San Diego Yoga Studio

I fell in love with yoga thanks to San Diego Yoga Studio. Fifteen years later, I have become a certified yoga teacher, and I still draw inspiration from the teachings I received at their studio. Their emphasis on subtle adjustments («relax the corners of your eyes»), precision in alignment, the use of props to make poses accessible to students of all levels of ability and flexibility, and their genuine kindness and welcoming spirit continue to inspire my practice and my teaching. It has been 12 years since I left San Diego, but I still have fond memories of Jo, Mike, Kim, Susan, and the fellowship I felt with the other students. I have yet to find a yoga community that equals the one I found there in 2000 – 2002. P. S. If anyone there is still in touch with Mike and Jo Z, please tell them that I STILL have, and use, the hollow yoga block Mike made me to take to Africa! :)
Namasté!
With love,
Aimee

I’m grateful to have found this yoga studio. So much guidance and professionalism… they really do it right, giving meaning to focused yoga and working meditation.

**Cash or check only**
First of all, I don’t want to knock this yoga studio for simply being a different type of yoga than what I typically prefer. San Diego Yoga Studio practices Iyengar yoga. I’m more of a vinyasa flow or ashtanga girl. If you are like me… you might want to skip this yoga studio and find one more suitable. Then message me and tell me which one you found because I have yet to find a yoga studio in SD that I love haha. Anywayssss…
The bad:
As people have previously mentioned, the ambiance is lacking. I’ve only taken one worse yoga class as far as ambiance goes, and that was in a basketball gym that smelled like feet at Gold’s. Just sayin’.
I sometimes take this as a warning sigh, but not always… I was the youngest person in the class by a good 20 years. Sometimes yin yoga or slow flow classes have an older following, but… yah you still get a good workout in, and you get nice and mentally/​spiritually centered. This just wasn’t really the case. I felt like I was in an old people’s yoga class. I will say though… props to those older folks for doing this! I watched an older gentleman do a sweet handstand for the first time. I thought he was going to break a hip, but he nailed it.
As far as getting my zen on, this was the part that was the most disappointing in the class, and the biggest reason why they get only 3 stars. I was having a rather stressful weekend, and I was really looking forward to getting centered, resetting my mind and chi and all that, getting back in tune with my inner self. Ya know, all the hippy dippy yoga goodness that we love. There was absolutely none of that in this class. She did say namaste as the end, but that was it.
We didn’t work on breathing, and there was no flow to the class, and obviously no music. It was…“jump into this pose. OK now do this pose”. Also, we worked on some pretty extensive back bends, and we never did any counterposes which really threw me for a loop. We also didn’t do any twists, not even before shavasana. Finally, when she was showing us how to get into handstand against a wall, she kept slamming her feet into said wall. It was against all my training I’ve ever had, and it made me cringe.
This one lady didn’t want to do the particular pose we were doing on the rope swings (more on that later), so she went on this back bend contraption. She had to move it in order to use it, and apparently my mat was in the way. She just thew my mat into a pile a few feet away along with my blankets. All I could think was… dafuq? It just felt a little disrespectful to my belongings. I mean… she didn’t even ask! Maybe I’m just getting sensitive at this point haha.
Oh yah, and they don’t take cards. I had to drive to Point Loma to get cash, then drive back. Annoying.
The good:
The teacher was very friendly and welcoming! Also, the students were very nice (except for mat thrower woman wtf) and eager to learn. I was actually really impressed that these older people were trying inversions and chatarangas and crazy rope swings.
The teacher recognized that I was more advanced than the other students, and she gave me some fun variations to try. She also used me as her demo student a few times which was neat.
The studio has a rope wall which was fun to play on. It is basically a rope system that helps you go into poses in a different way. We were hanging upsidedown, and I did some insane backbends on there. It was very cool having the opportunity to try the ropes as a yoga tool.
There is ample parking which is nice.
In conclusion…
I probably won’t be going back again. It was nice fine tuning a couple of poses, but at the end of the day, this is not my best learning style. I can see how it would benefit other people, but I prefer a more mind/​body experience where I am challenged and stimulated physically and mentally. Namaste homies.

Went to a class; thought — oh, how can I get out of here within the first 15 mins.
Kim’s instruction is so boring, full of repetitive, non creative cues. Since there was no music, her «do this now, I’m the boss» mom tone could not be drowned out. Also she NEVER once mention the breath (huh?) I was left to contemplate the cold floor and to locate the clock. The class didn’t flow.
Overall, there’s no ambiance –I don’t need candles and incense, BUT the metal chairs are clang clang clang goes the trolley and way too much chatting between students and students and teacher and students. It just felt like the class never really started and then, yes! it ended and I was FREE of this watered down, westernized, «yoga».

