Bikram Yoga Glasgow

I gave it a try since I recently moved in the west end and wanted to start exercising again. I ve practised yoga for years but never did I try hot yoga. Well, I don’t wanna base my idea of the whole practice of hot yoga according to my experience at this venue. Which was pretty gross. As soon as you enter the studio, you’re hit in the nose with a fire ball of sweat. Which make your eyes water. So you wipe your eyes. And wish you hadn’t. I’m not a prude but I wasn’t expecting to see a dozen men in their underwear. If you manage to pass those steps and decide to stay, the class is pretty interesting, but a wee bit too long if you ask me. 1h and a half of normal yoga yes, but hot yoga gets to your head. I’ve been 4 times and felt dizzy every time and had to sit. Ended up not using the 10 classes I had purchased.

I have been going to BikramGlasgow for just over two months and I LOVE it! Although I have done lots of yoga over the years I had never tried Bikram. I’d kept wondering about trying it but somehow I felt intimidated by Bikram. I thought I might not be able to cope with the heat, might pass out or feel ill. I was also a bit worried about all the girls wearing bikinis and blokes in tiny Daniel Craig shorts. Well, I’ve got to tell you I was wrong on every level! It turns out I can cope with the heat and I feel OK — yes its seriously hot but it really is OK. And as for my nervousness about Bikram attire, that was unfounded too. People wear whatever they’re comfortable in. So yes there are bikinis and small shorts but there’s also plenty of leggings and tops.
This place is very friendly. From the minute you first arrive and are greeted with a smile, all the staff are warm and welcoming. They even bother to learn your name. The instructors are all quite different and I like that — if you’re going regularly its good to get a bit of variety. Some help you more than others, some are very supportive and encouraging but they’re all pretty consistent with the classes of course because the Bikram routine is set in stone.
The changing rooms are quite small and can get really busy if one class has just ended and another is about to start. This isn’t a huge issue though as people are quick about getting showered and changed.
If you’re going to be going regularly it can get a bit much keeping up with all the towel washing — luckily they operate a towel and mat scheme so that can save you all the laundry hassle and means you’re not lugging a mat and towel to and from class.
There is a brilliant opening offer — 30 days for £30. After that you can move onto buying classes 10 at a time (£120), or move onto one of the monthly rates. I pay £58 pcm for unlimited usage.
This review is of the studio rather than Bikram per se. There’s lots of info about the benefits of Bikram on the web so I won’t go on and on about it. Suffice to say it will tone you like crazy, you’ll feel amazing and your skin will be softer than you can ever remember!

Turns out I’m not a fan of Bikram yoga. I’m also not a fan of this studio.
It’s not all bad, the studio has a number of good points, so I’ll cover them first.
There are LOTS of classes — they pretty much run continuously throughout the day, so there’s bound to be a time to suit most people. The staff are lovely. I attended two classes and spoke to 5 employees and they were all really nice.
The studio floor is amazing. It looks like wood laminate, but it’s actually fuzzy, like an Action Man’s head. It’s anti-​bacterial as well. Awesome. And of course, the heat. I LOVE the heat.
There’s a relaxation area for resting afterwards, with comfy seats, and a table and stools. They have free herbal tea which you can help yourself to, which is a nice touch.
OK but now, the not so good points.
The studio is lit by fluorescent tube bulbs. The light is diffused behind baffles on the ceiling, but there are a lot of bulbs, and therefore the studio is really brightly lit. After being in a fluorescently lit office all day, this feels like a continued assault on the senses. It’s not relaxing or comfortable.
The style of yoga. Bikram is just not for me. Clearly a lot of people do it, and it gets them excellent results. It’s just not my thing. The instructors talk constantly. I mean constantly. Constantly. There’s no respite from their voice. And it’s very quick, with rapid changes between postures. Sit up, turn over, go to the top of the mat, turn over, sit up, and on and on. It’s regimented — you’re all supposed to go into the posture at the same time and finish at the same time. Now I have problems with my joints, and am quite often tender and uncomfortable anyway, so I like to take my time to get up off the floor, or onto my back or whatever so I don’t hurt myself. Bikram doesn’t allow for this. It also seems to be geared towards feeling pain. Here’s some quotes from tonight’s class — ‘breathe in until you feel dizzy’, ‘your wrists should be in some pain’, ‘your back’s gonna hurt like hell’. Seriously? I’m doing yoga to help me manage pain, not create more. This seems particularly counter intuitive to my logical head.
I also noticed, as soon as I walked in, that the place just didn’t feel right. Bad vibes man. With a few exceptions (thank you to the nice man beside me tonight who tried to encourage me when I was clearly struggling), it’s not really a friendly studio. The Bikram style probably doesn’t help this — ‘no talking!’, ‘no blinking!’ I’d already felt like I’d had a few glances of cool disinterest/​mild hostility, and in the changing rooms I felt like I was just getting in people’s way, and there was none of the usual ‘oh sorrys’ or muddling round each other like you would get anywhere else. This was sharp contrast to another yoga studio I’ve attended recently, where after two sessions, I felt like I was part of the family. Bikram doesn’t feel like a family, it feels like a bunch of soulless auto-​yogis.
Then at the end of the class, I was sitting in the relaxation area, and a group of students who had been in the same class started bitching. They sniped about the teacher. They sniped about other students — ‘Even though she had said NOT TO take water between postures, there was someone behind me who kept taking water BETWEEN postures’. Oh the audacity! And you’re supposed to breathe quietly — no-​one is supposed to hear you breathe. Fair enough. But apparently some people were breathing too loudly. Loud breathing? Oh the humanity! It felt so wrong to me that students who had just been in a yoga class were bitching about their fellow students and teacher. I’d suggest that this explains the uncomfortable atmosphere, as being in a hot room for 90 minutes with folk who are quietly seething with repressed resentment (possibly towards you if you breathe too loudly or drink water at the wrong time), is not going to feel good.
So Bikram might give you an awesome toned and flexible body, but if being frog-​marched through a yoga drill, under harsh, blue spectrum lighting, does this to your attitude, then I’m out.
I feel sorry for the studio actually, as the people running it seemed lovely. But they need to get better lighting, and nicer clients.

