★ 5

Source: Google

★ 1

Don’t do it! If you are considering “dropping by” the studio.

I traveled from Phoenix to San Diego, for a personal event. Just wanted to get in a great 90 minute yoga class.

I was told I could not pay by credit card. There was one spot for me in the room available, only if I was paying cash.

They rejected me, and turned me away. Because I only had a credit card on me!

What a horrendous business. Don’t ever go here.

Source: Google

★ 1

Very rude and inflexible owner/management. His communication was unreasonably aggressive. As a woman, it made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I decided to let my membership expire without returning because or his harsh correspondence over email when I asked for a couple month extension on my membership due to recent personal issues.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

I love this Bikram Yoga School. If you are looking for the real 90 min Bikram Yoga, this is it. Teachers are very knowledgeable. The heat and humidity are perfect and I always leave feeling amazing!

Source: Google

★ 3

Source: Google

★ 5

The Best in the west! Old Town is my home!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Best experience in my life!!!!!!!!

Source: Google

★ 5

I love this place. It's my no 1. Studio in San Diego. The owner is awesome and runs the place very well, especially during covid. It's a traditional bikram yoga school. The teachers are awesome, it's clean and all classes are 90 minutes. I highly recommend this place.

Source: Google

★ 5

I have practice at yoga places throughout the country and Bikram‘s yoga (old town)iSan Diego is by far the best yoga studio in the country. Jim (the owner) and his amazing staff consistently looks out for all students. The studio is impeccable and in fact during the last few months, they have been vigilant about keeping everyone safe! As a professional that deals with Incredible stress at work - BYSD is my peace of mind - you must check out this yoga studio!

Thank you BYSD

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Visited from out of town and I’d been wanting to come here for years! Very traditional ‘old school’ bikram yoga studio, love it. I sadly only made it to one class over the weekend, but I felt so happy to practice here. The studio room is so good, spacious, perfect heat & humidity. Great light and instruction too. The changing facilities also good (there was a hairdryer in the ladies). Very grateful the studio honours visiting teachers too with a discounted rate (thank you!). Next time I’m in San Diego I’ll be stopping by again :)

Source: Google

★ 3

I love this school, but have some issues with it. The parking really is TERRIBLE. If you have the kind of schedule where you can drive over half an hour early to hunt for a spot, then great, but if you don't, another location would probably be best. You're basically idling in the street waiting for someone to come down to their car and leave. You're usually not the only driver idling and waiting for a spot. You can park in that weird little lot near the storage building, if there's space, but it seems unsecured. I would worry about smash and grab thieves in that lot, or catalytic converter thieves cutting under cars.
As of right now, several parking spots are actually roped off until the 28 for construction. So parking that was terrible is even more terrible. It's funny because you come to yoga to relax but getting there and parking can be terribly stressful, as is scuttling down to your car with a few people sitting in their cars rushing you to leave. There are sometimes construction noises during class.
I'm not sure how old this building is, but it is not unusual for the women's shower drain to be clogged at 8 a.m.
Despite signs saying that the locker room is supposed to be a quiet area, it is often too full of people who are just standing and talking about their families and their children's soccer games and such. It can get crowded, especially when people are not getting dressed, just sitting around in towels taking up space.
I do have an issue with a lot of the professors. There are many classes where it seems like we are just going through the poses, the instructor is taking you through something they've memorized, and that's the class. It's fine. There are a couple of professors who are way more engaging than the average professor. They talk about the effect of poses on your body, on your muscles and skeleton. They don't let you do a backbend or forward bend without telling you what to tighten up to protect yourself. They talk about poses they're seeing that people have learned wrong and have been doing wrong. After you take a class with one of those professors, the other professors seem really... Boring isn't the right word. But there is definitely a less engaged feeling with a lot of the professors. Some of them clearly power struggle with students who need to sit out a pose. Like if a person needs to lay down, it's not a personal slight to you and your teaching you know? A person just needs to lay down. There's a difference between a teacher engaging you to do something, and a teacher chastising you to try to make you stand back up. For what it's worth, the longtime students bring hot drinks to the Studio because they don't find it hot enough inside.
It's a fine school, I'm having a great time with it, but I don't know that I will return after the three months I've signed up for. It is close, it does feel very good to sweat, but I'm tired of being in a bad mood because of the parking or not feeling engaged in class.

