Bikram’s Yoga College of India Davis

Great studio. Before attempting Bikram I had literally tried everything to get relief from sciatic nerve pain & daily muscle spasms. Bikram yoga truly helped relieve my pain & improved my mobility to the point where I can hike again. Thank-​you! All the instructors & owner Erin are great. They are extremely knowledge and each offer a different teaching style which is nice. It is hot & it is challenging but the heat warms your muscles & enables peak performance. No muscle group will get missed. This studio has my highest recommendation.

This studio is amazing! If you are looking for an awesome Bikram workout with no bells & whistles, this is the place to come! I have absolutely fallen in love with Bikram Yoga Davis.
I have practiced at 5 other Bikram studios – (in So-​Cal & the Bay Area), and Bikram Yoga Davis is my favorite – at the Davis location I specifically appreciate the temperature being consistently kept at 104-​degrees with the proper amount of humidity… oftentimes Bikram studios run colder than the method intends & the heat is too dry… I love how the Davis studio never compromises the original intent of the method & consistently keeps the room at the correct temperature… the 104-​degrees is challenging, but makes for a much more complete physical workout/​detox (the point!) And all of the instructors are fantastic :)
Thank you, Bikram Yoga Davis!

I can’t get the low reviews. The place is conveniently located for those driving through the 80 corridor and class times are ok (I wish they had more classes other than the 9am during the day). Other than that, the studio is clean and the instructors are competent. I think it is about 5 – 10 degrees hotter than any other Bikram studio I’ve tried and that slows me down toward the end of the 90 minute class. Also, the carpet in the yoga room (Bikram studios often have carpet), seems to be set directly over concrete with no to little padding. This does hurt the bottom of my feet and back of my heels in certain poses. With that being said, I would return to this conveniently located and clean studio when I’m passing through the area. (The downtown Davis area is super cute and enjoyable to hang out in.)

do not miss out this will change your life foreever

I have been practicing Bikram Yoga for almost 8 years. Before that I practiced other types of yoga and enjoyed it but it was nothing like Bikram. I have also practiced Bikram at other studios but this is by far the best studio. The studio is beautiful, clean and welcoming. The instructors are great and students are very friendly with each other. It is hot but its supposed to be! I have have been to other studios where it is not hot enough and believe me you do not get all the benefits without the heat. It has helped my anxiety, depression, diabetes, allergies and weight loss. I also had significant knee and back injuries that have healed. This place is like a second home for me and this yoga will change your life!!!

LONG REVIEW — summary at the bottom.
It’s hard for me to review this location for the location itself without consideration of how I feel about bikram yoga. I will go with 3.5 stars rounded down to 3, with the asterisk that I fully understand why others might disagree with my opinion one way or the other.
I will preface this, further, with the admission that 1) I think everyone should try bikram twice to experience it and to form an opinion, and 2) after going twice, I’ve decided that to me bikram yoga is like being constipated in hell — you’ll feel really good when it’s over, but during it you wish you’d close your eyes and never wake up.
I believe this place to be good in a number of ways: the instructors are friendly, they are knowledgable, the facility is reasonably nice and seems clean, they lock the doors so your stuff is safe, there’s only one class at a time, there a bunch of scheduling options such that you should be able to attend frequently no matter when you work, go to school, etc. The introductory price is fair and the membership prices are too.
On the down-​side: if this place got crowded, parking might get weird as it’s pretty much limited to street parking. Apparently there are showers in the back which I’ve never used, but unless you shower afterwards, you must drive home smelling like antelope taint and feeling like someone rinsed you with peanut butter.
Specific to bikram: bikram yoga is HARD. Which is a good thing. It forces you to be uncomfortable, to work your muscles, and to stretch them. I will admit I feel very relaxed afterwards for several hours. But at times it’s hard to breathe, at times you’re dizzy, and in my case I lose 2.5−4.5 pounds of water in sweat, which takes hours to safely drink back. As I train Brazilian jiu-​jitsu every night, if I do bikram in the morning, I have to be (extra) diligent all day long about staying hydrated which is kind of a drag because I have class during the day. Ultimately, I think this is something that will suit others better than it suits me.
As I said, it is hard, not just because you’re in 105 degree heat with 40% humidity, but the movements are hard too, and I’m a fairly fit 20 year old male. You betcha ass I was looking at the middle-​aged ladies stone-​faced throughout every movement while I was trying my best not to cry. Even if I did nobody would know though because it would just look like my eyeballs were sweating. Unfortunately for bikram as a practice, I can’t justify continuing it – BJJ is hard, and horseback riding is hard, but at least they’re fun.
TL;DR — If you like bikram, this is a good place for it. If you want to try bikram, this is a good place for it. You have nothing to lose and you might benefit greatly from it. For myself and my situation, I will explore room-​temperature yoga options because I personally don’t enjoy this hot yoga stuff.

