Brian Kest Power Yoga

Such a thorough work out
Easy parking in tower nearby
Donation based
Inspiring teachers
Accepting, welcoming atmosphere for beginners and advanced students

Took this class through class pass. Byron’s class was lovely. He’s spiritual but not overly so, gives great tips, has a nice build up and flow for a morning class and is challenging. He has a really nice vibe and I’m really picky w my yoga teachers in a city abundantly full of such. Class was small and he offered adjustments and a good amount of individual attention.
Classpass didn’t tell me class was donation only or to tip the teach so I didn’t bring any cashola w me which was a bummer. Felt like a cheap skate. Byron was well deserving of this. Be forewarned l! :)
Parkin the garage across the street which is fab. First 90 min free. I’ll be back!

I love love love this studio. Rudy’s classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights are my style of yoga: athletic while still mindful, and hard as hell!

Bryan Kest & his studio factor into how I center the locations of much of my daily life & have done so, when possible, for a lot of my life. I send thankfulness, warmth & caring to Brian & his studio. I think of him & his studio as a treasure to this city. A lot of laughter, growth, reflection & wonderful times took place here.

I go to yoga for a cathartic experience. When the instructor is badgering and humiliating a student it takes all of us out of the zone. Sad class

Bryan Kest runs this yoga studio the way it should be run. The main room itself is beautiful hardwood, high ceilings and it’s got a warm and friendly vibe. There are tons of great teachers on the schedule. Travis’ classes are especially amazing. Uniquely sequenced and always a mindful challenge. It’s donation-​based so there’s no check-​in line, no shaming by the front desk if you are understandably a couple minutes late and you can start and stop attending as you need without worrying about your wallet. Totally the opposite of YogaWorks in the best way possible. Take a few classes and find a teacher that resonates with you. And see you on the mat in there. Namaste.

Finally came here tonight after hearing nothing but good things from friends. I love the studio! Such a warm open atmosphere. Studio B is nice and big so there’s actually room to spread out and let go.

nice room, some good teachers, but what good is any of it if the class schedule is not available online?
I think they are trying to jam you into downloading an app (which will capture your private and personal information and data off your smart phone) — but that still doesn’t help when I look for the schedule on my computer.
Yes, some of us still use computers.
And of course, unlike every other yoga studio in L.A. — this one has no phone number, no one who can help answer student questions about classes, events or merchandise.

I tried yoga at many places and this one is as good as it gets! Try Australian teacher, forgot his name. He’s amazing!

Excellent teachers– I’ve been to Byron’s, Travis’, Rudy’s, and Bryan Kest’s classes. All are great. The practice of yoga i am learning here has inspired me to apply the important lessons of positivity and patience to the rest of my life. The classes are great for keeping me in shape, increasing my strength and flexibility, and improving my confidence. Great studio. Only complaint is the temperature is a little warm.

I practice at The Yoga Room in Redlands. When I asked Daniel where I should go when I am in Santa Monica… He mentioned Power Yoga first! He was influenced by some of the instructors at Power Yoga. Well I tried it and … I love this studio. The small and the large studio have a nice vibe to them. I have taken classes w Rudy, Byron, Min and Dan. All had their own style… I enjoyed Rudy’s the best (not gonna lie!). Great studio. Definitely coming again and again every time I am in Santa Monica. Donation based makes it easy for visitors to pop in and get a great class in!

This is my absolute FAVORITE yoga class of all time. LOVE Bryan (you’ll see why), love the intensity, love the studio. The ultimate therapy/​workout duo.
Fridays and Sundays are donation classes, so it’s quite affordable. I cannot recommend this place enough. I live an hour away and still make the commute a couple times a month. It’s that good.
Arrive 20 minutes early for class, as it fills up quickly…

This studio is truly amazing, with top notch teachers and great vibes. Bryan’s class is the best, powerful and in general, not really for the faint of heart. He always reminds you that yoga is not a competition and he masters the balance of pushing you hard while making sure you honor your body (not forcing yourself beyond necessary). His class is open to all levels where advance yogis and newbies can get a great yoga session together therefore it is usually pretty packed. The class room temperature is warm (not bikram yoga warm) and his class physically challenging, so yes, bring a towel!

