105F Chicago’s Original Hot Yoga- Wicker Park

I feel weird about writing reviews because everyone’s experience and expectation is different (which is especially attested by the wide range of ratings in particular for 105F). I even waited about six months to write the review and consulted another avid yoga practitioner before finally deciding I should write one. I was whole-​heartedly alarmed by their no-​leaving-​the-​room policy and feel that this should be more transparent to those signing up for 105 °F.
I am not new to yoga or to hot yoga, but the studio at 105 °F (especially being on the third story of an old building) gets stifling hot (especially in summer). In my first class, a student tried leaving the class from over-​heating and was chastized and told to go back to his mat. However, the student was so delirious from the heat that he ended up passing out in the middle of the room and had to be carried out. Even while he was stumbling to get to the door (and obviously not well), the instructor was scolding him to go back to his mat. After the student was carried from the room, the instructor said very unkind/​mocking words about the student to the rest of the class.
At first I chalked it up to that particularly student being new or not well hydrated until I experienced this for myself. I love heat, I love hot yoga, I love sweating. I thought I was well prepared for the class. However, during a class, I was so over-​heated I knew I was going to faint and tried to leave the class. Yet, the instructor loudly scolded me in front of the class, shouting and refusing to let me leave the room. It was really quite embarrassing and I had to lay on my mat for an hour feeling sick and trying my hardest to keep my composure and not faint.
On two levels this is disturbing. The practice of yoga is supposed to be about getting in touch with your body, pushing yourself but also knowing your limits. If one’s body is telling that individual that he/​she needs to immediately cool off, that needs to be respected – not chastised or scolded or blatantly prevented. Additionally, it is extremely dangerous to not allow someone to leave the room when they are over-​heating – this can cause serious health complications and even death. One may not know that their body reacts that way until they experience it, and every day is different for every body.
I hope that 105 °F doesn’t learn the hard way that their no-​leaving-​the-​room policy is extremely harmful and dangerous.

I went to a few classes at bucktown since it’s close to my house. But the last time I was there I was practicing close to the windows. I go to do a downward facing dog and I see ants crawling on my mat. It is the week of thanksgiving. I was beyond disgusted that this studio is clearly not cleaned everyday or maintained to keep bugs out. I informed the instructors during the class and was shushed. Rude and unbelievable. For how much of a premium you pay at corepower you would never expect to see bugs during your practice.

I have been at 105f. Yoga studio since 2008 on and off and l have to say has been a great experience practicing here.
The studio is non pretentious with high ceilings, huge windows facing Milwakee avenue and hardwood floors throughout. They offer towel service and «the cheapest bottle water anywhere» according to John the owner. They have incorporated a 60 minute version of the original 90 minute Bikram yoga for those who have a busy schedule, (l can see it makes sence for some people) but if you can go for the original version, the outcome of a total body workout and degree of relaxation afterwards, it’s worth the effort 100 percent.
This studio is by far my all time favorite. If you have not tried Bikram yoga, READ a little bit about the practice and what it entails. Adhere to eating 3 hours prior and if you are new to yoga stay in the back of the class! Another thing, It smells and it’s hot yet again, READ what it takes to takes this class. It takes some used to going at first, but once you do after you have READ about the many benefits of bikram yoga and giving it a shot for about a MONTH or so, you will feel like a new person. You begin to pay more attention to the instructors and begin to see how your body improves as time goes by.
this bikram studio is the cat’s pijamas of Bikram overrall and the best instructors are John, Carey, Jon Mike, Chris, Connie, Miryana (where is she?) And Alicia Something about their voice pitch and the attention they placed on student is noticeable and greatly appreciated. Stay away from Katheryne and Lizzie. Terrible «instructors». Both obnoxious. the first has no business teaching Bikram yoga. The latter needs to go back to training and learn to actually teach. Seriously.
Bikram yoga Wicker park is the best workout in the city bar none.