I’ve been taking classes here for over two years and it’s been really wonderful. I love the Bikram-​style of yoga and if you live in Davis or nearby, this is the place to go to get your hot yoga on. The studio offers a nice range of class times despite the fact that Davis is a small town and parking is convenient and free. Yes, the studio is a bit hotter than other studios in the Sacramento area, but there are real benefits to the heat. First, you get warmed up fast and can really get into the postures right away, but second and more importantly, you develop MENTAL discipline. Yoga isn’t just about the physical asanas. It’s about being able to gain inner control as well.
And just as a final point, some of the postures — particularly the ones that require balance — require a lot of focus and concentration. When the instructors ask that students sit still on their mats and refrain from drinking during postures, they aren’t saying this for their own benefit. It’s for the benefit of the other students who are trying really really hard to balance on one leg with the other leg as high up in the air as possible!
So, if you want to try a challenging form of yoga that will tone your body, increase your cardiovascular stamina, and improve your mental focus, come to Bikram Yoga Davis!

Love Bikram Davis tons.

I must start out by saying that I think some of these reviews are ridiculous. Its bikram yoga– if its not your cup of tea, thats fine, but that is not at all a reflection of the studio, and yet your 2 or 1 star review IS purporting to be just that. Yes, this studio only offers the 90 minute bikram classes, hence the name of the studio being Bikram Davis. I think the instructors here are all very attentive and supportive, which is important in a practice as challenging as bikram. They will always try to help you get in the right position to maximize the benefit of your practice.
I don’t know what some people mean when they say you can’t drink water or sit out a pose, because you absolutely can. The instructors may recommend that you get into a pose before taking a water break, or try to encourage you to push past a hard moment, but they would never tell you that you have to continue when you don’t think you can. And yes, you are not supposed to leave the room, but this is also so you can at least take some benefit from the practice.
There are showers here, so again not sure what other reviewers are talking about on that one. Overall I’ve found that this studio makes what can be a very difficult yoga practice as painless as possible. If you thought the first class was just too much for you, go back! I assure you that the more you go, and the more often, the more you can really feel the benefits of bikram. Also, their prices are very fair and reasonable, especially if you are a student.

OMG so this was my first experience doing a full 90 minute bikram yoga class ever. I took other heated drenching yoga classes before but NOTHING like this! I paid the 20 dollars for the 10 days of unlimited yoga (and in my head I thought I’d come everyday and even maybe more than once a day) but nope. It’s not the normal yoga studio! They ONLY offer the one same type of yoga class. Just 90 minutes of pure suffocation lol. well… the first class felt like that. The second class I took maybe 2 or 3 days later, MUCH much better…
But I was seriously traumatized after my first class. It had nothing to do with how challenging the poses were or my athletic abilities but more with my physical capability of not passing out! The heat is insane… even worse if its a full class. (which my first class was). Btw, they only have one room… and its carpet floor –_​_​– aka gross stinky sweaty floors. The aroma is anthing but pleasant. The instructors here are very attentive, my instructor learned and remembered my name the first class and also gladly gave me some corrections on my form. They however don’t let you leave the room in the middle of class, drink water, or sit/​lay a certain way to rest sometimes. Well they say don’t TRY to. Of course, if you feel so nauseated you’re going to throw up, do leave the studio and do so. I’m sure it’s happened many times before.
I only ended up going twice in my 10 day trial, so 10 dollars a class, which is still cheaper than the drop in 12. I would have gone more but I obviously didn’t love it enough or gave it enough time. I like to switch my workouts between dance classes, yoga, running, other gym classes. 90 minutes of the SAME class, same routines and poses over and over again I can imagine would get boring. I much prefer other yoga studios with a greater range of classes and instructors to choose from.
I wish this studio had a drinking fountain or showers… but I guess you can’t expect much from a small studio.

I practiced here for a few months last year during my «omg-​write-​this-​thesis-​and-​get-​out-​of-​Davis-​quick» period. I was fairly new to Bikram at the time – I’d practiced a couple of times in the City – so this was the first studio where I spent much time, and I think it was good for me. It’s been a while so I don’t have a lot to say other than – it’s a fine Bikram studio. It was my home studio for a few months and I’d practice there again if I find myself back in Davis.

I’m surprised with the ratings for this place! I love it here! The instructors are really nice. They are also very attentive and acknowledge the beginners in the class. They never pushed me past my limit and made sure I was comfortable. My flexibility improved greatly after coming here for a few weeks. ALSO** The smell here is bearable (unlike other bikram studios)!! They also have a really good 10 for $ 20 deal for newcomers. Soo everyone, trytrytry this place!
Docking a few stars off because the studio is a tad small and their scheduled classes isn’t as extensive as other places. I would advise you to go to the earlier classes, the PM classes are usually full beyond belief.

