Bikram Yoga – Hall Street

Amazing and fun — I highly recommend it. I love the new owner Jodi and the new hardwood floors.

Great studio, wonderful staff and teachers! Thank you! Great introductory 10 day, very grateful, perfect start of the day.

I was a little scared to come here after reading the other reviews… BUT, I had a good class here. Came here as a visitor, so I’ve only done one class, but here are my thoughts.
PROS:
Clean, nice facility
Good front desk service
Nice locker room/​shower
CONS:
I wasn’t a huge fan of the instructor.
Didn’t find the class very challenging
Room started out very hot, slowly got cooler
I would go again if in the area.

Don’t really have anything positive to say about this studio. The carpet is nasty and the location is so so. My big complaint is more with Bikram and not so much the studio. Bikram is pretty strict and I have had some injuries I told two instructors about. Not one offered any modifications. I feel the teachers pushed people too far. Also, the teachers yell at you if you drink during poses. I am a grown woman and if I am thirsty I am going to drink some water. I know a lot of Bikram studios are dropping Bikram in their name due to the issues the creator has had with lawsuits and such. I was kind of turned off by this studio. I will go to a normal studio where I will be offered modifications.

I’m giving this place 2 stars because of the quality of the place not the people.
Everyone that works there is great. I’ve practiced here a few times and have always loved my instructors and front desk help.
The studio itself needs major help. The carpet is so old and dirty. It’s actually coming apart in areas and smells like its never cleaned. They only have one shower and no lockers. The two MAJOR things that I’m SHOCKED about is they have no water fountain!!! You have to actually try and fit your big water bottle under the bathroom sink right beside the the only bathroom stale they have. SO GROSS!!! The second MAJOR problem is the heat. You are paying for each class and it’s a different temperature every time you go and its never 105 like it’s supposed to be. How can you call yourself a Bikram Studio without the correct heating unit.
Why is my review not being posted? It’s been over a month since I wrote it.

I’m in it for the furnace.
If you can stay in the room and do each pose correct for just a moment you will feel amazing at the end. There is no shame in laying there for a bit.
I just wish all the instructors stuck to the 105 degrees. I don’t really think you can call it Bikram, if it’s not 105 degrees.
This place gets 3 stars for the great instructors, great parking, and mostly great adherence to the 105 degrees I’m coming for.
Huge stars knocked off for the horrible pet store smell. The carpet seriously needs to be replaced. I had to scrub the back of my mat to get the smell off it.

Love this place! Some of the regulars can give you dirty looks when you walk in, giving off a ‘pretentious’ vibe, but I just ignore it and focus on myself and my practice. I have used the bathroom and it was fine (wish some ladies would clean up their hair though… gross), but I live only 10 minutes away so I never shower there; I don’t do public showers anyway. I just towel off and bring a change of clothes.

Everyone is friendly here. The teachers are great, and accommodating! You will see all levels of yogis here so don’t be intimidated if you are new at trying hot yoga. It’s a great challenge!

I recently visited this studio while in town for a weekend. I normally practice in Los Angeles, at a gorgeous studio, so do have a high bar. That being said though, come on Portland, you can do better.
I will give them 2 stars because they are at least all Bikram classes, and have a lot of class times. That’s about it though.
LOCATION: This studio is in a strip mall in Beaverton. Blah. However, if it were nicer inside, that would even matter.
FRONT DESK: I found the front desk girls pretty friendly, but I did have to sign a waiver, which after I got into the class was HILARIOUS. This yoga was NOT strenuous enough to require a waiver. NOT BY A LONG SHOT.
STUDIO: The studio itself was not very nice, it was kind of dirty, only had one shower, and felt a bit like it was someone’s house converted into a yoga studio. The carpet in the practice room was SO GROSS! The entire room smelled. However, the BIGGEST, most glaring issue was THE HEAT! This room was NOT, in any way shape or form, heated to 105 degrees. I practice almost daily in a studio that has an actual temperature and humidity gauge, and I KNOW what 105 feels like, and they were NO WHERE CLOSE. I almost walked out of the class when I realized it was pretty much just a slightly warm room. There is absolutely zero chance this room was over 90 degrees, and it felt like it was about 80. For Bikram yoga, at that point, I don’t even want to do it. The heat is a key component of this practice.
TEACHER: I wasn’t terribly crazy about the vibe here either. The teacher was a little bit snotty, it seemed that the whole studio had a bit of a pretentious vibe, which was funny to me because the room WAS BARELY EVEN HEATED! I was in class just thinking, why in the hell are you people taking yourselves so seriously if you don’t even have the damn heat on???
In summary, I wouldn’t go back, nor will I, nor would recommend to people. I would expect a studio like this in the boondocks of Nebraska, not in Portland, Oregon.

