YogaKula

This review is for the management and business practices of the studio. The manager allowed me to use only 5 of the 10 purchased classes with my Groupon voucher. I was charged for a class because I attended a yoga class after the 30 day timeline. If you want new yogis to enjoy your studio, you should honor the Groupon appropriately. Overall the manager is not gracious, lacks integrity, and is exercising poor business practices.
Most of the yoga classes were average at best with the exception of the following instructors: Siri, Saraswati, and Grace.

I’ve attended yoga classes at this studio for a couple of years now and the yoga instructors are consistently knowledgable. Grace, one of the newer instructors, is particularly wonderful. Her class is well balanced and beautifully and skillfully shared with her students. I leave her class feeling calm, centered and well-​exercised.

I really like this yoga studio. It’s bright, not heated, and they offer a wide variety of yoga/​meditation classes, unlike other places that seem keen to only offer power vinyasa classes. Highly recommend the 8.30am classes. Fellow yogis are very polite/​friendly too! Teachers are observant and offer healthy feedback and corrections and prop assistance instead of just talking continuously. Do visit this studio!

I’ve been practicing yoga here since 2012. Out of all the teachers I’ve tried here, Sarawasti, the founder, and Siri are my favorite teachers; sometimes I’d skip class if they have subs. I like their slower-​paced classes as I tend to injure myself in flow classes at other studios. I also like that classes usually begin and end with OM. Classes here are not only a good workout but also meditative, allowing me to destress. After an injury at another studio, I usually come back here, and Sarawasti, in particular, is good at giving me adjustments or stretches to release the sore area. I also like how some of Sarawasti’s classes end with restorative poses using the props. While my schedule hasn’t allowed me to take a class with Siri in a while, I recall that she gave great adjustments or mini-​massages in savasana. The space is beautiful with a lot of natural light. They also host a number of community events, and have weekday donation classes. A number of the staff at the front desk are volunteers who work in exchange for free classes so some are more knowledgeable than others, and all have been friendly.

I’ve been attending classes for about a month. I’ve been very impressed with the dedication, knowledge and experience of all the instructors. Every one of them made it a point to notice I was new and introduce themselves to me before the class, and check with me about any injuries I might have. The fact that they remembered my name thereafter goes a long way with me.
This has been my first foray into yoga, and I’m glad I chose this place. The studio is lovely and every person I’ve spoken with at the front desk has been friendly and helpful. After taking classes for about a week, I sent them an email asking if they would consider adding some later classes, or early morning, pre-​commute classes. They wrote me back right away, saying they were looking into it. Three weeks later, they have implemented both. This is a well run, professional studio, but still feels small and intimate enough to provide personal, attentive service. I can’t ask for more than that.
Special kudos to Siri and Meghan, both wonderful instructors!

I was excited to check out this place as it was recommended by my friend.
I haven’t joined it yet, but will try the free first class pass and see further.
What I dint like was the women sitting at front desk. They were so unwelcoming and has little to no information about classes/​instructor etc. Everything u asked was like, talk more about this/​that with teacher.
I could not understand why I came? And who will help me to meet with teacher as already class was going on.
Still, i will try one class and think about it, ignoring front desk people.

I’ve tried a lot of yoga studios in Berkeley, Oakland, and SF, and I really like this one. The space is nice and has lots of light, and the instructors are great — very knowledgeable, and I like the way they structure the classes. I’ve particularly liked classes with Megan and Saraswati, although there are a lot of teachers whose classes I haven’t tried and I’m sure they’re also very good.
The thing I really like about Yoga Kula is that the classes tend to get into the philosophy of yoga and the purpose of having a yoga practice as part of a life of mindfulness and well-​being, as opposed to just focusing on the physical or «workout» aspects of yoga, like a lot of studios in our western culture do. I also appreciate that the classes are NOT heated — why is it that almost all yoga studios in the Bay Area seem to think that a class isn’t beneficial unless the room is 100 degrees so that you sweat like a pig?!! And when the instructors at Yoga Kula play music during class, it’s nice, soft, meditative, «yogic» kind of music that’s appropriate to the setting, instead of upbeat, popular music almost bordering on house or techno like some places have (ummm…it’s a YOGA class people, not a nightclub!!!).
In short, Yoga Kula is a place that stays true to the roots of yoga while making it applicable to our modern lifestyle, instead of selling a watered-​down westernized version that’s all about how buff or flexible you are, or how cute your $ 200 Lululemon outfit is… Just good, authentic, quality yoga instruction here.