Source: Google

★ 5

I've been to other studios. This studio sets the gold standard for its quality of teachers, and commitment to its students. It is a beginners class so just about anyone can do it. The room is big and usually hot. However, parking can be a problem. I highly recommend this studio and this type of yoga but be patient with parking.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

In 2020 I turn18 years of practice in this community. This yoga practice is a way of life for me. I function at my highest level when I am consistent. Having traveled far and wide and practiced at many schools, I can attest that the teachers here are stellar. Jim and Emma have done a fantastic job at bringing thousands of people so much wellness.

Source: Google

★ 5

There's no substitute for the real Bikram Yoga. I haven't been to this location in many years, but I just started getting back into yoga to discover all the places around town you can go that offer hot yoga aren't the same. Bikram Yoga is an hour and a half long class that consists of 26 different poses I believe? All the classes I have attended around town at places like CorePower Yoga and others have some variation, but it is not the real Bikram Yoga. The classes seem to be shorter and many poses I found great relief in are not included in their classes. I believe most other yoga studios basically just offer some stretching in a warm room, but definitely not the same. This was actually the first place I ever took any kind of yoga class at, and if I remember I took more than a few classes and really enjoyed it. I will be heading back in this coming week to get started doing real Bikram Yoga again!

Source: Google

★ 5

Very helpful staff. Great attitude. Can't wait to go back

Source: Google

★ 4

I enjoyed the experience here and think the yoga classes and teachers are very knowledgeable. The only reason I would not give this studio 5 stars is for 2 reasons. First, the location and the lack of parking. Even with giving myself extra time, I almost missed one class and did miss another for the simple reason of not being able to find parking. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to attend class because there is no parking available. Second, no water fountain. A hot yoga studio without a water fountain is a head scratcher.

Source: Google

★ 1

BEWARE!! I love hot yoga hence why I chose to go here. The instructors are good, class is great.. However, the second you walk into the yoga room you will be greeted with the most atrocious smell of dirty sweaty feet. Not the kind that just arose recently, but more the ancient kind that has been growing and lingering for months..? years? This is most likely caused by the poor choice of using carpeting in the room (I have never been in a yoga studio, especially bikram) that uses carpeting. The blue tape on the floor is a good indication of how long it's been since the carpet has been changed (if ever?) I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to take deep breaths and find serenity and relaxation with such a stench in the air. Also as a side note-- there is NO drinking fountain.. a little hard to believe in hot yoga. So bring your water, and good luck!!!

Source: Google

★ 5

Best studio in the world !

Source: Google

★ 5

My favorite place to escape and get refreshed mentally and physically. Helps me stay flexible, strong , have balance and coordination, skin benefits and most important I can have salt again due to sweating , teachers are the best and the owner Jim is caring and passionate about teaching , in his class is great education about yoga and life. Some of the teachers have been there for many years amd are very educated as well. I feel its the absolute best well rounded exercise I can get.

Source: Google

★ 3

It's aight

Source: Google

★ 4

The instruction and facilities are great. The room was on the cool side my guess the high 90s. Adding a water fountain would go along way

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Friendly staff that remembers your name.

Source: Google

★ 5

The best Hot yoga in San Diego.

Source: Google

★ 5

I practice regularly here. Bikram yoga is unlike any physical activity I've ever tried.. makes me feel on top of the world. The teachers are kind and helpful and the studio is clean and welcoming. I am the happiest ever when I practice every day.

Source: Google

★ 5

Bikram's is a yoga class designed to give you a consistent experience every time. If you have experience at one Bikram's studio, you have a good idea what to expect. The teachers here are great. It's an easy location to get to. They offer a lot of classes throughout the day. If you don't bring a towel mat or water, you will have to pay for any that you get from the studio. One annoying thing about this studio is NO water fountain. Kind of a big deal for hot yoga.

