YogaWorks Westwood

I am honestly surprised by some of the negative reviews. I began a membership here about 2−½ years ago. My membership was cut short when I became pregnant and was considered high risk. I was so bummed to have to pause my yoga practice, especially after I had found such an amazing studio! I had absolutely no problem cancelling my membership, and was even refunded what I had paid ahead. The staff was incredibly kind and accommodating. Now, my daughter is approaching her second birthday and I am ready to pick up yoga again. Naturally, I reached out to yoga works because of the wonderful experience I had already had there. Despite the two years that has passed, I found myself being welcomed back with exceptional kindness and helpfulness. I was nervous after reading some of the latest reviews, but my experience could not be better.

It’s been about a year since I wrote a review about Yogaworks. Though I am no longer as active on Unilocal as I once was, I really wanted to write about my present day experience with Yogaworks. Disclaimer: this review is for Yogaworks overall and not limited to this specific location. My conflict with the group on deal left me with a far from good impression of the company. However, Westwood studio did reach out to me via Unilocal after reading my review and they decided to honor my pass. Good thing too because they gained a committed customer! I loved the instructors. They made me really love the practice of yoga, definitely outweighs whatever animosity I harbored in the beginning. So if you’re looking for a wonderful place to learn for inspiring instructors and let everything go to focus on just being, Yogaworks is the place for you. I would only suggest for the staff in the Westwood studio to be more welcoming to ALL customers and really aim to cultivate other people’s practice and experience. Dont pick out who you’re going to be nice to and who you’re going to be rude to. Everyone is new to the practice at some point. Your membership fee is pricey but that doesn’t mean you can look down on people that may not be able to comfortably afford it. Even til today, I’m still a little ticked off by how rude whoever talked to little ol college student me in the very beginning but hey it is what it is. Post college, I am now able to commit to a monthly membership to a yoga studio and guess what, it is with Yogaworks! Although I only practice at the South Bay location, (wonderful/​beautiful location with the friendliest people, both workers and students) all of Yogaworks have the best instructors out there and so I urge you to give them a shot. Yogaworks classes does get crowded but I have yet to deal with any situation that prevented me from having a good class.

The instructors especially Kara and the facility are really good. But Yogaworks is more of a commercial place which is after your money than a regular yoga school. The people in the front desk are friendly and nice except for the lady in her late 40ies. Try to stay away from her if you want to have a peaceful yoga experience. She would ask most questions rudely. They didn’t give me a card in my first days so I had to check in with my name which they took time to put in the system or they would spell it wrong and I had to enter the classes I arrive on time, late because of this issues. One time I arrived 8 minutes late to a class and they only allow people to walk in in the first 10 minutes which is perfectly fine. This lady in the front desk was asking me a lot of questions instead of checking me in and she said you can’t walk in because you are too late. The class starts at 9.30 and by the time she said that it was exactly 9:40. So it felt like she deliberately kept me talking to not let me in. So I left the place I go to find peace with a weird disappointment. I asked my friends if it was me or that lady is really rude and they said she was rude to them too and apparently her rudeness is something people just got used to. I heard she does it so that you don’t get the discount for the amount of courses you go monthly. So I can’t blame her if Yogaworks is making her do that. I hope not.
The payments are also weird. No one is paying the same amount so make sure you double check online promotions and what others pay before you accept to pay for anything. Apart from these, the classrooms and instructors are so nice, I just wish Yogaworks worked in a different way.

