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Bikram Yoga Vancouver
Categories: Education Specialty Schools Active Life Fitness & Instruction Yoga Specialty Schools, Yoga [Edit]
2681 W BroadwayVancouver, BC V6K 2G2
Neighbourhood: Kitsilano
(604) 742-3830
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 11:30 pm
Sat-Sun 8:30 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
14 reviews for Bikram Yoga Vancouver
14 reviews in English
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Review from Haedis L.
11/8/2011
I really love the studio. It's the oldest and you can tell by the vibe that it has. There are a lot of dedicated yogi's here.
The yoga room is tucked back and you have to walk down a hallway to go there. It's nice though because when you do your final savasana, everyone is outside in the front area talking so it's nice and quiet. They even gave a nice little cool hallway for a cooling savasana in the summer months.
I love the updates they have done with the beautiful decorations, paintings and nice little touches. -
Review from Shoppa H.
Vancouver, BC
4/30/2012
What an odd studio. It's like a dungeon the way the studio is placed ways away from the changing room. You go down a long and cold corridor and somewhere amongst the hallways, there is a yoga studio behind one of those doors. The flooring is made of some strange mat like the stuff you see on an outdoor patio. It stinks like feet! The fan or heater or whatever that noisy contraption is by the doorway, sounds like it has a golf ball trapped inside and it's desperately trying to get out. It's not very calming to have to listen to that cling-clang sound for 90 fricken minutes. By the end of class, your nerves are on end as if listening to nails on a chalkboard for 90 minutes.
The change room is small and needs some repairs and upgrades as well. The instructor and staff are very nice but the studio is not so nice. -
Review from Amelia C.
Vancouver, BC
6/7/2011
It was my first and so far only foray into Bikram Yoga, but I still recommend the place if you're all about the hot yoga.
Classes are held throughout the day and the different instructors pretty much have the 90-minute series of poses down. Yes, some of the instructors were a bit militant ("LOCK the knees!" "Sloppy yoga, sloppy mind!" "Water will not save you now..."), but most of them would soften up when they found out you were a newbie and provide helpful feedback on your form.
One major thing though, you'd think that a place that has its clients sweat buckets would provide larger shower facilities, but the women's change room had only 3 or 4 shower heads. Inevitably, there would be a long line-up of hot, probably stinky (I did a lot of mouth-breathing while I was there) people after each class. At least the policy of limiting each person's shower time to a handful of minutes made the queue go quickly?
On a more personal note: A month-old nagging jogging injury (a pulled something or other) disappeared after the first class! I only gave up this magical practice after a mere six weeks because I had lost so much weight and had no energy that by the end, I looked like a tired raisin.
3.5 stars rounded up... -
Review from Yunn A.
3/23/2011
I have to agree with Leah below: I've been to 5 different studios, and though the instruction was fantastic (Jacob L), and the yoga etiquette was right on par, the studio smelled like feet. Whenever we had to do floor work, I was so distracted by the smell, I could barely concentrate some times. The change room is much too small for the size of classes they accommodate, and it feels so dirty in there that I didn't want to remove my footwear.
I'm not looking for a spa, but it would be nice to be somewhere that feels clean, so I'm not worrying about getting warts on my feet from forgetting my flipflops and get to concentrate on my practice instead; especially considering it costs the same if not more than other studios. -
Review from Gelsey B.
1/26/2011
I really enjoyed my experience at Bikram's Yoga (W. Broadway location). I attended 4 lessons after purchasing a 1 month coupon. That was my first experience with yoga ever, and it was a good one. The staff were friendly and helpful; the instructors were knowledgeable; and the studio was clean and comfortable. Overall, a very nice place to practise hot yoga.
If you are wondering why I didn't go back... after the coupon expired, I had travel plans and also I wanted to try other yoga styles (hatha, power, etc.) asides from hot yoga. -
Review from Maria W.
