Bikram Yoga Aptos

I really want to give this studio 5 stars because so far I LOVE the Bikram classes here. The only problem is They are only offered during typical work hours:(. So sad! (I had off last week and I got to experience a week of attending the 9 am classes, which was great.) I usually end up at hot Pilates after work. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a GOOD workout, but there is no focus on flexibility in that class. I love the 26 posture series… my body craves it! If this studio would make a Bikram class available to us 9−5ers that would be AMAZING!!!

Place smells like vomitus. I thought I was going to lose it a few times. Hard driving tiger-​like instructors. Worst Bikram yoga experience ever and I have been practicing for many many years in different studios. The instructor-​woman was yelling at me when I thought I was going to art and faint from the overwhelming putrid odor and heat. I so gladly found & love Village Yoga downtown. Amazing spiritually minded instructors with no aroma.

Beautiful place, but the studio is too hot and strict. Not like other Bikram studios I’ve been to.

Me:
Middle aged male.
Practicing Bikram for 5 years 3−4x a week
Attended 20 studios domestically, 2 abroad.
BYA has the following favorable characteristics:
Friendly staff who smile at you as you enter.
Adequate area to remove shoes at entry creating a «Shoes Off» environment.
Nice modern looking facility with nice amenities
Fresh smelling studio
Clean & maintained locker room.
Multiple sinks and showers
Lockable storage lockers
Men’s locker room large enough to accommodate busy classes
Complimentary body wash frequently available.
BYA has a well trained and experienced Teaching Staff:
Very experienced teachers get classes working together effortlessly.
Owner (Nicole) has staff follow the «dialogue». Occasional personal dialogue tastefully woven into main dialogue when appropriate.
Proper duration of postures & time between postures.
Proper heat & humidity! So important!
Merciful opening of exterior door if it gets too toasty in there.
Bikram Yoga Aptos is the best studio to practice Bikram Yoga, because here it is taught the way it was intended to be taught. Period.
To have a proper Bikram experience, you need proper heat, proper humidity, proper duration of poses, and proper instruction. Most studios are unable to simultaneously achieve all four of these components. Here, it’s just the way it’s done. Properly. When I practice under these conditions, I can feel that I have done something significant.
The students (of all ages) who practice here are determined to do their best, and everyone works in unison. This is helpful to newer students to get through the rough bits. The owner (Nicole) has done everything she knows to create an optimal Bikram experience, and the students respond by giving their all to the practice. If you want to experience change in your physical body, practice this yoga. BYA teaches it the way it was intended to be taught. Nicole has created a tasteful, well run facility, and it has attracted a wonderful group of practitioners.
Sincerely, Charles M

Inviting Bikram studio reflecting the beauty and spirit of Aptos. Nicole is a fiercely dedicated teacher, mentor, coach and owner. All of her instructors are practitioners as well, so you enjoy the benefits of their participation and inspiring postures in your classes.
If you love yoga, or just want to give it a go, you will love this studio.
Namaste

My favorite Bikram Yoga studio I’ve ever been to. I’ve been practicing Bikram Yoga for 21 years and feel so lucky when I can take a class at Nicole’s Studio. I live 2 ½ hrs away, but will arrange my travels so I can take a class! Teachers are friendly, supportive and inspiring. It’s a fun and healthy community of people who want the amazing benefits of what Bikram Yoga Aptos has to offer. Beautiful changing rooms and lobby plus a huge yoga room is icing on the cake.

I have been practicing Bikram yoga at BYA for almost 2 years. It has changed my life. I am thinner, stronger, healthier, my skin is softer, but most of all I feel calmer. And I especially like meeting such a nice group of people that practice yoga at BYA.
All the instructors are dedicated, and Nicole, the owner especially cares deeply about her studio, and the community of people that come and practice yoga, and now Hot Pilates, and Hot flow yoga and Yin yoga, fun new additions.
At the beginning of class all instructors advise students to try their best, but to also take care of themselves and kneel down if necessary. The studio is hot and hot yoga may not be right for everyone, but I am very glad that I discovered hot yoga at BYA.

