Summerlin Yoga

I just completed the $25 groupon that this studio offered. Yep, I'm one of those "bargain hunters." :) It's at least the second groupon this studio has offered. So they are obviously benefiting from the extra business.

I won't get much into what actual Bikram yoga is because you can find all that on the internet - the good and the bad. It's just an exercise class to me and I don't really care about the politics about all the different forms of yoga. I will just confirm that it is hot and strenuous. But it's not impossible. And you'll feel pretty relaxed afterwards. Just drink a lot of water before and after.

During the two months, I've take classes from a lot of instructors. Kirk, Kimberly, Olga, Adele, Toni Jo, Stephanie (the owner), Lacey, Michelle, Xenia, and Jason. Believe it or not, that's not all the instructors who happen to work here! I still have yet to catch Melissa or John. All the instructors are really nice and helpful. But they are individuals. Some are pretty funny and easygoing, like Kirk. Others will push you, like Kimberly. They all have your best interests in mind and no instructor intends to be mean or rude. Keep in mind, there are regulars and inside jokes, so what might sound like an insult to an outsider is just a joke. And they are human - sometimes they make mistakes and may not catch every single incorrect pose in a room filled with 40 people.

You need to figure out your own style and, if you have the ability to pick and choose classes, they post online who is teaching when and you can pick your favorite teachers. I tend to be fickle. Some days I want to be pushed, other times I want to just take it easy.

Michelle was probably my favorite instructor but she left to hike from San Diego to Vancouver, teaching yoga along the way. You can track her adventures at www.thehikingyogi.net

Regarding the studio - I would not call it "spacious" like the website says. The locker room (at least for women) is small and there is only one restroom. If you keep anything in the locker room, be prepared to squeeze past sweaty and sometimes sweaty naked people to get to it. I learned to just keep a sweatshirt outside and throw it on after class and head out. I get claustrophobic pretty quick. There are empty leases on either side of the studio so hopefully they can expand some day.

Kind of a cool feature of this yoga studio - they have a traveler's special which is $50 for one week which includes mat and towel rental. I think that is pretty good deal and I don't know of any yoga studios outside of Vegas that do this.

All in all, I like this place a lot. It's a lot more laid back and friendly than other yoga studios in California that I've been too. I got a good deal on classes after my groupon - $160 for 20 classes for a one-day special they were running for Michelle's trip so I'll definitely be back!

I recently was on a business trip in las Vegas and made my way to the summerlin studio. Making it out here is a trek if you are staying on the strip, but if one has a car and gps, it's a fifteen minute drive without traffic.

I had the good fortune of taking Kirk both days I practiced. He is awesome, and I wish I could import him to my regular studio Bikram yoga NYC. I attended a super early class at 545 am and was amazed by a good group of devotees, which gave the studio a great vibe and energy at the crack of dawn. He even took the time to give me corrections despite my being a new face in the class.

So why the three stars???? The facilities look ok. (I didn't shower). Quite frankly it was the SMELL in the studio. It has been a while since I encountered it, and I think it's because all the studios I attend are aggressive clean freaks and / or have moved to more Bikram friendly floor surfaces. For example in my tour of Bikram this year - my home studio bikram yoga nyc and Bethesda, md have anti-microbial carpeting. Likewise, salt lake city had a wooden floor and Oslo has linoleum flooring. Maybe the latter two are no nos but as much as I love Bikram, if I lived in las Vegas I'd have a difficult time practicing as Bikram yoga summerlin for the locker room-like smell in the studio.

I bought the 25 classes for $25 Groupon deal a couple of months ago, but I only finally started my first class today. The teacher was Kelli and based on my extremely limited experience with yoga, she seems like a very good guru who genuinely enjoys teaching and helping you improve.

Overall, the studio is nice with interesting and appropriate decor. The locker room might be on the small side, but I'm guessing the ratio of men to women is small, so the men's room is perfectly adequate.

After a week of attending this yoga studio, I was no longer able to ignore my loudly-clanging bullshit detector, and had to quit. Nothing personal against this particular franchise...my beef is with Bikram yoga in general. Doing a Bikram class feels like working out at the Jonestown Athletic Club!

Bikram devotees strike me as slightly brainwashed in their adherence to the cult of Bikram. This is reinforced at the end of every class, when everyone utters a monotone "Namaste" in unison, while laying flat on the floor with heels touching and palms out. Heaven's Gate, anyone?

Another thing I found creepy is that the instructors are required to recite pretty much word-for-word from a script. Funny quips and jokes are more robotic, less funny when you've heard them over and over ("Japanese ham sandwich"). They also have to repeat Bikram's mangled English ("Put your exactly forehead to your knee"). Exactly forehead? WTF is that?

I'm not blaming the instructors -- it's Bikram himself (Bikram Choudhury, who devised this regimen in the early '70s) who insists that all his franchisees follow his shtick TO THE LETTER if they want to keep teaching. Yes that's right -- FRANCHISEES; it's a freakin' FRANCHISE that will set you back $10,000 and then $1,000 a month. That's in addition to the $10,500 fee for taking the required instructors' course. Think of all the Bikram studios across the U.S. The humble yogi is raking it in!

