Bikram Yoga

Wonderful studio- very welcoming, felt like i was right at home . The owner was so kind and welcoming.

I bought a groupon a couple of years ago and recalled enjoying the yoga so I bought another one. Now that my memory is fresh here's the good/bad:

Location:
Parking can sometimes be difficult. The area is a bit industrial/unappealing to the eye...Overall the area is safe and I've never seen anything shady going on.

Studio:
Old and needs some renovations. The men's locker room is kinda gross. The studio to practice is rather large. The carpet is smelly (but that's any hot yoga studio). The temperature is hot (in a good way). The lines on the floor are very helpful to align yourself.

Instructors:
Very hit or miss. Some are great, some are meh. They do not communicate which instructor will be teaching which class so you don't find out until you arrive at the studio. Personally speaking, I value instructors that speak clearly, are consistent with times in/out of the poses and offer corrections/modifications on my practice. I would say that happens 1 out 5 instructors.

Random stuff:
1. Get a water fountain. I can't believe they don't have one. It's so basic and simple.
2. There's a dance studio below the yoga studio. At times you will hear the music/bass. You will find yourself all 'zen' but then in comes Missy Elliott telling you to "pass that dutch, pass that dutch...."
3. Yoga founder controversy. I don't know if that guy did or didn't sexually assaulting those women; I hope he didn't but I can't in good conscience support a studio that supports him. I wish the studio would put out a statement or change it's name. When I asked the front desk person about it all I was given a death glare.

Overall:Not amazing, not horrible. Needs some TLC.

You don't want to come here. Please don't go! Instead of relaxation, you'll get a headache and will feel drained and sad ! Old, ugly, definitely not for young people or anyone really. You need to authorize your payments through emails. They have too many rules, very rude and outdated service. There's no mask mandate in San Diego but they require you to wear a mask when you come to check in, then everyone takes it off and nobody cares. I forgot my mask and they didn't have any for sale or for free. Rude people, the place reeks, carpets smell. Literally all decent studios have masks for free and for sale. Those Nazis denied me submission. It's hard to believe any place has such a horrible service. The place also embrace Bikram Choudhury himself and it's full or pictures with the Bikram (the sex violator and a horrible corrupted man who's ran away from prosecutions in US) The owner is his friend and worships him. For old outdated people who like simpler times.

I have gone here a couple times 4 years ago and wanted to get back into it after Covid (extra weight gain) - i bought two passes online and have reached out over FIVE TIMES via email with NO REPLY!! So they have my money but wont let me schedule. They seem VERY "clicky" that you can't go there unless you "are a regular " - its the only strict bikram studio i can find near us so i guess they dont care about customer service or allowing outside people to get INTO bikram again and become a regular!! The owner is SO RUDE and everything has to be done via online. They wouldnt let me in when i tried to show up for a session via the schedule online AFTER EMAILING MULTIPLE TIMES TO USE MY VALID VISITS LEFT!!! Very disappointed and wish someone else would open another studio for everyone that can't seem to handle this place!!

I've been practicing Bikram yoga for 3 years and I also travel a lot with work and have been to many Bikram studios all around the world. I want to be fair so here are the pros and cons from my perspective.

Pros:
- large hot room and locker room
- inexpensive compared to other studios (for a reason)
- lines on the floor to help you keep your postures in alignment.

Cons:
- very dirty carpet that smells like old cheese feet and vinegar. It's a pungent smell to the nose and eyes.
- sub-par instruction from instructors that rush postures and blatantly insult people. I witnessed two instructors call people out rudely for not doing a posture correctly with no grace, love or understanding.
- the locker room has an ant and termite infestation as well as being overall filthy with dirt. It's an unclean environment.
- two male front staff that are rude, impatient and unhelpful, one was named Cortland and I forgot the other. The female staff however were pleasant.
- parking is very hard and often you need to park far away.

There are plenty of other fantastic Bikram yoga studios in the area. Please go to one of them enjoy and wonderful and restorative experience.