Wonderful studio. Beautiful space — perfect temp & humidity. Nice showers, myriad of refreshing beverages for before and after practice available for purchase. Friendly and compassionate staff. Made my night being able to practice after a busy work day.

I practiced yoga at least 4 – 5 times a week in San Francisco for about 4 years before we moved to Aptos. I was soooooo excited that there was a Bikam studio within walking distance from our new place that I checked them out immediately. I eventually signed up for 6 months of unlimited yoga for a super decent price of $ 99/​month because I love the practice that much.
Although I had just completed the 30 day challenge in SF before moving, I found practicing at BYA difficult from the first day because it was extremely hot, hotter by far than any other studio I’ve experienced and I’ve visited a couple. At first, I thought it was just a matter of getting used to it. So, I continued to go regularly, meaning at least 3 times a week or more. But my body just refused to accept the outrageous heat. I was used to feeling a bit nauseous once in while during class, but, in addition to that, I often felt dizzy and physically weak to the point where I couldn’t stand up and had to sit down for long periods of time during class. I also felt completely depleted of all energy by the third section of class. No amount of water helped, and I brought a lot more than I ever did before. Neither did the cold blasts offered every once in a while, depending on the instructor. After about four months, I was ready to quit. But I continued on at least 3 times a week in the hopes that it would change for me, but it never did.
As far as being nice and helpful, the instructors and Nicole were most of the time. It seemed to depend, however, on their mood that particular day. I never found them to be rude, but rather just indifferent. What I found to be a bit much, however, were the unprofessional comments/​critiques I would occasionally receive from the instructors, including Nicole, when I would try and cool myself down by, for instance, leaving the room, placing my cold water bottle on my pulse (a trick I learned when feeling nauseous), and even sitting down. What’s more upsetting is the fact that on those days the instructor felt the need to make the comments/​critiques, she (and it was always a she) never felt the need to follow up with me after class to see how I was doing, how class was for me that day, whether the comments/​critiques were helpful, etc. Class was over and so were they. The only other thing I found disappointing was the fact that in SF the instructors always included a spiritual angle to the practice, but in Aptos I found that was not the case for the most part.
The only person I found to be consistently friendly and concerned about my practice was Sarah, the British lady. However, when I expressed my concern to her that I wasn’t getting used to the heat, and often felt extremely tired and burnt out for the rest of the day, she explained that the heat was supposed to be the challenge. Funny, because I thought the yoga was the challenge and the heat was supposed to be a helping factor, not THE factor. But maybe I misunderstand the purpose of Bikram. For my part, I know I didn’t want to pay $ 99 a month to sit on my ass for an hour and sweat… I wanted to do yoga and get a workout. So, I guess if this is the way it’s supposed to be, it’s not for me after all. In any case, I left after my 6 month subscription was up. It bums me out because I really enjoyed the workout and felt great afterwards (both mentally and physically) when I was practicing in SF, but just never found that overall sense of enjoyment practicing in Aptos. Should they ever decide to lower the heat to make it more tolerable to most, then I’d try them out again. But otherwise, I’ll leave it to those who are more heat tolerant that I am, and just move on to other opportunities.

There are both pros and cons to this place, as many reviewers have already noted:
Pros:
–Very friendly staff
–Awesome unlimited 30 days for $ 49 intro offer.
–Student discount (though one staffer said she thinks you have to commit to 6 months for that deal)
–Clean
–2 Drinking fountains
–Big practice room
–Showers and lockers, with a separate bar for makeup/​hair if you need to clean up and get ready to go back to life from the studio (huge plus).
Cons:
–I’ve never been to a studio where they actually stop you from leaving the room and pressure you into doing a pose with the rest of the class. It hasn’t happened to me yet, but I’ve seen it happen in every class I’ve attended so far, and I don’t like it at all.
— It is often far hotter in there than in any other studio I’ve been to. One instructor tuned on the fan a total of 3 times in 90 minutes. It was brutal.
— The smell can get pretty bad… but you do have to remember what that studio is there for. Kind of no way to eliminate the «sweaty beasties» smell.
–The lockers are all in one corner with one bench, so things can get pretty tight when you’re trying to get dressed after class.
I’m not a fan of the general cultish Bikram mentality that pain is good and you should push beyond what feels right for you, but I love the workout and the feeling afterward. I’d recommend that any beginner (or anyone, really) keep in mind that you don’t have to do something just because the instructor says so. These instructors are almost never extensively educated in health or medical professions — they’ve had a few months of training that, among other things, involved memorizing a script that one guy (also not a medical professional) wrote. This sounds judgmental, but what I mean to say is that they speak with a lot of conviction about «medical benefits» and «toxin elimination,» and all of these other reasons why you should push through your pain or dizziness, and nearly all of that is bunk they’ve memorized from a script. You don’t have to buy into the whole thing. It’s a really gratifying workout if you’re in the mood for it, but your Bikram instructor is not the all-​knowing boss of your physical well-​being, and participants should know that early on. You have to take care of you.

