*I**AM YOGA

I gave this studio and hot yoga itself a try last year. I paid for the introductory month and then, because I thought I would continue going, paid for the year. (There was a good deal that was only available if you signed up for it during the introductory month — so sign up I did). Soon after that, I added mat and towel service. Unfortunately, I lost interest and stopped going shortly thereafter.
A year later, I realized that, although I hadn’t been to the studio in over a year, that didn’t stop this yoga studio from continuing to charge me $ 29 per month for mat & towel service. I can see the charges being made for the year I was signed up to use the studio. That was my bad for not cancelling. But, to continue after my year expired was just plain wrong.
So, I contacted the studio in the middle of October. Owner Suzanne left me a voicemail message saying she would refund the money I paid for mat & towel service. I followed up with her and she also offered to give me a punch card for the studio since I didn’t take advantage of the year plan I purchased. I thought, great! What a relief!
A week later, there was no refund to my credit card account. I called Suzanne and she assured me she would work with her husband Derrick to get the credit done that evening. A week later, still no credit. I called Suzanne and just got her voicemail. I followed up the next day, reminding her of her promise and telling her it felt like she was ignoring my calls. Two days later, no credit and no call.
Definitely not good or even an acceptable way to conduct business. In fact, shitty. There are plenty of other studios in Portland that have better business practices. Go elsewhere.

Visiting from California and staying nearby, I was so happy to find a bikram style yoga studio right around the corner ! I went to the 5:30am class and instantly loved the studio. Was greeted at the door by Deric the owner and he was amazingly welcoming being so early in the morning :). It was very clean and offered everything one needs. The bathroom and changing area was clean and sufficient. No shower curtain or door to the shower but I didn’t care since I was walking back to the house to clean up anyway. There was a charming little outdoor patio to sit and relax and breathe in some fresh air as I regrouped to start my day. Deric taught the class and was positive and thorough in his teaching. I so appreciate when the teacher reminds us to smile, a simple act that is relaxing and grounding .
Thanks Deric for a great start to my day and some grounding to my crazy fun filled trip !

Much better than the Fremont Bikram studio. If you prefer to listen to your body and don’t appreciate personal commentary during your class, just tell the instructor ahead of time. This was helpful for me. She totally left me alone. I did have to remind her that It’s MY yoga class. I’ve done yoga for years and don’t hold much value in the Bikram poses. In fact, I think it’s a big cult, but I like the heat. I find this to be a calorie burning class to break up my work out routine. If that is what I want, that’s what I’m gonna get. Luckily, these hippies don’t seem to give you too much grief.

If you want to change your life or make it better, this is the best way to do it. Do you want to heal an injury? Loose weight? Stand up straight? Calm your busy mind? Ditch your bad mood? Have a cathartic sweat? Have a nice complexion? Be happy? Be inspired to treat others kinder, including yourself? Then come into the warmest yoga studio you’ll find this chilly winter and be inspired by the talented staff Derek and Suzanne have. I’ve been practicing with them for 6 years now, and every class I learn something new. You might even make a friend. It’s the cleanest and warmest hot yoga studio I’ve ever been to on the West Coast with the most knowledgeable teachers.

I had been practicing Bikram, but when my work and schedule changed, I wanted reduce how far I drive. Once I found this studio, it was an easy decision. I always feel so welcome, and truly have a new yoga home. I am so grateful to Derek and Suzanne for the kind of environment and practice they created. The teachers never hesitate to nudge me to be my best me. I just love the practice and the people here.
I noticed some really negative reviews, and they seem to be from those with little or no experience or familiarity with Bikram-​style yoga. It takes some getting used to! It is a kind of love-​hate relationship for many — it IS a butt-​kicker, though it’s considered a ‘beginner’ class. Sometimes I’ll hear another student comment on how tough the class is — and find out they’ve been practicing (and loving it) for 10 years. Personally, I’ve gained so much from regular practice — low heart rate, more physically able, calmer approach to life — happier in general. I love how it lacks judgment, and everyone is welcome — everyone.
People need to be encouraged to come back after the first (usually awful) class. First timers are stunned by the heat, exertion, and the amount of concentration it takes. Three classes can get you over the hump — better yet, do two weeks, or a month, and then see what you think. The context of all the hot yoga (Bikram or similar) studios I have been to (about 10) have been the same — they’re hot, the more people in the class, the hotter the room, and they do ask a newbie to simply stay in the room for the duration.
I’d strongly suggest watching this video to know what to expect:

I have practiced at various Bikram/​hot yoga studios around the country and am very grateful that my fave studio is my home studio– Bikram on Alberta. The teachers are uniformly excellent, each with a slightly different style that enhances the experience for me. The corrections I have received are helpful in ensuring that I get the maximum benefit from the practice and don’t injure myself. Derek and Suzanne, the owners, are also consciously building the yoga community and so this isn’t just about the yoga, it’s about being part of a welcoming, albeit very sweaty, group of practitioners. They have recently made the decision to break from Bikram but the practice still is very Bikram-​esque. They plan to introduce intermediate classes, which will enhance the studio even more. Practicing at this studio has changed my perspective on so many things, both internally and externally, and I owe that to the safe and caring environment provided by the Alberta teachers. Frankly, I am completely puzzled by the negative reviews. Hot yoga is such a personal experience, it works for some folks and not at all for others. For those who love it, this is a great studio and a great community.

