Bikram Yoga NYC

L o v e L O v E L o V E! Thumbs up to Bikram Yoga NYC Midtown. An all-​around lovely experience. The teachers are excellent… Patrick, Charlie et cetera are entertaining too. Bikram in a way is a fountain of youth; I feel transformed and energized with each visit (I’ve been practicing Bikram for nearly a decade). This original Bikram studio is my favorite location. Fun and challenging classes. A great way to meditate and get in shape. Peace and Cheers

I purchased the groupon deal online so it was absolutely a great deal. The instructors are very nice and helpful. The instructors can be very direct and blunt but it’s effective. I used to do bikram occasionally in the past but I haven’t had a chance or time since I’ve moved in the the city. I enjoy the heat but it’s not for the the ones who can’t stay in the sauna for more than 20 mins. Class is around 75 mins. I love that I can forget about the stress and focus on my body during that 75 mins. Limited showers and bathrooms. Surprised there was only 2 showers and 1 bathroom for a big class of 20 plus. Bring your own mat and towel. The cost does add up each class if you go frequently! Overall good experience.

I enjoyed visiting this location as an out-​of-​town guest. The staff gave me great walking directions over the phone, location was easy to find. It was a great value, and they offered an out-​of-​town package. The studio can provide everything you need: mat towel and water. The facility was very clean, my only concern was the dirty felt flooring. It was easy to overlook, because I had a nice clean towel and Matt. The instructor took the time to address me by name, and remembered my name. I was impressed by that. The room was filled with a lot of stressed out New Yorkers, there was a lot of Gabbing and talking before the class. Once instructor arrived, the room settle down. It was different being an outsider, visiting a New York studio. There is less calmness, but an equal amount of friendliness there.

I have to start out with this… i get a kick out of reading the negative reviews, they can be very amusing but can also be very telling. I most enjoyed the review about the woman who was crawling into the locker room. Really??? Today tough, i got a little upset. i read 2 reviews that were negative towards a specific instructor. «wow,» i said. she’s my favorite instructor, and by far!
I give Upkar 5 Big Red Stars. she is motivating, fair, dedicated, knowledgable and fun. I can understand how one person’s personality may disagree with another but to bash some one on Unilocal,for example is uncalled for. i look forward to Upkar’s class every time i go. if she had her own studio, i would follow. she is great.
Midtown West Studio
there are certain things you need to expect at Bikram yoga studios. there will be some unpleasant odor, the bathrooms will be small and and you will pay for water refills (which i highly protest!).
what i like best about the midtown location is the studio only has 2 rows. a big difference when amid 3 rows of hot, stinky people. i find the staff very nice. i bring my own stuff so as to avoid the add-​ons. did i mention Upkar rocks?!
that all being said, i give the midtown west studio 5 stars and accept that any where i go, I’m not going to find every little thing perfect.

The worst studio ever. All the facilities were really old and I had to pay for so many things like renting a matt, towels, a lock, water, which ended up cost about $ 20. There were only two staffs that were very slow to help a lot of people for signing up and paying for stuff and those staffs were having an attitudes toward customers that have been waiting to do anything. Only two showers at a hot yoga studio that contains appoximately 20 – 30 people? And I saw people from the previous class that were pretty mad at other people, who took a while to take a shower. It was a really ridiculous unpleasnt experience. Strongly refuse to recommend!!! Total waste of my time today.

I had a very unpleasant experience with Upkar Chana at the Flatiron location for an evening class.
She was cold as I checked in, I assumed she was busy, but all the same very unprofessional, insulting, tone. During the class she continually called out random people in the class pressuring them to do better, «Daniel you’re not in the right position» (so what is it then??) without suggesting how to do so– it was like pointless name calling. There was nothing endearing about her attitude.
Almost walked out mid-​class as I could not enjoy a second without her snide remarks. I would not recommend anyone take a class from her unless you want to be barked at by an overzealous «yogi». She is mean and arrogant. I don’t understand how she remains employed as she is such a poor representation of this business.
I think some people teach yoga because they like to control the bodies of others– there is no better example than Upkar.
I have enjoyed going to this business for three years but will no longer go due to the looming possibility that I would come in contact with this awful person again.
Best of luck to any prospective students– you can check online to see where and when Upkar is teaching, I recommend avoiding those appointments.

