Alameda Yoga Station

Rebecca’s class is very personalized. It’s so relaxing you wouldn’t know you dozed off during a cool down.

I went to my first yoga class when I was 50-​something, and I soon found out how much difference having the «right» instructor can make. Yoga offers so many different levels and textures of experience that the practice does not reveal itself after only one session.
For me, the journey has been very interesting, but sometimes disappointing when I’ve found myself in a class where I just didn’t find the connection that I wanted from the shala or the instructor. So, I let it slide, for almost two years. I wanted a particular kind of teacher, and I only wanted to do Ashtanga yoga. (What a snob!)
Then a few weeks ago, I realized I was losing all the flexibility and physical balance that I had gained, and said, «That’s it! Back to yoga,» and I decided to go to Alameda Yoga Station’s Wednesday evening classes with Deborah Crooks. What a treat. It was just like getting money from home.
Deborah is the real deal. She has studied in Mysore and in Goa, and she has integrated her practice wonderfully and seamlessly into her life. Her style of teaching is very patient and compassionate, and she quickly tailors her instruction to the skills and the needs of the individuals in the room.
I also greatly appreciate the simplicity of the studio: clear open space, hardwood floors, and contemplative atmosphere. I leave every session smiling, and looking forward to the next time. I hope more people will find their way to Deborah’s class — and to open practice on Tuesday and Thursday mornings — to help create an Ashtanga community in Alameda.

I am pregnant with my second child and my Doctor basically ordered me to do prenatal yoga to help with physical difficulties I was encountering. I was pretty nervous about going to a class, having not done yoga in about 7 years. I soon found out I had nothing to worry about. The instructor Rebecca is amazing. She made me feel welcome and comfortable. She really created an atmosphere of friendliness amongst all of the students. It was a hard workout and my legs were sore the next day. Which I love because I definitely need to improve my muscle tone to help with post delivery weight loss. The price is great and I couldn’t recommend this class more.

I was intimidated by yoga and put off trying it for years. I’m so glad I finally pushed myself to go to Alameda Yoga Station. It’s an unpretentious and welcoming place to learn yoga. I was very impressed with all of the classes I tried (Intro, Beginning, Restorative, Feldenkrais). The instructors were all friendly and helpful, especially Dina, Katrina, and Sandy. I would give them 5 stars if they would improve the soundproofing and replace the yoga straps.

I could not even bend over last year. I started with the introductory class, and now I’m in the beginners class. I can now touch my toes. Plenty of room and a nice calming atmosphere.
My instructor Dina is AMAZING!

Alameda Yoga Station has changed my life for the better. I met Sandy almost a year ago and was very skeptical to yoga. I had done some DVDs and thought that was good enough. I enrolled in her Beginner’s Yoga Class and haven’t looked back. Not only is she an amazing teacher but she really cares about her students. We work on form and she offers incredible feedback when doing poses. She has also helped and encouraged me with poses that I never thought I could do. When I accomplish the more difficult ones I feel amazing and definitely empowered. Yoga is now a part of my Sunday and I look forward to it each week. I feel the difference in my body and spirit when I attend [as opposed to missing a class]. Yoga is not about being flexible — it’s about taking care of yourself in every way.
I also love the new studio space. It’s a lot bigger and parking is a ton easier — I’m happy with the decision the studio made. For the first couple of weeks, the studio was a bit noisy due to a martial arts studio next door — Sandy worked to sound proof the place! Again, she puts her students and their well-​being first!
I regularly take different workshops and am excited for all the things that the studio has to offer. I can’t imagine where’d I’d be without the discovery of Alameda Yoga Station!

I’ve gone to prenatal yoga here maybe 4 or 5 times, wish I went a lot more. Instructor Ande Ball has been so committed to caring for me as a yoga student. I really feel supported by her.
Her devotion to Yoga and to instructing, makes such a noticeable difference. She takes her time to slowly move through poses gently and is patient as she guides me through the process.
On several occations it’s just been her and I in the class and she continues with the full length of the class being very generous with her time and skill.

