Yoga and Mindfulness: Paris Fashion Week Edition
Where to catch your breath and unwind in between shows and traffic jams
Even if you’re not remotely interested in fashion, Paris Fashion Week (PFW) will take on outsized importance in your Paris life for several weeks a year.
During PFW one of your favorite cafés will be rotten with clumps of impassive praying mantis-like tall people; your neighborhood will be overtaken by street photographers snapping pictures of look-at-me influencers; and your usually pleasant walk through the Marais will be interrupted by an obstacle course of human roadblocks.
The Paris fashion calendar is no joke: four weeks a year for men’s and women’s Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter Ready-to-Wear collections, and four days each for Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter Haute Couture collections. It’s gotten to the point where PFW dates get entered into every Parisian’s agenda the same way French school vacations are penciled in: these dates are critical as they affect travel and ticket prices, hotel and airbnb availability, public transportation and taxi service, and impact reservations at restaurants, museums, you name it.
Mark your calendar: next week is PFW for the Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024–2025 collections from Monday February 26th through Tuesday March 5th, 2024.
Ways to heat up and chill out during PFW
Though not really a fan of exercise in super warm rooms (my hot yoga phase was short-lived, I didn’t love the way the studio smelled like steamed artichokes) I am a fan of heat, in particular its ability to soothe and loosen tight muscles and joints. Nothing feels better after a long day than allowing tensions to melt while a warm glow slowly permeates your body and penetrates your every cell.
For a sauna experience in Paris, you can visit one of the city’s many hammams, some of which we listed here:
Another way to go is to reserve an infrared sauna for a short course of intense relaxation. At the Oh My Cream flagship on rue Montmartre, you can book a 45-minute infrared sauna in one of their private booths (sessions can also be reserved à deux for an additional fee.) And at Belleyme, you can follow your 50-minute sweat sesh with a mindful pause in their café. In less than an hour, you’ll have reduced stress, boosted your immune system and improved your sleep.
While this type of sauna experience is missing the communal aspect so vital to the rituals of other cultures, one advantage of steaming solo is that you can adjust the heat to whatever temperature you prefer. If this is your first time or if you’re not sure if you can handle the heat, this is a good entry point.
If, however, you’re itching to bathe in heat and steam (and possibly cold plunge afterward or in between!) with others, we recommend some armchair travel to Scandinavia: the recently published Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat1 by Emma O’Kelly, to be precise. Emma and photographer Maija Astikainen visited, tested and captured saunas in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Estonia then whittled the list down to the Best 50. The book surveys all different kinds of saunas, from simple to sublime: modern architectural marvels with water views to self-serve rustic shacks in the woods. Super inspiring!
PFW Pop-Up Movement Studio in Palais-Royal
with Sophie Carbonari and Lori Ann Ferreri
This deluxe collaboration between Sophie Carbonari, she of the “cosmic lifting” skincare techniques (Financial Times), and Lori Ann Ferreri, artist, Broadway performer and certified yoga and mindfulness guide, will offer an antidote to fashion week’s craziness with private and semi-private (up to three people) mindful movement sessions.
Choose dynamic Vinyasa Flow or a slower-paced Yin; either way, the emphasis will be on the breath and its link to mind and body.
Monday Feb. 26th through Sunday Mar. 3rd, 2024
60-minute sessions between 6h30-9h30
Yoga mats, props and changing room provided
Books are independently selected by Do Yoga in Paris. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.