During my 4 day stay in Santa Monica, I ended up practicing yoga here three days in a row! I usually get too lazy to exercise/​practice yoga during my vacation, but because I loved my first practice here, I was so inspired and motivated to come back and practice. I even scheduled my plans around yoga during my vacation… how insane is that? The studio and instructors here were THAT good. I didn’t want to miss out!
I’m so glad I stumbled upon this place while walking aimlessly in downtown. I also didn’t realize there’s a second studio a few blocks away after I left Santa Monica… but the best part of this studio? It’s donation-​based! I think this is what sets it apart from the other 7-​ish studios in the half mile vicinity. The studio is especially perfect for visitors staying in the downtown area who need to take a breather and practice yoga. On the same block is another yoga studio, but drop-​in is $ 25 and requires membership to make it worth it.
I practiced with Travis and Byron (twice). They both gave really great cues and they were hilarious during practice! They also didn’t talk too much, and just the right amount… practice was awesome. They also played good music.
I’m a bit bummed I didn’t get to practice with the owner, Bryan Kest, but hopefully I’ll be able to do a practice or even a teacher training with him one day. It seems like he has events all over the world.
Overall, an amazing studio… also, there’s plenty of space and it wasn’t super cramped. I also love how both the instructors gave modification options and allowed everyone a few minutes to set their own pace and do some chaturangas.
For those wondering, this is more of a workout yoga — not the relaxing, meditative one… but this is the type of yoga I love :) I’m so thankful for donation-​based yoga studios, too… It helps out students, like me!
One major gripe: the front desk. Obviously, I did not bring my mat as I was traveling, so I had to rent one out every time. I was a bit peeved when the sign said the receptionist would be back at 4, but she did not arrive until 4:15. I was getting a bit worried about getting a spot (I’m OCD and pretty particular where I’d like to practice… I’m weird) and I like to settle in on my mat before practice. She didn’t even apologize for being late and was not friendly. I can’t stand rude, uncourteous people like that.

As an OG studio, this place might carry the crown but…
the schedule needs to be managed better. I suggest the studio uses a system like MindBody, that allows someone to update the schedule to reflect sub changes.
Rather than let people down, and make it awkward for the sub, why not manage expectations and just let students know when there are schedule updates?
This is a major pet peeve! Look I’m open-​minded, but when I carefully plan out the 40 minutes it will take me to get into the promenade on a Sunday, and then the slotted teacher doesn’t show up, I’m upset. There are tons of studios to go to where the teacher won’t let you down.
While yes, there is a yogic attitude to bring to these surprises, the studio would be wise to remember that more than just yoga students, we’re also customers.

I always enjoy the teachers at SM Power Yoga! They have early morning classes during the week now so come and check out the 7am teachers. Thursday at 7am is a one hour class with Sam (Samantha) and she’s amazing. The class is small so you’ll get a lot of attention. I like the huge schedule, the variety of the teachers and the location’s great for biking or there are several parking garages nearby that are free for 90 minutes.

The classes here are a little hit-​or-​miss. Regardless, I’m a big fan of the donation-​based yoga concept. It’s nice to not have to deal with contracts, expensive memberships, binding commitments, etc. when all you want is to just do something good for your body. (This model is done very well in SF/​Berkeley/​NY with Yoga To The People.)
Here are reviews for the teachers I’ve taken classes with:
(I’ve only been here a handful of times.)
— Tracey
I really enjoyed my Saturday afternoon class with Tracey. It was a 90-​minute session, mostly vinyasa flow and some slow, focused basic poses. Near the end, we spent time focusing on ab postures and exercises. I was sore the next day, but not paralyzingly so. Tracey is a pretty funny gal, and kept the class in good spirits all through lots of sweat of near-​fatigue.
— Rudy
Rudy seems like a great teacher, he is obviously a very experienced yogi and has a sense of humor too, which made the class enjoyable. However, his class was much more rigorous than I was prepared for. I am not in the best shape of my life and had a very hard time keeping up. Just be forewarned that if you are attending one of his classes, you should probably be in a regular fitness routine of some kind in order to be able to fully participate.
— Kyoko
She seems to mean well, but I found her class more awkward and frustrating than anything else. Her accent is incredibly difficult to understand, and she does a sort of sing-​song routine that is also hard to follow. Her class began with and continued with a lot of props (I guess this is Iyengar style? I’ve never experienced this before) … which, though I suppose some people enjoy, turned into lots of clumsiness for me, and a bit a pain when I couldn’t get all the assorted items in the exact right place.
Also: Studio A vs. Studio B
Studio A is the awesome, newly renovated, huge space pictured in some of the photos here on Unilocal.Studio B is the streetside small-​ish L-​shaped room adjacent to the gift shop. Definitely opt for Studio A if that choice presents itself as you consider which class to attend.

