Pulsation Yoga

Finally I get it… I know why I keep trying yoga!!! Today’s class with Jim was truly phenomenal!!!
Although I do a variety of training, and for me it’s always about how many calories I can burn, I always feel like I need a bit of relaxation or stretching or something. I’ve been trying to achieve it with Body Flow classes. This winter I took up Hot Yoga (of course for the calorie burn in my mind, cause why else would I do yoga). I consider myself a novice still. Even though I always left these classes feeling good, it hasn’t quite «clicked» for me… Until this weekend.
After my usual Saturday & Sunday workout routines this weekend, I found myself at Pulsation Yoga in Lake Zurich with my niece both days. We both have fallen out of the yoga thing for a few months, and work & life stresses are getting to both of us. We were just looking to reset our frame of mind to face the week ahead, but got so much more.
Class today with Jim was a truly challenging and an enlightening experience for me. I’ve always been told the benefits of yoga, but today it finally made sense. Got everything I came looking for:
Strength
Balance (quite a challenge)
Focus
Patience
The list goes on…
Jim started the class today with a brief story that I immediately connected to in the first couple sentences. It set the tone of the experience. He provided modification options on everything, and made everyone feel as they were doing the best, which is great for someone like me that still feels to bulky, clumsy and awkward at yoga. The suggestion for use of equipment (blocks, straps, wall, etc.) made even the most challenging poses seem attainable. He really pushes you towards the next level, mindfully demonstrating basic poses and providing suggestions for harder moves.
The music was great and the place is beautiful. Good mix of guys & girls, and all of them that I met were great and so welcoming.
Alright, you got me… I’ll definitely be back, and bringing friends. Thanks so much! Bring on the work week. I’m ready.

On Saturday Afternoon I was fortunate enough to attend the free yoga class at LuLuLemon store in Deer Park, where Linnea from «Pulsation Yoga» in Arlington Heights was teaching an amazing intro yoga session. Linnea was completely amazing in how she thoroughly explained each pose and the benefits behind each stretch which is always great when you are able to get a teacher with that much knowledge. I especially enjoyed the hip opener exercises we did, because from all the jiu jitsu and muay thai I do I tend to get really tight hips. I would highly recommend checking out Linnea Thursday Night class at 8pm-​9pm at the Pulsation Studio! Tell her Darby Referred you ! NAMASTE

What I love about yoga is that the instructor is usually very encouraging and supportive. I’m used to a comforting atmosphere. One of the first times I went to Jim’s hot yoga class he said to me «I can see you’re trying your little heart out» since I was struggling after months of not practicing. I don’t think anyone has ever made me feel more uncomfortable and insecure in a class. He then proceeded to make comments like, «these are level 2 poses.» I took that as him not wanting me to return. It was very awkward.
I did take a class with Stephanie and she was absolutely amazing. She would be the only instructor I’d want to practice with. She was very clear and comforting all while kicking your butt. I hightly reccomend her.
I think that this studio is for a certian type of person and I’m just not it. It’s a little disappointing since the studio is close to home. The classes just seemed like a stand up comedy act and platform for the instructors to hear their own voices.

I tried the LEVEL 1 – 2 class on a Sunday at the Lake Zurich location. I chose to leave mid-​way because it was not a good fit for me.
Some elements I disliked: Mats arranged in two long rows facing each other across a center aisle with no way to watch the teacher. Actually, the teacher just walked about, reeling off Sanskrit terms. The directions included popping up into a handstand (which no one could do) only to have Jim, the teacher, proceed to demo one to the applause of the adoring students. When we started to attempt inversions against the wall, I left.
I won’t say the class was awful, it was just a really bad fit for me – an older advanced beginner type with moderate strength and flexibility. Not much «Level 1» stuff here. I don’t think show-​off teachers are helpful, either. Decide for yourself.

I’ve been going to Pulsation Yoga for over 2 years because it’s by far the best experience of the several yoga studios I’ve tried. I agree with the other reviews about how inviting and friendly the owners, Kathy and Jim are. Besides all their instructors being so great with their instructions it’s a super warm inviting and friendly studio to have fun and get better with technique. Julia is my favorite instructor there but all the instructors there are all fantastic.