I’ve been doing hot/​Bikram yoga for over 10 years. I’ve probably attended classes at more than 10 studios that offer hot classes. I was looking forward to meeting a new friend here for a class.
Upon arrival, i informed the two at the front desk that i was new and they basically said my friend could show me around.
I found my friend and we stepped into the studio to set up our mats and I was met with a strongly unpleasant odor. I KNOW it’s hard to keep the hot studios with carpets clean, but this was the worst i had experienced. Often you will acclimate through the class and notice it less. It wasn’t the case here. I was distracted and felt like i couldn’t really take a deep breath through the entire class.
The instructor was apparently new, he did follow much of the Bikram script, but his tone of voice was completely unmotivating and he didn’t seem to know how to use the script to encourage the students.
I emailed the owner and she apologized, but also flippantly stated that she must be doing something right cause a lot of people liked her studio.
I’m glad most hot studios are moving to hardwood flooring and queuing students to stand ON their mats (rather than straddle them) during the entire class to keep the floors from getting sweaty.
I’m currently attending a hot studio that has amazing, motivating, knowledgeable instructors who bring their life experience to the mat and use it to encourage and inform the students.
I guess the moral of the story is, don’t let one bad experience at a studio sour you to yoga (especially HOT or Bikram yoga)

It’s almost that time of year again… ! where everyone frantically goes to the gym, outside, cardio class, w/​e it may be to try and shed off that winter coat of flab into a summer body of fab (ulous)! Harhar…
If you haven’t done bikram, I highly recommend you try a 10 day intro! My friend and I have never done yoga and boy did it kick our bums! Although you’re repeating the same moves in every session, each instructor has their own personality and keeps each class slightly different. So each class is 90 minutes long, and you should always arrive 5 minutes early to ease yourself into the heated room. The first few times, my body was drenched, and shaking (no wonder people come in lil short shorts and sports bras!) but as you continue, you learn the tricks of the trade (such as ICE in your water bottles, minimal clothing, extra towels). There is always room to reach a little further, as you continue to push your body to it’s new max every time. The instructors are always encouraging and attentive as they walk around the room correcting poses. The moment you finish a class and walk out the door, it is the most refreshing feeling ever!
Even though I didn’t do ten consecutive days of Bikram, I definitely saw results after, as my chubby cheeks seemed ever so slightly slimmer. =] So go for it, and give Bikram a shot!

There are some things I find very appealing about this place and some things that make me never want to go back. First, I’ll try to separate my judgment of Bikram Yoga itself from my judgment of this particular establishment.
As far as Bikram itself goes, there is a set of poses that you do every time in the same order, and the room is always at the same temperature (read: make-​you-​nauseous-​hot). Apparently the point is to recreate the situation in which Bikram yoga was first practiced, as in hot and humid India. After leaving a class I do find myself feeling pretty good physically, albeit dehydrated and shaky, so I do generally get the feeling that there’s some sort of detoxifying effect from the yoga.
However, I’ve practiced non-​steamy yoga as well, and I find it much harder to achieve a meditative state of mind when doing Bikram. This is probably because I’m trying not to vomit rather than focusing on the yoga itself. I would hope that this feeling would subside over time and practice, but there was some guy there last time who said he still puked after practicing for a long time — so maybe not? I hate to say it, but I also get the feeling that people are doing it because it makes them feel badass, rather than makes them feel healthy, and that makes me highly averse.
As far as this particular establishment goes, everything was okay. People were friendly enough, but also had a pretty rigid mentality about what it is acceptable to do (sit down cross-​legged if you feel faint) and not acceptable to do (don’t even think about lying down, drinking water while other people are in poses, or leaving the room to catch some air). I guess this is appealing to some practitioners, but I guess I’m just used to (and prefer) a different sort of yoga.
The instructors also talk the whole time, giving you instructions by name on how to improve the poses. Since I haven’t been to another Bikram place, I guess I can’t say whether this is similar to other places or not. It just seems more like exercise than yoga. Which I guess is the point to some. Just keep that in mind if you’re thinking about trying it — expect a hard workout rather than the more meditative yogic experience that I at least am used to. Didn’t find the studio dirty or the odors particularly offensive, considering the amount of sweating people are doing in there.

