If there are two things that don’t go together, it’s ‘disco’ and ‘yoga’, right? Yoga is supposed to be peaceful, spiritual and calm. And dancing around to Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive is anything but relaxing.
So when I turned up (pre-lockdown) for Disco Yoga at London’s Trapeze Bar with the promise of ‘blissful, energising yoga sequences to a glorious mix of disco classics’ I was skeptical to say the least. But, founders Sarah Hunt (a qualified yoga teacher and holistic nutritionist) and Rosie Barker (aka DJ Darlo) say you’ll have an evening of ‘dancing, launching, chatting and connecting’ - not to mention a cocktail at the end. Result!
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Walking down the stairs into the bar’s basement, I’m welcomed by the sight of people in pink wigs and neon leg warmers. I’m feeling underdressed in my baggy T-shirt, so what did I do? I made a beeline for the box full of more glitter than a Disney princess’ wardrobe called the ‘glitter station’.
Looking like an explosion of colour, the workout begins. I have the flexibility of a penguin (no exaggeration), so even touching my toes is a struggle. But this class ‘encourages all levels of experience’, so I was assured a newbie like me would survive with no pulled muscles and my dignity intact. As Diana Ross tunes pulse from the decks, I start to loosen up. Downward-facing dog became a dancing dog, the plank was a disco plank and there were even some Saturday Night Fever moves thrown in. When I stopped to catch my breath, I realised my core was working harder than ever (yoga being one of the best workouts for abs) and I was sweating glitter.
After 45 minutes of dancing and laughing, the session finished with a lie-down and listening to soothing music. Not for long, though; the disco kicked off again and we were suddenly surrounded by shimmering confetti and neon lights. Amazing!
With a healthy yoga-induced sheen on my face and a sore belly – from all the planking and giggling – the night ended with a complimentary ‘superfood’ cocktail. It has kale in it, so obviously it’s good for you.
It turns out I’m still no good at yoga, but with Sarah’s contagious enthusiasm and DJ Darlo’s 70s classics, the duo provide everything group fitness should: fun, energy and laughs. It might not leave you panting for breath and collapsed on your mat, but we can’t be serious about exercise all the time, can we? And with 2020 proving challenging on so many fronts, Disco Yoga might just be the exercise class we all need in our lives right now.
Due to coronavirus, Disco Yoga classes are currently running twice a week via Zoom. For more info, visit discoyoga.uk.
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