Sweaty Ganesh Yoga

I’ve only been to Sweaty Ganesh Yoga a couple times, but I love love love it. The space is calm, warm (haha, get it?) welcoming and clean, and everyone –including instructors and practitioners– exudes an aura of acceptance and ease. Every time I go to a yoga session, I feel like I’m entering a home. You take your shoes off at the entrance and place them by the door (to the right of which is a comfy sitting area) and enter the gender inclusive restrooms, where you can store your belongings, shower, fill up your water bottle from the filtered tap before class, or clean up after class, before you return to your work day.
The staff also promotes a quiet and calm atmosphere by locking the outside doors during classes so no one will come trumpeting into the studio mid-​session. :) No worries– you are able to leave the classroom from the (always unlocked) inside doors if you get too warm, but are encouraged to stay in the room, while gauging your body, and adjusting the practice to your own needs. (No one judges you if you sit down!)
Afraid of heat? Me too! But SGY classes are paced perfectly, and led so well that if you are hydrated and listening to your own body, the practices will be no sweat *guffaws* and you may very well feel like a hatha hero afterward. (Protip: Practice feels especially nice in the winter, when the outdoor temperature is 20 degrees…) And of course, if you forget your water bottle or yoga mat, you can always purchase/​rent those items at the front desk!

Visiting from out of town — didn’t bring a mat or blocks, however, I wanted to keep up with my practice. Place is welcoming-​the instructor was sweet and knowledgeable. The class was taught well– however, not super challenging.
I would have given three stars, however, I got a really bad burning rash all across my chest from the mat. Sooo yeah, I won’t be attending again.

Did the Core 26 class with Alaina. She goes at a slow pace, very calming and relaxing while you sweat. Studio was clean and didn’t smell bad like most sweat yoga studios.

I can’t say enough great things about this studio. It is such a welcoming and encouraging place to practice yoga. The teachers are extremely knowledgable, motivating, and kind-​hearted. The space is beautiful. There is a variety of types of classes and overall consistency of quality. Every class is geared toward mixed levels with safe modifications and detailed instructions for beginners, as well as challenges for more seasoned practioners. I love the space, the people, and the community here — best yoga in Eugene!

Sweaty Ganesh Yoga is such a treat! The ambiance is calm and intimate, the studio is clean and there is always incredible energy during yoga practice. The instructors love what they do — they are patient, kind and extremely knowledgable about human anatomy and all types of yoga. The close-​knit community of SGY yogis is heart-​warming and there is a variety of yoga classes offered. Each one challenges me, but leaves me with major «yoga brain» — a feeling of bliss and relaxation that only SGY has been able to provide. I never feel out of place or uncomfortable in the studio — it is my «home away from home,» yet it is also a mini-​vacation from work and busy, sometimes stressful, reality. I really cannot express the gratitude I feel for the people I’ve met, the classes I’ve experienced and the things I’ve learned about yoga, loving my body and keeping an open mind. SGY has forever changed my life — all I can say is THANK YOU for everything!

Sweaty Ganesh Yoga is fantastic! There is a good variety of classes, the instructors are all very knowledgable, dedicated and present, and the studio is very welcoming to all people. It is a pleasure practicing yoga here.

I used to be a regular at this studio when it still touted Bikram’s name, and I totally loved it. I moved away from Eugene and then moved back; a span of almost three years, during which I became certified as a 200-​hour RYT in Manhattan. It could very well be that I’ve just changed, but also, now that the studio has transformed into «Sweaty Ganesh,» I somehow don’t feel the same about it. For one, the week I decided to rekindle my hot yoga practice preceded the week of the Regional Asana Exhibition in Eugene. I was peeved that the classes I had paid a preposterously steep price to attend were interrupted to showcase the people partaking in the exhibition. On top of that, the instructors were way too overzealous in selling this event for my taste. Plus, philosophically speaking, the notion of exhibition and competition are entirely anti-​yogic. Lastly, while the heat is nice during a cold snap, I’ve also come to realize that Bikram’s beginning sequence is structured in a really lousy way that leaves the inexperienced open to great potential for injury, especially since the teaching script is virtually the same every time, regardless of the instructor, sans guidance regarding alignment or how to get in and out of the poses safely. I would not recommend Bikram’s yoga for anyone new to yoga, the faint of heart, or the insecure. Bikram’s yoga, especially at «Sweaty Ganesh» is a pretentious proposition.