Welcome to The Den Yoga Blog

Yoga & Wellness Conversations from The Den Yoga, Belfast

Dear Reader,

The time has come to start a wee blog to fill you in on all the news, comings and goings in The Den Yoga Studio, Belfast. My name is Denis and I am the founder of The Den Yoga Studio.

After almost ten years of teaching yoga in Belfast and across Northern Ireland, I decided to make the leap to opening a small yoga studio post-covid.

Previously I had taught in Flow Studio for nine years and managed the studio in my last two years of service, as well as teaching yoga in Yoga Quarter, Maitri Studio, The Yoga Farm, David Lloyd, DW Fitness and various other places across the province.

I still teach with my friends in Yoga Quarter, Ballyhackamore and we have a warm and genuine friendship and support of each other.

From the end of 2020 I decided to focus my efforts back firmly on my teaching as that's what I love to do the most. Online at first due to the pandemic and then when restrictions lifted in May 2021 people wanted a space to teach, thus The Den Yoga Studio was born on 37 Malone Rd, Belfast.

The Den is a small, boutique yoga studio on the second floor high up in the leafy trees of Malone Rd directly opposite Fisherwick Presbyterian Church on the corner of Malone Rd and Eglantine Avenue. It holds ten students comfortably and its like going to practice yoga in someone's apartment.

The design and the feel of the studio was very important to me. The studio is inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian design "Japandi" if you will, with the focus being a very soft, muted colour palette. The green leaves in spring and summer of the trees outside, along with the remaining victorian features, soft lighting and real marble mantle and soft carpeting, imbue the space with an intimate and healing energy.

The three large bay windows allow light to stream in all day, unobstructed; especially on the second floor. Soft voile and drapes bring a gentleness to the studio and is in stark contrast to the busyness of the Malone Rd outside.

During practice, you could almost forget the traffic and busyness of life below.

The Den Yoga Classes

Are led by Denis, myself. As a Senior Yoga Teacher in Belfast, students come from all areas of Belfast and beyond to practice with me and it is an honour. I wanted to have the studio to be small in size so that students can build not only a deep and meaningful relationship with their teacher, but also to feel at home in a small, welcoming environment where we can build community post-covid.

To be seen, heard, valued and respected is so powerful, and in larger yoga studio sometimes people can feel invisible, anxious, afraid, not part of the “yoga elite“.

The Den Yoga Studio is a place for everyone, where you can come to practice slow flow vinyasa in The Den Flow, quiet, introspective Yin Yoga or meditative flow yoga followed by introspective yin yoga in the Yin Yang Flow with myself.

Resident Teachers

Independent teachers also guide yoga from The Den and are referred to as Resident Teachers. It is important for me to nurture the talents of independent teachers and allow them to have their own voice where they can teach freely without restrictions or in the shadow of "the cult of local yoga celebrity".

Resident teachers pay a modest rent which supports the existence of The Den and they handle all their own finances and bookings. Money is a language that we are all accustomed to and Resident Teachers can cultivate community, teach yoga, do what they love and make a good living for themselves and their families, rather than teaching large classes with capped wages that leave them burnt out.

More to come

There’s so much more that I could say but I want to keep your attention and save more for another day. For now I think you have a good idea of how The Den works and operates, where we are and we would love to see you In the studio very soon. Warmly,

Denis You can book a class with Denis HERE

You can view our Resident Teachers HERE

or Practice with

Denis ON DEMAND

Jess ON DEMAND

or if Pregnant, practice PREGNANCY YOGA On Demand with Jess.