Today was my first visit to the Westwood location and I have to say it was full of hassles.
i signed up through class pass and it does not say on the app that you have to purchase a parking pass for 10 $ but I soon found out after arriving in the parking lot and reading the signs. I walked around the building and walked up and down the sidewalk a couple times before noticing the door– it was hard to notice because the signage is very small on the door and the door is set very deep into the building and there is nothing on the building. I walked upstairs to pay for the parking pass and asked if there was a back door to access the parking lot easier and the girl pointed me down the hall.
I got to the door and it had a big emergency exit sign on the door which was confusing and I wasn’t sure if I would set an alarm off, but another student said it was fine to go through. So I did, went down the stairs, put the pass in the car and tried to come back the way I came but I was then locked out of the building from the outside :/​so had to go all the way back around the building, and up the stairs again (3^rd time). I then asked the same girl which studio my class was in and she said studio 2.
Went to studio 2, got settled, teacher came in and announced it was Pilates– not the vinyasa class I signed up for… great
I return to the front desk and ask again which studio my class was in and another girl told me studio 1. Perfect.
Go to studio 1, get settled again… Time for class to start and then 15 minutes go by… No teacher. People start to get up and ask what’s going on and come to find out teacher got a sub and the sub didn’t show up and is not answering the phone. Class canceled… WOW.
Not only have I waisted an hour total driving here from culver city, running around inside and outside the building twice, get locked out, sent to the wrong class and have to pay 10 $ more than I thought I was going to have to come– I don’t even get to go to the class or any other class within the next hour bc my class pass is preventing me from booking another class bc it thinks I’m at one already… not happy with my experience here at all.

I originally gave these guys a one star review due an awful experience described in depth. I have subsequently had some very good experiences here, as the majority of classes I have taken here have been good and the staff is friendly. However, I had another negative experience — they sent me to wrong class (there were two classes starting at around the same time and the woman at the front desk sent me to the class I didn’t sign up for rather than the one I did). Amazingly, afterwards when I raised this with her, she blamed it on me. Anyway, this place is very hit or miss — some classes are great, some are so-​so. Based on my mixed experiences here at this point, I thought two stars was a more accurate rating.

Great classes, but BAD customer service!
I was a member for a year in the Westwood studio and I never had a problem with anything until I talked to their recent manager.
Everyone at the studio was welcoming and nice whenever I talked to them and their last manager Annie was so accommodating but I had such bad experience when I talked to their new manager that it ruined my mood for days!!!

I joined yogaworks Westwood as recently started working in the area. The girl at front who set me up with the membership was great and I enjoyed the classes even though incredibly busy.
After a couple weeks I realized I was going to struggle getting out of work on time everyday so asked for my membership to be made regional. I was told a manager had to do this and she would call me back, which she never did I had to chase twice. Then a weird large charge was taken from my account again I called and was told she would call me back and again no reply… multiple times!
I finally spoke to the girl who signed me up who was embarrassed at how I’d been treated and confirmed the amount was incorrect — I managed to speak to the manager finally who tried to convince me to spend the $ 50 in their shop??? I insisted on a refund and now surprisingly have had to chase up on that too… To be continued

Really adore this studio. I took the 6:15AM class today (Tuesday) and it was perfect. Challenging and relaxing with a fantastic teacher (Kim Haegele Labidi).

This studio is way too overcrowded, is filthy from everyone walking around in their shoes and then having to walk around barefoot, it smells terrible, and is in an uncomfortable space with thin hallways where everyone has to squeeze past each other and wait in a line before your class starts. There are WAY too many other amazing yoga studios in Los Angeles to come to one like this. I guess all they have is their location with it being close to ucla… really wouldn’t recommend this studio. Hope this helps!