I took the level 1 – 2 class with Russ on Tuesday morning. There was a diverse group of probably 17 people, and Russ did an excellent job accommodating various injuries and ranges of flexibility/​yoga experience. Since the studio teaches Iyengar yoga, there is a definite slow methodical approach that uses lots of props to get each individual safe and comfortable in the poses. As one of the studio owners, Russ knew many of the students. It’s a really nice community.

I have been studying yoga at San Diego Yoga Studio for a number of years. It has changed my life. Now that I have arthritis, the teachers are very aware of how to modify poses so I am taking care of my hip. Because Iyengar Yoga uses props, I am able to adapt poses to fit my needs. Over the years, I’ve probably taken classes from all their instructors and all of them are wonderful. They’re caring, knowledgeable, and make their classes enjoyable. It’s a very friendly studio where people say hello and ask how you are. I’ve recommended San Diego Yoga Studio to several people and they’ve been impressed with the level of teaching. I also like it because people have different abilities and no matter your ability or level, everyone is supportive of you. I highly recommend SDYS.

Okay what can I say?! But I love it at San Diego Yoga Studio. I visited a few studios around town before I came here. Once I went to this studio, I knew my search was over. It is an Iyengar studio, so the teachers each bring their unique and special contributions to the classes. I have been going for over 7 years now and will keep on attending. Thank you to the owners Kim and Russ for creating this warm and inviting space to grow in my yoga practice.

Top notch instruction! What are you really paying for when you take a yoga class? It varies greatly depending on the style and the teacher. When you take an Iyengar yoga class you will receive personalized instruction that will improve any other style of yoga you practice, performance in any sport, and general life balance and well being. Kim and her husband Russ are the owners and teach many of the classes. You can always count on the best instruction at any level. They offer an amazing beginners series several times each year (for only $ 50!!) that provides an excellent foundation for any beginner to Iyengar or to yoga in general. After trying most styles of yoga over the past 20 years, I can confidently say that Iyengar is the best method for beginners and for anyone with physical limitations or injuiries that need attention. If you have been waiting to try it or want to find an excellent studio, look no further than SDYS.

Took a class with Karen on Sunday morning for a Level 1 class. It was my first return to any movement after a REALLY long time, and I really appreciated the time the instructor took to explain each pose. The style is slower and more casual than other classes I taken at the gym, but I honestly thought I got more out of this class because I really learned about my body and what I should be doing to get the pose correct. I felt more limber after the class, and appropriately sore the next morning! I would definitely recommend the studio and would love to try a class again soon.

Amazing. The instructors care about if you get the poses correct. The instructors take time to explain things without making students feel dumb. It’s very much a community and the instructors do an outstanding job at helping the students feel connected to the yoga and to each other.
I am impressed with how much I have learned in a short time with this studio. Amazing.

This is the Yoga studio that sets the standard!
If you’ve tried Bikram and don’t like the heat, if you want to quiet your mind and still get a workout, and if you want your body to change and improve without pain, this is the place for you. The instructors are all great, parking is easy, and the community of people the studio attracts are a great influence to help those who want to get fit and healthy.
Now that I live in San Francisco, I soooo miss attending their classes.
Keep up the good work and I’ll see you when I’m in town to visit The Parents!

I started attending San Diego Yoga Studio about 2 years ago after a back injury. A friend encouraged me to goto this specific studio because they are very focused on doing the posses correctly, rather than zipping through as many as you can. Even though I didn’t attend a beginners class, the instructor noticed that I was a new student, and came up and asked me what my experience level was, and if there were any ‘conditions’ she needed to be aware of. Once I informed her about my back problems, she made a point through class about how I could do certain posses differently so as to be easier on my back.
The personal attention, medium class size, and focus on strength and accuracy of the posses, keeps me coming back to this studio several times a week. The prices for 4 classes is $ 40.00, which is $ 10.00 a class, which is very reasonable for the level of instruction you get.
All of the instructors teach and continually train with the Iyengar Yoga teachers, and bring their learnings back into class.
Weather you are a beginner or a long time yogi, I strongly recommend taking one of these classes. It is much different than a Gym, or other style of Yoga class.