Hot Yoga Capitol Hill

I’ve been practicing at Hot Yoga Capitol Hill for over 5 years. It’s a wonderful community to be a part of — with excellent and caring teachers who motivate and inspire me to return, over and over again.

i’ve been here one time and i never went back again because of their very poor condition of the studio.
If you realize, this Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill (now Hot Yoga Capitol Hill), does NOT know how to properly set up the hot yoga room to begin with.
There is one HUMONGOUS heating vents on the side of the studio that constantly runs directly towards the people til the room reaches the pre-​set temperature, just like it’s no different than a heater. It’s like the heat air gets straightly onto your face! I’m sure they made it this way because not many people realize it. Hot yoga room should always balance the heat and moisture. If you are a woman super-​sensitive about skin, this is NOT the right studio for you. the studio is super dry and the heat air runs straight to your face. it was just terrible.
I’m really spoiled by Pure Om Fairfax after being their member for a year. I can’t find any hot yoga studio that’s as well kept as this one. sad.

Recent improvements to the studio room have made classes here a bit more enjoyable. The heating system is not as noisy as before, still quite loud thou. The new floor cut down on the overpowering smell to a sweaty gym locker room smell. The changing and shower rooms are very nice but they really could use a stronger A/​C up there. After a hot class it’s impossible to cool down in a hot changing room. Personally I don’t like going to this studio, I think they are priced higher than others, and teachers are friendlier elsewhere, but when I just need to get into the hot room and other studios aren’t easily accessible at the time I will go here.

This was my first time in D.C. and my friend thought it would be a great idea to go to a yoga class. He mentioned it would be hot yoga and since I hate being cold I figured this would be a breeze for me.
Upon entering the studio we were greeted by Allison who was also our instructor for the 6am class. She created a profile for me since I was a new student and directed me to my mat and towel. Once I entered the class the heat HIT me immediately. This was not the heat that I was expecting at all. It felt like a sauna and for those familiar with hot yoga I had no idea it would feel like that Lol. I am so happy I wore shorts and a sports bra.
The class was 90 mins long and I was a bit nervous that I may not be able to complete the course. Allsion’s voice was so motivating. Not only is she good at directing your poses but she pays attention to each person and she remembers your name. She noticed each time I was feeling unsure about a pose and she never made me feel out of place if I had to stop.
It’s obvious that the students enjoy her and if I lived here I would definitely attend more of her classes. Once the class was complete everyone clapped for us since we were beginners. Great class. Great workout for the body.
If you don’t have towels, water, or a mat you can rent or purchase those items there. Parking can be a bit tricky as with any street parking so make sure to pay attention to the signs.

I love yoga; I really do. I love how I feel after (physically and mentally).
I didn’t love this class.
Let’s start with good: I don’t get reviews that said there wasn’t a changing room (or that it wasn’t big enough) or that there aren’t showers, etc. The are showers (2 I think), which is 2 more than I usually see (I don’t particularly need or look for them, so it’s never on my radar). Also, the upstairs changing room is PLENTY spacious (way bigger than the non-​existent changing area at Capitol Hill Yoga — which, who cares; the yoga is FANTASTIC). Anyway, there’s plenty of room, showers, lockers with combo locks, a fan, hairdryers; it’s great, actually.
The stairs are kind of steep??? But really, it’s a row house; what did you expect? It totally didn’t bother me at all. You’re going to get that here on The Hill (or in NYC).
The class was super hot, and I liked it. I felt dizzy a few times, but that’s to be expected. It’s been a while, and I was out of practice. And we had plenty of water breaks.
What I didn’t like: the instructor (Tania). It was just RAPID-​FIRE YELLING poses AT YOU. It wasn’t relaxed, I felt rushed, I felt panicked. Even though I am really good at tuning things out and breathing in and letting it go, her VOICE, her commands, her yelling… I hated it. It was nauseating. Honestly. The only peace I had was during the water breaks.
I will try the studio again, but will most likely avoid her class.

Not a fan at all. Have had several negative experiences here. In a city with many other yoga options I hope people will seek out a studio that treats people well, encourages self care, and provides a hygienic facility.

I have practiced Bikram yoga for 5−½ years. This was my home studio for 4 years while I was living in Capitol Hill. although I could have attended any number of studios in the DC area, each of those four years, I purchased a one year unlimited membership at BYCH, and maintained a daily practice. Since I travel a great deal, I have been to many Bikram studios around the country. I have practiced in studios that were brand-​new, roomy & sparkling clean, as well as studios that were in tiny and creative spaces. What I have found, is that while the poshest of amenities are nice, it’s the yoga and the atmosphere that really matter. BYCH has excellent teachers, who are passionate about helping their students achieve their best practice possible, and positively transforming lives. Each teacher has different strengths, and combined, the teaching staff offers everything I would look for involving good instruction in a yoga practice: attention to detail, good technical corrections, compassion, positive attitude, kindness, fun, encouragement, inspiration. Elizabeth, the owner, is a wonderful & caring person. Whenever I return to DC, one of the things I most look forward to is attending classes at BYCH.

So I recently moved to DC and I bought the monthly unlimited pass. I’ve been to about 5 classes and I’m not impressed. The staff is nice and the classes are good but the facility is SO BAD, its tough to be ok with it long term. On my first visit the back bathroom was flooded, and I walked in barefoot… the upstairs changing room is TINY and the yoga floor is really really dirty. This place has potential but they really need to invest in some upgrades. If it is the most convenient location do the 6AM class. It’s cleaner and not at full.

