As much as yoga is all about the namaste of it all, sometimes it can feel a little cliquey. I went into Lulu Lemon once, during sale, and I had to leave because one little flexible fit spandex outfit was the same as my rent for a week. I nearly dropped my S’well bottle. Yoga has been a craze for a while now in Kuwait, years in fact. Most of your friends have probably tried some form of yoga or you yourself may have wandered into a studio to check out the local Ashtanga or Bikram classes, or headed over to a park to take part in an open group session on a Saturday morning.
With intriguing names like Yogalates, Aerial Barre, Reload and Release with Ropes, Dynamic Beginner and so much more, STUDIO THIRTY THREE aims to deliver classes that are accessible across the board, to all levels of experience and interest. It was the classic Aerial Yoga that managed to entice four of the bazaar Studios team along, taught by the no-nonsense Nuné, an Armenian yogini of nine years’ experience, graceful, strong and determined.
There’s a bright intelligence, and a spritely spiritedness that is contagious about the women we meet during our time at STUDIO THIRTY THREE. From our yogini to studio business partners, and friends, Dana Khajah and Noora Al Hassawi, all these women are smart and utterly grounded. The space has a practical feel to it, nothing like the aloof nature of some studios that you can find when studios are ‘forcing the zen’. You can laugh out loud here! There are thoughtful touches even in the changing areas; ghd hair straighteners and dryers in the dressing room, tangle teezers, invisibobbles and fluffy towels readily available for use. The placement of a Squatty Potty in each lavatory stall really shows they’ve thought of it all.
STUDIO THIRTY THREE is currently women only, but they can be open to men for one-on-one Personal Training or small group classes as long as the timing doesn’t infringe on the women-only experience. The intimate studio spaces allow you to closely observe your instructor but gives you enough room to breathe as well. There is a juice bar, and reading room – with the books placed into shelves by the color of their spines instead of any ‘information science’ construct, as each shelf represents a chakra color. Keen eyes will spy toy soldiers in various stages of yoga poses, dotted about in amongst crystals and other items; this is a studio with a sense of humor, offering yoga for real people. There’s a hashtag for that.
Farah Barakat
This was my first time trying Aerial Yoga, but I was definitely up for the challenge. Besides, swinging on a piece of fabric can’t be that hard, right? Wrong. It was harder than I thought it would be, but it also was not as hard as it looks, if that makes any sense. The actual fabric is what presses against your skin and can be slightly uncomfortable, especially if you are tense. However, you would be surprised to know that swinging from fabric with your head upside down comes naturally and is quite peaceful.
The experience was great overall and the studio was epic! The overall vibe of the place is very grounding and soothing. There wasn’t the typical highly polished décor I expected, instead a use of earthy tones, green, brown and touches of clean, classic white. I loved that the owners did not look elsewhere for inspiration or try to imitate other similar spots in town. They did their own thing, and it shows! 10/10 would recommend.
Jennifer Cádiz
Aerial Yoga has been a goal of mine to try for ages now, but I don’t drive and I work, so getting somewhere to try classes is difficult as the ones I’ve found so far have tended to be during office hours or further away. Now that STUDIO THIRTY THREE is in Salmiya near bazaar Studios it is not only convenient but there are so many different kinds of yoga on offer that I can try loads after work! There is something extremely ethereal in the grace of Aerial Yoga, or so I thought, before I fell heavily out of the fabric, all arched back, one ankle backwards over my shoulder – where it was supposed to be, and the other facing completely the other direction – also where it was supposed to be; it is Yoga after all. Being only inches from the ground I wasn’t hurt by falling, but the point is I had thrown myself into trying poses with gusto, because it is so exciting to achieve more poses, more inversions, more everything!
I loved trying Aerial Yoga, at once both a comfort – when cocooned, and a challenge – when the fabric is digging into you or you have to pull your body weight up with one hand. The fabric when it was really stretched and taut felt cool, and gently swaying above ground in Shavasana I was relaxed yet hyper aware of everything I was experiencing. I was present. At the start I may have launched myself off the ground easily, quickly and with no fear but I kept on forgetting to breathe when doing more complicated moves. Some of my other colleagues may have taken more time to get off the ground and “trust in the fabric” but I was the only one to fall, so make of that what you will. It turns out we all deal with fear in different ways and this was an excellent lesson to understand about myself and others. Sign me up for a package of classes now!
Hallah Danbouh
I’ve never been a fan of any form of Yoga. The whole notion of practicing Yoga simply does not make any sense or exist in my mind. I also don’t fully understand the meditative part of it, the relaxation that everyone promises to follow once you’ve done any session seems too unrealistic. But, when the opportunity came to try out Aerial Yoga, the intrigue struck. We stepped into STUDIO THIRTY THREE, and met with our wonderful instructor Nuné who firstly advised us to fully trust the fabric, which is a struggle if you have some trust issues (Not it! I did end up struggling internally though, won’t lie).
Yet, overall, it was an extremely pleasant and fun experience. The notion of letting go of your fears, and repositioning your trust in different parts of your body, whether it was your hands which are literally holding onto their lives through the fabric, or swinging back and forth in the Cobra position was somewhat relaxing. I think for a person who completely dislikes Yoga, and totally judges the practice, the misconception has been successfully changed!
Umika Pidaparthy
I’ve been practicing Yoga on and off for the last few years, but I had never ever tried Aerial Yoga. In fact, I was pretty intimidated by the thought of trying to do difficult Yoga moves while hanging from a fabric! So, I really didn’t know what to expect on the morning of our bazaar Tries. The first few moves with our instructor Nuné where we still had our feet firmly on the ground, felt good and familiar. It was when we were asked to literally and figuratively “let go” by placing our whole body or legs on the aerial silks that I became nervous. It was the initial fear of falling or slipping that made me freeze. Luckily Nuné was very patient and encouraged me to face my fears and “trust the fabric”. It took a few tries and near mishaps but I finally managed to lift my hip onto the silk and perform the Cobra position (Google it and you’ll see what I mean!).
Once you get over the initial discomfort of the fabric pushing on your skin, you feel like you’re flying! Another position I didn’t think I would be able to do was hanging upside down from the aerial silk. It was quite refreshing, probably because of all the blood rushing to your head. Performing Shavasana in a cocoon of fabric versus on the floor as is usually done was a different experience! Because you are surrounded by nothing but the fabric that is holding you, when you close your eyes you feel like you are on a hammock at the beach and that enhances the relaxation process and keeps you focused. Overall, I’d go to STUDIO THIRTY THREE again as I like the vibe, and I really enjoyed Aerial Yoga although I am not sure if this is something I would personally do again. I am glad I got to try it out.
STUDIO THIRTY THREE is located in Abraj AL Muhanna Tower 4B, Block C, First Floor, Salem Al Mubarak, Lane 3. For a comprehensive list of classes and more information visit studio33kw.com and follow their account on Instagram @studio33kw.
Images by bazaar Studios.