I have been taking yoga classes at the Alameda Yoga Station and have loved the physical studio and the instructors (Betsy, Ada, Marcia, Nancy & Johanna), but all that has changed when they moved to their new location on Lincoln and Grand. The parking is difficult and the studio feels like an auditorium in an old high school, but the worst problem is the noise. The studio is located on street level and during class not only do you hear traffic and the conversations of people walking by, the studio is sandwiched between a busy martial arts studio and a business that is equipped with video games and provides parties for children. There is no sound insulation on either side and during class you will hear yelling, screaming, clapping, etc. I am sure the owners got a good deal on the rental rate but I do not think enough thought went in to providing a peaceful place for the students. Unfortunately, after many years I am going to have to bid the AYS adieu and find a new place to practice yoga.

Teachers are knowledgable and space is inviting. Community seems to be a bit undisciplined and unfocused for my taste though. Priced just a little more than other studios I prefer as well. But if in Alameda, convenience is nice.

A bit pricey, and if you take Betsy’s classes, be prepared for a lot of partner work– no staying in your own sterile yoga bubble here. If you are as immature and prone to laughing fits as I am, you may need to prepare yourself for this aspect of her classes. But I always leave her class feeling great, and am properly sore the next day, so I know I’ve gotten my money’s worth.

I have now taken 3 classes at AYS and cannot say enough wonderful glowing things about the teachers (Johanna, Rebecca, and Betsy).
From relaxation to meditation to beginning yoga, everyone is warm and an excellent teacher.
If you are near Alameda, this is worth adding to your life.

thank you, alameda yoga station!
achieving kama sutra position orgasms and fitting properly into a size 4 in french connection pant suits are no longer sick jokes/​pipe dreams!
namaste!

I so love Sandy Blaine at Alameda Yoga Station.
In my past life I was a dancer, and so I do know the difference between a teacher that truly understands one’s body and pushes you to improve, as opposed to all the horrible, horrible, horrible gym yoga teachers who never correct you and have no clue why certain postures are good for certain people or in certain combinations.
whew was that enough of a run on sentence?
Anyways, SO worth the money, I have improved a LOT since attending this studio, and my husband joined a year ago and credits it with improving his back.

I have taken 2 Sunday prenatal yoga drop-​in classes for $ 16. I didn’t want to commit to a series until I tried the teacher out. I had the regular teacher the first time and a substitute teacher yesterday.
The studio is warm and inviting. Give them a try if you are looking for a new yoga class!

I had long heard about the unfortunately named «Alameda Yoga Station» (was Alameda Yoga Mart or Alameda Yoga Depot already taken?), but I also really wanted to take the Self-​Myofascial Release class that sounded perfect for me. After navigating through the quaint streets of Alameda, I found the studio hidden (or nestled, since it was so cute) behind the Starbucks off the main drag.
There was nothing Station-​y or impersonal about the studio: it had one brick wall, which all good yoga studios must have, and most importantly: a bathroom NOT DIRECTLY LOCATED NEXT TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE PRACTICING! (Yoga studio planners: for the love of god, give at least a little space, or a hallway or something so that people can go to the bathroom in peace, and not a foot away from where people are quietly stretching or breathing with great purpose. Design your studio like this place, NOT like a studio apartment.) Luckily, the floor plan of Alameda Yoga allowed for many people to fit into the hard wooded floor area but also allow people to change and take off their shoes near the bathroom. It was a floor plan done correctly. Probably my second favorite feature: the studio’s windows. I was happy to look out the wide and open windows, from my corner spot in the sutdio, onto so much clean Alameda air. I zoned out and stared at the trees during my peaceful yoga high.
The class itself was incredibly educational. Ada was funny, but not in that dreaded, boring, new-​agey way. Her teaching style was very fluid and encouraged questions. (She also has a gift for remembering people’s names, which I found charming/​eerie.) I’ve run into a few teachers where they act like a god who has come down from the heavens to teach a class, but Ada was just a normal person with the same aches and pains and body issues we all have. This made me love every second of the class.
Two hours well spent. Would certainly return if they offered an Ashtanga class, since I told myself I would dust off that practice, but most likely I’ll be back for the odd class that they offer since Ashtanga, if I recall, was sort of hard, but man: I was in really good shape back then.
Namaste!