I’m a nearly 70 year old female and I love everything about this studio. Once they knew I was serious, the teachers noticed subtle improvements, showed me how to improve poses, learned my name, and even sang happy birthday to me in class! After the 60 day challenge, I was strong and in terrific shape. I’M NOT THE EXCEPTION —so don’t give up. If you’re too hot, sit on your mat awhile and watch the rest of us. If you’re new or self conscious, sit in back by the door (it’s cooler). Drink water before and during class but skip food until after class.
Before I moved back to my Washington farm, Nicole gave me a Bikram CD so I could continue my practice. Now, I practice twice a week by myself in a hot bathroom with the water dripping. I’m grateful to Nicole and her little jewel of a studio.

I bought the unlimited month for 49 $, which is so reasonable and good amount of time to see if you like it. Love that!
I have had two instructors, and I give the instructor Courtney 5 stars, and the instructor Tara 1. Tara was so strict and pumped the heat up in the room too hot to bare, I had too leave to take a breathe of fresh air, and got yelled at in front of the class for leaving; leaving me discouraged, and honestly embarrassed. Courtney is a very nice instructor and understanding of the newer students, even nice to the vets if they are struggling a bit, and keeps the room at the perfect hot temperature.
The place is clean, relaxing, doesn’t smell the best, but what hot yoga studio smells that great?
I will be continuing to go, but never to Tara’s class.

If you enjoy Bikram yoga this is the place for you!
I tried bikram about 6 times and Bikram Aptos was my 7^th try. I practice flow about 4 times a week, so I thought I would be prepared enough to experience Bikram…
Well…I was wrong…
******Just a reminder, this is MY experience. I encourage everyone and anyone to experience it for yourself. Do not take my opinion as your own, try it yourself! ******
Pros:
–Friendly staff
–Amazing new space, clean
–Giant practice room
–Showers
–Cute clothes for sale!
–In Aptos
Cons:
–WAYYY too hot (for me). I felt sick.
–Not my idea of a «yoga studio» (I like low key, meditative, dim light, no mirrors and COOL environments)
–Women are walking around in bras and butt check shorts. Men are strolling around in the tightest shorts with their junk hanging out (I felt uncomfortable).
–Smells pretty bad…
Again, this is my experience. I do not prefer hot yoga. But people that do, definitely come to Bikram Aptos!

Although I’m a native Santa Cruzan, I’ve lived in Massachusetts for the past 20 years or so and this is my fifth year of practicing Bikram yoga regularly. When I travel, I usually seek out the closest Bikram yoga studio and take a class for fun; sadly on this trip, I was coming home for a sudden and shocking family emergency. I couldn’t be more grateful to find this studio in the midst of such personal chaos and I appreciated the no-​bullshit adherence to the foundations of Bikram, namely the heat and the dialogue.
The studio and lobby are nicely appointed and the women’s locker room is a real treat with far more space and showers than other studios I’ve seen. Free filtered water is available as well as mat and towel rental, pretty basic studio amenities but I have been surprised before. The staff and the other students were friendly enough.
I took 2 classes while I was home, one with Tarra and one with Nicole. Both were just what I needed, a good mix of strict dialogue and careful observation. The studio itself was markedly hotter than I’m used to but definitely not the hottest I’ve ever practiced in and not so hot I that I was distracted. Come well hydrated, for sure. Also, set up on the left by the door, trust me.

