Bikram Laguna Beach Yoga

I feel like a human pretzel: all twisted up then baked at high temperature! Welcome to the world of Bikram Yoga.

They run 6~8 classes every single day of the week (3 classes on Sat and sun), to accommodate people's busy schedules. Towels are also provided during class and after class for showers - very nice. My only complaint is that the room always smells bad and the carpet is really dirty.

Instructors and fellow students are all very attractive looking, definitely helps get me through class. :)

*Ring, Ring*
Me: Hello?
Annie: Hey, What are you doing?
Me: Just getting hot and sweaty and checking myself in the mirror. What'ca doing?
Annie: nothing... just thinking of you. What'ca wearing?
Me: Just my boxer briefs.
Annie: ooo, that's nice. Are they the bright yellow ones that I like?
Me: Yes, the ones that hug my butt. Sorry to cut you short, but I'm not sure where this conversation is headed. I gotta go, my Bikram Yoga class is about to start. BYE!

Don't knock it till you try it. Yea, it's not the most manly thing to do, but I kind of like this class. My last roommate that I lived with swore this was the best way to lose weight. A couple weeks later she dropped mad weight and became a super model. no joke. This place offered a 10-Class Groupon for 25 bucks. Since I'm a bit of a bargain hunter I decided to give this place a try.

The studio itself is very small. There's 2 shower stalls and one toilet in the boys "locker" room. They don't have actual lockers, but they do provide cubbies for you to put your stuff. Since there's only 1 instructor at a time, they will lock the front doors during class, so the only people you need to worry about jacking your stuff are your classmates.

The classes are 90-minutes long. There are pretty strict rules, but they're not that hard to follow. Just do what the instructor says and you will be fine. You will get sweaty doing the stretches. Make sure you bring lots of water and form fitting closes. It's a good idea for guys to go shirtless and ladies to rock the sports bras. For a place that accommodates for 60-100 sweaty people a day, it's pretty clean. Slight BO smells, but that's expected.

Overall, I haven't seen dramatic weight loss results, but I can say my hunchback feels a hell of a lot better. The first time is really hard, but it gets exponentially easier. I'd recommend this place.

About my credentials:
I'm one of the 66% of Americans that's obese. I try my best to stay fit by playing on my Wii, working out at the gym after work, and playing sports on the weekends. I'm not super sporty and try to eat healthy. The problem is I don't really control my portions, so that's why I'm still chubby.

Carpet reeks of a quadrillion bacterial-fungal colonies per sq/inch.
The only thing that is worst was the instructor who berated us for being late, singled out and shamed people by name for 90 minutes, and vented her own 'stuff' about dysfunctional home life and her weird yoga journey of self-loathing and self-adulation.

It's all about the teacher and prepare to be shamed. Oh, and she claps like a dog trainer when you do sit ups and says "if you think I'm a bitch, you should see me at home!" Weird. Really creepy. Don't go unless you think yoga is about shame, competition, and fascism.

Thanks Andrew W for reminding me to review them again.

Let me just say that NO ONE that works here is friendly. I went to multiple class and all the instructors and rude and arrogant!!! I did continue to visit here because I had a package and I truly enjoy bikram yoga.
The final straw at the last class I went to was BUGS. The carpet smells of cat urine, horrible BO and is stained with so much body fluid that it causes waves of nausea. So, back to my last class. This instructor was by far the worst. I was struggling with concentration based on the fact that there were 100's of ants crawling all over the floor around my mat, on my mat and my towel.
Having to do a lot of floor postures, no one wants to smell the wafting stench of the floor and FOR SURE no one wants to have bugs crawling over them.

I said something to the instructor on the way out and I was brushed off. I emailed the owner and never have gotten a response.
You can keep my money, maybe it can go to sanitizing the facility.

If you have any health concerns. Body ring worm, respiratory issues, or problems with bugs....DONT GO HERE.

Sara B needs to update her review because we both quit. I because I almost vomited in class one day (it's so overly hot in there at any given time 5 people are always sitting down or walking out) and the carpeting is NEVER CLEANED. It smells like cat piss and wicked BO. There is absolutely no way the carpeting is even close to sanitary and I would assume most if not all of the clients will develop respiratory problems and fungal infections. Sara B also has a fun story about ants taking over and instructors being dicks.

There should be 10 times as many 1 star reviews but people probably don't even bother complaining because they just want to forget they ever went. Read other negative reviews. Take a class. See if you experience what we did.