I love Bikram, and I have been practicing for a very long time. I am new to this studio, new to Oregon all together and I have been to 3 Hall St. classes. I have a few complaints. I know the room never reaches 105. I often hardly break a sweat in that studio even when I push my self extra hard. Almost every studio I have practiced at has a Temp gage on the wall that the students can see. I would feel better if they had one of these. I feel ripped off not practicing in a room that is not 105.
Even when I go to the morning class the carpet is so stinky, usually studios clean their carpets every night, this place obviously does not… which is a bummer because then students get fungus on their feet from the bacteria in the carpet. I have honestly found myself tip toeing in there, scared that I will get athletes foot.
The teachers are great, I have no complaints about them, as always they are trained to perfection and hold a very professional class. HOWEVER they are always letting people in late, or the front desk person will come into class to give the teacher a note. It is so distracting. I believe once the door is closed, and class has started, that door should not open again until after class.
Also the bathroom floors could use a good bleach scrubbing… and while they are at it clean the womens shower more then once a day. the women do not clean their hair out of the drain and the shower curtain is disgusting. I have stopped using the bathroom there all together. and that is my two cents.

I dig this bikram studio. Were it more conveniently located to me I’d be going here much more often than their sister studio in Sellwood, which is just fine as well.
Keys to awesomeness:
1. Nice big studio.
2. Consistent heat. And it doesn’t blow on you during practice.
3. Mirrors in two directions.
4. Legit showers/​bathrooms (I guess I can’t comment on the dudely facilities).
5. Awesome instructors (these are shared between the studios)
6. Great membership pricing
7. An unwindulaxing atmosphere.
Do it.