Vancouver, BC
6/22/2011
I started going to Bikram Yoga Vancouver because I bought an unlimited membership for a month from Groupon. Having tried Bikram's yoga only a few times before, I thought I'd give it another chance, at a different studio.
Bikram Yoga Vancouver came highly recommended.
Once I joined, I found their large number of classes throughout the day to be quite convenient to fit even into the busiest of schedules.
They have early classes for the early birds starting at 6am, and pretty much classes throughout the day until their last class at 9:30pm for those who are always on the go during the day and need some activity to unwind at night.
I've been able to make it to a good number of classes, and try out different instructors, and I must say all their instructors have been great! They are patient with beginners, and encourage you to push yourself to your limit, subtly point out how you can improve your posture, and are very approachable before/after class.
The facilities are also newly renovated, and clean...other than the usual smell you get at Bikram yoga studios...which you really can't get away from at ANY studio you choose.
So. Convenient class times. Encouraging and friendly instructors. Good facilities. Overall, it's been a great experience thus far!
If you don't mind the heat and want to experience a great workout, I'd recommend you try Bikram yoga at Bikram Yoga Vancouver! :) -
Review from Zee K.
Vancouver, BC
4/18/2011
I used to be a regular at this Bikram studio, but stopped going for about a year or a bit more while travelling. It's always been very busy - count on inches between mats during peak hours, and a lineup waiting to enter the studio as soon as people start leaving the previous class. Since my return I'd say that more so than before, the quality of the instructors is really hit or miss.
I've always liked that militant aspect of Bikram that some don't enjoy, but I feel that it is equally important to make this yoga accessible to new people, and some of the instructors do not really do this. Additionally, now that I've experienced studios with a slightly less frenetic pace, I can see where it might be nice to have things like spraying the floors with essential oils between classes.
As far as amenities goes this studio is pretty good. They are open very long hours, can rent or sell you mats and towels, and carry a line of yoga clothing as well. I love the coconut waters they carry - they are the most refreshing thing on the planet after a really draining class. They have a bank of showers and a filtered water tap in the bathroom. One major downfall of this studio is just how busy it gets. It's impossible not to step in other people's sweat at some point, and bumping arms with your neighbour can get old, even if it's an 'authentic yoga experience'.
Their West End location is a bit nicer, though I believe it is a bit smaller. An entire wall of the studio is window, and it really feels bright and open, as opposed to the slightly cavelike atmosphere on W. Broadway.
Still one of my top picks for a good yoga class, though. -
Review from Monica M.
Vancouver, BC
8/25/2010
I've been attending Bikram Yoga Vancouver (the College of India) for 1.5 years now and have truly connected with this local business. I truly believe that bikram yoga is the answer to all of our problems. This 26-posture, 90 minute class is designed to push you to the limit and meet your maker. Bikram Yoga Vancouver is THE place to do hot yoga in Vancouver. The instructors are very knowledgeable and always motivate you to do your best. The owners truly care about their students and about providing a consistent, safe and professional experience. I urge everyone to try it and stick with it to see results. For me, I have reduced stress in my life, better digestion, more energy, more flexibility, I'm super toned (even after 2 kids) and have learned to live in the moment, all thanks to Bikram yoga.
As Bikram's guru, Bishnu Ghosh, said "Never too late, never too old, never too bad" and Bikram added "never too sick...to start from the scratch once again." -
Review from y y.
1/15/2011
This is an AWESOME Bikram's studio! Great facilities, perfect flooring, no stinky smells, extremely knowledgeable instructors, and lots of regulars.
Because there are so many regulars, yoga etiquette is not an issue and there is lots of eye candy. Students are respective and do not chat in the room. It gets pretty hot and humid...to the perfect temp without going over. My fave studio thus far.
Other studios should learn from them... -
Review from Leah M.
