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During my freshman year of college, I was fortunate enough to call Paris home. Like any yoga-practicing expat, my first order of business was finding a studio. I ended up finding a Meetup group of English-speaking practitioners that gathered in locations across the city, whether in tiny studios or the Jardin des Tuileries. At five euros per class, it accommodated my budget. It also satisfied my wanderlust.
There are still Meetup yoga classes in the City of Light. Although unlike a decade ago, there are no shortage of other places to practice, including parks, museums, and, of course, studios. “There are studios popping up in all corners of the city,” says yoga instructor Sasha Nelson, an expat who’s lived in France since 2018. “The Paris yoga scene is becoming more like New York’s in terms of diversity and availability.”
Classes run the gamut in terms of styles, although overall they tend to be more gentle than those in the States, explains Nelson. When she moved to Paris, she immediately noticed the popularity of yin yoga, including hybrid yang-yin classes. She considers this a testament to “most French people knowing how to slow down.”
If you’re concerned about not knowing French, the surprising truth is, you don’t need to understand or speak the language to continue your yoga practice. “You’d be surprised how much you can figure out with the universal Down Dogs and by looking at your neighbor,” says student Shelby Connors, an American who spends a few months every year in Paris with her husband.
To better understand the ancient practice as experienced in Paris, we consulted yoga practitioners and teachers who’ve frequented studios throughout the city in recent months to help you find exactly what you need in almost any arrondissement. You can even take an English-speaking class, if that’s more your speed.
Most Talked-About Yoga Studios in Paris
Rates listed are for a single drop-in class (with American dollars at the current exchange rate at time of publication).
1. YUJ Yoga Studio
Connors names YUJ as her favorite place to practice in Paris. “The studios are chic, with dark painted walls, in rooms with architectural details like ceiling molding or fireplaces. Studios are decorated with fairy lights and candles and create a romantic ambiance,” she says. And with more than 30,000 ratings on ClassPass, YUJ draws a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars.
One of the largest yoga “chains” in Paris, YUJ offers vinyasa, gentle flow, yin, and flexibility-focused sessions that, according to Connors, are always the perfect combination of a good stretch, a sweaty workout, and the perfect temperature—warm but not too hot.” Although most classes are offered in French, the studio offers English-speaking options for certain classes, including FLOWMIX level 1 and 2 and Yin Detox. Check the schedule at your preferred location for English options.
Locations: Six studios (including the 1st, 7th, 17th, 8th, and 9th arrondissements)
Drop-in price: €32 ($35)
2. Uman Project
The vibe at Uman Project will help you feel like you’re on a secluded retreat rather than in the midst of a metropolis. The tranquility is set in place with the studio’s neutral tones, walls of natural wood or stone, and woven rugs in place of mats. It’s also echoed in the instruction. One online reviewer raved at how their teacher “speaks in a calming and assuring way, which helps a lot after a long or stressful work day.”
Uman offers hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, chakra yoga, and yoga dance. The schedule also includes a Wednesday night sleep-infusion class, in which students are lulled into a different headspace via stretching and sound bathing.
All classes are in French, although English-speaking reviewers have noted that they also felt seen and cared for in the space.
Location: 19 Rue Béranger (3rd arrondissement)
Drop-in price: €25 ($27)
3. Modo Yoga Paris
During a recent seven-week stay in France, Biannca Dominguez found Modo Yoga Paris to be exceptionally welcoming, even though she speaks very little French. That sentiment is also expressed in dozens of online reviews across several platforms.
Modo’s spacious Paris studio features large windows, lightwood floors, and natural light. The hot yoga studio belongs to a global network including locations in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. All teachers for its signature classes as well as Yang/Yin, Hot Freestyle Flow, and Hot Pilates bring years of training and experience.
Dominguez had previously practiced at Modo in Los Angeles, and felt an immediate kinship with the Paris crew. While she didn’t speak French, the Modo and Modo Flow classes included a set sequence of poses that she could easily follow. “It was really cool to be able to take classes in French and still feel confident in my ability to follow along and not feel uncomfortable or like a burden on the teacher,” she says. Dominguez says that Modo occasionally teaches classes in English.
Location: 21 boulevard Richard Lenoir (11th arrondissement)
Drop-in price: €19 ($21) for first class, €32 ($34) for subsequent classes
4. Jivamukti Yoga Paris
In Facebook groups for Paris expats, a studio that’s commonly name-dropped as “a must-try” is Jivamukti Yoga Paris. For the unfamiliar, Jivamukti is a style of vinyasa that incorporates breathwork and chanting for an enhanced mind-body experience. The studio also offers Ashtanga, Iyengar, and yin yoga and has invited experienced teachers from abroad to lead workshops, including Eddie Stern and Adam Keen.
Reviewers appreciate how knowledgable and kind the Jivamukti Paris instructors are. As one student remarked, “the shala is big and welcoming, the architecture reminds me of a Parisian India!” The spacious studio offers a variety of classes in English and French.
Locations: 92 Quai de Jemmapes (10th arrondissement)
Drop-in price: €22 ($24)
5. Studio Yoga République
Founded in 2013, the Iyengar-based Studio Yoga République features ample skylights and lightwood decor. Classes are based on levels of difficulty, including all levels, intermediate, and advanced, with one or two class options most days. Online reviews cite the knowledgeable, kind, and accommodating instruction as a reason students return again and again.
The studio also offer online classes, so if you tomber amoureux with the quality of the instruction or the vibe of the studio or both, you can bring a little Paris back home with you.
Locations: 21 Rue Béranger (3rd arrondissement)
Drop-in price: €17 ($19)