Are you tired? Stressed out? Sleeping poorly? Sore? Fat? Unhappy? Mean and difficult to be around? One of those people who assumes everyone gets your inside jokes about Battlestar Gallactica? If you are any of these things (and statistically speaking, you probably are) and/​or you have zero motivation to get through ANY exercise routine much less one that’s 90 CONSECUTIVE minutes, this is the place for you. Here’s why…
This Bikram Hot Yoga is a pure, intense workout. For NINETY minutes they make you stretch. And I don’t mean that pansy, slowly swaying from side to side stretch while Eastern-​influence music plays on a boombox. I mean crazy, painful in a good way, LEGIT EXERCISE poses. And on top of that, you are in a room full of super fit people wearing as little as possible, so there’s a visual motivation. (They do this to stick it to you, Le Fatty. Actually, no one is looking at you — everyone is just yoga-​ing.) The amazing things are that:
— Instructors? Super nice. It’s yoga, not mean Jillian Whatserface. They WANT you to do well, grow, and there’s no pressure — just encouragement. The only thing they ask is that you STAY IN THE ROOM. So even if you can’t hold any of the poses the first few times, just being in there gets your body some good. Try to do some, sit out others… it’s up to you.
— Even though the yoga is hard, everyone is at different levels and no one is judging you. Trust me. I fall out of every one of the «balance» poses CONSTANTLY and just try to get back into it, while some are holding it perfectly the entire minute, and others are just laying down on their backs for a little break. The time flies, and afterward, you feel awesome. Ok? AWESOME. I don’t know WHY this is. It’s almost contrary to laws of scientific things nerdy people know about. You just got your butt kicked, yet you feel peaceful and insanely proud of yourself for gettin’err done.
So… will you sweat, you ask? I don’t know, is the Pope Catholic? Do Oregonians senselessly love Subaru’s with «Wag More, Bark Less» bumper stickers? Are there annoying teenagers awkwardly holding hands every. single. time. you take your kids to the park? YES, YOU WILL SWEAT. A lot. It’s hot yoga, what did you think was gonna happen? Literally, every pore on your body’s surface will start pouring out sweat, including the ones on your scalp. And when it’s all over, you will feel like the poison and stresses of the day have totally left your body. I’m not kidding.
Here are some tips for beginners:
–Take a FULL SIZED towel to lay on your mat. They have towels they rent but you should just find an old beach towel and make it your yoga slave. Also take a hand towel to wipe your face over and over again, in order not to go blind with your sweat when your head is hanging.
–Take a giant bottle of ICE water. It’s hot in there so the more ice the better. BUT… drink a ton of water in the hours before, and try to time it so you have to peepee when you get there. (I have kids. I abandoned proper words for going to the bathroom, like 3 years ago.) During the yoga practice, take small sips. Then after class, drink a ton more.
–Don’t eat in the 2 – 2.5 hours before class. I have especially found that if I consumed carbs and dairy a few hours before, then I’m dragging all class. If you can only go in the evenings, the 8:15 PM class is great, because it allows you to eat dinner earlier. Also, this way you get home after 10:00 so the likelihood of continuing your nachos supremos post-​dinner snack tradition, is slim. Aka: you will have eaten less, which you need to do because you are American and your portion sizes are twice that of anywhere in the world.
–If you live within a reasonable distance, leave a dry towel in your car to sit on, and drive home sweaty to the warm embrace of your own shower. They only have one in each locker room at the studio, and (understandably) they want you to keep it to 2 – 3 minutes. I personally think a post-​yoga shower should be 20 minutes and involve a lot of groaning, so I go home and use up my own water.
AND…
Don’t give up. The first few times are HARD. But your life will change. You will feel better, look better, sleep better, eat better. You will treat others nicer, and your family will like you more. There is a reward, and it’s well worth the hard work. And gentleman… keep the shorty-​short-​shorts in the closet as a reward for when you’ve reached a certain goal, mmmmkay? («Thanks» said everyone who has to practice yoga behind you.)

I am a group fitness fanatic, (an instructor myself at 24), and have been a yoga hater since America decided it was cool. Why? Because I have ADHD and should’ve stretched more as a kid, so yoga is slow and it HURTS! Bikram and this particular studio has forever changed my taste on yoga.
***NOTE: They leave spirituality OUT of the studio, for anyone who doesn’t want to be presented with any sacrilegious conflict, you are safe here.***
Like all formats in group fitness, you need to try more than 1 instructor because not every one will be your cup of tea. I’ve had over 15 sessions at this studio and found that I absolutely love Ahmad Kouklani. He is very natural and makes you feel comfortable-​even with all the discomfort going on! At first his accent may make you nervous you won’t understand him, but he’s actually very easy to understand because of his flow.
Elio Masa reminds me of the lead character in a feature film. He very charismatic and passionate about the details. If you get overwhelmed easily, maybe skip his session, but otherwise he is wonderful for beginners because he is very caring about the correct execution of the process.
Will New is great, too, as he has a very unassuming presence that allow you to feel that you’re safe to stretch your limits or stay in your comfort zone for that particular session.
I believe I took Vicki Rounds in February and I loved how perceptive she was for correction. Even down to the details of tension in my neck in a pose you’d think no one would be able to detect something so small. But when it comes to Bikram, such details are tremendous for the result so I appreciate her.
The reason I’m giving this studio 1 star short of 5, is because of my experience with the front desk. One of the gals, I don’t believe she’s an instructor, was very curt when trying to sort out my information in their files. She seemed to be frustrated with me due to the inconsistencies in a name change in my file. Whatever it was, it was the studio’s need for correction but she was very accusing like I was pulling a scam or something. Not sure if they have a problem with people trying to scam the studio but if so, it’s not professional to navigate assuming a name change is someone trying to rip them off. Perhaps it’s the challenge of my age, too, when you look younger than you are people treat you like a teenager. Also something I wouldn’t expect in this environment. Again, I don’t believe she’s an instructor and I haven’t seen her since.
Tips: Keep trying. Expect to be uncomfortable. Expect to be pleasantly surprised. Finally at 5 sessions, I experienced euphoria at the end of class. I bring 2 towels. Your water bottle does not have to be full because it’d be unwise to try to drink the whole thing during class since it can easily cause nausea. Don’t eat within 90 minutes of the start of class. They have a shower and I recommend using it because the sweat you leave with will be reabsorbed and can clog your pores. I see that some regulars wear normal workout clothes because they are used to the heat and don’t suffer as much, but even if you don’t typically feel comfortable in a swimsuit-​amount of clothing I highly recommend it. It is HOT HOT HOT and after my first class I started wearing booty shorts and a sports bra only — -though you’d never catch me dressing like that on any other occasion! Take the suggestion to meditate after the class has ended. Try to plan to use that extra time, you reap more benefits from all your hard work just in that meditation.
And last but not least, leave your ego at the door. Maybe after plenty of meditation you won’t even pick it back up on the way out ;)