After hearing my roomate and multiple sources rave about Bikram yoga, I decided to give it a try. They offer a 10-​consecutive day trial for only $ 20 for students… so I scrounged up my tips and my lunch money to try this place out.
The instructors are very attentive… maybe TOO attentive. Okay dude, I’ve never done yoga in my life. Give me a break if I can’t do a pose right. I guessss it gives you a little motivation to do better, I won’t lie.
After the first two days, I was feeling good! I was feeling great! Feeling amazing like I can take the world on after a session, being wet from head to toe sweating all the bad toxins out… I even purchased my own personal yoga mat in thoughts of extending the trial! Here’s why I didn’t:
The hours are a bit odd, and aren’t very compatible with my school schedule. I understand that the class has to be at different hours, but sheesh… I’m a student with two jobs and an internship.
In addition, I GAINED TWICE THE AMOUNT I LOST BACK WITHIN TWO WEEKS!!! Yeah, you heard me! I haven’t been eating excessively, I still moderately exercise… but all this water weight came back two fold. You aren’t welcome here! It’s kicking my butt trying to get it back off, but yeah… if you’re looking for a good stretching exercise… do it by yourself in normal room temperature. They yell at you if you reach for your water bottle because it «destroys others’ concentration». Get over it, I’m about to dehydrate.

I feel that Nirvana could be playing in the background of this review, «Come… as you are.»
Roughly thirty days into a ninety day trial, I feel I can offer an informative review. I have had equally as many good experiences at this location as poor, to ascertain that this is a decent place to practice yoga.
Here is a bit of why:
It seems that in the couple of years there has been a revamp or refresh and the odor isn’t that offensive. Class schedule is consistent and offers a daily practice to a variety of different lifestyle schedules. Showers are clean and most students are respectful. You do get the opportunity to practice alongside college students who are not aware of standard yoga etiquette, but the teachers are quick to offer suggestions, instructions and corrections to various offenses.
This studio seems to have a staffing of two types of teachers… Highly experienced and novice. There is no teacher schedule or bios offered so this is strictly an opinion based on experience and travel to studios elsewhere. I have been to classes that started at a temperature of 107 and as low as 97, but I don’t feel bothered by the discrepancy. They offer cool surges of relief periodically toward the end of class by fanning side doors for a millisecond (it feels that way anyway). i try not to let myself get too attached to this luxury… but hey, its nice.
This studio strictly enforces the rule that you can not leave the room. Now, this is also a bit of speculation, but it seems more a policy connected to a nonstaffed waiting room over adherence to Bikram «law». I say this because there are other standards of practice that more loosely monitored… never ignored, but there is quite a fluctuation between teachers.
New bike rocks, adequate parking, classes seem start on time and sometimes end early. This studio is not a fashion plate type of place. Truly, come as you are, wear whatever is handy, and let the yoga work.

«It’s Hot.» DUH!!!
This place is where you come when you want to change your life for the better. Give it a try, stick with it and watch your mind and body change right in front of you. It’s not easy, it’s hotter than hell, you WILL struggle but you WILL see and feel instant results. The instructors ROCK!!!
Stop lifting those stupid dumbells and work your body like it’s supposed to be worked. In a hot room with a mat on the floor!
Namesta!

A little background about my athletic abilities before I get into my review…
I’m completely not an athletic person by any means. I used to run a little in high school, but I hadn’t really set foot in a gym since then (it’s been about 3 years). Also, I am NOT flexible… I can’t even touch the floor with my hands without bending my knees.
Now, I wanted to get fit for the new year… so I turned to Bikram yoga!
My first impression of the place was: HOTTT!
there were a lot of shirtless guys (and even one guy in a THONG!) and I was a little put off at the sight… but I quickly got over that.
When the instructor started the session I really liked that she acknowledged who the beginners in the class were and tried to remember everyone’s name. Throughout the session she would give individual pointers and encouragement… which really helped through the struggle.
As for the poses, they were not that physically straining by themselves… it was the heat that made it really difficult. Now, I’m from the desert, so I was quite accustomed to the heat… so it didn’t really bother me too much.
I took a star off because of how fast the instructors sometimes talk… but overall, I liked this place and will definitely go back as much as I can!

Bikram Yoga — an interesting experience…
As far as it being meditative, I don’t know. Personally, I spend most of the 2 hours that I’m in this 109 degree room just fighting panic and feeling like I am about to die at any moment. Meditative I am not.
(To be fair, this could totally be my shortcoming and not a reflection of the instructors’ skill, but still.)
It is a great way to get your stretch on, that’s for sure, and you can drop a few lbs. of water weight right away — so Bikram gets points for instant gratification. But I wonder how *good* this activity actually is for you… I mean, the reason it’s so darn hot in there is because they don’t give your body much of a warm-​up before contorting you into some very challenging poses. The possibility of injury is definitely present, and I wonder if non-​hot yoga isn’t really the safer (and more enjoyable) way to go
Points off for the musky B.O. smell of the room (which is not too bad, and totally understandable), but way more points off for the occasional interaction with Über-​pretentious hippies who act like jerks despite their own well-​publicized personal «enlightenment». I mean, seriously — how centered and peaceful can you really be if you have to disdainfully stare down strangers and make them feel small? Not very…
I go because it might be good for me and I want to be able to wear a bikini at some point this summer, but generally I think these people can suck it.