In today’s fast-paced world, wellness is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Yoga One, in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s wellness community, is designed to holistically nurture the body, mind, and spirit. Much more than just a yoga studio, Yoga One has built a hub focused on movement, mindfulness, and connection.
Founded by Mina, who embarked on her yoga teaching journey in 2005, she aimed to create a studio that is accessible, inclusive, and transformative. Whether you’re stepping onto the mat for the first time, or a seasoned yogi, Yoga One welcomes practitioners of all backgrounds and levels, providing a safe and supportive environment for exploration, healing, and growth. Through their transformative practice, Yoga One focuses on the mental and physical benefits of yoga, the balance between mind and body, and helping students become the best version of themselves and live their best lives.
Two Studios, One Vision
Yoga One operates from two beautiful studios in Abu Dhabi: Mangrove One, their original location open for over 8 years, and their Masdar City branch open for just over 4 years. Their Mangrove One branch offers a sanctuary where cutting-edge wellness technology meets traditional yoga practice, in a calm, nature-inspired atmosphere. While their Masdar City branch is Abu Dhabi’s most sustainable wellness sanctuary where modern design meets modern movement.
Both studios reflect the essence of Yoga One’s vision: serene, welcoming, and thoughtfully designed to bring people closer to themselves and their practice.
Diverse Classes for Everybody
Yoga One caters to all needs and levels, while ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment. They offer a range of classes including:
- Gentle Flow Yoga– a healing, slower-paced practice that meets you exactly where you are. Ideal for beginners, and anyone seeking restoration.
- Hatha & Vinyasa Flows– grounded yet dynamic practices that balance strength, endurance, and flexibility, with conscious breathing.
- Pilates (including mat, reformer, and aerial) – a core-strengthening method designed to align and tone the body.
- Aerial Yoga – a creative, strengthening practice with the support of silk hammocks, designed with a range of class offerings for different levels.
- Hot & Warm Yoga – practices in a heated environment to enhance flexibility and detoxification, combining the benefits of red light therapy, and infrared heat.
- Deep Stretch & Restorative – slower sessions that release tension, targeting tight areas such as the hips, hamstrings, and shoulders. Sessions are also enhanced with red light therapy for deeper restoration and recovery.
Yoga One also offers private classes and small group sessions for an individualized and safer environment. Kids programs include ballet, gymnastics, yoga, and online courses. Whether it’s movement, stillness, or something in between, there’s something for everyone.
Community-Focused Offerings
Yoga One’s vision extends beyond daily classes, offering a range of workshops, trainings, and retreats that deepen practice, foster community, and are a core part of their studio identity.
- Workshops & Events
Yoga One invites students to explore mindfulness, movement, and healing on a deeper level through a range of workshops, special events, and intensive courses. Offerings include breathwork and mindfulness meditation workshops, Qi Gong intensive courses, half-day retreats, and immersive experiences like sunset beach sessions to encourage growth, connection, and keep students and teachers inspired on their lifelong learning path.
- Teacher Trainings
As yoga is a journey to the self, and a continuous process of self-discovery and self-realization, Yoga One offers comprehensive 200-hour and 50-hour Yin Yoga teacher training programs that combine anatomy, philosophy, and teacher methodology with mindfulness and self-inquiry. These trainings are designed to empower students to enhance their personal practice, while learning about the art of teaching yoga, laying a robust foundation for the next generation of conscious and compassionate yoga teachers.
- Corporate Wellness
As corporate wellness programs grow in popularity due to a broader focus on holistic employee wellbeing, Yoga One offers comprehensive and tailored programs to workplaces across Abu Dhabi. By getting to know the staff and what they need the most, offerings include yoga, meditation, nutrition, and stress management to enhance focus, productivity, and improve the general wellbeing of employees. Their growing client network in Abu Dhabi spans a range of companies including ADNOC, ADIA, ADEK, and Nawah.
- Prenatal & Hypnobirthing
Yoga One supports mothers-to-be with specialized prenatal yoga, reformer Pilates, and hypnobirthing courses that foster strength, calm, and connection during pregnancy. These small-group sessions allow expectant mothers to connect in a safe and supportive environment, prepare physically and mentally for childbirth, and receive personalized attention, all while fostering a sense of community.
- Retreats
For those seeking deeper transformation in new settings, Yoga One’s local and international retreats offer the perfect reset for the soul – combining yoga, meditation, and nature in healing and unique environments. From serene desert escapes in Liwa, to immersive getaways in South Goa and France, all retreats are designed to restore balance, inspire reflection, and dedicate time to holistic wellbeing.
My Experience: Gentle Flow with Mina
Walking into Yoga One’s Masdar City studio, I felt an immediate sense of grounding. The reception area was warm and inviting, with thoughtful touches like refreshments, lockers, mats, props, and even their own activewear line. The space was filled with natural light, calming music, and a long communal table inviting students to connect with like-minded individuals before or after class, adding to the sense of community the studio nurtures. The yoga studio where classes take place also had a spacious layout with adjustable lighting, temperature, and a beautiful wall mirror instantly creating a sense of peace.
I attended the Gentle Flow class, led by Yoga One’s founder, Mina. From the very beginning, Mina set the tone with a heartfelt introduction about her experience and practice, welcoming each of us into the space with kindness, warmth, and a celebration of diversity. She highlighted that there is no right or wrong in Yoga, only a series of moves focused on growth and grounding. We moved through a range of poses, starting off with a corpse pose and yoga blocks to assist with alignment, and moving on to include high lunges, yogi squat, cat-cow, chair pose, downward dog, cobra, child’s pose, and planks. All poses were guided by mindful breathing and an emphasis on connecting the body and mind.
Mina ensured that every student, especially beginners, felt supported, offering individual modifications and encouragement with every pose. This was very important to me because as a beginner myself, I was initially nervous about not being able to keep up, but the personalized attention truly made all the difference. This supportive environment allowed me to move with ease, and have a stronger understanding of the practice. So, if it’s your first time stepping into a yoga class, don’t be intimidated – you’ll be guided every step of the way and leave the class with a deep sense of restoration.
The highlight for me was the closing Savasana, a deep relaxation pose where you lie on your back with your arms and legs extended, fully relaxed and surrendered. In those 2 minutes of stillness, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the time I had made for myself and wellbeing, for Mina’s unparalleled guidance, and for the beautiful space that brought us all together.
I left the studio feeling refreshed, relaxed, and at peace, carrying not only the physical benefits of the practice, but also the mental clarity, calm, and focus that lingered long after the class ended.
Yoga One is a space that stays with you, a space that connects us to wellness through movement and stillness, and most importantly, a space where everyone can find balance and feel at home.