I got a Groupon deal for an unlimited month for $ 39. I first practised bikram yoga 3 years ago and I kinda stopped after a couple months because of personal reasons. i decided to start it again since I found the groupon and noticed it is 2 blocks away from my office. I went there after work one day and actually went to Georgia Balligian’s class. I did not know about her till after the class but I knew she was very experienced since she was able to point out what I am struggling with by glancing at me. I did tell her in the beginning of class that I have not practiced for years and she was very attentive. I did notice that she takes her time so it ended a bit later than I expected. When I practiced 3 years ago, I have never had a teacher write down everyone’s name and positions. She was the first that I thought was quite serious about helping others. She did focus on a couple of students that she knew and likes to tell stories. I can see why some people love her and some do not.
The second time was with Paul Buschman. I liked him a lot. He was quick to correct postures and class was very smooth. He pretty much remembered everybody’s name after asking once.
The studio downstairs does smell, but if 30 people sweat together for 90 minutes for about 8 class a day, it’s going to smell! I just ignore it because this yoga works for me. locker room is very small but people are courteous. I don’t shower since there is always a line.

This rating is primarily based on my experience tonight with Upkar — noticed HK Bikram hasn’t received that many recent reviews, and I’d agree with the average rating based on my first and earlier experience. I first came here on a Friday night and took Georgia’s class. I found her to be abrasive and a bit much — we had to stop and sing happy birthday to one of the students during a pose. The studio itself is not impressive and smells quite strongly.
Tonight, I practiced bikram for the first time in several months and was very impressed with Upkar’s instruction. She was articulate and helpful, motivating without condescension, and overall very likable. I felt that she paid attention to everyone in the class and provided useful criticisms without taking away from the quick pace. It was certainly challenging but in a great way. I would definitely return to take her class again. 5 stars for Upkar, 3 for the rest of the studio.

I just took a class at this place and I really really liked it, the energy of the place and a good vibe was there, also I got this good deal $ 39 dlls for the month unlimited classes wich is perfect for me since I’m leaving NY soon, the teacher gave the class at the perfect rythm, seems like she has alot of experience. I will definitely continue going there, one little detail that I tought was that the price of the rental mat $ 5 dlls, could’ve been cheaper. Other than that it’s a great place to go further with your health.

I’ve practiced Bikram Yoga since 2002 and this is easily my favorite studio. I used to practice in Westchester but became turned off with the advent of the yoga snobs and the attitudes that come with them. I felt like I wasn’t getting the spiritual aspect anymore.
After a 3 year hiatus I decided to try Bikram NYC which is right around the corner from my office. I do believe I have found my new yoga home. I have had wonderful teachers here. Of course, Georgia is amazing. I took my daughter to her first class last weekend and we had Kathryn who couldn’t have been better for a first class. Her instruction mixed with spritual quotes really made for a wonderful 90 minutes.
I’ve been back for a month and am always looking forward to my next class here. Best teachers I’ve had in ages.

This isn’t my favorite bikram yoga place. The only reason I came here is because they turned me away from the UWS location (arrived at 5:50 for a 6pm class and they wouldn’t let me in). They have a great special for new students ($ 39 for a month — unlimited), but the instructor I had was pretty basic. The positions were extremely repetitive, and I didn’t feel like my core was being worked like I do in other classes. The changing space is extremely small, and the downstairs area does smell pretty bad. If you try bikram yoga with this company — just use a different branch.

Good clean studio, very popular. Great instructors. Changing rooms are small but clean. Kind of like trying to get dressed on a crowded 6 train at rush hour, but I managed. Studio is one floor up from check in. Nice and hot. Good flooring and layout.

