Shape Up NYC

The first studio I visited was Bikram Yoga Union Square (BYUS). BYUS is located on Broadway between 13th and 14th Street, it is very easy to get to off the 4,5,6 subway. You walk into the building and take an elevator up. The reception area was very nice and smelled very good, which is a huge plus for a Bikram Yoga Studio, most studios you will go to will smell. The receptionist was very nice and gave me the first time student special which is for unlimited classes for 1 week for  $20. Towels, mats, and water all cost extra. I was prepared and brought my own mat and water.

When you go to a Bikram Yoga class you want to have a mat, a large towel for your mat, a small towel to wipe yourself off during class and a large bottle of water. Do NOT wear pants, you will sweat so much during this class that it will be uncomfortable after. The best apparel for Bikram is shorts (the tighter the better and I would not recommend cotton, trust me), and a tank top.

I walked into the locker room which was rather small and had three showers, I was happy I lived close enough that I did not have to shower there. After putting my stuff away I walked into the room. The room was a decent size and had blue carpeting. There will large windows at the end of the room. I laid my stuff at and laid down until class started. By the time class was starting the room was filled, not only were there newbies there were the super serious Bikram Yogi’s that you could tell went to class every other day. I had taken a class with Otto Cedeno. He walked into the room and immediately had us start. I can not lie but for the first 30 minutes of class I wanted to cry. Otto was very serious and made sure that we took the class serious too. If we were not coming up at the same time or holding it, he would have us do it again. I was thinking I would never do this again but as the class went along I started to understand why he did that. He said “He loves practicing Bikram Yoga because it makes him as strong as the practice is.” Which is true it is a very strong practice and if you stick through the entire class you feel very empowered and refreshed (apart from that the fact that you look like you jumped into the pool and you need to take a shower immediately). During the class Otto made sure to let fresh air into the room and helped everyone perfect their positions. He made everyone push themselves but knew where peoples limitations were.

By the end of class I was so happy I came and I was glad that Otto pushed me to do better. I really liked Bikram Yoga Union Square, the staff was friendly, the room smelled good (which is rare), and it was a great class. The only thing I did not like was how small the locker rooms were. After class all the women were lined up to take a shower and there was barely any privacy. I sadly did not get to come back anymore that week due to my hectic schedule but I would have gone back if I had time. I will be trying Bikram Yoga NYC and Bikram Yoga Manhattan soon and I will let you know what I think and which is the best studio out of the three. Bikram Yoga Union Square only has one location so if you live next to Union Square your in luck. To find out more information on the Studio go to www.bikramyogaunionsquare.com.

Picture from Forbes.com

Filed under: Workouts | Tagged: Bikram Yoga, Union Square | 5 Comments »