Wall Rope Yoga at Pure Yoga – learning the ropes!

The last time I wrote a review on a yoga class, I claimed not to be a yogi… well, how times have changed! Over the summer, lululemon invited me to join them at the Asia Yoga Conference and it was life changing – I am now obsessed! So I was over the moon when Pure Yoga announced that they would be launching a new 10,000 square foot studio in Central – and even more excited to hear that they would be holding new classes, with Wall Rope Yoga being one of them.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to venture to the Pure Yoga at Asia Standard Tower, it’s definitely worth checking out. Located directly above TOPSHOP on Queen’s Road Central, the space is beautiful and totally unlike any of Pure’s other studios. There’s an instant feeling of calm when you walk in, with sofas, chill-out areas and nood food (a scrummy cafe that offers raw food and cold press juices).

Scheduled in for an evening wall rope yoga class, I pre-ordered my smoothie from nood food before entering the studio. The room itself brings ‘The Red Room’ to mind – there are ropes, ties and chairs, it doesn’t feel too “yogi”, and people happily chat before class rather than sitting in silence.

Wall rope yoga is most recognised as a practice for Iyengar devotees (a type of yoga that emphasises detail, precision, alignment and control). It’s also considered to be hugely beneficial for people with back issues, and for anyone who wants to refine their practice, it’s especially fantastic as there’s so much focus on alignment.

The class commenced using a chair; I’ll admit, I was sceptical, but a few poses in and I could understand the reasoning behind the equipment. The wall ropes are adjusted in a similar way to a TRX, and used at a variety of different lengths to assist with alignment and postures. The system also opens the body during practice, something which I didn’t expect. Our instructor, Veronique, was a stickler for alignment and repeatedly pointed out whenever a foot was out of place or an arm not strong enough!

Throughout the class, I was encouraged to push my limits – with the assistance of a rope, you can really lengthen your spine and deepen backbends, strengthen muscles and overcome fears such as being upside down. My favourite part was practicing inversions, although I found my concentration and tolerance levels to be much lower than the other students!

Needless to say, by the end of the class my body was exhausted but I felt amazing. Whether you are new to yoga, looking to improve or are a long term yogi, wall rope yoga is worth a shot – and ending the session with a blueberry smoothie full of goodies like cocoa nibs, coconut and flax seed is definitely a great way to end the day!

Wall rope yoga classes last 75 minutes, see the full schedule of classes here. Membership at Pure Yoga costs around $900 per month, with private sessions around $700 each.

Pure Yoga  16/F, The Centrium, 60 Wyndham St, Central, Hong Kong
2971 0055  www.pure-yoga.com