I heart the Alameda Yoga Station!
I am in grad school, also work, and have a very tight schedule… I had been searching for a way to keep my strength up and butt smaller, that wasn’t too expensive and works with my chaotic schedule… the Yoga Station fits in great…
I’ve been taking lessons from Sandy Blaine (one of the co-​owners) and she is fantastic! First lesson she checks in with you both beforehand and afterward!!! Makes sure everything is in check, answers questions, addresses any injuries… Better customer service than Nordstrom! No joke!
I had only been doing Yoga in my living room, with DVD’s…guessing that my poses were right. Who knew a little hip tweek to the left and shifting your foot a millimeter to the right makes all the difference…
Thanks to the Alameda Yoga Station… I am now slowly being converted to a Yoga junkie… and I LOVE it!!!

This place is one of the several reasons I LOVE living in Alameda. There are so many options for seasoned yogis and people new to the yoga scene. Check out their website for daily drop-​in classes and special workshops.
Three days/​week they have Community Yoga — which is quite reasonably priced. I go on Mondays at 12:15; the teacher, Amanda, is an ex-​physical therapist.
On Tuesday nights I go to a gentle yoga class taught by Nancy. I’ve been to several other classes — with various teachers — and they’re all really quite wonderful. It’s really a matter of what you want out of yoga — some are pretty mellow and meditative while others are more like a fast-​paced exercise class. I prefer mellow.

Let me tell you about the first time I tried yoga…
I had just injured my knees while training for a marathon. I was depressed. Others suggested I try yoga. I bought a mat and a video and tried some poses in my apartment. Then the video got to a pose that involved being on hands and knees and then extending out an arm and opposing leg so as to balance on remaining limbs. This was cake! Why? My arm and leg were able to rest on two different couches in my living room. I then stopped and spent the rest of the day rearranging, dismantling, and reassembling (somehow having screws left over) furniture just to make my living room more conducive to yoga. I got sore and told yoga to %$#@ off.
Two years later, I injure my knee again from running. I was at a restaurant and shared this info with the lady sitting next to me. She then starts laughing. WTF?! It turns out that she was Sandy Blaine: co-​director of this studio and author of «Yoga for Healthy Knees.» Some time later, I signed up to take an intro class at her studio.
My instructor is the other co-​director, Betsy. She is very cool and able to somehow work with many different body types and fitness/​flexibility levels. Because she is a kindergarten teacher, she gives very descriptive metaphors for how to set up your body and props. I was also accomodated for when I walked into class with a back injury. I was even more pleased to find that I am actually very flexible. Now I just can’t stop posing and bending! I cannot wait to try other instructors or styles.
Is this studio any better or worse than the plethora of other studios in the Oakland/​Berkeley area that all seem to have phone numbers to the tune of (510) ###-YOGA? I couldn’t tell you because I have only tried this one. But I do like it! The studio is clean, in a great location, environmentally friendly, and seems to have a great variety of things to try. They have another intro class with Sandy starting soon and I recommend it most highly. I also recommend yoga to guys. Seriously, your odds are pretty high in a yoga class!

This is a beautiful light filled space with great feng shui. They owners really care about the community and they offer more than just yoga, Music Together for parents with 0 – 5 year olds, Family Yoga, Tai Ji & Qi Gong and a parenting class based on nonviolent communication. What a great community resource!

Wow! the new Alameda Yoga station has such a great view! One of the best in Alameda. Also now the bathroom is INSIDE! yeah. this place has some of the best teachers in all of the east bay since they are all groomed by the most excellent owners, Sandy and Betsy. Yoga station is the best place to get that relaxed noodle effect and to make it better, they are going to have massage there. Also the location is great, parking is no problem, I found a space right out front and bought my Peet’s beans less than a block away, definitely worth traveling for. My favorite teachers? ALL OF THEM!