I’m so happy to have received a massage with Damiana!
You’ll love it! She’s super intuitive, creative, and deeply nurturing.

I bought a groupon for reformer pilates classes. The instructor cancelled classes at whim if only one person (me) had signed up. She was twenty minutes late once to an hour long class. The office is disorganized. They never were able to set up my account to make reservations for classes and did not return calls. Showing up in person to talk to someone didn’t get me anywhere either. The one partial class I managed to attend was a pretty basic event with exercises that felt far too easy for me (the other students were much older; to give a point of reference I do level 1 pilates at other studios and am absolutely not the best student) and some of the instructor’s directions seemed like they would cause a neck injury.
It’s a beautiful studio in a lovely location and perhaps the yoga classes are better. I don’t know; I eventually gave up trying to go to these classes the instructor couldn’t show up to.

Amita Stark is an awesome restorative yoga teacher. Her voice is gorgeous and very soothing. I love learning from her. I also had the great fortune of taking a class from Grey Marcoux, who subbed the restorative class this week. Grey is gentle and compassionate and I feel genuinely cared for in her class. I only wish she taught restorative yoga on a regular basis at the studio. Studying with her and Amita would be perfect!

I visited Yoga Kula today for my first time. For over twelve years, I have had a disciplined yoga practice. In an effort of not getting stuck in any routine, I have been on a mission lately to try out all the yoga studios near by me that I have never been to before. I have a pretty athletic background, so I feel confident walking into any yoga class and adapting fairly easily. What works for me is a class that can challenge me, comfort me, and is led by a friendly & knowledgeable instructor. Having said that, I arrived today with an open mind and an eager body. The «check in» area at Yoga Kula is very small, so for first timers or people planning on purchasing classes, I suggest arriving early. There were two people at the desk that seemed to get flustered as many students started to arrive, needing to check in + pay for classes. There are no shower facilities here and only two small kinda private dressing rooms (lines quickly form for them). It is probably best to arrive in your yoga /​workout clothes! Bathrooms are down the hall & are shared with the other businesses in the building. The studio is clean and street parking is decent-​ish.
My all-​levels class was led by Kimber Simpkins. My rating is based solely on my experience with this class. Ms. Simpkins did great at setting up the poses and guiding us through our asanas with loving language («If its available to you, put your arm up to ceiling…»). She led us through several vinyasas & anusara poses, however, she simply never stopped talking the entire class. I found this a distraction and had to work hard to not walk out of the class. My yoga practice is my sanctuary, and I need and look forward to those quiet moments on my mat that come in between the hard work that I am doing. I’ve just never experienced a Yoga teacher talk as much as she did and it really surprised me. She basically weaved in a 90 minute monologue about «being fat» and her myth busting ideas around dieting. I don’t have personal experience with being overweight and have never dieted, but I found her rant to be insensitive, and in the end, self-​promoting, as she tied it all together by plugging her new book that is now for sale. I wished she could have taken some of the energy that she put into talking about «people being fat» and perhaps helped the students with necessary adjustments in poses. I was looking forward to the final resting pose, as I was certain there would be silence for a few minutes but Ms. Simpkins broke out her accordion and sang to us the entire time. At least we know her throat chakra is warmed up. :)

As an up and coming yoga instructor super star, my regular practice lately has been mostly at home, or wherever I can find a place to plop my mat. Every once in a while I branch out, go check out a new teacher, or a new studio and hear something new that somehow always ends up being exactly the message I needed to hear that day! Bizarre! At least that has been my experience at Yoga Kula, whether it was at this location in Berkeley with Siri Peterson, or at their other location in the city.
The yoga here is Anusara inspired, for those of you who aren’t familiar with yoga terminology, it means there is a heavy focus on your body’s alignment throughout each class. I personally have not been certified in Anusara, just taken a couple workshops. I have come to the conclusion, that there is a philosophical and somewhat spiritual element to each class, but it never seems to go overboard. It is always enough to make you think and reflect, while enjoying movement with breath (yoga), while strengthening your body and mind.
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but if I am not doing my own yoga practice, this is pretty much my next best choice! Yoga Kula, you rock! :-) Lots of good energy, good vibes, and sweet people. Can’t wait to get back for some more.
New Student Offer: Three Classes/​$ 25 !