This studio is hotter than other Bikram studios I’ve experienced. I’ve enjoyed Bikram yoga for years, and I like to be warm, but this place is simply too hot for me. Practicing here in the morning made me feel drained and dehydrated for the rest of the day, every time, and no amount of water could compensate.
Pros
— Very nice space with art in the halls
— Good instructors, nice staff
— Convenient bathroom and showers
— Convenient filtered water refill
— Doors open for some fresh air during practice
Cons
— Men’s locker room is usually flooded
— Bright lights in ceiling (practice requires open eyes looking up)
— No classes before 8 AM
— No silent classes
— The practice space doesn’t smell good
— Too darn hot, at least for me

BYA is by far the very best Bikram studio I have visited and is my home studio.
Nicole and the team are incredibly professional, but at the same time warm and encouraging, and truly committed to each and every student achieving the transformation they desire out of their practice.
Even if this is not close enough to be your regular location to practice I recommend you come take a class!

One of the best bikram studios we’ve been to. Great, authentic staff, clean, large locker rooms, not overly granola «yoga-​esk.» Even had a class in there with 60 people and it was cramped, but was still able to have a good practice.
What I wish I could give 1 star here are some of the fellow students, mainly a few of the men. Without their experience, this would be a 5 star and wish we could rate them differently.
We always went as a couple (wife and I.) What the guys would say in the lockroom afterward was degrading to women and a loss for the male team. Comments of, «Yeah, I’ll be here on X day because that teacher has a banging bod,» or «I just watch t*ts the whole time.» It wasn’t just one person each time, it was several different ones over a month long series of practices. This made for an infuriating end to a good 90 minutes of self-​care; that we couldn’t even get past the front doors of the studio before we were hit with the negativity of the world, again.
It became a frantic in/​out experience to gather my stuff and leave each time, in hopes of not overhearing things. I don’t know what can be done about this, other than a teacher staying in the locker room and monitoring them the entire time like middle schoolers, but yoga should be a sacred space where people are free from judgement. That everyone can wear what they feel comfortable sweating in 105 degree heat without knowing some old dude is checking out their cleavage or judging their a$$. It’s depressing when people live up to their stereotype.
We hope to be back again, but if you see us wearing sweatpants and a hoodie — you’ll know why.

Tried my first bikram yoga yesterday and love it! Definitely going back. The studio looks like a hole in the wall, but when you walk in, it is very nicely designed and up-​to-​date a full locker room (bathroom, lockers, showers). Feels very spa-​like.
The class of about 20 people was very challenging, but was able to stay the entire 90 minutes and get through all the moves. Make sure you bring plenty of water and towels, you will be dripping! Room smelled like sweat, which is to be expected, just wish there was a little bit more of a draft throughout the room to not make it smell so much like stale sweat.
Also wish there was a little more bench room in the lockers for the gals to change, after the class it seemed overly crowded and there was a lot of waiting for people to grab their stuff or change.

This studio and bikram practice has changed my life. The people who work here and practice here are so very supportive and positive. The owner Nicole is very hands on and loves her students. She is either teaching or taking a class. Nicole convinced me to take part in the 60 day challenge and I’m so glad I did it! I have committed to this studio and bikram practice. I encourage you to try it. You won’t be sorry!
Thank you Nicole and all of the staff at BYA!

My husband and I took our first Bikram class ever with Shawn. It was intense but great! We went back the next day and took Nicole’s class. Both teachers are outstanding: supportive, encouraging, direct.
The studio is very welcoming and the staff couldn’t be more friendly! The bowl of raw almonds, free water refills, spacious locker room with showers and vanity space create a very calm atmosphere. The Bikram room itself is hot of course, and smells like sweat, which you quickly get used to. Both classes we took were completely full, but the teachers paid special attention to any new students.
There was no stigma when we sat down on our mats instead of doing the poses. Several times throughout the class, the teacher will open a door to let cool air inside, and it was amazing!
You do each pose twice, and they are easy to keep up with. Nothing happens very fast in there. I also liked the discipline; they encourage you to not fidget and to be very present.
All the other students were so welcoming and excited to see us join in. We couldn’t have had a better first experience!