Pulsation Yoga’s studio has fantastic teachers, that meet you where-​ever you are in your practice. Teachers are warm, knowledgeable and authentic! Stunning designer yoga wear for sale in their lobby! I have learned SO much in the last 2 years attending Pulsation classes-​I don’t practice anywhere else!

T.G.I.R.W — Thank Goodness it’s Restorative Wednesday!
Wednesday night restorative yoga at Pulsation Yoga is excellent. Between the relaxing stretches and Kathy’s playful sense of humor, you’ll feel restored both physically and mentally after this session.
I look forward to my Wednesday Yoga sessions to help with some chronic back and neck pains. Kathy is experienced in helping people with their various needs.
Jim & Kathy co-​own this down to earth yoga studio just a few blocks from the Arlington Heights Metra station. They’re always welcoming and friendly when you arrive. Teachers, students, seniors, military, police, firefighters can purchase discount packages.
Some free advice: come early. Parking in the lot can be very limited and some of the more popular classes fill up quickly. Oh and save me a spot at Wednesday Restorative Yoga!

I’ve been coming her intermittently since June 2013. I started with Yoga 101 and was coming regularly, until I hit the last quarter of the year and my yoga practice went out the window. If you’ve never done yoga before, I strongly recommend the 101 course because it taught me so much about how to properly align myself in poses and what I should be thinking about while I was in them. This gave me so much confidence to practice at home and to try the other courses.
I started back again in January regularly and it is my oasis on the weekends. It’s a very non judgmental place and there’s a real sense of community. Everyone is quite friendly and it doesn’t matter if you are fully capable of turning yourself into a pretzel or if you are an inflexible beginner like me. They make it accessible and about the joy of being in the moment of practice.

I’m new to yoga and loving it thanks to all the great teachers at Pulsation Yoga. Everyone is super friendly and all classes are fantastic! Super clean studio. Give Pulsation Yoga a try.

I am a newbie to yoga. I stared yoga to increase my flexibility for Crossfit and offset decades of running. I stated by taking there 101 series of classes and I also took two Basics classes. The instructors are the best! They walk around offering suggestions on the poses and if its too hard they offer a scaled version. The pace of the class if perfect. I signed uo for their 201 level classes, so obviously I like them

I’ve been practicing yoga for a while and have enjoyed several studios in the NW suburbs. Pulsations is home. This is a lovely studio that caters to a wide range of skill sets. The classes cater to different levels with excellent instructors. But more importantly the owners have managed to create a nurturing and non-​judgemental place to practice yoga. Lovely people running the place and lovely students make for a perfect yoga sanctuary in the heart of Arlington Heights.

Jim,
I just wanted you to know that you are without a doubt my favorite teacher. I have never stuck with a teacher as long as I have with you!
You are a good mixture of tough and nice. ok not so nice… but that’s cool. You can push people with a smile on your face.
This is a tough time for ALL yoga studios because they seem to be popping up like Starbucks did a few years ago and Krespie Kreme as well. It is INSANE how people can think they will be rich and famous if they open up a yoga studio… HA HA that will never happen. The only «rich and famous» Yoga teachers are… hmm. not sure I can think of even 1. maybe Rodney Yee because he has built an empire. Anyway, I digress.
Pulsation studio will succeed. It has the best energy and the best owners of any place I have ever been. You and Kathy have «heart» and you truly care and love your students. THAT will prevail.
What keeps going through my head whenever I think of the studio and you & Kathy. «Teaching Excellence». Thats why I keep coming back.
People think they can duplicate you guys. They can’t and never will. The greatest teachers are people who teach for the love of the practice and not the almighty dollar.
I just wanted you to know, I appreciate you and Kathy.
I WILL keep coming back! see ya next Sunday!
Your loyal student and Friend
Lois

I had tried doing yoga at several fitness centers, including Core Power Yoga. The problem is these places are only into sweating and muscling into poses. End result: INJURY and feeling that I couldn’t do yoga. Pulsation is very different. They offer very experienced instructors who actually TEACH technique and empower students with knowledge. It’s a place where you feel safe, strong, and you will sense you have community of people who care and don’t judge. They do also offer the hot yoga and tough classes for when you’re ready, but it is always done with technique teaching to keep you safe.