Well, at least he's honest about it. Direct quote from Bikram: "Bikram yoga is so big. This is a bathroom slipper you buy (for) $2 in Kmart. But you put Bikram on it, it'll sell for $35 in a second." I'll give him props for his balls. Oh, speaking of his balls, here's another direct quote: "I'm beyond Superman. I have balls like atom bombs, two of them, 100 megatons each. Nobody fucks with me."

Indeed, back in 2000 he sued a couple of yoga techers in CA for teaching a modified version of Bikram (they had the audacity to add music and lower the thermostat in the room from the sacrosanct 105 degrees, 40% humidity). The case was settled out of court.

In addition to these ethical quibbles, I'm not so sure about the health benefits of doing a strenuous workout in a 105-degree room. They say I will sweat out all the "toxins" in my system. As far as I know, sweat is just salt and water. I didn't see any booze, shrooms or trans fats rolling down my face.

I was going to finish my 30-day trial membership at Bikram Yoga Summerlin, just to give it a fair shake. Maybe I'd end up getting over my reservations, lose 10 pounds, become more grounded, and be able to sleep well again....???

Then I came to my senses and went back to Las Vegas Athletic Club... which costs me $9/month and offers a variety of un-copyrighted, unpretentious yoga classes. Holla!

Of all people, my dad talked me into my first Bikram yoga experience. He had been frequenting the studio and lost quite a bit of weight, slept better at night, just overall felt better. I had heard of Bikram before and was convinced I would vomit if I stepped foot in a 105 degree room with 40% humidity with yoga involved. Also I had not been to the gym in months!! Imagine my fear!

Upon walking in, I was greeted with smiles. Kurt checked me in and ensured I had a yoga mat, water, and towels which I had since my dad had educated me on what to bring. Upon stepping in to the room, I was hit in the face with the smell of sweat but became acclimated to it quite quickly. I set my mat and towels on the floor and proceeded to follow the instructions of Patrizia. She was both encouraging and demanding. She knew it was my first time so she made sure to direct me and give a little extra instruction.

I felt like I was going to vomit, I felt like I might pass out but I got through the 90 minutes!! The 2nd time I went, I felt much better than the 1st.

One month later and I am a huge fan! I like going to the 5:30a class. It's not as crowded and it just feels so good to start the day sweating it out!

Go for the $40 one month unlimited trial and sweat it out!

I was a hot yoga first timer and had the opportunity to take a free class here a few days ago. I have no yardstick by which to measure Bikram yoga, so I could be totally off (seems like it by the low star rating) but everyone in the studio was super nice and I felt like the teacher was in tune with Bikram while also being in tune with people who aren't Bikram devotees.

Upon walking in, I thought that there was a massive dog bath in the room with me. Were all the dogs ever getting bathed in the room? NOPE, just the stank sweat of undoubtedly hundreds of others who had previously signed up for this strange ritualistic class.

George was my instructor and he was funny and provided me with corrections when I wasn't doing the poses right. I have to say that I was getting pretty exhausted by the middle/end of class and I wanted to just lay there and bake to death instead of try. I suppose that would go away with time but I don't know if I can go through Bikram that often, if ever again.

It's true what they say though--that afterwards it will be so worth it and you will feel amazing. I did. I drank the Kool-Aid. I felt so great until four hours later I passed out for 12 hours. It took a lot out of me! I did not drink enough water AFTER the class which I feel like I am still paying for several days later.

I had a good experience here and would consider going again--if I could get the gumption to commit to another scorching 90 minutes.

Great studio and great instruction!

I was recently able to slip a class from Bikram Yoga Summerlin into my busy schedule during a work trip in Vegas.

Coming to this location was worth the travel and time. I'm a regular Bikram practitioner, so it was amazing being able to take such a solid class within a great environment while away from my home studio. Thank you!

I have been taking Pilates Reformer and Pilates Mat classes for a couple of years now and love it. But I also love it for the instructor I go to. I was skeptical to try a new location and am SO glad I did!!! I went on a Saturday and the class was small (which I love because you get more adjustments from the instructor.
I absolutely loved the flow and left feeling like a great full body workout. Reagan was a lot of fun and great instructor! She picked up on the variety of levels each of us were at and shared modifications for everyone including next level poses to challenge us. I live almost out in Boulder City but have no problem making the drive to her class. It is well worth it!!!

Only went here once, and that was enough. I even had a $45 groupon that I didn't redeem because I was disgusted with the facilities.

If I'm paying approx $15/class I least expect there to be hot water and working drains. I couldn't stand the smell either. The carpet was disgusting. The smell was difficult to get past since it was a grey construction grade carpeting.

The only reason I didn't give this studio one star was because some instructors I like have days they teach here. I know they can't help the poor facilities.

This place was amazing! I was visiting for a week and took advantage of their $50 for 7 days traveler deal: which includes 2 towels, a water and a mat each time you go. That is the most amazing yoga deal that I've heard of, anywhere.

To make everything even more awesome, everyone at the studio was nice to me; especially Kirk, who I saw everyday. I've never done Bikram away from my home studios, so I wasn't expecting anyone to remember my name or care that I was there. However, each teacher (I had 3 different ones) remembered my name and gave me some corrections. I thought I'd just blend in, but I didn't. And this was exactly what I wanted! I had hoped to get a few new corrections and go somewhere new in my practice. I would highly recommend this studio. The room is big, the locker room has some nice extras and its a pretty modern place.

Thanks Bikram Yoga Summerlin!