Source: Google

★ 5

Great classes! Here for work for two more weeks and have been attending for a week now and love it! Love the challenge of it and the accomplishment I feel at the end of the class. Thanks for the great experience!
Valarie

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Great yoga, staff and facility. I feel taller, smarter and halthier after each class. The staff is knowledgeable, kind, generous, and inclusive. The facility is spacious and clean - and plenty of parking.

Source: Google

★ 5

The best studio I've ever been to. Amazingly transformative classes, dedicated instructors. An all around empowering experience. ❤

Source: Google

★ 1

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 3

Source: Google

★ 5

Old school bikram. Love the heat .Great teachers who explain how to deepen and the benefits of each posture .

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

I liked that they maintain the heat thru out the 1:30 hr class... The heat helps me to get rid of toxins and revitalizes me... Great job San Diego!

Source: Google

★ 5

Something so important and powerful as this Yoga cannot be adequately praised in a few mere sentences--concisely, I believe it is the single greatest thing you can do for your health and well being. That being said, I'll keep my comments focused to the studio and staff--in my opinion--the best you'll find in San Diego!

The Studio

Two towels per class and even a complimentary mat for drop-ins is such a wonderful luxury that the studio provides. Very reasonably priced water and other beverages are available in case you forget yours. There is also 5 showers per locker room with nice coconut scented soap provided and an excellent steam room. What else can you ask for?!

The Staff

Jim runs a tight ship. Here you will find only Bikram's traditional Hatha Yoga being taught. I have been to other Bikram studios where this was not necessarily the case and teachers took a little more liberty than they should with the instruction (dialogue). Many of the teachers at Old Town have been teaching for a long time and will sometimes speak to teachings beyond the physical, inherent in the practice, that of course is a completely different matter! :) All of the teachers are wonderful motivators though and express encouragement and necessary correction through firm yet supportive language, seemingly free from judgement. There are also many incredible guest teachers (recently Bikram's daughter, Laju) that Jim invites to teach at the studio and are always a treat to practice under.

MY WISH IS THAT I MAY PRACTICE HERE FOR ANOTHER 70 YEARS! :)

Source: Google

★ 5

Excellent heating, strong teacher.

Source: Google

★ 4

I was visiting San Diego earlier this month and wanted to keep up my practice as much as possible while travelling. BYCI did not disappoint!

Enjoyed each of the instructors I had. They were each knowledgeable and encouraging with their dialogue, offering specific corrections. They also expected a lot out of each class, which I liked a lot. This is not a studio for those who want to fly low and go unnoticed. This says a lot about the instructors, as the studio is large, probably accommodating 80 students when full. The studio is hot. It is very hot. This is my first visit beyond my “home studio” and I found it hotter than what I was used to. I adjusted to the heat after my first class and found that my practice went to new depths. My practice has definitely improved because of my experience at BYCI.

A few logistical points – On my way out of the studio after my last class, I heard someone say that BYCI offers a steam room. I missed that offering completely and don’t recall a mention of it on their website. Given the high traffic in this studio, prepare yourself for the smell. Yes, it smells, because yes, everyone sweats – and they sweat A LOT. If you practice, you know the drill: find your calm in the posture/the balance/the stretch/or, in this case, even in the smell. Find your calm despite the smell, and breath. The locker room is purely functional, no frills. School style lockers and communal showers. BYCI does not have a water fountain or water cooler. Water is available to buy or simply plan ahead and carry your own. Other items available to purchase are new mats, pad locks and yoga gear, just to name a few. They provide a mat and two towels to every student. What they don’t necessarily say is that one towel is for sweat and the other is for shower. Towels are not available to rent beyond the complimentary offering. The studio is located a few blocks off green line trolley stop at Washington. Give yourself some time if you’re making this walk on foot. San Diego blocks are not short. If you drive, beware that parking is very limited and the area is surveyed and cars ticketed frequently.

Remember - the only bad Bikram class is the one you miss.

Source: Google

★ 5

The heat is good for you!

Source: Google