sea salt and Oreo vegan ice cream. A very happy day. This chick is making some of the most creative and delicious vegan ice cream I’ve ever had, and I’ve eaten a lot of ice cream in my time. Caramel + Carrot, Tomato + berry. Yum! Sit at this sweet spot and soak in the cutting edge of Harajuku cool and sunshine.
Where is your fave destination yoga studio? Let me know in the Comments below :-)
Love, Amanda