I used to be the biggest yogaworks fan after I discovered Iyengar Yoga at Yogaworks South Bay, and the amazing teachers who helped with a chronic back problem and got me through 2 pregnancies. I also loved the community and the management — and always felt very at home and cared about there.
That was 5 years ago. Since then, I moved to the Westwood area, and had to change my membership to Yogaworks Westwood. I have been so incredibly disappointed by the management of this studio, the classes they offer, and the general customer service here. The people at the front desk look like they don’t want to be there and could care less about the people walking through, and the manager has been incredibly unresponsive as well. After I renewed my membership, I soon found out that the only class I could take given my pregnancy and back issues (Iyengar yoga) got cancelled — and so I asked for a refund of my membership given I couldn’t make any of the non-​evening iyengar classes given my work schedule. The manager agreed to provide me a refund given the situation. This was early January. Since then, I have not received a refund, and when I asked about the status (which was supposed to be provided to me proactively but never was),
I was told a check request took a while to process. Then, when I asked for a more clear answer and a specific date by which I could expect it, I got no answer.
I was on the fence about if I would eventually re-​join after this pregnancy, but given the lack of customer service, which has been made even more clear through this interaction, not only am I not returning, I would also not recommend this studio to anyone. Good management goes a long way, and unfortunately this particular studio has fallen short in all areas there.

What a welcoming place! From the moment I walked in I was treated as though I have been a loyal member for years. Lovely vibe and energy that is apparent in some of their other locations that I’ve tried. A special thanks to fabulous Cynthia for making my month and helping me into the right package fit for me at this time! Yogaworks is becoming a second home to me! I highly recommend it, your future self will thank you!

Great front office staff. Great teachers. Parking available in the back with a $ 10 yearly permit. Much better run then their weho counterpart. The regulars here also seem super down to hearth.

I just started coming to this location recently and found it to be the best Yogaworks I’ve been to so far. There is ample street parking in the front and a parking lot in the back. They also have clean showers/​facilities as well.
I love taking Kim Haegele’s Tues/​Thurs morning classes. She plays soft music in the background and usually brings these fragrant essential oils that smell so good! Her vinyasa flow classes are always something I look forward to weekly.
Carmen Fitzgibbon has a great Mon/​Wed/​Fri morning class as well. She is so helpful and knowledgable, and I always feel comfortable in her class.
I highly recommend coming to Westwood Yogaworks if you’re advanced or even just starting out!

I love my 6:15am class on Tuesdays and Thursdays led by Kim Haegele. I was a relative novice when I started her class two years ago, only having taken a few classes at LA Fitness prior to starting at Yogaworks. I have come so far with her Yoga under her instruction! Not only does she provide a great workout, she gets my body ready for the day and provides me with a moment of peace to clear my mind before diving in to work.
Thanks so much!

I have been a member at this studio for over three years. Unlike many new yoga studios that try to be all things to all people (and let’s face it that’s just a gym), this studio is true to more classic yoga principles. The teachers are exceptional (I have had the privilege of taking class with almost all of them). And, they truly pay attention to form and safe movement in their classes – whether Iyengar-​based or flow. Yoga is a process and the studio takes seriously the mission of facilitating the growth and development of every yogi. If you’re open to it, you’ll learn something in every class you take.
The studio is clean and the bathrooms and showers are ordinary but fine, stocked with the basics. It’s not Equinox – but the cost is nowhere near as high as Equinox either. In fact, the cost of a year’s membership, even without the amazing sales, is pretty much a steal!
The front desk staff are polite and welcoming without being overbearing and they do an incredible job of handling the inevitable onslaught of students checking in for even the most crowded of classes. There are cool books, props, and yoga garb available there as well if you feel like shopping.
A few favorites:
*Carmen Fitzgibbon (early morning Iyengar-​based class with exceptional attention to the finer points of yoga in motion – no music)
*Kim Haegele (early morning flow class with excellent attention to form and long enough holds to establish good alignment and stability – with music)
*Nicole Doherty (evening and Saturday morning flow classes, an uplifting and spiritual experience – great music)
*Amy LaFond (Sunday am classes, a unique fusion of flow and form – no music)
*Caleb Ashlynazo (Sunday & Saturday am classes that are incredibly challenging physically, with great music, plus Caleb sharing his unique philosophy of life)