It definitely takes a couple of times to at least get used to the heat. After that, you can adjust and push yourself at your own pace. The instructors do really good jobs to guide the beginners. Also giving alternatives to some of the difficult moves.
They had a groupon deal awhile back so the classes were wayyyyy too packed for my liking. I didn’t like the constant worry about other people’s sweat on my mat; or any sweaty physical touching for that matter… :P I wouldn’t mind if they put a limit to the class size so everyone can be a bit more comfortable.

So, after the initial feeling of death, you’ll like this place. The heat is one thing, but DOING things in the heat is a completely different thing. But after going for a few weeks now, I can actually feel a difference. I feel stronger, more flexible, and just good overall.
The one thing that I would warn people about, is that the instructors don’t go any slower, and they don’t explain postures in detail just because there are new people in the class. There were two deaf friends in one of the classes I went to, but the instructor didn’t really help them keep up with the class at all. So, once you’re in that room, you’re kinda on your own.

Oh my word… I really like this place!
I had never tried hot yoga before coming to this studio and I was hooked after my first visit. I recommend reading through the ‘Prepare’ section on their website before your first visit. It’s always a good idea to be in the know so you can be safe and enjoy the experience. Make sure to have a mat, towel and water. And honestly, within reason, the less clothing the better.
You will want to get there a little bit early, but not too early. Mostly because the doors will be locked while a class is in progress, in order to ensure security. If that happens, people typically just wait patiently by the front door till someone can come open it up.
From the moment you walk in you’ll get just a taste of the heat that is coming. Leave your shoes at the door, and if you have any personal items you can leave them in a communal cubby space or they have separate locker rooms for men and women.
I like this place is very welcoming of everyone and they never seem to turn anyone away. This has made for some very crowded classes, but the more the merrier right? You may be in close proximity to others, but you just need to be smart about staggering where you stand on the mat so you don’t bump into people.
The class goes through a breathing exercise, the 26 poses and closes with another breathing exercise. People of all skill levels are there, and I feel like it’s a very nonjudgmental group. The instructor will walk around and help to correct your pose if need be. Since it is the same 26 poses you really get to know them and can continually work on improving them.
Not to mention, you can’t beat the great feeling you’ll have after you have made it through the 90 minute class! I always walk out of there full of such great feelings.
Depending on how often you plan to go and what your schedule is like it can seem a bit pricey. They do offer package deals, so that’s one good way to save. And I seem to find them on Groupon quite a bit, so I snatch those up when I can!

