Management: 6.5/10
Sales staff/ reception: Hard selling by consultant.
Membership options: Class cards – 10, 20, 30, 50 for 1 studio at $370+, $600+, $800+ and $1120+
Unlimited – 18 months for all studios at $119/ month (incl. gst), payable by installments with credit cards (otherwise it’s 1 payment).
There could be more but I wasn’t informed about it.
Class booking: Available online but walk in possible. Schedule for following week released at the end of each week.
Number of outlets: 5
Ambiance:
Character: Feels office like, not much distinct characters. Most furnishing are built in by contractors. The only theme is the colour red. Similar to the feel of True Yoga.
Condition: Signs of use is obvious but still decent for the older outlets.
Crowd attracted: Mostly people who are older, not so much of young students, for heartland locations it could be people who live nearby and not people who are passionate and travel for yoga.
Class types: A good variety of all types of classes and they are level specific. People of all levels can find a class which suits them. Half the classes are hot.
Crowded: I did not come in on weeknights, but weekend at Tampines was not full.
Cleanliness: The mats were not mopped in between classes for the classes I went to.
Class timing: Classes held throughout the day from 7am – 10pm.
Real Yoga Centrepoint
Yoga studio: 6.5/10
Hot class: Panel heating set at 37 deg C. Tampines has anti oxidant heaters. A mat towel with rubber grip is compulsory for hot classes and it’s $2 per use or bring your own.
Non-hot class: Air-conditioning and fans in the room
Mats: A mix of Manduka pro lite (as seen in Centrepoint) and a unnamed brand rubber mat (for Tampines).
Class size: 30 – 50 perhaps.
Changing room: 7/10
Toilet: For Tampines and Centrepoint, toilets were outside but not very far away.
Showers: I did not use the showers but there were about 10.
Towels: Provided at reception.
Water: Dispenser available.
Lounge area: Small for Tampines, spacious for Centrepoint.
Lockers: Bring your own lock.
Real Yoga Tampines
My opinion:
This place gives me the feeling like it’s run like a business rather than something personal. The interior decor feels like an office/ clinic/ tuition centre rather than something which screams personal style (eg. Yoga Inc, Yoga Movement, HOM Yoga etc). It seems like they are more serious and put less value into aesthetics. But then again, all mega studios are like this. It doesn’t bother me a lot but just stating what I saw. I’ve been to Tampines and Centrepoint outlets and both studios lack nice windows, making the rooms kind of dark and reliant on electric lighting even in the day. The mats are arranged like True Yoga and it’s good that there’s space between the mats, but I don’t like the tiled flooring at Tampines – it was too cold and hard, not to mention slippery when wet and this is not ideal for yoga studios. Centrepoint used laminate flooring which was slightly better. The other outlets are newer and should look better.
They have 5 studios, 4 of which are in heartland locations, and this sets it apart from other studios which aims the office crowd. I suppose most people sign up because it’s convenient, near their home, and a big number would be quite new in their yoga journey. Many of the classes available are suitable for newcomers and it’s good that they create classes of various levels rather than throw everyone in multi level classes and leave them to die. Most of their teachers are experienced teachers, many of them competition winners, and none of those new and hip young teachers which boutique studios prefer. I did enjoy my Hot Vinyasa and Hot Twist class at Tampines.
Each outlet has 2 rooms – one for hot and one for non-hot. Their heat is very mild, at 37 deg C. Being used to the extreme 40 – 45 deg heat in my regular studio (and I do not like hot classes!), the heat at Real Yoga was very bearable and felt like a comforting kind of warmth – like a heated room in winter. I could lie there all day like a spa sauna, but if you are a heat sucker and enjoys being killed by heat, this one is not hot enough.
What I did not like was how they made it compulsory to use a mat towel for hot classes – their hot classes aren’t really hot and won’t be dripping wet. When the mat towel is dry, it is slippery to step on! I would prefer using the friction of the rubber mats for better grip than a towel. I was told it is for hygiene reasons, but it would be way ore hygienic if they can mop the mats after use each time. I also did not like the bring your own lock system.
They have 2 type of mats as observed and of course, the Manduka one was better. I’m not sure what other outlets use but Tampines was all unknown rubber mats while Centrepoint has a mix of both.
While their class cards are too overpriced, the unlimited rate is quite attractive and worth considering especially if the location is somewhere near you since the teachers have quality and they have many classes throughout the day. Generally, it is a better version of True Yoga.
Pros: Many classes available, Manduka mats (some of them), experienced teachers, many locations
Cons: Lack of design, mats not always mopped, bring your own lock, mat towel compulsory for hot classes
Rating: 6.5/10
The Centrepoint
176 Orchard Road
#06-06/07
Singapore 238843
Tampines Grande
9 Tampines Grande
#01-14/15
Singapore 528735
600 @ Toa Payoh Lorong
4 Toa Payoh
#02-03
Singapore 319515
Parkway Parade
80 Marine Parade Road
#17-01
Singapore 449269
SAFRA Jurong
333 Boon Lay Way
#A1-01
Singapore 649848
Namaste 