The Center For Yoga of Seattle

We’re so fortunate to have someone of Richard’s caliber right here in Seattle. He’s one of the best & senior most Iyengar yoga teachers in North America. Several other teachers are excellent as well — David and Huijung are my favs.

Richard is really good teacher (strict) with specific (in a good way) sense of humor. You get great knowledge of yoga. Not too expensive comparing to other places.

Richard is the best! I learned so much– about inversions especially. Tina and Kathy were great too, not sure if they still work there, but honestly this is the best yoga studio in town for yoga connoisseurs and beginners alike.

Richard Schachtel is arrogant, rude, dismissive and aggressive, and I deeply regret spending $ 1,500 and a month away from home to be taught by by him. Do not complete your teacher training at the center for yoga of seattle, go across town and get it someplace where the instructor won’t yell at you, humiliate you, or make you clean his studio at the end of the day.

I love the Iyengar Method for practicing yoga Asana. Richard the Director has 40 years experience teaching and is a wealth of knowledge. His Teacher Training Courses are a great way to immerse yourself in this rich style that focuses on precision and alignment and the teachers at the school are dedicated to teaching the Iyengar method. The studio itself is simple– no mirrors, no «hot» rooms, no fancy décor, it has hardwood floors and huge skylights. It has all the props you would expect of a studio of this style. Beyond blocks and blankets– there are back benders, rope walls and a tressler. The class schedule has something for everyone, from slow yoga to advanced practices, workshops too.

I’ve been practicing yoga for a few years now. Having moved from India, I was looking for authentic traditional yoga under a highly skillful teacher. I had almost given up as I stay away from hot, warm or even power. I was delighted to find this place. Yes, its not the best looking studio in town, but if you are looking to learn under a great set of teachers who have truly mastered the subject then you are at the right place.
My practice has improved since I started here last September. My advanced poses like headstand and handstand have gotten more awesome because of the small details that Richard makes you focus on. To practice Iyengar style, you need patience and dedication — not a mirror and music.
I have even started their teacher training and attend classes taught by people other than Richard. I have only good things to say so far. This is the place to start your yoga foundation. Its my favorite yoga place in Seattle. :)

I only recommend this studio for people who are motivated by conformity. I’ve been practicing yoga for almost 6 years. It’s consisted of ashtanga, anusara, vinyasa, restorative, power, and many variations of all. I recently earned my 200 YTT and Iyenger is a traditional practice of yoga that I wanted to get a deeper understanding of. Richard is demanding and has no leniency for a student’s choice. I understand when a teacher makes adjustments because you’re out of alignment or the way you are doing the pose could cause detrimental injuries in the future but Richard isn’t one of these instructors. He adjusts you for the fact that he wants you to look a certain way, which many traditional yoga instructors do and I understand that. But teachers have to acknowledge that our bodies are evolving, continuously. They are vastly different than what they were 30 years ago. He is also an avid believer in using one student to demonstrate how you are all doing it wrong, well how he believes you are doing it wrong. He told me repeatedly I didn’t need to drink water when doing yoga and to put it away. Having a water by you or pointing your toes half an inch out isn’t disrupting anyone or making the pose less authentic. I think if a student wants to drink water, you should let them drink their damn water. He enjoys every pose and every thing being perfect. For the record I’ve practiced Iyenger before and not all Iyenger teachers are like this. They have made sure I was in alignment and and taught with philosophy but are understanding of each students needs.
I am rating this studio a 2 because I haven’t experienced other instructors here.
I respect Richards knowledge and what he has done to get where he is but I wouldn’t recommend him if you are looking for someone in guiding you to connect your mind, body, and soul… Or make you feel good about yourself.

If you’re in Seattle and want to explore Iyengar yoga, this studio is one of three great choices (Iyengar studios also in Ballard and Shoreline). The Iyengar yoga teacher certification process is years long and you will find that most all teachers have several decades of experience. Having access to teachers with the depth of knowledge and dedication as Richard (the owner) is priceless. If you truly want to improve your practice, Iyengar yoga is the place!

I’m writing this review because I find that people who don’t do enough research before selecting yoga facilities are often the ones who end up being disappointed. This is not the kind of place where you light candles, get coddled or sing songs. The Iyengar style of yoga is practical and serious. I’ve heard stories of a «Nazi-​like» teacher before I stopped by and I thought, this is exactly what I needed. Well, this wasn’t what I expected at all. I got a teacher with a sharp sense of humour who was far nicer, gentler, and reasonable than I expected. Over the course of a month, I only saw him «bark» twice but I honestly expected it to be 20X worse. It’s never personal, although I sympathize with people who internalize it. The truth is everything in life is not easy, and neither is yoga. There are aspects I would like tailor made to myself but this is not my studio, and for the price, it’s great value. The quality of instruction is high and I would rather have a get– to-​the-​point, no nonsense style of instruction because that’s exactly what I need to improve.

