is YOGA Studio

This is such a great studio, and so welcoming! Every class is different. I’ve found with other studios the instructors seem to use the same «routine» every time. Every class I love! And Chae is so wonderful! If you love practicing yoga you should check this studio out.

This place is great for beginners and experts alike. Unpretentious and small, is YOGA is a place where everyone receives careful attention from the instructors who are sticklers about form and pushing yourself just enough. As a beginner primarily looking to improve my posture and flexibility and no great aspiration to balance upside down, I appreciate the gentle challenges to try basic inversions and balancing positions.
Classes are typically an hour and a half, which makes me feel like they are a better value than some of the other local studios with bigger classes and 1 hr sessions. They have different deals each month, so be sure to check the website frequently.

Ahh… now here is a proper yoga studio that exceeds expectations. I had just had a rather unpleasant experience at Amrita Yoga and sought out Is YOGA as another studio possibility for future practice. I took my friend to a beginner’s class (though I am moderately experienced myself) so that he might *hopefully* have a better experience than he did at Amrita. Happily, we chanced upon John’s Beginner Series and wound up having the lucky attentions of this wonderful, passionate instructor. He was welcoming, helpful, and an absolutely IDEAL person to introduce yoga postures to my friend. He focused on alignment in every pose, making sure the whole body was in the best possible position, which is just the kind of detailed instruction a beginner really needs. This was, of course, even more focused than a normal beginner’s class, as we wound up having a private session in this lovely little studio, located just across from Milk Crate coffee on Columbia.
I know that we will absolutely return to Is YOGA and my friend plans to take more classes with John and Chae on a regular basis. Highly recommended! If you are completely new to yoga, you would be wise to sign up for John’s beginner series at once, as you will be schooled in the foundations needed for building a solid practice.

I took my first class here yesterday and was so pleased with my experience. The space is calm and intimate, and the small class size meant that everyone was able to be attended to. Our teacher, Alison, led a challenging and dynamic class. She was especially focused on proper alignment, which often gets lost in large classes. I highly recommend this studio! I will be returning.

i love this studio!
i learn so much about yoga and myself, whenever i practice at IS. the teachers are dedicated and knowledgeable.
p. s. the weekend workshops are fantastic. i highly recommend them!

Wonderful studio with one of the best teachers I have ever studied with!!!
My love of yoga began in San Francisco — I was very plugged into the community there and studied regularly. After I moved back east to NJ, I couldn’t find the same sense of belonging I had found in SF, and eventually stopped going and picked up regular gym classes — boo. In 2011, I moved to Philly and my life has changed in more ways I could have imagined (returning to yoga being one of them). After not practicing for 8 yrs and having a baby during that time, my body and mind had changed dramatically.
I went to one of Chae’s classes and have been practicing regularly with her ever since. I’m serious when I say that I have learned more with her in 9 months of practice than with anyone else — EVER. I basically had to re-​learn (and continue to) even the most basic postures … And, you know what? It’s OK, because I’d rather have a healthy practice than one based on forcing myself into a shape I should not be in, just because everyone else is … Which brings me to: is YOGA!
Chae opened is YOGA to build a community that is supportive and safe, to deepen one’s practice and discover new things about yourself. There’s no pretension or phoniness flying around, which I think is pretty awesome (and unusual). If you are new to yoga and have been afraid to try it out, this is the place to go. Chae, as well as Allison and Elizabeth, are all welcoming and will make you feel comfortable. They will give you modifications so that even if you are new and don’t know the postures, you’ll still get a general sense of the pose and be able to follow along in class. If you are not new to practicing, but feel like you need something more, this is the place to go too!!! Come with an open mind and leave your ego at the door (it’s for your own good anyway — really).
I can’t recommend is YOGA and Chae enough — check it out for yourself and you’ll see what I mean!

I have been studying with Chae, the studio owner, for years at various yoga studios throughout the city. There is none better. She exudes positive energy, incredible yoga and spiritual knowledge, and patience. Personally, I have experienced tremendous physical and spiritual growth that I can directly attribute to Chae, and I know many others who will also say the same.
It has been Chae’s dream to open a studio and I am beyond thrilled to see it finally come to life. The studio embodies her yogic teachings and life philosophy truly and completely. It is a very peaceful and intimate setting (clean and always smells amazing – fresh flowers throughout!), promoting spiritual growth as well as an encouraging community in which to strengthen physical practice as well. Alison and Elizabeth also teach at the studio and both are equally as wonderful. The students at this studio are soulful and true – there is absolutely no pretension or competition like you may find elsewhere. The studio also has a beautiful meditation room for private and group meditations. Newcomers to the studio, as well as to yoga, are welcomed with open arms! Please come check it out for yourself and become a part of our community!

I’m so happy this place opened up in my neighborhood — what a great little spot!
The studio is located on the first floor of a converted row home here in Fishtown and it’s very cozy and welcoming. There is a spot for everyone’s shoes when you walk in the door, and cubbies in the back for purses, coats and any other personal items. Extra blocks, pillows, mats and straps are all organized in a closet and are available to all students, and I was even offered a glass of water from the kitchen before class started. It was very kind. The space evokes more of a communal vibe than that of a studio. .. it’s a place for community and growth, not just exercise and training. This, to me, is a very good thing.
Chae, the owner, is such a great teacher. She’s energetic and funny, and doesn’t let her students take things too seriously. Her classes always leave me dead on my feet, but in the best way possible. She’s extremely knowledgeable about the human body, so if you’re working with an injury, or even just a beginner, she knows how to modify the postures to your level, and doesn’t push you beyond your limit. If you’re brand new to her classes, or have been following her for years, it doesn’t matter, she gives the same amount of individual attention and nurturing to each student, which is rare and wonderful.
Alison is the other instructor I’ve taken classes with. The class was very small, but I found this fortunate, since we were given such focused attention. Several of my bad habits have been corrected already thanks to her hands-​on teaching. Her All-​level classes are very relaxed and enjoyable, and Alison herself is a sweetheart of a teacher.
Have I mentioned how excited I am that this place opened up so close to me? I used to shlep out to center city to take classes from Chae and now I can just walk a few blocks to this wonderful place. Happiness!