Shakti House

Beautiful space and excellent deals: first class is free and $ 29 buys you two more weeks of unlimited classes (except aerial yoga).

My main practice is aerial yoga, so I try to take a class whenever I travel to get a different experience — not just with different studios, but with different teachers and in different regions as well.
Unfortunately, I did not have a great experience at Shakti House. It was not BAD — but it wasn’t that great, and at the very least the experience wasn’t positive enough to make me eager to come back for another aerial yoga class.
To be fair, there were a lot of things I liked about the studio — private parking lot, a comfortable lounge-​like area near the front desk, a water cooler and reusable cups. I also liked that the shoes and one’s belongings went in different cubbies in the same area, with some benches for those that might need it. Inside the studio area were shelves full of props that people could borrow for the class.
Unfortunately the studio was locked when I arrived early for my class, so I had to wait in the rain for the teacher of the previous class to finish up and unlock the door. She greeted me very enthusiastically and had me complete all the requisite paperwork and payments, then instructed me to head into the studio where I could find a mat for the class.
The teacher for my class didn’t introduce herself to me or ask about my experience with aerial yoga, and while the class that she taught was very basic in nature (there was nothing that I found particularly challenging, which surprised me considering I had signed up for the All Levels class), I didn’t feel that the instruction was geared towards students of a basic/​beginner-​level class — there was definitely assumed knowledge of the poses and how-​tos for getting into the aerial yoga poses. I didn’t feel like there were enough cues about placement of the silks, and I do wish that if the teacher assumed I was knowledgeable/​experienced in my yoga practice, that she had offered some instruction for more advanced poses or transitions.
It was a pretty mellow class, which was nice on a relaxing sort of vacation, but it was just not what I was looking for on the particular day. I’d be willing to give this studio another shot for fairness, but I’ve experienced much better elsewhere.

Being a traveler I’m constantly on the lookout for a yoga studio in the area I’m staying. Portland has no shortage of studios so I was happy to get a recommendation from a Portlandian.
I signed up for the Forrest class with Becca (your first class is free) I have never practiced Forrest yoga before so new city, new studio, new teacher, new practice. All of that combined could have the makings to be very intimidating, this was not the case at the Shakti House. Becca was a great instructor and did an amazing job of assisting me in a noninvasive way. The room we practiced in was very peaceful, as well. Needless to say I will be returning to The Shakti House on my next trip through Portland.

Every yoga studio does things a little differently. I think Shakti House would be well-​suited for some folks but, it definitely wasn’t a good fit for me. I have been a yoga practitioner for about five years and probably visited a dozen studios in various cities.
I took advantage of their «first class is free» offer: the class began with every student introducing themselves, talking about their physical ailments and an open discussion of their emotional state — that last part was a turn-​off for me. I thought I’d mistakenly walked into a group therapy meeting. The class description on their website was vague, I wish it mentioned something about the atmosphere — I wasn’t in the mood to be gushy at 9am.
The exercise portion of the class was alright, I think the teacher was competent but again it just wasn’t my style. While I think the instructor meant well, I did not like being touched (for adjustment) without being asked permission and felt as though I was receiving an undue amount of attention. I do not want any stranger to touch my inner thigh or squat over/​straddle me but, I didn’t want to make a scene either, I just wanted the class to finish.
Thankful for the free class but I won’t be back.

I took a few aerial conditioning classes with Annie Rosen and was very impressed. The studio is clean and comfortable, with ample space to store shoes and other items. Annie talked to me to get an idea of what I was looking for from the class and tailored it really well to my needs. The hammocks are awesome and can take you from a vigorous workout to an incredibly comforting savasana. If my schedule and budget would allow, I would be here all the time!

Beautiful space with fun classes. Aerial yoga is an unique experience. The instructors are informative and imaginative with class content and included the sling. Opens up accessibility of inversion work.

Best place! Best learning experience! The Best people! Absolutely love all the different classes I’ve taken here and adore all of the kind and knowledgeable teachers. Lots of Fun and great deal on the Unlimited 2 Week Introduction for $ 25!

I have nothing but amazing things to say about this place. It’s unlike any other aerial yoga experience over ever had and each instructor had their own flair. Karin worked me the other day and made my muscles cry out for more! I’m seeing her twice this week and I just finished Jennys class! She did things very differently than Karin land another instructor I’ve taken classes with and I have to say I only like karins classes. I love this place, the classes are amazing way too pricey though. The best work out for your mind and body! Highly recommended to take a Saturday class with Karin.

Great space, great vibe, great teachers. None of the stuck-​up pretension of a lot of local yoga studios. Also, an unbeatable variety of classes – expanding on hatha, flow, and yin classes to meditation, pilates, aerial, and acro. Incredible.

Gorgeous space, diverse class offerings, great teachers. Love this place :)

I am relatively new to yoga (as I had never liked my experiences with it in the past). However, I have been taking the Ariel Silks classes here and I love it. My past experiences with teachers and students being too serious and self important had been a complete turnoff, but not here! The teachers are kind and accepting and always keep it light and fun while still holding a real reverence and respect for the practice. I definitely recommend this place for anyone who wants to practice but doesn’t need to feel uptight or overly self important! Overall awesome.

Shakti House is one of my favorite studios here in Portland. The space is BEAUTIFUL and the energy of both the students and teachers alike is exceptionally warm and welcoming. There is a wide range and variety of classes adapted to all tastes and skill levels. If you are wanting to try a specific style, you will most likely find it here. I also greatly appreciate the diversity amongst both the students and the teachers. If you want my recommendation, this would be it!

Shakti house is a wonderful place to practice yoga. The space has a great «vibe» and you leave feeling refreshed. At other studios i’ve tried, there is a lot of ego involved and its hard to just relax and enjoy the class. You feel like people are watching you and you need to keep up. I don’t feel like this at Shakti house. Everyone just goes at their own pace and it works. While many of the classes are a good workout, this doesnt seem to be the main focus. I also love all of the Kundalini classes they offer. Go check this place out. There is a class for everyone no matter what style you practice. You wont regret it.

Robin and all the great teachers at Shakti House, THANK YOU. This is my fourth week in Portland and I have received such amazing healing and hope after coming to your studio. I will never forget my time here. I absolutely love Aerial yoga with Keri and Lia though my favorite classes are Acro with Serena and Rhiannon. I always leave Shakti House feeling so inspired and strong and happy. Many blessings and much love.

Beautiful space and great, knowledgeable teachers. I really like Kimi Marin’s vinyasa flow class… her class is fun yet challenging and she is down-​to-​earth. I can’t recommend this studio enough!