I was originally referred to this yoga studio by my friend. I had never done yoga in an organized studio before; I’ve only ever done yoga in my own home. Many of my friends have been trying out hot yoga and it’s something that intrigued me. So when my friend told me that the studio she frequents offers a free community class every second saturday of the month I decided it was the perfect time for me to test it out.
There is an introductory offer, for those who participate in the community classes: sign up that day and you get a special rate of $ 39 of unlimited yoga for a month. I figured it was a good deal and would allow me some time to really see exactly what I thought about bikram yoga and in particular hot yoga. I was also able to reference my friend so she ended up getting one week of free yoga since I signed up. Thus far I have gone to a total of 6 classes and I am enjoying how my body — inside and out — is feeling. I sleep better, have more energy, stand taller, etc. So I am very pleased with the yoga. The heat is hard to get used to especially when you’re in it for 90 minutes but it’s good and I feel good afterwards.
As I mentioned before, this is my first experience in a yoga studio so I have nothing to compare it to. The studio itself is pretty spacious with mirrors on two of the walls. The instructor stands on a raised mirrored platform in the front of the room. I found it interesting that the instructor does not do the poses with the class but rather just stands there and instructs/​talks. Also, the instructors all use a headset microphone. I assume it’s so they can be heard but it’s not like it’s a huge room so I imagine a normal voice would be fine. I’m not too keen on the microphone to be honest. It almost makes me feel like I’m in my gym’s cardio class at my local 24 hour fitness. I think I expected more of a meditating environment.
The instructors seem fine; I have had a different instructor each time I have been there. While they all follow the same 26 (I think) poses, their styles are all very different. Timing is different, the amount or volume in which they speak differs. Some are more drill sergeanty while others talk very quickly; akin to an auctioneer. From what I have observed some do tend to ‘scold’ for lack of a better word over their microphone to the practitioners if they are doing a position incorrectly. I appreciate the instructors assisting me in correcting my position but I don’t appreciate them pinpointing me out of the group over a loudspeaker essentially.
A couple of things I do like about the studio include a nice outdoor zen garden which I go in directly after class and the locker room is serviceable. A note to future yoga goers: the locker rooms are closed off by a curtain so please be considerate to your colleagues and make sure to close the curtain when you enter and leave as the women’s room directly faces the hallway.
While I am enjoying the yoga I doubt I will be signing back up after my introductory month is over. I think I will search around and do some comparison shopping and see what else is out there.

So terrible. The staff is rude, condescending and unhelpful. The place smells horrible. There is no reason for this. I have practiced Bikram Yoga all over the world, this is truly the most unhealthy environment. I never relaxed or felt at peace once in this class. Don’t waste your time or precious good juju on this crazy place. Not worth it at all.

I just moved to portland recently and have been reading so many reviews on bikram studios here. it’s been very discouraging.
Bikram yoga studios are not going to smell like roses. People sweat… it doesn’t smell great.
That being said, this studio was very clean! I went to a 4:30 class. it was not too crowded. The teacher was awesome. Everyone was really nice. Locker room is totally sufficient. They have the cubbies i always see at bikram studios. There is a good intro deal. I’m pretty sure it was $ 39 for a month. It seems all those other reviews are a bit dated. Best part… it didn’t smell bad at all. Just the usual musty scent… you get used to it.

Every time I recount my experience at this studio to friends, I get worked up all over again at how shocked I was. I’m an experienced and open yoga practitioner who has practiced consistently for the last 6 years. I can usually appreciate any type of class. This studio, class and instructors did not synch at all with my perception of yoga’s healing powers. I felt that they could genuinely be damaging their practitioners in an unsafe way, both by the physical and psychological element.
The instructor was in a small room yet on a stage and with a microphone. The instructors seemed very serious and intense in a negative and harsh way, they did not seem accepting and compassionate. (Mind you, I myself can be a very intense & serious person that is described this way — so I am not a woo-​woo sensitive type looking for a hippie type as my instructor per say — I just find awareness in the moment and cultivating awareness and compassion as a very important part of my yoga practice to balance those intense, harsh and serious aspects inside myself as I think most western thinkers struggle with.)
The room was all mirrors and carpet.
People listening to themselves and taking breaks to leave were berated in an uncomfortable and distrustful way. Practitioners were not encouraged to trust their inner voices, or listen to them at all. The words of the instructors did not in any way encourage peace of mind or calming of the mind or focus/​meditation. They may cite this as their philosophy, but none of the verbal cues of the instructor supported this type of environment or thinking.
Many people seemed unhealthy there, wether it was the overweight young woman next to me that did not do any poses the entire 1.5 hours except the first couple, sitting there sweating it out looking pained.
Others seemed obsessively thin & fit.
I was very «turned off» by this experience, and the harsh reviewer «Emily M» before me I thought certainly must be a ridiculously harsh & whine-​y Unilocal reviewer that I don’t need to trust, but in fact I agree with her exact experience as mine mimicked hers.

