Tucked away at Arch 165, Midland Road, Hotpod Yoga Leyton is unlike any wellness space in the neighbourhood. While it’s conveniently located near Leyton Midland Overground and just a short stroll from Francis Road, this studio is part of the renowned Hotpod Yoga family, meaning it offers their signature, immersive experience.
Here, you step into an inflatable, hot yoga pod, an otherworldly space where you can truly switch off. Heated to a comfortable 37°C and filled with soft, calming scents, curated playlists, and atmospheric lighting, the pod is the ultimate environment to deeply stretch and de-stress. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or a complete beginner, you’ll find a down-to-earth, zero-pressure, and seriously feel-good atmosphere here. Fully equipped with changing rooms and showers, this studio makes wellness easy.
We recently caught up with owners and teachers, Courtney and Mia, to learn about their journey bringing this unique brand to Leyton, the benefits of practising in the heated “pod,” and their exciting plans for the studio’s future.
Hi Courtney and Mia, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Please tell us a little about yourselves: how did you get into yoga and how long have you been practising?
We discovered yoga when a new Rocket yoga studio opened around the corner from our mum’s house. Courtney was sceptical, having only experienced yoga in gyms before, but was brought along, and we all fell in love. It became a family affair! Then, when our youngest sister went travelling, she trained as a yoga teacher in India, and we were inspired by what she had learnt and how she had deepened her practice. We did our initial teacher training together in a studio just outside Epping called Fringe Yoga, and so have really been on this journey together since day one.
What are some of the benefits that you’ve found from yoga? Who do you think would benefit the most from practising yoga?
“Yoga is really about how we live our lives off the mat, and doing the physical yoga practice is really only one part of it. But having regular physical practice, I have noticed that I can reflect more, be less reactive, and generally find some calmness within myself. I make it sound like I’ve got it sorted—I still get overwhelmed and lose my rag at times—but generally, I feel like I’m a much nicer, more balanced person.” – Courtney
“For me personally, yoga has helped me physically with flexibility and fitness, yes, but the biggest impact I have seen is the calming effect it has had on my mind and being more able to take this with me off the mat. I find I have a larger capacity to handle different stressful situations that crop up in my everyday life. This is one of the reasons everyone can benefit from practising yoga—it helps you to find space in the mind.” – Mia
Please talk us through the Hotpod Yoga Leyton experience. What can we expect?
Expect chilled, friendly vibes. The music, lighting, and heat make it a truly one-of-a-kind immersive experience. It allows you to switch off and focus inwards on yourself and your practice. There are no expectations for anyone to be a certain way, a certain flexibility, or anything like that. The heat also isn’t the oppressive, dry heat you might expect—we have humidifiers in the pod, which makes the air soft and helps you breathe deeper. This unique environment comes with so many health benefits that come with practising in the heat. The heat makes the heart and lungs work a little harder, helping you burn more calories and giving you a great cardio workout too. The warmth also increases flexibility, easing joints and muscles and helping prevent injury. Finally… well, it’s just bliss – the feeling you get after a class is unmatched!
Looking ahead, do you have any exciting plans or goals for Hotpod Yoga in the future that you can share?
We are really excited to continue to grow the studio and meet and get to know more locals. We are currently planning lots of workshops and exciting events that we hope everyone will love!
We have some great events coming up, including an Arm Balance workshop booked in on Saturday, 15th November, and one of our much-loved Sound Bath workshops on Sunday 23rd November.
We’ve also recently expanded our timetable to offer more variety:
- Monthly Yin and Rocket Yoga classes
- A weekly Restorative yoga class on a Sunday evening
This means there’s truly something on the timetable for everyone, whether you want to power up or deeply relax. We ultimately just want to continue building our community and hopefully make everyone’s day-to-day a bit less stressful and that bit more positive.
Where can people find out more—how can those interested get involved with or learn more about Hotpod Yoga Leyton?
The best way to find out? Come and try a class! You can use the code EElovesHPYL for a free class. For more info, you can follow us on Instagram @hotpodyogaleyton, email us [email protected] or visit our website hotpodyoga.com/studios/leyton.
See you on the mat!