I have taken classes here on and off for several years. (The off having to do with scheduling issues, not anything related to classes or the studio). I must say the one star review is remarkably inaccurate, in my experience. The studio is always clean, simple, efficient.
Iyengar is a method of yoga that is very precise and concerned with correct alignment. By definition, you are going to get a lot of feedback, especially if new to the studio. That is because the instructors want to make sure you are aligning your body correctly, and not injuring yourself or placing stress on the wrong joints of parts of the body.
I took my first yoga class here. And from the very beginning, the instructors were very knowledgeable, helpful, and technically precise in offering feedback and encouragement. Iyengar is very helpful if you have injuries or recurring issues as well, because it encourages the use of props and means to get precise alignment even if those issues exist in your body.
I always loved and respected all The instructors here. They do a fantastic job of not only teaching yoga, but encouraging learning the discipline. I always felt fantastic (if worn out) after regularly classes here.

I’ve been a student here for many years and have had a great experience.
Iyengar is a distinct style that can offer a great foundation for any yoga practice. The teaching style, pace & attention to detail is different from other popular styles of yoga, so if you are not familiar with Iyengar then good to look into it before deciding if its suited for you. If you are looking for a flashy modern yoga studio than maybe this is not the place for you. But if you want to build a solid foundation in an established school then this is a great way to go, no matter which yoga discipline you may move on to. There are also very experienced, qualified teachers here who you willlearn a lot from.
I want to note that the very negative 1 star review is highly inaccurate.
The studio is NOT dirty, it is always clean.
Yes, there are no «fast» classes here (because that’s not part of this discipline).
Yes, there are no mirrors because you don’t need mirrors to learn proper alignment (better to learn without).

This place is a joke. Unprofessional, dirty, and out dated. The 5 star review from Linda is about the wrong place. There are NO mirrors and NO fast classes. Classes don’t start on time and the place is dirty and gross. Don’t just stay away… run away! They have multiple NO REFUND policies and I can see why. If they gave the unhappy customers their money back they wouldn’t be able to pay rent.

There are classes for people who either have a past injury to be careful about, or just want to take things slow. I was taking this class for 1 – 2 years. While I was there, Laura was the instructor. She was very understanding, because she herself had been there herself. Yes, we did push ourselves. Yes, she was very careful that we had proper form — but that was only so that we didn’t injure ourselves doing the yoga! Classes were sometimes as big as a dozen, and sometimes as small as 5. We all got to know one another, and the atmosphere was friendly. Classes were mixed men and women. If people were unable to do the stretches standing, they were able to follow along with a chair.
Occasionally, I tried to attend other classes in order to «make up» ones that I’d missed. Big mistake. The classes that do allow drop-​ins are too fast for students in the above class, in my opinion.
I had to stop due to my arches. Yoga is done barefoot and the standing/​balance poses put too much stress on them.
The studio consists of one huge room — large, bright and airy. The wooden floor is wonderful. One wall is a mirror. The studio supplies most any props that you might want. Bring your mat or borrow one there.

This studio’s instructors and instruction can come across as very strict and demanding. You *will* get feedback on your form, and you will be told to pay attention closely when forms are demonstrated. Be awake and attentive — drink your coffee before class. My friends call them the Yoga Nazis. You will also be pushed — one of Iyengar’s quotes is «If you can do more and you do not do more, it is not good practice.» So it’s not a relaxing flow yoga kind of place. But if you’re there because you want to learn excellent form (subsequent teachers have commented on mine) and excellent habits, it is a superb place.

A 3 for now. This studio and its owner have been stars in the yoga world in Seattle for many years.,
I took classes from Richard (owner) in the 70’s. I went my path– public school teaching and he kept teaching yoga. He is a very well-​known leader. In his classes his Iyengar approach was not always appreciated, OK he yelled at people.
Last summer I tried out a demo class … they were having an opening intro to a series. Sadly, my teacher was a fill-​in (on an introductory open house???) and her self-​imposed grandeur bothered me.
Anyone who points to a yoga mat, twirls their fingers and says,” is this you?;’ conveys a lack of respect to owner of the mat. I did stay for the entire class. it is Iyengar. breaks between poses; the instructor talking a lot of time to dema with an I am a star attitude and she made mistakes.
Recently I called and asked whether to begin a teacher training with Richard, This episode returned in my head. Richard took time to talk with me about the training — for some it will be good — especially if you do regularly like Iyengar yoga.

If you’re looking to start yoga, start here.
I’ve tried Bikram and Hatha yoga classes. Since my knees are very special I have found that both times they objected.
But a month ago I was able to drop into a class at the Center on Sunday taught by Edith. It was like a light was turned on. They really focus on getting your technique right here.
After taking 3 more classes in San Francisco, I returned and did a one week intensive class here. Yoga by firehose. It was great. They have a number of different ways to do this here instead of yoga by firehose. but the thing is my knees are happy and the rest of my body feels great.
The instruction is terrific and it is a nice space.

This studio is extremely welcoming to all practitioners of yoga, even those who are less flexible/​are dealing with illnesses or injuries/don’t know what they’re doing. The instructors are constantly watching for proper form, and take a personal, but respectfully reserved, interest in everyone’s ability to get the most out of yoga.