The Om Yoga Show 2023

Well it’s been a couple of weeks since the Om Yoga Show in London, and when I think back to that fabulous weekend, my heart still feels full from such a magical event. 

I’d never attended anything quite like this before – I first took up yoga during the Covid lockdowns so large events weren’t happening, and I’ve only recently rediscovered my love for yoga. But when I saw the event advertised, I knew I just had to be there. I was a little curious, a little nervous… and a lot excited!

The event is held across 3 days at Alexandra Palace in London, and I was lucky enough to attend on both the Saturday and Sunday. I went alone on the Saturday, and returned with a friend on the Sunday.

My first impression was just that Ally Pally is such a great venue. Once I arrived, my journey took me around the side of the building to get to the right entrance, passing some gorgeous views overlooking the city, and upon entering the foyer I was greeted by bright windows and beautiful big trees. 

The Great Hall was where the show took place and it had a really nice buzz when I arrived. It was full of stalls, demonstrations, and classes. The event is huge, and there’s stalls selling everything: yoga mats and accessories, clothing, vegan food, cruelty-free skincare products, crystals, and so much more. It’s an absolute treasure trove of yoga-related goodies and I was absolutely in my element exploring everything there was to offer.

I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything, so I started at one side and snaked up and down each aisle, exploring all of the stands in turn. I chatted to loads of great people, entered many competitions (sadly I didn’t win an all inclusive luxury yoga retreat this time!), tasted samples galore, tried on clothes, smelt gorgeous oils and candles, and tried my best not to spend all my pennies in one go!

Some of my purchases included: a gorgeous top from Free Spirit Clothing Co (which is eco friendly and so comfy!), jazzy Pilates socks from Tavi (for my new reformer Pilates habit… well, obsession), a beautiful rainbow fluorite crystal which is meant to be emotionally stabilising, some low carb baking mixes from a company called Boost Ball, some very tasty adaptogenic bark from a company called The Tula Code, and the most recent editions of the Om Yoga magazines as they were on a great deal. My friend also bought some chai latte powder, a handmade yoga mat strap and a gut health supplement. A few of our purchases are pictured below, along with some of the other great businesses we chatted to, but there were so many more things we’d have loved to buy if we could!

I was also lucky enough to join a couple of the open (read: free) classes. I joined a gentle self love yoga flow with Hali Love which really did encourage positive vibes and appreciation for myself. I also gave “face yoga” a try – I’m not sure it’s something that really resonated with me, but my best friend loved it, and there was clearly a lot of interest for it.

Perhaps my favourite experience of the weekend, though, was trying out Hotpod Yoga, which I loved. The inflatable pod with the purple lights created an almost other-worldly experience, and the heat & sound in there allowed me to fully immerse myself in my practice. I’ve always loved hot yoga but this just felt extra special somehow. There’s Hotpod venues all over the country (and I believe actually in a few other countries too), so if you get the opportunity to visit one, I’d highly recommend it.

There was also the Mind, Body & Soul show occurring at the same venue at the same time in the room next door. I did have a walk round this room to see what was on offer, but there was nothing that resonated with me quite so much. There were psychic readings, colour readings and tarot readings, plus a few talks and demonstrations, but I didn’t spend as much time in this area. It’s great value that one ticket allows access to both rooms though. 

All in all, it was a totally wholesome weekend. I met some wonderful people, discovered great new businesses, and had chance to totally disconnect from the real world for a few hours. If you have any interest in anything yoga-related, I’d definitely recommend checking it out. I’m already counting down to next year! And who knows, maybe I’ll teach a class there myself one day, watch this space…