I have been bouncing around various Bikram studios — most happily at SoHo and Lower East Side and Flat Iron — and I have mixed feelings about this studio.
The cons: small, swampy locker rooms; have to bring your own lock; pretty big upsale on locks, water refills and towels. Also out of the desk room attendants, there is one woman that is really abrasive and kind of rude.
The pros: large studio; Georgia the instructor is AMAZING and has been practicing bikram forever (very knowledgeable); plenty of class times.
All in all — a good solid studio but I find their flat iron location to be much more comfortable.

I’ve been dong bikram for around five months with BikramYogaNYC; mostly at the Upper East Side branch and I’ve really been loving it.
I’ve gone a couple of times to the Midtown location and I’ve never had a great experience there. It surprises me how different the studios can be under the same name.
Yesterday evening as I was changing, I saw a woman actually crawl into the locker room about to faint; i noticed the studio felt hotter than normal but I initially didn’t think much of it because of the current cold weather, etc. However the lady passing out along with a few others who didn’t look too great should have been a red flag.
The room (their downstairs studio) smelled quite strongly of cat urine the entire time.
The instructor did not open a window or door the whole class.
It seems that the Midtown studio has figured out how easy it is to turn a bikram class into a torture chamber.
If you work at this location I highly recommend monitoring the temperatures in your studios to make sure that they are not too high. I understand that these rooms are meant for sweating but the facilities could also use a good cleaning. I can deal with the smell of feet and body odor, but urine scent is really not conducive to my flow.
For the record; i do really love this chain of studios and will continue to go to the other branches but yesterday’s experience at the Midtown branch has left, let’s say, a piss-​poor impression on me.

This review is for Georgia B, an instructor at the midtown Birkram Yoga NYC studio. This is not a review for the establishment itself.
My experience at Bikram Yoga NYC’s midtown location started off just fine. The class with Georgia was even going just fine until she completely called me out in front of the class. First she accused me of talking to the person next to me, which I would gladly take ownership of, had it been true. Second, at about the 70-​minute mark I began to feel more extremely dizzy and quietly excused myself to go the bathroom and wash off my face. I did this one other time during the class and then, when I felt I may in fact faint (note: it’s been a couple years since I’ve done bikram) – I stepped outside and she proceeded to call me out over three times, in the most rude, condescending and inappropriate manner. I have never experienced such an obnoxious and downright inexcusable attitude in any yoga glass, or any class for that matter. I will continue to practice bikram but I will never again take a class with Georgia B.

I went here on ClassPass on a weeknight for the 8pm class. I had John as my instructor and he was great. I hadn’t done Bikram in about 3 years so I was a little nervous. But he made me feel right at home and didn’t force us to do anyhting we weren’t ready for, only steady encouragement.
Regarding the smell/​crowd — yes there were quite a few hairy older men in the class wearing little more than a speedo, however, it wasn’t weird, it wasn’t smelly and overall the energy was really great.
The only complaint I have is that they sure do nickel and dime you for anything extra. Mat’s were $ 5, towels $ 2.50 and just to refill your water bottle costs money! I guess they gotta pay rent somehow though.

I have been practicing yoga consistently for a few years and have visited many studios in the past. So when I try a new studio for the first time I generally assess four things: front desk reception, general upkeep of the studio both in the lobby and locker rooms, cleanliness in the shower… This Bikram yoga location has high marks in all the above. I go out of my way to attend class at the flat iron location as opposed to the midtown location. There are two studios and they keep it clean and orderly. If your class happens to be at the first floor studio you will have to walk up and down the stairs which are dirty with outside shoe prints. Otherwise no complaints. I would keep coming back here.

I signed up for the one month trial for Bikram yoga, and I found the people of this particular yoga place were very rude at all times. every time I went there something was wrong and some negative energy from the instructors/​cashier or something negative occurred inevitably and I usually turn to yoga to relax and I was stressing out more than I needed to, so I didn’t enroll for the membership and I found a better yoga place where I can relax And be happy ;)