Not for the faint of heart. Nice new studio. Clean locker rooms. A great intro deal if you’ve never done bikram yoga before. $ 29 for 30 days. However, I wouldn’t recommend going to a class without any yoga experience. The instructors were very welcoming and nice. Every time I have a new teacher he/​she goes out of their way to learn my name. I think this is so they can tell you what to fix during class & scold if you step out of line.
Bikram yoga is a patented form of yoga. (I don’t agree with this as a core value, but that’s for a different forum) The teachers do not emphasize modifications to poses for beginners or injuries. The teachers aim to push you beyond your limits. I love this as a concept, but I know my body best. Although I dread sweating in a 105 degree room for 90 mins while being yelled at by someone on a stage with a microphone, I always feel amazing when I get out of class.
After my 30 days are up, I doubt I will return. I prefer hot yoga classes that aren’t as strict and offer some variety.
I also prefer the older Fremont location.

Absolutely the WORST experience I have ever had at really ANY business ever. I got a free class coupon from the Alberta street fair. (Thank Goodness I didn’t give them a dime of my money). And first thing as I was signing in, the women (I think her name was Angie or Andrea, she had tattoos on her chest and legs and brunette hair) took my sign-​up sheet and couldn’t read my cursive. I tried to spell it out for her and she huffed and threw the paper back at me and quipped ‘rewrite that in print’ in a very rude tone. I thought to myself ‘Woahh. Ok this is a great start.’

Go into the yoga room and OMG. it REEKS! It smelled like really bad B. O, dirty feet, sweat and mold. Mix the god awful smell with the intolerable 105 degree heat is just about torture. So the class begins and the instructor is the most irritating and grating instructor I have ever practiced with. She talked extremely fast and in this militaristic tone. I felt like I was in a boot camp getting yelled orders at by a Sargent. So to top the awful smell off with a bulldozer of an instructor made it just absolutely insufferable.
In the middle of the class one guy collapses out of heat exhaustion and started panting and heaving on the floor and it looked like he was about to have a heart attack. The instructor says nothing and completely ignores him like nothing was happening and just goes on with the class. After about 10 minutes of him being collapsed and dry heaving on the ground the guy finally gets up and leaves the class and as he’s walking out she berates him in front of the whole class and says ‘some people just can’t handle it’.
After about an hour of the class I too couldn’t handle the heat anymore. This is my first Bikram yoga class and my body was not acclimated to the heat. My face started to get pins and prickles and that this was too much for me. So I quietly gather my stuff and leave the room. I start walking to the outdoor area and the first women who had taken my sign in sheet yells at me ‘You can’t go out there! Sit down on that bench by the ice cream freezer!’ like I’m a child. I sit for a minute to catch my breath and cool down, then I walked to the bathroom to run cold water over my hands. She comes into the bathroom and yells at me ‘I told you to sit on the bench! You can’t be in here were I can’t watch you!’. I was completely baffled by this and didn’t really know how to react. Anyways my friend also comes out of the yoga class shortly after me and as soon as she walks out that same women yells ‘If you are going to leave the yoga class early you need to leave NOW!’. My friend confronts her and tells her she doesn’t need to act this way and we quickly gather our stuff and GLADLY leave.
HORRIBLE HORRIBLE place. Straight from the pits of hell. I’m telling you. Save yourself some torture and stay far far FAR away from this place.

I did Bikram Yoga for a while in another city and now I’m trying it again on Alberta. The classes are extreme with the 105 degree temperatures and the near impossible (for me anyway) poses, but I love the challenge of it. And while I find the owners and instructors of this location to be fantastic and kind in every way, I don’t understand the general snobbish nature the students. For example, I was trying to gather my belongings from a rather cramped storage cube area and this wiry yoga chick behind me was obviously annoyed at having to wait a minute. I said something to her about my being in the way which resulted in a very nasty look and no response. Later, I politely smiled at another and again, no response. I just think people in the Bikram clique take themselves a little too seriously.