Such a great find while traveling! I ended up at YogaKula when I had a no show teacher at another studio I was trying in Berkeley … I did some fierce Unilocal/​schedule searching to find that YogaKula had a 9am I could get to if i could walk about a mile in oh, 10 minutes.
Miracle of miracles, I did it, huffing and puffing and borrowing a mat to join Siri’s yoga class. I recognize lately that I’m starting to be an Iyengar style yogi through and through. I have very little to no patience for fluffy talk from 22 year olds about my chakras, and zero patience for moving through things quickly with no awareness.
However, Siri was amazing. Sounds like she’s from the Anusara tradition (and with the name YogaKula, I assume the studio in general is Anusara-​y), and while it was fluffy, it was so genuine and so kind. I truly truly enjoyed my class, and even though I was huffin and puffin to get in here, I felt great leaving.
As the other reviews say, the view is wunderbar. I also noted that they have a great set of props (chairs! yes!!), so if you’re a local, I hope you take advantage of teachers who teach with them. They also have student/​non-​profit discounts, and the mat rental fee was only $ 1. The 9am Saturday class was a nice small-​medium size, and I feel very lucky to have happened upon Siri’s class. Thanks, YogaKula!

I tried this place for mat pilates classes using a groupon or LS deal (Can’t remember which). The pilates mat classes are only offered twice a week at a certain time in the evening, which I didn’t realize until after purchasing. Fortunately, the timing wasn’t a problem. The instructor is fine, and the classes are very small, but they are all identical, with no variation, kinda boring and not especially challenging since it caters to a class ranging from young to old with varying experience. Once my deal was done, I was done. I wouldn’t pay for this class.

Friendly service and community classes ($ 5) Tu-​Fri at 430 for one hour. My patience runs out for those 90 min yoga classes so 60 is just perfect. Love Siri, and I used to love Ai Kubo when she was here (she moved to Yoga Tree). Totally approachable, relaxing, practical, and not too-​overly-​anything environment with friendly clientele. Easy street parking in my opinion. Nice hardwood 2^nd-​floor space; bathroom and changing area available; nice bolsters, straps, blocks, natural light, blankets, and ample storage space for shoes and valuables. I look forward to every class.

The rating isn’t so much for the studio as for the pilates instructor Jenna. I’ve tried every bloomspot/​groupon/​living social deal in the east bay for pilates and she is the one instructor I am actually contemplating paying the obscene amount of money it costs to do it regularly. She is a stickler for form and the class is incredibly challenging. I leave feeling more flexible, nimble and with fewer aches and pains. 3 classes and it’s always different.
As long as they have her on staff, this is a top notch place to do pilates.

Love this studio, the teachers are amazing. It’s a beautiful space but feels very unpretentious.
Because I am a student, I could not afford to go there if not for the donation based yoga nights on Tuesday (4:30pm 1hr class) and Thursday (4:30pm 1hr class AND 6pm 1hr ½ class!)
I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to be in this space AND get practice yoga by an incredible teacher, Ai Kubo (google, she is awesome!), who teachings the donation based classes. I don’t think the word is out yet, so let your friends know and come to some donation based yoga Tuesday and Thursday!

I’ve taken classes here perhaps a dozen times in the past few months, and the instructors are hit or miss. The ones I’ve liked haven’t really wowed me enough to compensate for the several who aren’t so good. Still, I was content to rotate Kula among my other studios… until this week.
The owners or managers of Yoga Kula decided to run a promotion for the month of December, and made a big deal about advertising it: $ 10 classes all through December! Wow, great deal! Count me in! I went in yesterday and the receptionist flatly told me that they had «stopped» that promotion. What? Stopped honoring a promotion that they promised their customers to lure them in? There’s a name for this: bait and switch. It’s not only immoral and insulting, it’s illegal. They didn’t even send a warning to the folks on their mailing list.
I’m going to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and tell all my yoga friends to boycott Yoga Kula for this blatant slap in the face to their customers.

I really liked the teacher (Chris A.) who taught this evening’s class. I am an experienced yogi, although I have not been to many anusara classes, I have been practicing for 7 years. The flow was good and she was down to earth. My biggest complaint was that the floor in the studio was filthy. Like a dead fly was on the floor, super dusty and hairs everywhere.
I can’t judge the entire studio by one class. But Chris was great, take her class on Sunday nights and you won’t be disappointed.

I went a pilates class (so, Berkeley, right?) for the first time. Even though I was a novice, I was told to just come in and it would be easy.
It is not.
Thank you Baby Jesus that I found Joanna Arhon for a private session at Yoga Kula.
Joanna didn’t make feel awkward, stupid, or make me chant. She explained the philosophy of pilates, the breathing techniques, and helpful hints on how to make the most of my sessions. Also, Joanna provides a great new client rate for private sessions.
I will soon be ready to take on the group pilates’ challenge!
Spandex not required.