Tatler UK - 10.2019

PHOTOGRAPHS: TRUNK ARCHIVE

BE AUTY

GYM AWARDS

[muscle-quivering holds in the

(deceptively intense) GS Pilates.

For something more meditative

there’s all sorts of yoga (try Slow

Flow with Golnaz Maleki, which

leaves limbs feeling longer and

minds destressed) – though the real

magic happens in the treatment

rooms, where masseur Alex Gonza-

lez mollifies aching muscles with

long, firm strokes, zesty-smelling

oils – and the occasional elbow.

Classes from £30; massage from £70

for 30 minutes. bamford.com

Highly commended: 3 Tribes,

London Bridge

3 Tribes’ new Borough address

(don’t panic, the original Crouch

End space is still very much alive

and kicking) feels distinctly Man-

hattan: there’s plenty of polished

concrete with a large side order of

upbeat enthusiasm, courtesy of the

chirpy staff. On the menu is yoga

(hot flow and Vinyasa, broken

down into varying levels of ability,

so that no one gets left behind) –

plus Pilates, Barre, spin and full-

body Warrior workouts. But

they’re also the first London fitness

space to offer flotation tanks. To

the uninitiated, these are giant,

egg-like pods, filled with warm,

salty water: where you float, naked,

in total darkness and silence for

one hour. It’s a discombobulating,

distinctly womb-like experience,

but go with it: one session is

enough to press pause on whirring

minds, and to make even the most

tightly wound muscles turn to jelly.

Classes from £18; flotation tank,

£55. 3tribes.co.uk

BEST FOR...

THE CLASSES

Winner: Psycle, Mayfair

When it comes to spinning, Psycle

is unrivalled. (Try its adrenaline-

fuelled, cardio-powered Ride –

with 45-, 60- or 90-minute work-

outs, you simply can’t fail to get

swept up in the energy). Studios

are to be found in Clapham,

Shoreditch and Canary Wharf, but

the newly rebooted Mortimer

Street (which now spreads across a

tween the busy city streets and

skyscrapers, its spacious yoga stu-

dio boasts a floor-to-ceiling screen,

across which vistas of waterfalls

and lakes, forests and cloud-strewn

skies slowly drift (and it makes for

a calming practice). But so do the

classes: like the new 45-minute

Chill Yoga, which encourages you

to wind down, breathe deeper, and

float away in a slow-moving series

of asanas, each held for minutes at

a time. Pigeon poses, spine twists

and backbends are all on the menu,

clearing the mind and detoxifying

the body (the release, following the

static postures, encourages blood to

flow, sweeping away lactic acid).

Lying on the floor, swaddled in

blankets, among flickering candles

is wonderfully fortifying. Classes

from £20. flyldn.co.uk (

staggering four floors) boasts the

most extensive raft of classes by far.

Like Yin yoga, which helps to elon-

gate spin-induced, tight ham-

strings, and takes place at night, in

semi-darkness. Or Met Con – a

fusion of HIIT and non-stop cir-

cuits, which will leave you feeling

weary yet elated. Barre is an in-

tense, full-body workout, which

gives you the legs of a swimsuit

model in double-quick time. A re-

sults-driven, boredom-banishing

temple to fitness has landed.

Classes from £22. psyclelondon.com

Highly commended:

Fly LDN, The City

Without exception, Fly LDN is the

most transporting place to down-

ward dog. A slick, exposed-brick-

and-concrete haven, nestled be-

UNWIND

1. Fitness Body Oil, £34,
   by ESPA. 2. Restorative
   Hand Cream, £67, by
   SISLEY. 3. Calm Bath Salts,
   £16, by HERBIVORE

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Tatler October 2019 tatler.com

PUMPED UP

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