Have you ever looked into the price of family therapy? It’ll cost you a pretty penny, I’ll tell you that. And fairly so. There’s a flock of you being therapised at once, like some kind of reluctant, expensive mind meld. That’s why it’s mainly for Kardashians, or the cast of Succession.
But pause for a second and consider this: what if family yoga could do the trick? It’s good enough for the Beckhams, apparently, who have been spotted together (yes, the whole crew!) at Hotpod Yoga classes in Belgravia recently, flexing out their familial bonds.
To be fair to Posh and Becks, they’ve been repping this trend for a while. Back in 2019, a video of the Beckham brood - Victoria, David, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper Seven - doing yoga on holiday with help of an instructor went viral, not least because it revealed Victoria’s intimidatingly fierce core strength (and David’s bright orange swim shorts).
And it’s not just the Beckhams who are big into family yoga. Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn practice their padmasanas together, and singer Pink has posted pictures showing her using her young children’s weight on her back to balance out a good crow pose before.
It’s a natural choice of workout to do with your family, says Max Henderson, founder of Hotpod Yoga. “We have a huge range of people from all ages and backgrounds, including those who may not typically be drawn to yoga.
“Our classes are suitable for all levels, so we have a lot of families come along - often together as a group. We've even had quite a few three-generation families coming to classes! We often have young fitness enthusiasts who come for a good sweat or a place to ease their stresses.
“They bring along their parents, who are sometimes a bit more nervous practising yoga in the heat. But, the pod's a lovely warm temperature helping less flexible people ease into the class. And the dimly-lit, immersive environment ensures that it's a really calming space where you don't feel at all exposed - it's very unintimidating."
So maybe the Beckhams are onto something. Maybe bringing your dad to a Hotpod Yoga class, where there’s more ease in stretching than a standard yoga class, and more room for peaceful connection than a spin class, could be a fun new family activity for you both. And maybe, just maybe, it could save thousands in family therapy costs. Who needs CBT when you’ve got cobra, bridge and tree pose for a fraction of the price.