1.5 hours of getting sweaty with a bunch of flexible strangers. Hmmm...yeah, that sounds more like an orgy than a workout to me too. I think the words "orgy" and "workout" can sometimes be interchangeable though. Don't worry, everyone keeps their pants on at Bikram Yoga. Try to dress as cool as possible though because it gets really effin hot! The recommended temperature for Bikram Yoga is 105F degrees and about 40% humidity, so don't be shy about coming in a bathing suit (a lot of regulars do). If possible, do NOT have your mat by the heater. I did last time (dumb blonde moment) and I thought I was going to die. Usually I don't feel like I'm going to die though...don't be scared :) You'll feel fantastic when the class is over (and not just because it IS over)...you'll feel like a new man/woman/asexual being.

The classes are $20 a session, but you can buy a package of classes and get a better deal. I believe they also have student and military discounts...or maybe I'm just making stuff up now.

Bikram Yoga Laguna Beach is open 7 days a week with several class times each day.

The instructors are pretty hard on beginners or those who don't hold every pose perfectly.

NOT a studio for beginners. Seems to be suited for a more 'serious'/experienced cliental.

For beginners, this studio is probably a pretty good choice. It's not as hot as the Laguna Hills, Costa Mesa or Irvine studios. They aren't too tough on you - just don't be in the front if you don't want to be critiqued.

I get a cooler vibe here in general from this studio. Maybe it's because it's not my regular one, or the people there are all really close, but they just don't seem as welcoming as the Costa Mesa or Irvine locations, even at the Laguna Hills location the two teachers (a husband and wife team) are happier. Laguna Beach studio is more reserved, they don't explain the benefits as much as other studios do.

Like the Costa Mesa location, they do the whole "turn off your mat for triangle pose" thing that I really dislike. It doesn't let beginners get a good grip on the ground so they can strengthen their legs to get the posture right for triangle, so they end up getting a terrible posture (hips up instead of down).

It's in a great location, the facilities are really clean, and they provide you with towels. These things saved it from being a two star experience for me.

Note: they do NOT let you come back into the room if you leave during class to go to the restroom or be sick or whatever. I don't like this. I don't advocate people leaving during class, but if I gotta go, I gotta go - I want to be able to come back in, especially if I'm dropping 20 bucks a class.

Note to beginners: lightweight clothing (sports bra and shorts for girls, swim trunks, etc. for guys) - stretch pants are a bad idea if you aren't used to the heat of at least Vinyasa or Ashtanga. You need shorts and short sleeves so your limbs can move down your body during compression and twisting postures - use your sweat to your advantage.

If I have to - I'll go here, but I much prefer the Irvine and Costa Mesa locations to this one.

Not only was it my first Bikram experience, it was my first real YOGA experience. Double whammy!

So for $25 you can go as many times as you want for two weeks. A single class is $20 (ouch), so obviously you'll want to do the $25 deal.

Overall, I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. And I almost died.

-The instructor was fantastic! I wish I got her name. She doesn't normally teach the 6:30 p.m. class that we went to, so I can't even look it up. She was a little older with dark hair. Anyway, she was great. She went a little slower on the poses, helped us out and corrected us to show us proper form, and when I was about to DIE of heat, she opened the door for about 30 seconds so I didn't pass out. THANK GOD. Seriously....

-THE HEAT. Oh the HEAT! It's like 105 degrees with a bazillion percent humidity. You're dripping sweat before she makes you contort your body into a pretzel. So fun, right?!

-I have a super nose, and while the smell wasn't pleasant, it wasn't THAT bad. It's worse when you're on the floor and there is definitely a noticeable smell, but what the heck do you expect when you have a hundred bodies sweating in a room throughout the day, every day. I definitely had to psych myself up for it, though, because smells can seriously bother me. I went in expecting the worse, so it didn't seem so bad.

-I got a rug burn on my elbow. WTF? Watch your elbows while doing the floor poses!

If you're hesitant about doing Bikram, just try it! I'm fat and hate the heat. If I can do it, so can you! PS..I'm going again tonight. Who convinced me to do this, anyway??

My fiancé and I have been practicing Bikram Yoga all over the country and we absolutely love the Laguna Beach location. If you have the opportunity to take a class go here !!! The location is fantastic with ocean view and the studio is always clean.

I personally love Patrice's classes. She is so helpful and is always trying to guide you to have the best class you can possibly have each time. I have noticed my postures have come so far just with the few pointers she's given me along the way. I practiced for 5 years at the Fort Lauderdale Florida location which I loved but it's nothing compared to a class in Laguna. I have found that all the instructors in Laguna are very knowledgable and helpful during the practice. They are all great !

My mom, aunt and cousin all do Bikram in Larchmont, New York and I can't wait for them to come visit and take a class in Laguna Beach. I'm sure they will rave after how fabulous it was l.


Namaste