I travel A LOT and practice yoga at least 3x a week and this is one of my favorite studios. I already love the Bikram method so I’m not reviewing that. I’m reviewing the business because that is what his forum is for.
The space is large so even in a busy class you don’t feel stressed because of too many bodies. Students are friendly! (Which believe it or not, is rare) This studio provides free locking lockers for your personal items– yay! And for a fee you can rent mats and towels which are clean and in good condition which again is not as common as one might think for a Bikram Studio.
They offer very nice retail items and have free water bottle fill-​up.
I’ve loved the instruction and have learned some thing new at every class I’ve attended so far. I live out of state but I feel happy and at home here.
Also this studio is in a fun location so 5 stars and 2 thumbs up!
… I don’t even care that there are no showers. It actually simplifies my practice: show up, do yoga, go home. ;)

Awesome class with Ashley! She was nice, funny, supportive, understanding of my particular health issues & the fact that I am just in my 2^nd week back of hot yoga after not having done it in a long time. Thanks for that Ashley… It hasn’t always been the case in the last couple of weeks at other studios.

In addition to their founder’s long history of alleged rape (see NY Times today February 23^rd:
), Bikram Yoga Chicago has one of the most aggressive and predatory credit card subscription policies I have ever come across.
After becoming disastified with the poor hygene of this location and finding better studios, I put my account on hold, but neglected to formally cancel, so they resumed my account and charged me for a year even though they should have realized I had stopped attending when I put my account on hold. Thankfully, my credit card company got me some of these charges back after Bikram Yoga Chicago refused to do anything given their stated credit card subscription policies.
Regardless of being a «clearly stated policy» or not, the most successful consumer brands today don’t try and trick consumers with such policies that serve no value other than to extract rents, whether due or not. Any consumer friendly company would notice when their clients had stopped visiting many months before. But this level of predation might be better understood within the context of the horrific NY Times headlines on their founder Bikram Choudhury alleged rape of his students.

I am completely new to Bikram and yoga in general so I was very nervous to try hot yoga. I had no reason to be! I took advantage of their $ 39 intro special and now I’m hooked!
Bikram class is truly for all levels. If you feel uncomfortable or need to sit out a pose you are completely free to do so. The instructors are all really nice and welcoming.
Definitely come to class prepared to sweat. The only required items are a mat, a beach towel-​sized towel and water. You can rent the mats and towels for a nominal fee if you don’t have one.
Bikram is an excellent low impact workout. Your heart rate gets up, you sweat and get a great stretch in. If you are nervous about the hot room I would suggest getting to class 15 minutes or so early to acclimate your body to the temp. It really isn’t bad after you’ve had a few classes to get used to it. Just don’t eat a big meal before class and definitely hydrate.
Take the jump and try a class!

My first Bikram experience! Each instructor I’ve had here has been different but enjoyable. They are all encouraging and informative and their own way. I particularly liked Carey and Lauren. Furthermore, after being treated poorly at the South Loop location, I’ve come to appreciate the laid-​back atmosphere of the Wicker Park location. Yes, the locker room is more like a changing tent and yes, there is no shower. However, I’ve been to classes with 6 people in them and 40 people in them and noticed no difference in the locker room. The 30 minutes between classes ending and beginning tends to be a bit crowded, but the front desk space is so open that it doesn’t feel crowded. In regards to women having issues with modesty and changing… your classmates just watched you drip sweat for 90 minutes in almost nothing but your skin, they don’t care that you’re changing in front of them. Also the website states that there are no showers. Inconvenient, and I wish there was a shower so I could attend before and after work, but the benefits of Bikram are worth it.
I love the mat and towel rental and each and every class I get better (provided I’m well hydrated beforehand). The best part of Bikram is that the poses can be adjusted depending on your flexibility and you do two sets, enabling you to stretch deeper the second time around. I leave this class feeling amazing and wake up the next day wishing I were in extreme heat again. My only regret is I can’t stay hydrated enough to attend every day. This class has helped my hips, back and shoulders and I get something new from it every time. Although it is extremely painful at times, the flexibility that will come with practice is worth it. I came here on a Groupon and definitely want a membership!