I’m giving Bikram Yoga 5 stars because this studio introduced me to hot yoga. I have only been to one other establishment that offered hot yoga. Bikram is just too conveniently located to go anywhere else.
I like the discounts that this facility offers, especially there groupon for returning customers.
I also like most of the instructors. They all seem very into there job and the act of yoga. They def give the impression that you should absolutely not leave the room before the session has ended. If you do leave, they will call you out in front of the class. Nothing belittling or mean, just kinda awkward.
I’ve done a lot of variations of yoga in my day and I feel the the most growth with this yoga.
My only complaint is that there is no music accompaniment during the class.

Amazing. Honestly, I could stop there. The staff is encouraging, friendly and kind. That meant so much to me, being new. I was Encouraged to join and even though I’ve been to gyms and practiced kendo, Bikram Yoga has been one of the most rigorous, challenging and rewarding workouts I’ve ever experienced. I’m at the end of my trial month now and am going to push myself and do the year.
It’s already helped my flexibility, my mood and helped with my wrist pain. I can’t recommend them enough and agree with the instructors when they say «it is yoga PRACTICE, don’t expect to get all the positions at first» and I intend to stick with the path, for my own sake.
–Rachel

I have been to two classes so far, and let’s just get something out of the way. This place is NOT for beginners such as myself. I know that everybody says that you’re never too old, too young, or too inflexible to begin yoga, but I’m not buying it. I literally cannot get into any of the positions at all, and I don’t think grown men are meant to contort themselves in these positions. I do have to preface this by saying that I am fat and stocky, with my only form of consistent exercise being weightlifting. I find myself thinking the whole time…“When will this torture be over”.
During both classes I attended the heat can be downright overbearing. I have wanted to walk out of the room both times I was there, but basically my pride wouldn’t let me… LOL. I did have to stop a few times and just lay on my towel to catch my breath. I will say that the instructors have never made me feel bad or out of place because I can’t do the poses, I just do the best I can. It at least makes me feel better to see other men struggling the way I am. The only guys who were flexible enough to get into all the positions were the ones you could tell have never touched a weight their whole lives.
Now don’t let my bitching keep you from giving this place a try, just make sure you have at least some basic experience with yoga before going. I bought an unlimited month membership so my pride isn’t going to let me quit, even though I want to… LOL.

Located in the heart of Beaverton by Best Baguette and Hall Street Grill is Bikram Yoga.
I’ve done yoga in the past, but have never done Bikram yoga until a good friend suggested to try a couple classes with her. I agreed and decided to join their new member special package for this season for 30 days of unlimited classes just for $ 29.
For those who are unfamiliar with Bikram yoga, you pretty much are doing yoga in 105 degree room for 90 minutes. You want to be hydrated before you head over there so I recommend drinking LOTS of WATER throughout the day before heading to class. I also recommend eating a light snack before heading to class because of the poses and balancing you would be enduring. I also recommend wearing clothes that are not made out of cotton because you will be LITERALLY sweating HEAD TO TOE. There are different fabrics out there that would be suitable for enduring the sweaty exercise.
My first trip to Bikram was unbearable. Possibly because it was my first time doing this type of exercise routine. Possible because I wasn’t used to breathing through my nose while exercising. Possibly because I was going through my seasonal allergies and it was difficult to breathe. But my goal was to sit through the 90 minutes with the class as a team to complete the time even though I was torn out from the class. I was thinking throughout my time there, «Is it time to go now?», «Has it been 90 minutes yet?». I came home light-​headed and wanting to just sleep all night…
My friend who had introduced me to Bikram had said that the only way to get better in the class is to come frequently and that she also had the same experience on her first day. After several classes, I was able to breathe throughout the 90 minutes and gain form of holding the poses. I feel exhilarated after class, full of fulfillment from releasing the toxins from sweating. I am not an expert yet, but I know if I am a frequently coming, I can become a better Bikram student.
Overall, I my back that was once tense and full of knots is now free of pain from experiencing Bikram. I do not know if I will stick to Bikram because I am not getting the cardio that I want from my exercise, but if stretching is something for you, then I recommend this. It is a good experience and would recommend this location to anyone who is interested in this intense workout.