How to Try Yoga for Free (or Cheap) in Sydney

If you’re a beginner in yoga and looking for yoga classes in Sydney, you might be unsure about where to start taking classes or how much you want to invest. When I lived in Sydney, Australia, I was a member of two yoga and fitness studios at two separate times but was already an experienced yogi with over five years of practice experience by then.

Recently, during a visit, I decided I would try a variety of studios which offer drop in classes and have convenient locations to where I was spending most of my time: the Eastern Suburbs and Bondi Beach area. A friend of mine mentioned that ClassPass actually offers a two week trial for $19 so that if I signed up, I could take all these yoga classes at a really low cost! You can use this link to ClassPass to access the same deal. Sometimes, if you do a web search, you can find a free one month ClassPass deal which gives you thirty credits to use at any of their participating studios. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this, but $19 for 30 credits, or an average of five to six fitness classes is still a really good deal!

While looking up the yoga studios in Sydney I was planning to visit, I found more than one community yoga class, too. You might be asking: 

What is a community yoga class? Community yoga classes are generally free, low cost or by donation classes held by new yoga teachers or teachers and yoga studios looking to give back to their communities. Those which are donation based sometimes forward the proceeds of the classes to local non-profits or charities, thereby helping yoga students access the opportunity to practice at a low cost and benefiting others in need beyond the studio walls.

In this article, I will review my experiences at each of these studios and classes, plus share tips on where to find free, community or donation based yoga classes in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia from Bondi Junction to Bondi Beach. I visited four different studios, two of which are very well known and another two which are quite boutique and specialized, so to give you, the reader, a more well rounded look into what’s on offer in terms of yoga and fitness around the Bondi area.

Keep in mind, these studios are also great for more advanced yoga students and I’ve written a special review on Soul Flow Yoga studio’s Naam Class at the bottom which features advanced breathwork and movement techniques for those experienced yoga students looking to try something new. Remember, one of the benefits of yoga is to expand your practice and explore new ways of moving, breathing and meditating. This helps cultivate more creativity in everyday life through creating new patterns of behavior and acting outside of our comfort zones. A beginner’s mind is always great to revisit, again and again.

Hot Vinyasa: Power Living Yoga in Bondi Junction

I checked out a Hot Vinyasa Yoga class which I found on ClassPass at Power Living on a Wednesday evening. It was taught by a very friendly Canadian teacher who mentioned they often get visiting yoga teachers, which is great because that means even a more advanced yogi can experience something new and different on a regular basis at Power Living Yoga in Bondi Junction.

The Hot Vinyasa class, which was considered a level two yoga class, was strong yet simple and easy to follow. The teacher had a gentle personality which complemented the strength of the class quite well. If you’re athletic outside of a yoga practice and curious to challenge yourself through a new yoga practice, I would recommend checking this class out to evaluate where you might fit in beginning a new yoga practice.

For new members or those curious to try the Power Living Studio, they offer a 30 day trial package of their yoga classes for only $49. This is definitely a good deal as I have seen trials at the same price for half the time at other studios! Plus their studio is gorgeous, has all the amenities you might need, including rental mats for $1 (keep in mind there are mandatory towel rentals for $2.50 with each mat rental) and filtered water on tap. To maximise the value, bring your own mat, towel and reusable water bottle! This also creates less plastic waste!

And if you want to try a class with one of their teachers but cannot make it to a studio, check out their online offerings at YogaHolics here.

Mixed Level Vinyasa: BodyMindLife Yoga in Bondi

On a chilly and wet Thursday evening, I stopped into BodyMindLife for their open level community vinyasa yoga class. Led by a really friendly instructor who invested attention into her students’ posture, breathing and individual needs, this class was a great way to practice with both yoga beginners and more advanced yogis in a Bondi Beach yoga studio while feeling completely comfortable in a space dedicated to nurturing my practice as it took shape in that very moment.

Often times, yoga students will find themselves comparing their practice and athleticism or flexibility to the yogi on the next mat, but this vinyasa yoga class at BodyMindLife was dimly lit, challenging enough to maintain one’s complete attention, really diverse and quite populated so there was just no space for comparison. Even though I’m a relatively seasoned yogi with over ten years of practice under my belt, the teacher was very helpful in giving me a few pointers in the areas where I am currently most challenged.

The studio staff are also really welcoming and even gave me a tour of the beautiful Bondi yoga studio when I mentioned it was my first time at their location. If you’re looking for a really well thought out, top rated yoga studio in Bondi Beach, I really recommend BodyMindLife. They have an indoor/outdoor lounge upstairs with a free selection of teas, filtered water on tap, a locker room with showers and even a very cool infrared sauna experience available at an additional cost. It was also quite nice of them to let me use a yoga mat free of charge for my first class. 

