Harmony Studios

Harmony Studios has become one of my go-​to pilates spots. I really enjoy the attention to technique here which is lacking at a lot of other studios. Many classes are taught within the same space which can be a bit distracting. Giving 4 stars because the level of difficulty of the class is really dependent on the teacher. I’ve been to some great challenging classes and others that were way too easy.

This review is long overdue! Harmony Studios has a cute conveniently located space. The ENTIRE experience is warm and welcoming from the moment you step into the studio, during class, and even after you leave. Karen, the owner, is an amazing Pilates instructor (possibly even the best instructor I’ve ever had and I’ve taken my share of Pilates classes and even privates). If I could afford her, I would have a private session every other day. I don’t know of many instructors who are as knowledgeable as her when it comes to how the body works. Also, EVEN in a class setting, she is highly observant and knows your body’s nuances, such as a dominant side or if one of your movements is come from one muscles or another. After only a couple of classes (emphasis on classes, not even privates) with her, she is familiar with my body and gives me modifications during class. Karen isn’t the only skilled instructor, she carefully selects all the other instructors. You don’t get newbies at Harmony Studios.
Harmony Studios is especially ideal if you are suffering from injuries. It’s important that you work out with someone who knows how to work around it.
Thank you Karen and everyone at Harmony!

Great space! A little odd when you walk in as there are a few different classes happening at the same time. I was in the room with the Pilates Towers for a mix of that and TRX. I loved the instructor and the class was pretty good. Wasn’t sore the next day but was still a great workout!

Beautiful, clean studio with knowledgeable trainers and MANY classes to choose from. I come here for Pilates classes and Power Plate classes and love every visit. Parking is easy with street parking for free on side streets less than a block away or metered parking directly in front of the studio itself. Staff is friendly and even when classes are full they never feel overcrowded.

I love Jennifer Martin’s Booty Lift class! She lets you use heavier springs on certain exercises which I love because it feels so much more productive. Unlike most pilates classes, I ALWAYS feel accomplished after her class and you can tell she’s concerned with your long term safety because she has you rotate your hip joints at the end of the class. There’s plenty of street free street parking in the residential area (a huge plus from someone who’s had their share of parking tickets!)

I don’t even know what to say. First of all Harmony is a beautiful clean space. Second the Owner is a knowledgeable, dynamic Woman who really knows what she’s doing. I was unsure about Pilates and am still recovering from a rough delivery of my second baby. Karen made this an incredible experience for me and constantly asked questions– while actually Listening to my responses, adjusting me when necessary and making sure I knew what I was doing and how it should feel.
I’m amazed how much I truly like Pilates after doubting it for so long, I can’t believe how tough it is or how lucky I feel that this studio exists. Everyone here is pleasant and working hard from the trainers to the clients and receptionists.
I’m pretty impressed with Harmony so far and I think anyone in their right mind will be too.

I had a really great experience here today. I felt like I was in a totally private Pilates class! I took the Reformer Pilates class with KJ Luker, who made me feel so comfortable in the studio. She just has an absolutely phenomenal presence, and really helped me with my form as I am pretty new to Pilates. Everybody in the studio could not have been more welcoming or gentle — from the first «hello» I got when I walked in to the «have a great weekend!» I heard as I headed out the door. Thanks for such a great experience Harmony! I will definitely be back!

I am not the typical Pilates student. I’m almost 70 years old and overweight. The instructors are able to adapt any of the exercises that I can’t do so that I benefit from them as much as the very fit students in the classes. I have felt welcome and valued. I can’t say enough about the entire staff. I have gone to other studios but have never been happier than I am at Harmony.

I’m a regular during the week with Jen Martin and Kristina Krikes, who teach very different classes but who are both absolutely incredible. Thank you, Harmony Studios, for supporting both of them. They offer diverse, super-​beneficial, challenging Pilates practices, and they are really dedicated to what they do and to their students. They have changed my life and my body and helped me so much. For the first time in my life, I actually enjoy working out and want to go to class! I love the physical challenge, the hour concentrating in my body *and* my mind, and the feeling of becoming stronger and taking care of myself. The icing on the cake is that I’m now standing an inch taller, my lower back pain is gone, I feel much calmer and more grounded, and working on the reformer manages to knock out any muscular kinks I might be having. I plan to stick with Pilates for the rest of my life, and I’m grateful to have such an excellent foundation, thanks to Jen and Kristina.

Karen, the owner, is a great instructor. Her Pilates work-​outs are precise but athletic. I’ve had 3 kids, but I feel like my core and my abs are stronger now after working out for a while with Karen than they have ever been.

Harmony Studios might be my favorite pilates/​gyrotonics studio of all time! I’ve done Pilates since the early 90’s. With the advent of Pilates Plus style reformer classes, it’s become very difficult to find knowledgeable teachers who can teach a thoughtful, therapeutic class. Done right, Pilates/​Gyro is very powerful and that is lost in heavy work out formats. The studio is absolutely beautiful and it just feels good to be in the space. The staff is great. I see Jennifer O for Pilates/​Gyro, and I love her, but all the instructors are fantastic with their own unique take on movement.

I’ve been a devotee of reformer pilates for years and can say, unequivocally, Harmony Studios is the best place I have taken classes. Allow me to give a bit of context: I travel quite a lot for work and have a reformer pilates destination for all my locations — NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles and London. Harmony Studios in Los Angeles is my absolute favourite!
All the instructors are top notch. Karen, who is also the owner, is the best pilates teacher I have ever had. Her knowledge of the human anatomy is astounding. She cares deeply about her students and their well-​being. Not only do I get an AMAZING work-​out but I feel like I’m in a private session even though it’s a group class! She is fantastic at making sure her students have proper form, which is imperative, in order to receive the best results. I rarely write reviews but am compelled to do so for Harmony Studios. I’m also addicted to Chad’s Power Plate classes and Jen’s TRX/​Tower class!!! Like I said, every teacher here is fantastic, it just depends on what you are looking for in your pilates practise. The studio itself is so lovely. Parking is easy with meters on the street or on the nearby side streets. Wonderful staff, beautiful studio, superb teachers. What more could I wish for!
After trying several pilates studios in L.A. Harmony Studios is hands-​down the best!