This place is my sanctuary. A sanctuary where everyone is welcomed no matter who you are or what you look like. In a world where judgement is a constant, it’s nice to walk in the Bikram Yoga West End doors and know that not a single person is there to judge you, rather, are there to focus on taking care of themselves. It’s a wonderful thing.
Unassuming, down an alley off Byres road, this place is a gem. I have been practicing here for roughly 3 months (with a few weeks here and there taken off due to visitors to Glasgow and other things happening), but I’m back and I’m well and truly on my way back to the level of fitness I was prior to taking a break.
I never practiced with Stephen and the gang before they opened this Byres Road location, but they have loads of regulars who have been with them from the beginning. I’ve practiced Bikram yoga in the states, so I get the idea of it, but for those of you who have never been, or who are new to start, it’s basically a series of 26 postures done one right after each other in a hot and humid room. It’s 90 minutes of a cardiovascular (no, not running about) yoga workout, all while centering yourself and clearing your head preparing you for your day/​night. It really is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I really start feeling the benefits after day 1.
Don’t be scared to come in and say hello (make sure to take your shoes off at the top of the stairs), the staff and all the teachers are warm and welcoming, as a Yoga studio should be. They have crackin’ deals if you’re a student, and if you’re a student or non-​student, it’s totally worth trying out Bikram Yoga West End as they do a 30 days for £30 deal, with a huge discount on top of the membership prices if you join before the 30 days is over.
Aside from all that loveliness, they have towel and mat rental, and locks for lockers to borrow on the day. They have bottles of plain water and coconut water for sale, and various other snacks and clothing to buy. What’s best is there is a rest and relaxation area where you can gather your thoughts before and/​or after class, have a cup of (free) tea (they usually have 2 flavours going at any moment) and chat with the friends you’ll make. There are also changing areas and showers for those of you on the move and needing to be cleaned up after sweating like crazy!
I’m almost certain I’ve practiced with every teacher here so far, and can assure you that each and every one of them are amazing and teach a little different than the next. All with the same script and postures, but some will correct you if you’re not in the proper posture, and some will just let you on your way and figure it out with your class mates. Personally, I enjoy Sherands classes the best, but maybe that’s just because we’re both American. Hehe, I kid, but she’s really great and is one of the teachers who help you correct your postures to get the maximum benefit from your practice.
All in all, this place is great. Do yourself a favour and check it out. You’ll thank yourself for it!

Disclaimer: I’ve not actually been here in about a year so things might have changed since 2k14!
This super popular studio is extremely good at what it does, but I’m not a massive fan of its limited scope– there is only one routine and all classes are largely the same structure and poses. This is good on one hand because you can really progress and improve your practice, but a little variation wouldn’t hurt!
It’s suuuuuuper hot and sweaty, I definitely felt dizzy the first couple of times, which is not really what I’m looking for in a yoga class… That said, the feeling afterwards is AMAZING! Very energizing and a killer workout.
I had an instructor the first couple of times (I think he’s also the owner) who really encouraged us to push ourselves, almost past our limits and that doesn’t really go with my view of what yoga should be about.
It’s great for the 30 days for 30 pounds deal if you have a lot of free time and really want to go for it, but after that is pretty pricey!
I would recommend it for anyone looking for a really intense, workout-​like yoga class, but not for those interested in more meditative styles.

Hidden in a lane off of Byres road, just across the street from the Hillhead subway station, Bikram Yoga is a great place for yoga adepts.
Bikram sessions consist of a sequence of set yoga poses and last 90 minutes, in a studio heated at about 40 degrees C° (please don’t rely on me for precise measures :-))
I love going there anytime I need to be energised and revitalised. I get truly relaxed after a session, and at the same time full of energy. I should go more often than I do, but I find it hard to keep a routine. After taking their £20 for 20 session offer though, I could really see a difference. Spaced one-​off sessions work as well!
Make sure that you drink a lot before going and avoid eating for 3 hours prior (also avoid drinking the day before, or over-eating…unless you don’t mind getting a bit sick).
I’ve done both early morning and evening sessions. The advantage of the early morning (8.15 in particular) is that you have plenty of space because there is way fewer people attending. The advantage of the evening is that you don’t need to go without having had breakfast :-)
Staff if really nice too. Don’t forget to bring a mat, towel and bottle of water, although you can rent them out as well.
Enjoy!

I was visiting Glasgow for just a few days and happened to walk past a sign for this studio on the way back to my B&B. I’ve done Bikram yoga before so I bought an inexpensive beginner’s package and attended for 2 days and loved it! The instructors were great and everyone was very friendly and welcoming. I rented a mat and towel and the mat didn’t exactly smell the greatest but that was the only downfall I had. Great location near Ashton Lane, would definitely visit again if I’m ever back in Glasgow!

Sign up for any deals you can, when they are offered. Bikram yoga makes you feel amazing, but at £15 per 90 minute session your wallet suffers badly! Not for the faint hearted but if you’re adventurous, they are friendly to beginners here and you will be getting your om on in no time