Namaste :)

Heat and Humidity were perfect. Super hot and humid. Instruction was in my opinion, the worst I have ever had in the 10 years I have been practicing. I like to be pushed in my yoga sessions, but not to the point of lunacy.

Feels awkward to be harsh on a yoga instructor, but I believe this instructors approach is damaging to the students and not helpful. From the beginning, as soon as he started instructing, the energy in the room shot to a piercing get me the hell outa this place. I pressed on and kept to a mantra of tolerance and kindness, believing my yoga journey this time would be more internal than physical. I was succesful for moments, but struggled staying in the room.

Later, he pressed me to do a posture a certain way, not allowing me to adjust as I need to for certain postures. He said if I was in the posture in a certain way I would injure my back. The reason for my adjustments... I crushed my L2 and L3 vertebrae a while back and have to take a couple of postures certain ways! This I know because I learned the hard way that if I push in certain ways, the exact way he was pressing me, I will injure myself.

Later in the class, a woman was sitting quietly during a standing posture and he instructed her that she must lay down or do the posture. After she told him she had vertigo and was unable to lay down. He shot back at her. Back and forth in conversation a couple times and she ended up walking out. He essentially told the class after ahe left that she was weak. Really? How is demeanong a student for their decision to walk away from a pointless argument weak? Seems the contrary.

I was glad I stuck with it the entire class, as persistence beet out the clammoring committee in my mind, but I would never go back to this studio.

Here on 3 days work trip, I signed up for the $40 umlimited thinking I could squeeze in 3 classes and save some $. Needless to say I didn't go back and let the money slide.

If in the area, I would suggest checking out another studio, especially if you are new. As you progress in yoga, you will know how to push yourself. You don't need a pushy instructor to get all that you need out of yoga. A good instructor will know how to push their students in a positive direction, not force them out of the room.

Unfortunately, I bought a 20 class package and have 16 classes the owner will not refund. I'm retired and survive on a fixed income so spending money to go to a bikram yoga studio is a real sacrifice. Maybe the owner will show some compassion and refund my money.

Coming from (not anymore) a Bikram studio owner (UK and San Diego) and teacher (all over the world) background, I have to say what took place today, I will never step foot into this place again!
I won't go on a rant but will say everything starts from the top down. That studio owner has such an attitude its toxic!
Good Riddance !

I have been taking Bikram for years. In NYC, Seattle, LA, B.C., even from Bikram himself. I just took a class from the owner Jim, and had to leave after the floor series. I could NOT believe that they say on their website "Hot Yoga is not Bikram, and Bikram is not hot yoga", as if they are a pure Bikram studio. There is an actual script that Bikram yoga instructors are supposed to follow for all 26 postures, and those instructions are all positive instructions. The class I just experienced would better be called "Jim's Yoga". He used his podium as an opportunity to preach. He is constantly telling people what they are doing wrong. He even went as far as to say "you are not flexible because of the way you live, keep coming back here everyday and you'll get better". Yoga is not for judgment.

I personally feel super uncomfortable with the vibe I got from this instructor. Some would argue that is part of the challenge of Bikram. But with all of the beautiful yoga studios in SD, why not go there?


Also, the studio smells, and needs serious renovation. Worst Bikram ever.

THIS studio is what kept me in San Diego for many many many years not ever wanting to leave San Diego because of how FEEL GOOD this studio IS.

And its the very FIRST thing that I lovingly get EXCITED to Enjoy EVERY time I am in town.

Love Love LOVE THIS Bikram Yoga In San Diego.
Yes Please. More and more and more of Bikram Yoga HERE.

Grateful for every moment of practice HERE.
The HEALING within the soul the mind and the body is HERE.

Pure MAGIC in THIS studio.
Temperature always so on point, LOVE IT.
Teachers that want the BEST for YOU.

My wish is everyone can experience what I have. And what I Am HERE at this studio.

Thank YOU to Jim Kallett who is my personal hero.