Consistently an outstanding experience based on about 20 visits over the last two months. The Instructors, Owner, Front-​Desk, Equipment, Location, Schedule, Cleanliness, Online sign-​up, and Pricing are all that I could ask for. I’ve tried several pilates studios over the years and this is the best one so far. The small classes and extremely experienced and friendly instructors really make a difference. That and the great clientele it attracts makes for a very comfortable experience. So glad I found it.

Harmony Studios is the best place to find state-​of-​the-​art training in Pilates, fitness, TRX, Power Plate, Tower Pilates and yoga and more. I get to train my clients here and teach classes. The ambience is always harmonious. Staff is friendly. Little dogs often greet you. The design is lovely, with skylights and mellow enveloping color scheme. The equipment is spic and span, and there’s even a shower for after your workout.

This update is long overdue.
The original review was written immediately after I’ve been informed via email that I’ve lost out on 2 classes that I did not attend… with a bit of over-​dramatization, frustration and ire. During one of the e-​mail exchanges to work out schedule for my next class (back in October), I made known of my frustration re: the complex scheduling process to Karen, the owner. Who, in turn, was accommodating, generous, and was more than willing to restore my Groupon credits so that I can redeem the 3 classes remaining, even beyond the expiration date.
I went online, checked all the available reformer classes in the EVENINGS, (unavailable during the day time, due to work), and offered Karen 4 – 5 options that may work for me. Karen replied, informed me I am now signed up for 1 of the options, while the other ones will be unknown, until the day of. Since they do not want to overcrowd a class of 4 with more than 1 Groupon user; essentially, the instructor will not be paid adequately. Which I completely understand and can sympathize with.
However, that still brings me right back to square one: multiple email exchanges and ongoing wait-​listing (as a Groupon user) so that I can get into 1 class.
I want to end by reiterating that the experiences I’ve had with the instructors and owner were all positive; these are top grade teachers. I want the business to do well; I felt bad that the instructors were underpaid b/​c of us Groupon users. But I still think there’s gotta be an easier way to register for classes w/​out having to exchange email 5 times, or be kept unknown of my registration status until the day of.

Cannot say enough things about this place and before I start, I should preface this review with the important caveat that I generally loathe any form of indoor exercise (I like hiking, running, tennis, etc).
Having said that, I am hooked on Pilates at Harmony Studios-​almost 6 months and running. Jen O. has done a killer job in working with me to develop my strength and phsyique, particularly in my lats, abs and obliques. I see the difference in the way my clothes fit and my posture and I really like that we do many different exercises (a dream for someone with a limited attention span like me).
I have also had great experiences training with both Jen T. and the studio’s owner, Karen.

Got a Groupon and took 3 group reformer classes here. Overall a good experience, but not quite what I’m looking for.
Pros:
beautiful, well-​cared for studio and equipment.
traditional reformers, as opposed to the new space-​age ones, are actually much less likely to injure you, especially if you are not very experienced.
extremely knowledgeable, attentive teachers. KT and Jen rocked. Highly recommend if you dont have a lot of pilates experience.
TINY class size. It’s like 5 or 6 people tops. Feels like a quasi-​private.
Doesn’t feel like a pilates factory like some of the other places.
Cons:
Not as many classes to choose from as other group pilates places.
Doesn’t kick your butt the way some of the other places do. If you are just starting, this is great. If you have been at it a while and are in great shape, you’re gonna want somewhere tougher.
Expensive.
Occasionally there is someone getting a private lesson while you are in a group class, just five feet away from you, and two trainers talking at the same time can be annoying/​distracting

I really wanted to like this studio, but sadly I have found it rather «meh»…
Let me start with the good…
–On the weekend parking is super easy. Each time I have gone I got a spot directly out front.
–Classes are much smaller than other studios.
–The studio is very nice and very clean.
–Very friendly staff.
The not so good…
–Signing up for classes isn’t very streamlined. No online signups like at most studios. Not a major ding, but certainly an inconvenience.
–Simply put these classes are just not as challenging as other studios. The teachers are knowledgable and sweet, but the classes I have gone to felt like pilates with training wheels. When I spend time and money on exercise classes I want to get my butt kicked! I want to feel sore the next day! Sadly, I just don’t get that here.
I still have 3 classes that I have paid for, so fingers crossed that my future experiences are a little better!

I heart Jen T! I trained with her before my wedding & got in amazing shape. She’s awesome one on one but her Sunday class is great too… it’s always full so sign up early.:) I know working out Sunday morning doesn’t sound like fun but the studio is so quiet and it is really a treat!
Jen’s training style is very intuitive. After all of these years, I’m still amazed at how she can see which muscle I’m working correctly or incorrectly and instruct me on how to adjust my position successfully. She’s the best & the studio is great too!

I’ve tried all sorts of pilates instructors for chronic back pain after my failed spine surgery, but Caroline and Jennifer Cheng at Harmony seem to be the only two people who have been able to help reduce my pain and increase my core strength ALL IN A COUPLE OF VISITS!
Of course I’m not healed in just a few visits, but the fact I obtained significant relief in such a short amount of time after shelling out tons of money on orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists should demonstrate how much they can help you too.