I do yoga everyday and own my own studio. When I travel I look for either a Bikram or a hot yoga studio to practice in. I went to this studio yesterday because I was staying in wicker park and it was close. It was perfectly hot, didn’t smell and the teacher was good. Not much more I could ask for. I’ll probably go back again before I leave. I appreciate the wooden floors rather than a smelly carpet and was thrilled to see more and more Bikram studios doing 60 minute classes! Yay! Anyone who gives this place less than a 4 star rating is a whiner.

I tried Bikram Yoga Chicago for the first time today. I have been practicing yoga for about 10 years, and have a fair amount of experience with hot yoga (though not Bikram). I was put off by my experience this morning and probably won’t be returning.
The studio space: The studio is located on the upper floor of an older building. One thing in particular I didn’t like was the lack of an actual locker room. There is a small area with a few lockers enclosed by curtains, which didn’t offer a lot of space or privacy for changing. Also, it’s nice to be able to shower after a 105 degree yoga class, but that’s not an option here. The practice room itself retained heat well and seemed to be clean.
The class: I discovered today that I’m not a big fan of the Bikram class format. The class consists of the same series of postures each time, with little flexibility for modifications or alternate poses. While I definitely felt loosened up after class, I like to go into a yoga class and try different poses each time to work on different areas. I also have enough experience with yoga to know my body and my practice, and I usually feel comfortable deviating from the instructor’s cues when I need something different, but that didn’t seem to be welcome here.
The instructor: The instructor, Gianna, was easily the worst aspect of my experience at Bikram Yoga Chicago. I realize that having the instructor verbally cue the class rather than demonstrate is part of the Bikram philosophy, but I find this extremely off-​putting in a yoga instructor (or any fitness instructor who barks orders and refuses to at least demo proper form, much less perform the workout alongside the class). Moreover, she sounded more like an auctioneer than a yoga teacher, often encouraging the class to «push, push, PUSH», which seems like an injury waiting to happen. She encouraged everyone to perform each pose in the same way, without regard for each individual’s limitations and comfort levels. It seemed as though she didn’t understand two of the key principles of yoga: non-​judgment and non-​competition.

I think that I am spoiled when it comes to the workout facilities I have gravitated to. I have high expectations for a gym or studio that charges a hefty chunk of change for membership.
My complaints about the WP 105 °F studio is that there is no women’s locker room. It’s a curtained changing area which isn’t 100% opaque. If you stand close enough to the curtain, be certain that anyone on the other side can see your silhouette. Perhaps this doesn’t bother some women, but it bothers me. I take pride in my modesty and feel very uncomfortable at the prospect of getting undressed here. So, though I am dripping sweat at the end of class, I would rather sit my sweaty self on my gorgeous leather seat in my car than change at the studio.
Though the instructors here are nice, I find it strange that they only talk through the entire class. I am the type of student who needs to see my instructor model what it is I am supposed to do. I hate trying to find someone in class who looks like they know what they’re doing and try to follow their lead. I could do yoga at home in front of my TV and be more comfortable.
Also, I am not a fan of the pungent smell in the studio. You get used to it after a while, but I’d rather not be greeted by it every time I take a class. It almost gives off a feeling of uncleanliness, which is the last thing you want when you’re in a space where you bare skin comes in contact with the floor.
The 6 week Groupon made this a worthwhile deal. However, I have no intention of going back after the 6 weeks have concluded. I’d rather drive a little out of my way to a studio that I am comfortable at.