I just finished taking Yoga 101, a five-​week class for beginners, and it was a great experience. I had wanted to try yoga for a while, but was intimidated at the thought of walking into a yoga studio for the first time. This class proved to be a good introduction and I didn’t feel out of place or embarrassed or any of the other things I had worried about! The instructor, Kathleen, was awesome – she went slowly, but not too slowly, and explained everything (from what you’d expect, like the poses, to other things like where to put your stuff in the studio and studio etiquette). She’s been a yoga instructor for a long time and does a great job with beginners (I’ve already taken one of her «Pulsation Basics» classes and plan to take more!). I can’t review anything other than these classes, but I’d encourage others thinking about trying yoga for the first time to do it here!

I love this studio. The studio and teachers are both very welcoming. I wish there was a locker room to change after hot yoga but the classes are worth it!

I love it! the space is beautiful, and Kathy is one of the kindest, warmest instructors you’ll ever meet. The Anusara background is gorgeous for alignment and opening. I highly recommend Pulsation Yoga.

Nice contemporary yoga studio… exactly what downtown Arlington needed! There are a variety of different classes offered, and your first class is free. Being a chronic back pain sufferer, I appriciate the fact that the instructors appear to be very knowledgable & experienced with yoga practice/​proper alignment.
***If you have NOT done regular yoga in a while I highly suggest taking the BASIC class for several months. You might think you are in good shape, but it takes a body a while to get used to doing regular yoga. (Safer to start out slowly). In my personal opinion, Kira teaches a great basic class on Saturday morning. She’s an EXCELLENT instructor and is always patient/​supportive with her students. If I had one suggestion to make, it would be for the studio to offer another basic class during daytime hrs during the week. Good luck and… Namaste :)

I attended my first class here last week — IT WAS FREE! You don’t get a better try-​out than a free one! I was expecting a beginner type class, but found myself in a WARM (hot?) ‘flow’ class. As a relative newbie, some of the poses and vocabulary was beyond me, but I enjoyed the experience very much. There were no judgments. Staff was welcoming and supportive. Other participants were pleasant as well. I was hooked!
The space is lovely, well appointed and just what the perfect yoga environment should be — at least in my imagination.
I attended a beginner class this week and the instructor tailored the class to the needs of participants that showed up — which was simply wonderful, kind, generous and very helpful.
As a public school teacher, I really appreciate the reduced rates for classes. I wish I could afford more, as I’d go to a class here daily if I could!
If you are curious about yoga or a long time practitioner, stop by for a free visit and check out this lovely studio.
ADDED LATER–
After trying a few more classes, I’m writing to caution the newbies to yoga. Be sure to go to a BEGINNER class. Not all staff are as supportive or accommodating to beginners in all classes offered here!

Ok, am I dreaming or did the perfect Yoga space just appear in Arlington Heights within walking distance of the train, TWO thai restaurants, the Arlington movie theater and lots more shopping plus parking!
Really fun packed open house today that included ongoing demos, light snacks and refreshments and Mayor Mulder doing a ribbon cutting. I still haven’t forgiven her for the small busyness rents Doubling downtown and driving out fantastic small busynesses like Drummer & Thumb, gone and not forgotten. I also don’t shop much
in AH for that reason, but there is some decent Thai and now YOGA.
FULL range of classes for all ages and experience including hot and restorative classes. Massage and private therapy available.
I’m in HEAVEN. Join me!

WOO HOO! Kathy & Jim have created their own BEAUTIFUL space in Downtown Arlington Heights and many former Barrington clients have found their way down route 14. Conveniently located at 26 S Evergreen 2 blocks south of the metra station, one block west of Arlington Heights Road, just south of Northwest Highway Route 14.
Easy free parking at the Evergreen Center and a free class when you bring a new friend plus on your first visit get 15% off a 10 – 20 class package. Special discounts for Bobby O. and Chad.
Full varied mix of yoga for all ages and levels seven days a week starting as early as 5:55am on Monday and as late as 8:15pm on Wed/​Th nights. Kathy & Jim have brought the finest instructors together under one roof, creating a cohesive community where a diverse student clientele can experience yoga and grow at their own rate.
* Anusara Basics
* Levels 1 – 3
* Hot Classes
* Vinyasa Flow
* Interval Yoga
* Teens and Kids
* Seniors
* Restorative
* Corporate Yoga
Private lessons & Therapeutics can be scheduled as well as there will be special events and workshops.
Check the website or Call 847−989−7792
Lovely clothing retail plus BLING. It’s all here. Namaste’