What a great studio!
I randomly picked a class on Saturday which happened to be Byron’s. Then Sunday I went to Rudy’s. By Monday I was hooked and decided I would challenge myself to 30 days of yoga. It’s now week three and I’m still feeling motivated. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit…
I have practiced with three different instructors so far (Rudy, Michelle, and Byron) and they have all been really great. They all have their own unique style which in turn benefits the student because you walk away having learned something new from each. I go to Byron’s class more often because the time works for me and maybe something about the intensity level that makes me feel extremely challenged. I don’t sweat like this in anyone else’s class (though I haven’t tried Bryan’s class yet). I also love the pace and attention he gives to the core which is an area I have always had trouble with. Oh and he’s a good DJ!
Rudy also has a magical way of challenging your core. It’s like he sneaks in these poses without telling you where you’re headed, and before you know it you feel like he hijacked your abs and set them on fire. Then he makes a joke about how absurd it is and I can’t help laughing and coming out of my pose. Oops.
Michelle has really inspiring stories during class. She keeps an overall casual feel to her session that is fun. Be prepared to do some really deep seated stretches.
I’m so grateful for having this studio in my neighborhood. It really is a privilege to have access to such a place. I recently had to go out of town and looked for a studio where I was visiting. The level of instruction didn’t even compare. Thank you Power Yoga!

Great News!!!
Bryan is going to start teaching 1 hour class @12noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting ⁴⁄₈! Hooray to lunch time yoga!

Amazing studio! Classes run from morning to late at night to accommodate many schedules. Been to many of the evening and weekend classes and have loved all the instructors! I’ve only been doing yoga since summer and the classes helped me get up to speed with the regulars. The teachers are great at modifying the practice for beginners and pushing those who are more advanced.
The classes are donation-​based and yoga mats are $ 2 rental if you don’t have your own. It’s very affordable compares to an expensive gym membership!

Adepte du yoga «traditionnel» c’est à Los Angeles et au Santa Monica Power Yoga que j’ai découvert l’Ashtanga yoga.
Les particularités de cette salle sont qu’il n’y a pas de prix fixe (chacun contribue à hauteur de son souhait, même si le prix suggéré est de $ 10 – 15) et qu’il n’est pas nécessaire de réserver avant d’y aller.
Tous les niveaux sont mélangés, ce qui peut être un peu déstabilisant quand on débute mais qui est également un excellent moyen de progresser. Comme la salle est relativement grande, je vous conseille de vous mettre près de quelqu’un qui a l’air de s’y connaitre un peu, cela vous permettra de suivre plus facilement les mouvements et de mieux appréhender les séries (si vous lisez cet avis, c’est que vous parlez français et les instructions en anglais quand on débute sont parfois un peu difficiles à suivre).
Je vous conseille également d’arriver avec un peu d’avance, selon les cours, les créneaux horaires et les professeurs, la salle peut être vite très remplie.
Je n’ai pas de point de comparaison aux US car c’est la première salle de yoga que j’ai essayée et que j’ai tout de suite accroché, mais je vous conseille vivement, j’ai trouvé tous les professeurs excellents et j’y ai toujours vu des yogis de très bons niveaux.