Yoga in English in Stockholm for Expats
You've been in Stockholm for a few months, or a few years. The Swedish is coming along for groceries and small talk. You can read a metro sign. You've mostly stopped translating menus in your head. But yoga in your second language is still a different exercise, and most of the studio schedules you've looked at are in Swedish.
This is a guide for the expats, the long-term visitors, and the people who moved here for work and never quite found a yoga rhythm that stuck. What actually exists in English in Stockholm, what to look for, what to ask, and the format most expats I've taught end up landing on.
Why "yoga in English" is its own search
Most yoga in Stockholm is taught in Swedish. That's fine if you're fluent. If you're not, here's what changes when you do a class in your second language:
- –You're translating in your head, which means you're half a beat behind every cue
- –Subtle instructions get flattened. "Soften the back of your throat" turns into "relax"
- –You stop listening for nuance and just watch the person next to you, which is a different kind of practice
- –The closing meditation, the part you actually came for, gets harder to land in if you're still parsing the words
For some people that's fine, they treat yoga as exercise and the language gap is just background noise. For others, the language is exactly why the practice doesn't stick. Knowing which one you are saves you a lot of searching.
What's actually out there in Stockholm
Drop-in studio classes
A handful of central studios run English-language classes a few times a week. The schedule tends to be thinner than the Swedish one and the times are often awkward, late evening or mid-afternoon. The teacher quality varies. Some are native English speakers, others are Swedes teaching in their second language. Both can be excellent, but the cues feel different. Worth trying a few before you commit to a class card.
Private and small-group sessions
Private 1-on-1 or small-group sessions in English are easier to find and easier to make stick. You set the time, the teacher fits the practice to where you actually are, and you don't have to coordinate around a studio schedule. Expensive per hour, but if you've been bouncing between drop-ins for a year without building a rhythm, this is often the format that finally works.
Outdoor and seasonal classes
In summer there are more options, outdoor yoga in the parks, SUP yoga on the water, retreats and weekend events. My weekly SUP yoga classes at Sickla Strand run in English by default from late April to September. Easy entry point if you want to try something new before committing to a regular indoor practice.
Corporate and workplace yoga
If you work at an international company, your office may already book yoga, or be open to it. International tech, biotech, and consulting offices in Stockholm often have a mixed-language team and need classes in English by default. If yours doesn't have one yet, it's often easier to start one than to find a studio class that fits your week. More on corporate yoga and what to ask for.
Online yoga over Zoom
For early mornings, travel weeks, or living somewhere the studios are nowhere near, online sessions in English are a real option. Private Zoom yoga works well for 1-on-1 and small group formats. The downside is the same as every other Zoom call, the screen pulls you out of the body. Best used as a supplement, not a replacement.
What to ask before you book
A class advertised as "in English" can mean a lot of different things. Before you commit to a class card or pay for a private session, ask:
- –Is the teacher a native English speaker, or teaching in their second language? Both work, but you should know which one you're booking
- –How many years has the teacher been teaching in English? Two years and ten years are very different
- –What style is it? Vinyasa, yin, hatha, ashtanga, restorative, all valid, all different
- –How big are the groups? Drop-in studio classes can be 20+ people, private and outdoor are usually 1 to 10
- –Is the schedule the same every week? Because if you're building a rhythm, week-to-week changes are the thing that breaks it
- –What's the cancellation policy? Important if your calendar moves around
A teacher who answers these questions clearly is usually the one who'll show up to class the same way. If the answers are vague, expect the class to feel vague too.
How to build a practice that actually sticks
I've taught a lot of expats in Stockholm. The ones who build a real practice tend to do three things, none of them complicated:
- –Pick one teacher, not five studios. Variety sounds good in theory and burns out in practice. One teacher who knows your body, your shoulders, your tight hips, will move you further in six months than five teachers in a year
- –Commit to a weekly time, not a weekly intention. "Tuesday 18:30" beats "twice a week" every time, because Tuesday 18:30 doesn't require a decision
- –Treat the first month as a trial, not a verdict. The first three classes you'll feel awkward, slow, behind. By class six you'll have a body that knows the room
Doesn't matter if you go with me or someone else. If those three are in place, the practice will land. If they're not, you'll be re-doing this search again in a year.