I rejoined since there are two YogaWorks locations within a 5 or so minute drive from my new place. After a couple weeks, I’m not jumping up and down about the decision. The selection of classes at the Brentwood location is small, one of the classes («Urban Zen») was awful, and the Westwood location. well neither class I’ve taken started even close to on time, and in one case the sub teacher was like a half hour late. Not even kidding. They offered us a $ 10 credit, but I would much rather just have a good teacher show up. I guess they don’t take their job all that seriously! That same teacher lead us through a really disjointed sequence. Her breath cues were off, we were transitioning from neutral into externally rotated standing poses (which never feels right). All that said, I just modified a bit from what she said so it fit my practice. I had to leave when the class was supposed to be over, and we weren’t in savasana or even close yet. I guess they told her she could teach the entire class even though she was really late? I wasn’t being rude, just put my blocks and stuff away and when I was leaving I wanted to make eye contact with her just to say thanks and she didn’t even acknowledge that I was leaving. Super weird. Never experienced anything like that in a class before. The other teacher I took a class from at the Westwood location, it wasn’t a great class. Cookie cutter feel. We’ll see if I change my mind about this place, but right now I’m planning to cancel my membership and I wouldn’t recommend this or the Brentwood location.

The only thing I really feel I need to let people know is that you can hear the street traffic when you’re in your yoga class. It’s a huge downside especially since yoga should be a relaxing time. Some classes do play music but for the classes that don’t the noise from Westwood Blvd is very loud. Other than that this is a decent location. It’s small and fairly clean. Seems like an older location. People there are friendly and helpful. I would just beware of the traffic sound from Westwood. Maybe go during off traffic hours if you can

I have to update my review because it has been awhile and I have come here so often since then. Nora was nice enough to reach out to me after I wrote my Unilocal review and offered me a good deal to join Yogaworks. I joined in January 2015 and it has been a great journey so far! I love all the yoga classes that I go to at this studio. Because of my schedule becoming more stable, I take a yoga class at this studio probably 4 times a week and do TRX/​sculpt at Brentwood the rest of the days.
The teachers across the board are excellent. They are all there to inspire and challenge you. The staff at the studio tries their best to make the place better for all of us. They still serve tea which is more than I can say of the newer studios. They have water and a nice shop and sitting area. Everything is very clean. I see the cleaning people when I come in the morning so I know that the showers and bathroom area are actually being cleaned and you can tell.
The teachers I usually go to include Kim in the morning who is great with adjustments and it is a great workout. If you’re looking to get technical advice and adjustments and a good workout, come to her T/​Thurs class at 6:15am.
I go to Kara’s vinyasa class at 4:30 which is on MWF – also a very strong level 2 class that makes you work! Such a great workout.
Gigi is also wonderful and has great energy. Her class is probably easier than the other two classes I mentioned, but I still get a lot out of it.
Caleb is also great – I take his level 2 class on Saturday AM. Fabulous workout! I feel like I have done my workout for the weekend after his 85 min class.
The smattering of other teachers I have taken throughout including Thomas (sad I can’t make his classes anymore), Logan (great music and energy but at lunchtime), Amy, etc have all been excellent. If I had the time, I would go to all of them because of great I feel afterward!
It’s definitely a place that is worth checking out. It does get busy later in the evenings but Yogaworks is opening up so many new studios that hopefully the members diffuse throughout the different sites and the classes are less crowded.

There’s a great variety of classes throughout the day. One should not make any excuses w/​all the time options available.

Notes: This review is not for the teacher! It is about the staff.
I had an incredible yoga class today at this studio. I was offered a week free by one very friendly and calm woman at the front desk, however another woman was very pushy with me. She basically was trying to give me a «great deal» and was extremely peppy and intense about it, 5 minutes after I left my relaxing class. I told her I wasn’t interested, and she questioned why and told me I wasn’t ever going to get such a good deal. I felt pushed into buying a 20 class deal when I hadn’t even inquired about anything. And questioning as to why I didn’t want it was also ridiculous. It was jarring, unprofessional, extremely sales oriented and the opposite of what I want my peaceful yoga experience to be.