Lotus Room Yoga Centre

Lotus Room Yoga Centre is a friendly, long-established yoga and meditation studio in Żebbuġ, in the west of Malta. It is led by Jennifer Cortis, known to students as Jenny, a registered teacher with Yoga Alliance Professionals who has taught in Malta for over twenty years. The studio began life as a family project and has grown into a place where people of every age and level can practise at their own pace.

What sets it apart is the scale. Group classes are limited to ten people, every session lasts an hour, and the teaching style is built on breath-led Vinyasa. For UK visitors who want something more personal than a drop-in class at a large gym, or residents looking for a regular practice close to home, it is well worth knowing about. The studio is listed in our yoga studios in Malta and meditation in Malta directories.

Jennifer Cortis and the story of the studio

Jenny first took up yoga as a student, and her tutor spotted her flair for it and encouraged her towards formal training. She went on to study with a range of institutions and teachers, including Ananda Marga for yoga, meditation and tantra, the Kevala Centre in the UK for yoga with anatomy and physiology, and Shiva Rea at the Exhale Center for Sacred Movement in Los Angeles for Prana Flow Vinyasa. Further studies cover Ayurveda, the history of yoga, bhakti yoga, Vinyasa in the Krishnamacharya tradition and dynamic Vinyasa flow. Her teaching career began in 2000 and she keeps attending workshops.

In 2016 she was awarded the Senior Yoga Teacher level of membership with Yoga Alliance Professionals. The studio has an unusual origin: after a trip to India for further training, Jenny came home to find that her parents had converted the garage of the family home into a yoga studio. She had been teaching a small group in a space lent by a friend, and the new room became the Lotus Room. It has been refurbished and extended over the years, with the latest changes made in 2024, the studio's 20th anniversary.

Philosophy and the lotus

The studio's vision is that yoga should bring wellbeing in body, mind and spirit, and each session blends those strands so that the practice meets your needs and moves at your pace. Yoga is open to any body shape, age or background, and the teaching is adapted so you can go as deep as you wish, with individual attention built in by the small class size.

The name has a meaning. The lotus is a symbol of purity: water rests on its petals as beads that never stain it, and in yoga that image stands for a self that material life cannot taint. Jenny's wider view is that optimal health includes physical wellbeing, emotional stability, mental peace and universal love, and that yoga is a way of living and not only something you do on a mat for an hour.

Group classes and timetable

All group classes suit beginners and experienced practitioners, and the mixed-level format lets everyone progress gradually. Booking is required because places are limited. The weekly timetable lists Gentle Vinyasa Flow, Energizing Vinyasa Flow and Awakening to Meditation, with sessions at 5.30pm and 7.00pm on weekday evenings. Which class runs on which evening is shown on the timetable, which you can ask about when you enquire.

If you have never done yoga, the studio holds a monthly Yoga Foundation for Beginners workshop. It is also suggested for regular practitioners who want to refine their alignment and how they link movement with breath. When that workshop is not running, private classes offer similar coaching.

Class styles explained

The studio's approach is based on Prana Flow Vinyasa, a style that links movement with breath so that each posture flows into the next. Gentle Vinyasa Flow is the entry point, using that linking idea at an easy pace. Energizing Vinyasa Flow is an intermediate class with more intense movement, designed to build strength and leave you feeling invigorated.

Awakening to Meditation explores different meditation techniques so you can find the ones that suit you, treating meditation as a core part of yoga rather than an extra. Sound Bath sessions use the vibrations of various instruments to calm the mind, and there is also a one-to-one sound therapy massage. A prenatal class called Moving into Motherhood is offered for those expecting a baby. Nothing on this page is medical advice; speak to Jenny about your own circumstances.

Private classes and Yoga-Life coaching

Private yoga classes are available on mornings, afternoons and evenings by pre-booking. Each lasts 60 minutes and is tailored to the individual or group. People choose them to start from the basics, to work on a particular goal, to fit practice around an unpredictable schedule, or to have a teacher's full attention for the hour. Pregnancy yoga is also offered privately.

Yoga-Life coaching is a separate service for people going through changes in their lives. It is based on kindness, compassion and love and helps you identify barriers and work through them. Bookings for private sessions and coaching are made by contacting Jenny.

Online classes

The studio has an online studio, and every in-person group class is streamed live on Zoom, so you can join from your living room, from another town in Malta or from home in the UK. The online option grew out of the changes of 2020, when students who had moved away from Malta returned to practise with the group and others found the confidence to start at home. It is a handy way to keep your routine going if you split your year between Malta and Britain, and the digital nomad guide to Malta may interest you if you work remotely.

Workshops, retreats and training

Workshops are built around themes and may combine principles, self-inquiry, discussion, postures, meditation and breathing techniques. Retreats are extended workshops that run for several days and include a venue, food and programme chosen to relax and stimulate you. The retreats are hosted in various places around Europe, and the next listed is a meditation retreat in Sicily from Friday 19 to Monday 22 March 2027, combining stillness, gentle yoga, mantra and reflection. Check the Malta weather guide and the flights to Malta page if you are planning to combine a trip with a class.

For aspiring teachers, the studio offers teacher trainings in Kids and Teens Yoga and Yoga for Pregnancy. As a Senior Yoga Teacher, Jenny also leads Yoga Alliance CPD workshops for yoga teachers, advanced practitioners, health professionals and holistic therapists. Teachers registered at the 200 hour level must complete at least one 8 hour CPD module each year, and these workshops count towards that. Dedicated practitioners with two years of consistent practice are also welcome.

Bella, the kitchen and the blog

Jenny's mother, Bella Cortis, is the studio's assistant and its vegetarian cook. She attended her first class in 2005, when her daughter began teaching, and has encouraged the studio ever since. Bella prepares food for retreats and workshops and for Bhakti Yoga evenings, and she is happy to give advice to anyone taking up vegetarianism. The website also hosts a vegetarian cook book, yoga and meditation videos, a blog and a monthly Awareness newsletter.

If you are interested in eating well alongside your practice, A New Better Life is a nearby nutrition business. For somewhere to train in a gym, there is 24/7 Fitness Club Zebbug, and families may like Adventure Hub.

Finding the studio and getting started

The Lotus Room is at 74 Triq il-Qamh in Żebbuġ, a short drive from the old capital described in our Mdina guide. Staying for a while or relocating? The Malta relocation guide explains the practicalities, and things to do in Malta fills the rest of the week.

To start, decide whether you would like a group class, a private session or an online class, then use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page. We will pass your message to the studio, and Jenny will help you choose where to begin.