Enso delivers a serene and enjoyable yoga experience. Had the good fortune to frequent Enso several times during my 2wk intro unlimited yoga package...and loved each visit. Well, loved ALMOST each visit. Not sure why, at such an exquisite yoga studio, they teach pilates with night-clubby dance music blaring at full volume while the instructor simultaneously barks arobics instructions to the class (?)...but hey, nothing can be perfect, right?.... :) Enthusiastically recommend both hardcore or occasional yogis to try them out...you wont be disappointed. Maybe skip the pilates, though. :)

I visited Montreal and took two classes at ensō yoga. The studio has beautiful wood floors, which one staff member thought were Brazilian wood, but wasn't sure. You walk in the front doors and follow a carpet to the coatroom, where you must leave your shoes (absolutely no shoes allowed on the wood floors). You check in at the front desk, fill out a waiver and pay for a class, package or membership. I chose to take two of their "hot flow community" classes, as it made more sense to pay $10+tax for each of those 60-minute classes than it did to pay $23 for one of any of the other classes. Fortunately, I could work the community classes into my schedule. There is a $3 charge for a towel, and there may be a charge for mats but I didn't check. If you want to buy 1000ml of fancy water, that also costs $3. They do have a filtered water system in the locker room available. The women's locker room is large. There are plenty of lockers and they are the digital locker access control system type, so you don't have to bring your own lock. You simply follow the (French) directions on the inside of the locker door and enter your own code (it's pretty simple). There are three toilet stalls, three large sinks, and eight (8!) individual shower stalls. I didn't use the showers, but they looked clean and roomy, each with a waterfall shower head. There is a counter area with blow dryers. Lots of mirrors everywhere. Everything looked clean and in order. Nice! There are cork blocks available for use. If you want a strap, you need to bring it. Also, there are no bolsters or blankets (which I think would be difficult to use in a hot studio anyway). One thing about the website that I found lacking was that the yoga instructors are not listed, nor are they put on the schedule, so you have no idea who is teaching your class. Also, neither of the teachers introduced themselves. It would have been nice if they had. The first hot flow yoga class I took was with a petite brunette instructor. Her directions were very clear and detailed. The class flowed through sun salutations, various balance poses as well as emphasized poses for leg strength and flexibility. While this instructor was competent, I found myself wondering if she liked her job. At no time did I see her smile. And, while I don't need an instructor to be a cheerleader, an occasional "good" or "that's it" comment to the class in general is, well, nice. The class itself was challenging enough--not too hard, not too easy--and the 100-102F degree heat had me sweating buckets. The second hot flow yoga class I took was with a very upbeat, friendly instructor. To start the session she wished everyone a good class. :) It wasn't as challenging as the first class I had taken, but the instructor was clearly knowledgeable and led the group through sun salutations, warrior poses, bending and stretching poses, etc. in a steady, thoughtful way. She also was very descriptive in her directions, walked around the studio observing students, and provided adjustments and suggestions to individual students, which was great. She smiled and was very friendly. This instructor clearly enjoyed working with students and teaching the class, which was refreshing. The instructors provide directions in both English and French. I love how Montreal is such a bilingual community! After each class a staff member enters the studio and cleans the floor. I really appreciate that; my local yoga studio needs to do the same! Also, there are spray bottles of what may be vinegar and water along with cloths to wipe mats. That's a nice touch, although I'd prefer using a fresh cloth on my own mat rather than a shared one. The studio has a large room filled with various equipment for private sessions. Their website says it's used for Pilates, dance, the Gyrotonic method (which I had never heard of but an online search showed an interesting fitness field) and other things. There's also a yoga wall which I wish I would have checked out. There is a massage therapist associated with the studio (as stated on their website). In order to make an appointment, I contacted Andre via email as the website directed, but never heard back from him. Andre is one of the studio founders and I was surprised but mostly disappointed I didn't hear back, so I hope his communication improves.