Vancouver, BC
2/5/2011
The yoga here was great, the instructor was fabulous, the staff very friendly, but the studio was really awful...the smell was unbelievable. I'v been to bikram yoga in lots of locations, and this was truly the worst I've ever seen (or rather smelled). The flooring actually rubbed the skin off my feet when they were a little over the mat, and really the smell was unforgettable. The change room is so small that you can barely get changed in there. It seems that they have outgrown this location and they should look for something a lot bigger, and with better ventilation. I haven't been back, despite it being the closest one to my house....If they could clean it up a bit I'd be back in a hearbeat because I thought the instruction was actually first class.
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Review from Noa G.
Vancouver, BC
8/26/2008
Just as there are two schools when it comes to canines (those who love dogs, and those who don't), you either love Bikram's Yoga ("hot" yoga) or you hate it.
I happen to love it.
If you love it, too, or want to give it a try, then you've got to check out Bikram's Yoga College of India (any of its three Lower Mainland locations will do). They've just put in brand-new flooring (finally replacing the stinky carpet of yesteryear), the change rooms/showers are kept nice and clean, and you'll get a helluva workout!
Bikram's Yoga is a series of 26 yoga postures done in a room that's heated to about 112 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm not going to lie to you -- it's HOT up in there! But it works. The heat helps your muscles stretch and hold the postures better, and, by the end of each 90-minute class, you'll have burned between 600 and 900 calories.
Bikram's Yoga is also a workout for your mind and spirit. You'll only understand what I mean if you go try it out yourself.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from P J.
Vancouver, BC
2/21/2011
This is a Bikram Yoga location. As you might know, all Bikram yoga locations have to teach only bikram's style of yoga. All classes should be taught by certified instructors who've been taught by Bikram himself. Therefore, there is no variety in the classes. All classes are 90 minutes long in a room heated about 40c.
Comparing to other styles of yoga that I've done (I practice Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Yin, other Hot Yoga styles), I would say I love Bikram's the most. I found Bikram classes more effective, and you will definitely feel changes in your body.
About this particular location, the staff are friendly, and instructors and the owner are great. I only have two complaints. First, this is a busy studio. For some classes you have to show up about 20 minutes before the class in order to get in ! Considering the length of the class you should put aside about 2 ~ 2.5 hours for yoga. My another complaint is the cleanness of studio. Comparing this to other studios that I've been to, this is not a very clean studio. People wash their sweaty cloth in a same bowl that you fill up your water bottle, or squeeze the sweaty towel in the middle of change room. Also, studio's floor is cleaned twice a week (other studios do this after every class). -
Review from J G.
Vancouver, BC
10/4/2008
It's been a little while since I checked out a Bikram class, but when I did, I have to say that I didn't love it. I think what wasn't working for me was the yoga as extreme/competitive sport attitude along with the hard sell that you are presented with both when you sign up and when you leave the studio. That aside, the yoga was okay, but only okay. I've definitely done more interesting and more strenuous yoga that is less repetitive than the Bikram routine. However, as a mind/body workout, Bikram is not all bad. If you can make it through the 90 minutes without fainting, you'll feel quite good when it's over.
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Review from Alisha E.
Vancouver, BC
10/21/2009
I am an avid yogi and i've been trying to stay consistent with my practice by going at least twice a week to bikrams yet the vibe at this location doesn't really motivate me to keep going back. I'd say out of the last 10 times i've been here half the time the staff has been unfriendly, neglectful and even cliquie. Sometimes they even just let random people hang out behind the counter that have no idea what is going on! Why do I continue to go here? Strictly the benefits I feel to my body afterwards and also because I got one of my best friends hooked too so it is something that gets us together a couple times a week. I have been to the west end location and have had nothing but fantastic experiences here, the staff is delightful and helpful, there is always parking and it's nicer to have a full wall of windows with surrounding luscious greenery. If only I wasn't on this side of the bridge I wouldn't have to deal with the inconsistencies of the kitzafornia location.