After five and a half years of total Bikram immersion, I can safely say after almost 900 classes that I am hot yoga snob.
I have taken classes in while out of town in LA, Baltimore, and New Haven, and am currently planning a class or two this fall when I in Paris.
I take Bikram even in the hottest dog days of summer, and I drag everyone I can to at least two or three classes.
So when I showed up at the Wicker Park studio of 105 °F, they had a lot to live up to. I am delighted to say they have met and exceeding my sweaty expectations.
Upon first blush, the space grooves into a rustic frequency, with glowing hardwood flooring, comfy beat-​up couches, and huge panels of local art festooning the walls.
The staff, who greet students at the front desk, are chatty and laid-​back and super welcoming.
Amenities such as bottled water, freshly laundered towels, and sticky mats are available for nominal fees. If you bring your own water bottle you can fill ‘er up at the water fountain, booyah.
The hot room itself is lean and mean, with a clean wooden floor, a lower ceiling for better heat distribution, and huge easterly-​facing windows for an inspirational view the of the sky during class. It’s scrappy urban vibe which aligns with the wonderfully wacky range of hipsters, athletes, residents, professionals, and artists who attend the studio.
Classes are taught by a slew of different teachers, and the best way to maximize your practice is to figure out which instructors are best for you. Carey is one of my favorites, as his classes are both energetic and informational, Conni locks in to the momentum of the class and takes you right through, and Charles infuses the series with an earthier touch.
The Bikram sequence does not change, there is no music, and it can be a slog if you are not hydrated or fed properly. Therefore, listen carefully, relax into the quiet, and please eat and drink properly. This is good advice both in and out of the 105 °F studio.
105 °F Wicker Park has become a home away from home for me. If I owe you money, you’ll probably find me there.

This is absolutely the best kind of yoga you can do for your body. You sweat out so many toxins and feel absolutely amazing at the end. Your flexibility will improve tremendously. I also love this studio. The teachers are friendly and most of them are great! I’ve been going for 6 years now. My favorite teachers though are most definitely Mike and John. They have an amazing way of teaching and saying things that you never thought of during class. This studio even gives teacher discounts which is so generous. Go do yoga here if you want a rockin body!!!

My low rating of this studio is due to the fact that I really like their South Loop location. The Wicker Park location is a lot more dated and has the musky smell that I associate with Bikram, which doesn’t bother me too much, but now that I know a studio can be smell-​free, I prefer that. There is no locker room at this location (only a curtained changing area), which I think is a little odd, though they still had lockers which was nice. The studio also has hardwood floors, which makes it very difficult to relax and be mindful during shavasana because you can hear the footsteps of every person who comes in and out of the yoga room.
As far as the instruction, the teachers teach at all 3 locations, which is great if you want a specific teacher and don’t mind going to a different location for him/​her. I had a Saturday morning class with Chris and I liked him as a teacher, but wasn’t having the best class and felt that the studio was hotter than in previous classes. I normally attend classes at 6 PM after work when I’ve eaten and drunken plenty of water, so I attribute that to practicing on an empty stomach.
Overall, the classes here are as good as the other locations, but I would recommend going to the South Loop location if atmosphere matters to you.

Best yoga studio EV-​A! They have the BEST-​EST instructors and make everyone feel welcomed whether you’re a newbie or a regular. No one teaches the same so each experience is different. To get the best benefit, it’s ideal to take advantage of the intro special for the first month ($ 39) and then sign up for the auto enroll option ($ 99/​mo). Otherwise, the per class price can be rather costly if you visit more than 4x/​month… Which you should and will! :)
Regardless, I always leave in a much better and zen like state when I leave there! From the very first day, I was hooked!
#it

Wonderful professional staff!!! Welcoming :-)
Impressed with cleanliness and clientele. Affordable. :-)
Make sure to get early enough to find parking and it’s unfortunately not free :-(