I’ve been an on and off student of Bikram Yoga studios for many years and it’s mainly because of their prices. I usually get back on whenever they have a Groupon or Living Social deal for classes. I recently decided to commit myself to one month of unlimited Bikram and my goal is to attend more than one class, unlike my previous failed attempts. It helps to bring a friend or two to keep you motivated. So far, I attended my first class last week at this Midtown studio, which I have never been to before (I used to go to the one in UES) and so far I think it’s the best one in terms of convenience and space. Unlike the UES, the locker room space for this studio is spacious and easy to get around without stepping over people. The showers are relatively clean and amenities like soap, shampoo and conditioner are already included. The class itself takes place one floor below the locker room/​reception floor. I advise that you bring slippers as you walk down the stair well to the studio. I took the class with Patrick Lynch and he was by far the best Bikram instructor I had. He was firm with his verbal instructions but at the same time, supportive and added a few humor here and there. It also helped that it was a Friday night class so there weren’t that many students.

I am an «yogie» from Tampa, Florida and was visiting NYC for business (I am constantly back and forth from FL to NY). I though it would be a good idea to keep with my workout régime and attend a hot yoga class while on my trip. After my experience at Bikram Yoga NYC, boy am I thankful for my yoga studio back in Florida!
Below concludes my experience:
— I chose the midtown location because they were offering a «recession» price of $ 8/​class for the 130 pm session. Since i had never experienced yoga in NYC i figured this was a nice «try out/​first timer» deal and opted for that location and time because of the great rate. I even created an account online to avoid wasting time signing up. When I arrived to the studio I explained how i already created an account online and was there to try out the $ 8 class. I was rudely shut down by the woman at the front desk who said that if i am not a member then i wasn’t entitled to the $ 8 class. I said that is confusing because A. why would a member pay additionally for a class if they are in fact a member? and B. no where on the website did it state the discounted price was for members only. I asked her to show me online where it said that and she replied that it «was their policy.» she then told me the class would be $ 15. I contemplated leaving the studio and just skipping yoga, however I didn’t want to break my yoga routine and reluctantly paid $ 15 for the class $ 2.25 for a water and $ 5 to rent a mat. THANK GOD towels were complimentary.
–as I entered the room, a extremely putrid smell of sweat hit my smack in the face. Don’t get me wrong, I have been attending hot yoga for 4 years now, i get that you sweat immensely and the room may have an odor. However, I cannot even explain the awful smell of the room. once again i contemplated on leaving, but I unfortunately decided to stay. I noticed the floors where a «velvety-​carpet-​like» material that was super slippery and retained a lot of the sweat from the previous class. I almost vomited while walking on my bare feet over the drenched surface. my yoga studio back home has a wood-​floor-​like material that doesn’t absorb sweat. they also have yoga p.e.m. flooring which is by far a much better option than suede carpeting. also, when attempting poses that required me to step off the mat, i found myself slipping and sliding on the slick flooring. Once again the smell was intoxication.
–the next issue i had was the noise in the room. Yoga is suppose to be a meditation practice that requires peace, stillness, and a focused mind. It is damn near impossible to achieve all of those things while a loud washer and dryer are running IN THE SAME ROOM while the class was in session. I was completely shocked that they would even consider doing laundry while a class is in session.
–the only positive thing i took from the experience at Bikram NYC was that the instructor was decent. Although he just sat up against a mirror critiquing everyone’s poses, yelling from a distance (rather than leading the class by attempting the poses himself, or walking around helping make adjustments), he was entertaining. I recognized the routine he was teaching, which is «hot fitness series 1» at my yoga studio back home.
Overall I was very disappointed in the studio and will most likely never return. It makes me thankful for my yoga studio back home which teaches the SAME EXACT routine AND:
–offers classes for first-​timers for $ 5 (and offers a variety of classes to choose from… ballet yoga, Bikram, hot cardio yoga, etc.)
–water $ 1
–mat rental $ 2
–pem/​wood flooring, with little to NO odor
–a quiet, serene environment with relaxing music (no washers and dryers clunking around)
–helpful service and great instruction where to yoga teacher actually participates in the class and walks around helping students.
–and the best part… at the end of class each student is given an ICE COLD WET TOWEL soaked in LAVENDER for the relaxation period. (PAYING $ 22.25 FOR A HOT YOGA CLASS AND RECEiVING NO COLD TOWEL AT THE END WAS CRUEL!) :)

