YogaBox Launch at Lululemon London!

What they say:

Mindfulness, mental focus and perseverance are at the heart of every session and you will train these from the perspective of both YogaBox coaches in the room.
You’ll learn boxing fitness, footwork and technique, smash the pads with your partner and be put through bespoke yoga sequences to mobilise, stretch and restore you at different points in the class.
All equipment is provided so all you need is to come ready to punch, stretch and have fun.

What I say:

Having seen flyers for the class around Lululemon Marylebone for the past month or so, I was very intrigued to find out what YogaBox was all about, so when the tickets to the launch event suddenly become available last Wednesday evening, I was one of the hundreds who  scrabbled to secure a spot....within minutes, they had all sold out! Clearly, I wasn't the only one intrigued by the concept of a mindfullness yoga session combined with a hardcore boxing workout....

What we did:

The class was  split into 3 main sections - a yoga warm up, an intense cardio boxing section, finishing with another yoga cool down.

The first section was held by specialist yoga instructor Will Wheeler, and involved traditional yoga moves in a flowing sequence to warm up our muscles and relax our minds. After 15 minutes of peaceful tranquility, it all switched over and Chris Baugh, undefeated professional boxer, got us all up on our feet for a hardcore interval cardio boxing workout. Needless to say, this came as a bit of a shock to the system!

"Come on everybody, jump HIGHER, PRESS-UP lower, do it all FASTER!!!" he shouted at our slightly dazed bodies, waking us up with the first boxing set involving side jumps, high knees and, of course, my favourite (not!), burpees.

After using this 'warm-up' to get the blood flowing, we went into a practice series of split stance punches. With one leg positioned slightly infront of the other, hands raised at shoulder height, we spring forward, back, and side to side, before teaming into pairs to get the boxing gloves and pads on.

Fully gloved up, first we practiced  with some jabs and crosses, then went into 3x1 minute rounds of straight punches - forwards, up and down, with 30 seconds of burpees in between each set. Power and speed is core to the routine, leaving our legs, arms, shoulders - everything - dying!

And just when it felt like we couldn't move anymore, Will came back onto the floor to relieve us all with a gentle yoga cool down, stretching out our hard worked muscles and calming our hard worked minds!

Instructors 10/10

The unique thing about the YogaBox model is the presence of two, specialised instructors in each class. So, rather than having to seperate your cardio and yoga into two separate sessions, by brining together two of London’s elite boxing coaches and yoga teachers, YogaBox gives you the best of both worlds.... in one!

Intensity 5/10

In terms of intensity, I give this mid marks, as there the perfect balance of high energy and relaxation!  With the boxing being as intense as we could all handle, it was perfectly complimented with the restorative yoga - a great all rounded workout!

Amenities 9/10

As this was the launch event held at Lululemon in Marylebone, there wasn't your usual amenities of showers, toiletries etc,  but with a fantastic array of post workout food and booze, we weren't complaining!

With nutritious and wholesome snack pots provided by Maple and Fitz,  fresh organic juices and smoothies from Plenish, alongside flowing champagne and even a goody bag to take home, we were certainly well catered for!

Would I go back?

Most definately! Classes are due to start in the next couple of weeks and will be held in two different central London locations. Things are still a little under wraps at the moment, therefore I urge you to sign up to the mailing list on YogaBox to be the first to hear about the first class. Hopefully I may see you there!

....And Zen!