What I offer in English in Stockholm
A summary, since you got this far. I'm Camilla, an Australian 500-hour certified yoga teacher based in Stockholm. All my classes run in English by default. Specifically:
| Format | Where | Group size | Season | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drop-in SUP yoga | Sickla Strand | 1 to 10 | Apr to Sep | 350 SEK / class |
| Private SUP yoga and sauna | Sickla Strand | 3 to 10 | May to Sep | 500 SEK / person |
| Office yoga | Your office | Up to 25 | Year-round | 3 000 SEK / 60 min |
| Private event yoga | Your venue | 5 to 30 | Year-round | On request |
Details on each: SUP yoga drop-in, private SUP yoga, corporate yoga, private events. If you're not sure which fits, send an email with a sentence or two about what you're looking for and I'll suggest a format.
Yoga in English in Stockholm: a starter month
If you want a concrete plan rather than a list, here's what I'd suggest for someone who just moved to Stockholm and wants to find a sustainable practice in English:
- –Week 1: try one drop-in class somewhere central, in any style, just to clear the cobwebs
- –Week 2: book a single 1-on-1 session in English. Tell the teacher about your body, your goals, and what hasn't worked. Pay attention to whether they actually listen
- –Week 3: try a different format. If week 1 was vinyasa, try yin. If week 1 was indoors, try outdoor or SUP yoga. You're looking for the one that pulls you back, not the one that makes sense on paper
- –Week 4: pick the teacher and format from the previous three weeks that you'd want to return to. Commit to a weekly time slot for the next two months
Four classes, four signals. Cheaper than buying a class card you don't use, and a much more honest test of what fits.
Frequently asked questions
- A handful of central studios run English-language classes each week. The schedule is thinner than the Swedish one and times are often awkward. Independent teachers (myself included) tend to be easier to book in English for private and small-group formats.
- No, but knowing what you're booking matters. A class advertised "in English" can be taught by anyone from a native English speaker to a Swede in their second language. Both work, but the experience is different. Ask before you book.
- Drop-in studio classes run roughly 200 to 350 SEK. Class cards drop the per-class price. Private 1-on-1 sessions usually start around 1 000 to 1 500 SEK per hour. Corporate yoga is a different model, usually around 3 000 SEK for a 60-minute class for a group.
- Yes. I'm Australian, English is my first language, and I teach all classes in English by default. There are a few other native English-speaking teachers in the city as well, mostly independent rather than studio-based.
- Pick one drop-in to see what's on offer, then a 1-on-1 in English to find a teacher whose style fits you, then commit to one weekly time slot for two months. The plan in the section above walks through it in more detail.
- Usually one of three things. Too many teachers (variety burns out), no fixed weekly time (decisions get skipped), or a format that doesn't fit your week (a 19:00 studio class doesn't work if your commute ends at 18:50). Change one variable at a time.
- Yes, private and small-group sessions, in English, in Stockholm or online. Send a note with what you're looking for and your schedule constraints, and I'll come back with options.
- I run Zoom sessions for English-speaking clients, especially for people who travel a lot or live outside the city. Works well for 1-on-1 and small groups, less well for 10+. Email if you want to set one up.
- Most of my clients in Stockholm aren't "yoga people" in the social-media sense. They're busy adults who want to move, breathe, and stop running a scorecard on themselves. Classes are challenging but not punishing, no extreme poses, no aspirational improvement framing.
Are there yoga studios in Stockholm that teach in English?+
Do I need to speak Swedish to do yoga in Stockholm?+
Is yoga in Stockholm expensive?+
Can I do yoga in English with a native English speaker in Stockholm?+
I just moved to Stockholm, where should I start?+
I've been here a while and still haven't found a rhythm, what should I change?+
Do you teach private yoga in English in Stockholm?+
What about online yoga over Zoom?+
Do you teach yoga for people who don't do yoga?+
Get in touch
Email hello.yogawithcamilla@gmail.com with a line or two about what you're looking for. Private session in the city, a class card on the water, something for your office, anything in between. I'll come back with a format, a price, and the next available time.