BKS Iyengar Yogamala

Yogamala is the studio founded by Patricia Walden, arguably the best American teacher of Iyengar yoga (a version of Hatha yoga that emphasizes proper alignment through the use of props). Patricia has made several yoga videos. Also, seriously, check out the website. She’s one of those yoga women that makes you think an active yoga practice is the fountain of youth. The studio doesn’t have a dedicated physical space — most of the classes meet in the basement of St. Mary’s Church on Inman St. You should check the website for class schedules and locations.
I’ve taken Patricia’s evening yoga classes a few times, and took about a year of yoga with Jarvis Chen. Both classes were very good, however I preferred Jarvis’ mostly because it was a higher level and much less crowded. Patricia’s classes are so popular, and she’s always training new teachers, that the basement room is filled to the brim and a lot of your hands-​on instruction comes from the various teachers in training who man locations around the room. The smaller classes permit more interesting poses and personalized instruction.
Like many yoga studios, you can sign up for a series and then if you miss a class you can make it up with a different teacher. I recommend this route. Jarvis is a great teacher, and you can use your make-​up to take at least one class with Patricia. She is a yoga celebrity and a true inspiration to watch/​learn from. I just wish the classes weren’t so expensive! The rates are $ 17 for a drop-​in and a slight discount if you buy the whole series. Students get a discount, which is pretty sweet. All the props are available, you don’t need to bring anything with you (although most people bring their own mats). It is a nice space and great Iyengar yoga!