I went from recommending this place to everyone-​to not within one week. I waited 6 months to participate in my 3^rd $ 40 for 30 day challenge… Getting 4 friends to join — plus patients I help in recovery to try/​join… And the «helper» there denied my trial since I took my boss to one intro class. After laughing in my face she suggested I join for a very expensive «visitor pack.» After clearly providing members IIIIIII brought in-​she said there was nothing she could do and made me feel like an idiot.
I thought reaching out to the manager would make more sense but clearly not… Their response was NOT helping and taking me off their «mailing list»
I will NEVER recommend. Bad business and social skills. Disappointed to say the least. Go elsewhere. Unless you want to be treated bad-​and pay a lot ofan under kept facility.

This review is for Georgia Balligian and as yoga instructors must represent their studios, this review is also for Bikram Yoga NYC and the Hell’s Kitchen studio in particular.
I will open with the fact that this was my third Bikram yoga class ever. But it’s certainly not my first yoga class — I’ve practiced power vinyasa with some degree of consistency starting about 4 years ago.
Anyway. I get motion sickness in the back of New York City cabs and unfortunately, some of the lying-​to-​sitting poses towards the end of the 26 postures inspire the same wave of nausea in me. In an attempt to prevent myself from throwing up and ruining the delicately clean rugs (mandated by Bikram Choudhury himself for liability but certainly not hygiene purposes) in all Bikram-​branded studios, I usually take an early savasana when those poses start. As per usual, on my third Bikram class ever, which I came to because my fiancé prefers Bikram, I sat out the last few poses. For this I was reprimanded by Georgia from the front of the class: «What happened to my back row? I don’t know why you came to class today if you’re not going to do anything. But it’s Memorial Day, and I don’t know you, so I won’t judge.»
Wow. Well. Fortunately, it takes a lot more than that to embarrass me — I will probably return to that studio and Georgia’s class if and when it is convenient for me and my practice, and I will continue to sit out the poses that induce vomit. BUT I recognize that most people in this world don’t have my utter lack of shame. If I were an easily embarrassed person during my first few times in a very challenging Bikram class and I heard Georgia reprimand one of my classmates in such a way, I may be too scared to come back to a studio and instructor that is neither encouraging, accepting, nor welcoming.
I will give it to Georgia that her words probably were not malicious in intent — after all, she praised a student in her class who had lost an astounding 180 lbs practicing Bikram yoga. I think that deserves all the congratulations in the world; to better yourself physically and mentally is no doubt why many of us practice yoga and this student undoubtedly committed himself to the practice and changed his own life. But a student like him — during his or her first few classes — upon hearing their instructor essentially make fun of a student for taking an early savasana because they couldn’t or didn’t want to handle those poses — could certainly feel discouraged from returning to yoga class.
Everyone should do what they can to make themselves healthier and happier. And no one should be scared to practice what is their own yoga practice in class. After all, I always thought that was the essence of yoga, and yoga should be a practice of principle as much as it is of anything else.
Lastly, I understand that Bikram has its avid followers and I support and salute all Bikram practitioners. However, if you are looking for non-​carpeted floors and a similarly challenging, perhaps less judgmental practice, I highly recommend you check out Modo Yoga on West 4^th. They were once friends and followers of Bikram I believe, but Modo is a slightly modified version.

I used to go to this studio because it’s very convenient if you work in Times Square. Since this is no longer the most convenient, I don’t go out of my way to go back.
The good: They have a very wide, shallow studio, so your odds of snagging a spot in front of the mirror are higher than normal. Even when the studio is very full, you are never literally mat to mat. There is a good mix of casual and serious practitioners. The room is pretty uniformly hot, but has cooler spots by the window and door if you want. Your class pass from here also works at all of their other locations, no extra charge.
On the other hand, I never felt that I connected with the students, the instructors, or the studio here. It feels less like a «yoga studio» and more like a corporate gym. Because the studio is so large and high volume, attending a late evening class can mean that the floor is covered in literal squelching, sweaty puddles from the 5:30 class — worse than any other studio I’ve been to. There is also a laundry machine (?) that often shakes the floor badly and causes rattling during late evening classes. Finally, the instruction is hit or miss. I’ve had great classes, and other classes where the instructor claimed «yoga can prevent cancer/​the flu» or related unsavory anecdotes from their personal life.
You’ll still get a great workout here — I’m just glad it’s not the first Bikram studio I ever tried.