One of my best friends took me to the Wicker Park studio for my first ever Bikram class, over a year ago. Most of that class was a dizzy, exhausting blur, but the instructor that day encouraged me to continue to practice.
The great thing about going to a yoga studio with at least four classes offered every day is that you realize which instructors you like better than others. You would think I’d get along well with the instructor who parties harder than an Andrew W.K. song, but unfortunately that is not the case. On the other hand, Jennifer and Miryana were ever-​so-​patient in teaching me how to keep my hips forward during the backbends or to encourage me to go outside of my comfort zone during toe-​stands. To this day, Jennifer is always offering advice on how to correct certain postures. (Plus, she has a fan club here in NY too!) Chris, who doesn’t teach at the Wicker Park location very often, is also very positive and enthusiastic. Although it’s like an inferno in that room, you can’t help but smile after one of his classes.
Many people wonder why this studio has hardwood floors (Bikram studios are required to have carpeting); the studio was grandfathered in so they are exempt from the rule. Personally, I prefer the hardwood floor as it seems more sanitary and easier to keep clean.
Although there are at least four classes daily, I do wish there was an early morning class (the South Loop and Lincoln Park locations have one). Unless you’re (f)unemployed or a student, a majority of the classes may not fit well with your schedule. Because there’s no shower area, I always fear that I am offending my fellow Blue Line passengers for the short trip home.
I was really hoping to make friends at this studio, but unfortunately people come off as a little anti-​social. (I did make friends with one girl and we practice Spanish before it’s time to sweat profusely.) There is a group of girls who I refer to as the «Lululemon Mafia» because yoga class seems to be as much of a fashion show as it is a means to improve oneself.
After the 90 minutes are up, I do not like that people taking the class will storm out of the room as soon as the instructor leaves — it really disturbs the peace to have folks stomping about the room during the two minute savasana (dead body pose — where you lie completely still) which you should complete after the practice. (In New York, all of my instructors ensure that no one leaves prior to the two minute mark.)
The prices are extremely reasonable — the cheapest I’ve seen and I’ve been to Bikram studios in Spain, NYC, California, and Miami Beach. A single class costs $ 15 (if you buy a package, the average cost decreases to about $ 12 and change) and a monthly unlimited membership is $ 89.

I am new to yoga, I started about 6 moths ago. I’ve tried Kundalini, Vinyassa, and Bikram. I thought I would die first class but I’ve gone regularly, once a week for me, and have noticed my poses are better and balance changing.
There are great teachers here, every time I go they are different and good. They all correct you if you just in their direction. They are attentive and polite.
As others have said there are new people to just gnarly people in here who can do any pose amazingly. Everyone minds their own business. And considering everyone is naked that says a lot. There are also a ton of dudes who go here.
I go at 6:00 and classes are full but not brutal. I did a Saturday noon class and it was empty,
As far as the faculty it is what it is. People complaining about changing rooms and privacy are forgetting everyone is pretty much naked anyways and who cares, change and shower at home. I am sure the showers would be packed and gross anyways. People sweat in here all day what is it supposed to smell like? It doesn’t he trick and you can buy class passes, you do not have to buy monthly, just use them when you can. I am a poor teacher I just spread it out between deals at other studios.
The class is the same each time it can get boring.
A word of advice, bring your own mat, I see people drip soaking wet on those mats and then hang them up, now that’s stinky :(

I have been practicing at this studio since I moved to Chicago a year ago and I like it better then my studio in Washington, DC because all of the instructors are great! In DC, there were certain instructors that I would avoid because I just didn’t click with them. I don’t have to arrange my yoga practice around instructors here because they are all great.
I am lucky that I live a few blocks away!

Nice place to do that HOT yoga in, its whats hot in the streets. I enjoy my time here, I get to sweat for 2.5 hours in my skivvy’s and I am usually not the hairiest dude in the class.
The classes are taught well and are replete with beautiful women who are intensely in tune with their bodies. They sell coconut water and you can rent mats and towels but thats gross. I seriously sweat probably more out than is humanly possible and cant imagine anyone else sweating less.
They have a really good deal for $ 39 you can go as many times as you want in a month.
I knock off one star for not having showers.
Still sweating 1 hour after the class.

This studio is a little older, and not as consistent — temperature-​wise, as the one in Lakeview. I feel like my practice here is a hit or miss. The changing room is behind a curtain, which is weird… but at least they have a bathroom…
I’d recommend going to River North or Lakeview over here.