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Sean Ren assists a student's yogic pose at Shanti Yoga Studio.[Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/William Wang]

Shanti Yoga (formerly Om Shanti Yoga) is hidden beneath a series of massive skyscrapers called The Global Trade Center. Which may not seem yogic, but it does touch upon the pulse of Beijing today. The city is an economic powerhouse, populated with overworked white collar workers, but somewhere deep below hides a place of rejuvenation.

Being situated in an underground mall is admittedly less than ideal, but such details are quickly forgotten once the instructor of today's class starts his agenda.

Sean Ren has been teaching for Shanti Yoga for four years. Today the lithe-framed Ren is teaching a Level 1-2 Vinyasa Flow class, a class which emphasizes the mastery of core yogic poses, a number of which are remarkably more difficult than they appear to be.

The afternoon class is small: just 5 students who each get individualized attention from Ren. The evening classes, however, tend to push capacity at 20 students, as many professionals from the building come down to breathe and stretch away the stress of the day.

Students follow Ren's lead, alternately gazing at him and themselves in the large mirror. Poses strike a balance between challenging and unintimidating, finally culminating in inversions against the wall.

Ren knows firsthand that yoga can be more challenging than some people expect. "Some people," he begins, "especially men, look very strong. Maybe they do a lot of weight-lifting in the gym. But when they come to a yoga class and they hold a posture, they shake like hell! It's really difficult for them because yoga uses more core muscles and small group muscles to stabilize the body. Normally people go to the gym and train larger muscles, so they may look really strong but actually are imbalanced."

One student, Fufu, is particularly fond of Ren's classes. "His overall plan is really good. I'm comfortable with the structure of his classes, and he speaks English really well." She pauses before adding, "Also, he's super handsome!"

Rachel picks up her yoga gear and says, "The environment here is warm and caring. It makes you feel like you're home. The sofa is comfortable and desserts are served between classes. Even the cleaning women are smiling everyday."

All session levels are 150 yuan for 70 to 90 minutes of class. But most students at Shanti opt for a 4000 yuan six month pass. Some students have been loyal to the school for years, following it from its previous location at the distant Jianwai Soho.

Hot Yoga was originally the only option at Shanti Yoga, but it has branched out after students wanted some basic yoga that didn't require sweating pints at a time.

"It's too hot, I can't breathe," said one student about hot yoga. "Hot yoga's ok, but it's really tiring," said another, noting the high cardiovascular requirements for new students. Nonetheless, Hot Flow Yoga is still the most popular class at Shanti.

The expansive mirrored room is employed for both regular and hot yoga. But even for regular yoga classes the heaters keep the room toastier than room temperature to loosen the muscles up, just a little.

Director and co-founder Ellie Piao admits that most women have fairly basic goals when they come to Shanti Yoga for the first time. "Many people want to lose weight," she says. "But then after a few yoga sessions they might feel some changes so in the end losing weight is no longer their main reason to come.

"You do look fit, but your muscles aren't too big," she continues, observing the Chinese woman's fear of bulking up. "That's a benefit for yoga," she smiles.

In addition to its main yoga studio, Shanti Yoga also has rooms where Pilates, cross-training exercises, and different styles of dance classes are taught. A spa is present too, naturally.

Shanti Yoga Studio

Tel: 5825 6846
Address: North 3rd Ring Road, Anzhen Bridge, Global Trade Center, Building C, floor B1, Unit 2.
Getting there: From HuixinjieNankou subway station exit D, walk 10 minutes west.
Classes: 150 yuan/70-90 minutes.

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