Worth leaving the sofa for?

Alice Barraclough tries candlelit hip-hop yoga

Bikram (hot), yin ( gentle), ashtanga (not so gentle)… it’s safe to say that yoga is booming. And just when you thought you had mastered the art of breathing and ‘finding stillness in each pose’, hip-hop yoga comes along to tear up the yogi rule book and get you gyrating in between sun salutations.

Come again… hip-hop yoga?

Yep, every Friday evening between 6-7pm, instructor Emily Harding ‘beats and flows to shake off the week’. Instead of gongs and monk-like chanting, you’re more likely to listen to Beyoncé or PIMP by the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band. There are no hushed whispers here – Emily describes it as, ‘the closest you can get to a party in a yoga studio’. And it’s all done by virtual candlelight (on a floor-to-ceiling HD screen).

Aren’t the flickering candles distracting?

Not at all, they create an immersive and intimate space that gives you the chance to focus on how you feel, not just how you look. The studio is large and there were at least 20 other people in my class.

So what’s the point of it all?

Hip-hop yoga is basically a highenergy twist on the fast-paced vinyasa flow style of yoga, and the perfect way to unwind into the weekend.

Does it matter if I can’t dance?

No, if you’re a yoga regular, the moves are ones you’ll be familiar with (with some occasional hip-hop freestyling poses thrown in). But if you’re a novice, you may find it hard to catch up. At one point, Emily asks us to move from child’s pose (a restorative position where you fold over your knees), to the front of the mat, in whatever way we like. Some people start ‘vogueing’, others grind. I just giggle, exchanging awkward glances across the room over my lack of a sexy strut. When Terror Squad’s Lean Back comes on, we transition from a regular boat pose (where you sit in a V-shape with your legs raised at a 45-degree angle from the ground) to an extended one, where you raise your arms over your head and lean back, lowering your legs so they hover just above the floor. Every time the chorus plays ‘lean back, lean back’, we go again. It’s a core-shaking exercise, but you don’t need to be a dancer to be able to do it.

Is it just for yoga purists?

Yoga has an irritating image of thin women with lean limbs, who exist only on salad leaves and oat-milk lattes. Hip-hop yoga is the opposite of this. You can do as much, or as little, as you like.

Would you go again?

It is monstrous fun. If you have dabbled in yoga, but hate pretentious spiritual jargon and chanting, this is for you. From £10 a class at FLY LDN; flyldn.co.uk

T I P 1 Come free of expectations and with an open mind – just because the person next to you is in a headstand doesn’t mean you need to be. T I P 2 As it’s a pretty dark studio, make sure you arrive early so you have plenty of time to find a mat space you’re happy with. T I P 3 All you need is your leggings and vest top – mats, bolsters, blocks and straps are all provided.