In an effort to objectively review a yoga studio, rather than the numerous other reviews that are much more experiential or related to the yoga practice itself — «OMG I felt great afterwards», «I had to drink so much water, LOL», I will instead highlight the key pros and cons of Bikram Yoga NYC Midtown [1].
The Midtown location of the Bikram Yoga NYC chain is home to some rockstar instructors. Georgia Balligian was a student of Bikram’s when he first arrived to Hawaii in the 1970s and one of the first instructors at Bikram Yoga NYC when it was established in 1999. Georgia’s classes are challenging, humorous, and I appreciate that she both compliments AND provides corrections for all of her students. In the first class I ever took with her, the room was full of yoga instructors and old-​out-​of-​shape me, so I did feel like she overlooked my practice to encourage those individuals. In subsequent classes though, Georgia was much more attentive to not only me, but all of the other students in the class. Now, whenever my schedule permits, I will take a class with Georgia because I learn so much from her.
Alas, not all of the instructors are as great as Georgia [2]. I’ve had some pretty lousy instructors at this studio, whose attitudes were inappropriate and ability to coach their students severely lacking. (Cough, Patrick Lynch, cough.)
And as for the facilities themselves, without fail, either 1) the microphone/​audio system or 2) the heat or 3) the water pressure in the shower are not working. Sometimes, it’s a combination of more than one of these. Due to the size and shape of the room, even if the instructor projects his or her voice, it can be very difficult to hear. And really, after sweating up a storm, it is far from refreshing to have the shower gently drip when I have it set to full blast (although it seems as though some recent renovations are helping to alleviate this problem).
Studio etiquette seems to be alright at this particular location (e.g., no one is cutting you in line for the shower, taking a 20 minute shower, blocking you out of the mirror if you happen to be in the second row), although I do practice very late in the evenings and don’t experience people espousing qualities that are the antithesis of yoga (don’t worry, it happens at the Flatiron location all of the time!).
Generally speaking, Bikram Yoga NYC also feels much more «corporate» than other yoga studios (even in the city, at other studios the owner will get to know you by name, have small talk with you, etc). At Bikram Yoga NYC, the interaction with the manager is purely «here’s my name, no I don’t need any water, two towels please» and then you meander into the changing rooms. The corporate vibe can be attributed to the studio owners’ absenteeism (they are apparently hot shots in the yoga world and seldomly on-​site) and the hierarchy of Bikram NYC itself (promote work study students to managers from within) lends itself to an atmosphere where it’s all about tenure.
[1] I am also intentionally omitting my opinion of Bikram the person and will instead provide my opinion of Bikram the yoga.
[2] This can be said of Bikram Yoga NYC in general. There are fantastic instructors and absolutely horrid ones. Apparently the quality of yoga instructors does not follow a normal distribution.

The Bikram yoga routine is unbeatable for health benefits, but this facility is poorly run, as follows:
1) Excessive Crowding: too many students are packed into the studio; we are elbow-​to– elbow which makes it difficult to properly execute postures. The teachers urge us to squeeze together to make room for more and more students, saying it will be beneficial to our spiritual practice, but the real reason is that over-​crowding increases the studio’s profits. This excessive crowding of bodies into an over-​heated room may be a health and safety hazard.
2) Sarcasm of Teachers: teachers are overly harsh at this studio. I wonder if this attitude stems from the way the studio is managed overall. The atmosphere created by the teachers seems to have diverged from basic principles of yoga and spirituality. One teacher carries on loudly as if at a bar with his friends, telling jokes such as «I used to be a slut and a drunk, but I have since given up drinking!» Some of the regulars howl with laughter, but other students are clearly offended.
Again, when taught properly, Bikram yoga offers tremendous benefits, but clearly reform is needed at the 48 Street studio.