I noticed that BodyMindLife also offers a community class on Fridays at 2:30pm. This is one of those cool yoga class concepts where you come in and donate what you can (the suggested minimum is $5) and practice with a recent graduate from the BodyMindLife Yoga Teacher Training program. The proceeds also benefit a local cause! All this in a very popular yoga studio in Bondi Beach plus the benefits of feeling great after a good stretch are enough to get me writing about the BodyMindLife Yoga studio.

Keep in mind that they also have other studio locations around Sydney, including Surry Hills, Potts Point and beyond! For more information on their locations and class schedule, follow this link!

Foundational Hatha: Yoga Synergy in Bondi Junction

Yoga Synergy in Bondi Junction is a great space with one practice room dedicated to helping a beginner yoga student or someone with a more advanced yoga practice build the foundation necessary for mastering the Yoga Synergy method. Their method is called, you guessed it, Yoga Synergy.

I came in on a Monday evening in the middle of one of their nine week courses and was able to practice a new and unique style of yoga which fuses a deep knowledge of human anatomy and physiology with the traditional Hatha teachings transmitted through the great Krishnamacharya. The yoga class structure reminded me of my own Hatha Yoga Teacher Training with Mark Whitwell in Bali. Yoga Synergy classes are a great way to build foundational knowledge of yoga while moving the body in safe, new ways.

The yoga classes in Yoga Synergy Bondi Junction would be great for beginners, especially if began at the start of a new nine week cycle. As I was leaving the Bondi yoga studio location, I noticed a promotion for two weeks of unlimited yoga for only $25. With a range of 60, 75 and 90 minute yoga classes plus Pilates ad Qi Gong offerings to complement your yoga practice, I highly recommend checking their out the Yoga Synergy studios; they also have a location on Australia Street in Newtown!

Be sure to arrive 10-15 minutes before classes starts and bring some water just in case! They offer yoga mats, bolsters and warm blankets free of charge 

Visit Yoga Synergy online here.

Soul Flow Yoga in Bondi Junction

Soul Flow Yoga is an intimate boutique space just outside of the Westfield Bondi Junction and Bondi Junction Metro Station, making it convenient for practice right off the metro. I walked in on a weekday evening to participate in a Naam Yoga class hosted by Anastasia Williams. I have taken more than a few of her classes and attended her full moon workshops; she is a powerful and dynamic teacher. Naam Yoga combines asana, pranayama and breathwork into one 75 minute session.

Taking a look at their schedule, they specialize in Naam Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Vinyasa yoga and Prenatal Yoga which is quite different from other yoga studios in Sydney. If you are looking for teachers with specialty knowledge around energy work, meditation or prenatal health in Sydney, the Soul Flow Yoga Studio is a great destination. With over ten years experience practicing and studying yoga myself, each time I walk into a Naam class with Anastasia I face new challenges and leave feeling reinvigorated.

The Soul Flow Yoga Studio in Bondi is as unique as their yoga offerings. It is located inside a multi-story building near Eastgate Shopping Center, not easily found yet completely worth the treasure hunt. Once inside, the fresh, aromatic scents of essential oils mists, modern minimalist wall art, leafy green potted plants and dramatic lighting really give this yoga studio a character of it’s own.

Soul Flow Yoga studio offers a two week or four week introductory offer so you can try all their classes and meet their teachers over an attractive timeframe of your choice or packages for up to one year of unlimited classes.

Visit the Soul Flow Yoga studio online.

More Free (and Cheap) Yoga Classes in Sydney

While looking through more search results, I found this free community yoga class in Elizabeth Bay run by volunteer “tutors.” They offer some free yoga mats and recommend bringing your own if you have one.

Through Eventbrite I also found a whole host of free classes including Yoga Nidra in Crows Nest, Yoga Therapy (free to cancer patients at St. Vincent’s) in Darlinghurst, Yoga in the Park in Parramatta and Free Yoga in Martin Place on Monday nights! Take a look at the search results for free yoga in Sydney, Australia here.

If you’re looking for ways to practice yoga for free or inexpensive while at home, there are loads of classes for beginners and more advanced yoga students which can be found and live streamed online from sites such as YouTube.com, Gaia.com, TheYogaCollective.com and more! Remember that yoga does not have to be expensive and cost should not be a deciding factor on whether or not to start your practice. There are many community and resources online just waiting for you to join in.