One of my goals for this year was to take bikram classes and improve my yoga practice. I’m probably more of an advanced beginner so bikram seemed like a great compromise of a challenging workout that followed the same routine each class to master each position.
I strategically chose the 6 AM class for my first one since I figured that not many people would venture out that early to sweat and that I wouldn’t have to compete for mat space. Well this is DC and people take sweating seriously so at 5:55 AM the room was over halfway filled. Our instructor, Pierre, brought energy and positivity to 90 minutes of yoga in the 106 degree heated room. It’s a mentally challenging practice where you need to dig deep to push yourself forward. You could tell that everyone taking the class were at different athletic levels, but it never felt as a competition to show off your flexibility (as some yoga classes sometimes turn into). By the end of the class my workout clothes were completely drenched and I felt absolutely refreshed.
Over the next few weeks the positions felt more comfortable, but the classes remained challenging enough. Besides Pierre, I found the instructors approached bikram and led the classes in different styles. I found that Pierre and LaShone were the best for those bikram (or even yoga) beginners. Michelle has a direct style that I can tell could be too harsh for some. One of my favorite moments in each class is the cold wash cloth given out at the completion. At the end of the sweat-​fest the washcloth is a godsend.
I wish I still lived in the neighborhood because this studio is a perfect complement to my marathon training for cross-​training days. I’m still going to go back and glad that the studio has class bundles in additional to unlimited monthly options. So instead of attending classes every other day, I’ll make an effort to attend once a week. Especially in colder weather I love the feeling of feeling warm– you temporarily think that you’re someplace closer to the equator. Overall, Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill will make you sweat while bringing some zen in your life.

Totally surprised that there would be any negative reviews at all! I bought a year-​long membership at a charity event auction sight-​unseen. (The charity event had an open bar – you know you’ve made far worse drunken decisions.) As an extremely active young person living in Cap Hill I was fairly confident I’d put the membership to good use no matter what the studio/​instructor were like. (I train/​coach other people as well.) Have I done Bikram before? Yep. In the last three years? Nope. More than a dozen times in my life? Nope. Turns out I totally love this place and all the instructors I’ve encountered – like, all 4 of them.
Not everyone who comes here is super fit – and frankly that’s a beautiful thing. It’s a perfect studio for a beginner to be nurtured and to feel welcomed/​comfortable – yet you’ll get just as great a workout if you’re already incredibly fit or yoga-​advanced. Now that I’ve been going regularly for 6 months, I’ve been in classes where I’m probably one of the better yogis – and the instructor will still push me to do more. Typically there are at least a few really accomplished students who you can sneak peeks at and be motivated by. Lots of times one of the other instructors is participating in the class – which is awesome to see.
I think my general fitness and even peace of mind has been strengthened by Bikram. The instructors greet me and others by name – people, this is WAY harder than you think. The facilities are fine, efficient and clean. It’s not super-​fancy, but it’s in a prime location so I can’t imagine how much more they’d have to charge if they wanted to go super-​fancy. Either way, this doesn’t directly affect the quality of your «practice» (yogi-​speak for «workout») so who cares. Elizabeth and her trainers have created an environment that is distinctly motivating, uplifting, and community-​centered. I love supporting that!

I am visiting and I have been on the hunt for a DC bikram yoga studio. Coming from Ann Arbor, I was fortunate to have two fabulous studios close to me with very knowledgeable instructors and pristine studios (including the changing/​shower area).
Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the state-​of-​affairs at the Capitol Hill location. It is great that the studio is in an old home that they renovated; however, perhaps they should reconsider the studio location. The changing room/​shower is located on the second floor and you must climb some very steep stairs to reach the second level. Before yoga, it is not a problem, but after, I have very wobbly legs and became concerned I might tumble! May be a personal problem I don’t know.
The studio floor needs to be re-done…for the price I have practiced in a lot nicer studio. So either lower the price or re-​do the floor. Period. And perhaps it was the instructor I had, but I wished she gave more instruction (for the newbies because some people should not be doing the yoga set-​ups but they weren’t informed otherwise so…) and if you could use a timer or something. Because the first set you hold for a minute or so and the second set for less and I swear she just had us hold poses until she ‘felt’ like it was over. Just not what I am used to or prefer. So… overall, since I have practiced yoga in nicer studios and had really great instructors I just do not rate my experience at the studio highly. But I do think the studio has the potential to be great after some significant renovations and maybe a refresher course on Bikram instruction.

I haven’t been here in a couple of years. I had to give a groupon to a friend after I realized maybe it wasn’t realistic to come to a class so far. That went very smoothly & I credit that with the owner Elizabeth Glover who took time out of her busy day to help me.
There were a couple of things I didn’t like. I felt like the class I went to was really packed & there wasn’t that much space. I also don’t recall there being any showers there. Since I don’t live close, this is a deal breaker for me. I did consider living closer last summer & I imagined this studio as being my #1! But that didn’t happen but if it ever does I’m all in. I like the community feel. I love H street. I love that there is a health food place next door & that the owners all seem really involved in making sure the community is thriving. That is the type of place I want to support & where I want to be.
Also I think there are actual children classes. That is definitely a plus for introducing your little ones to group yoga classes if they are curious.

Classic challenging pure Bikram torture-​er class. Perfect for getting travel kinks out, hot and awfully sweaty with no music and classic bikram instruction patter broken up with some French spoken by fabulous instructor Tania who just got back from a year teaching in southern France. 90 minutes of pure h— but it doesn’t get any better than the way you feel afterwards.

I was a little scared after reading people’s reviews, but my experience was wonderful. My advice is, just go to the first class of the day if you can. The mat is fresh and clean… you can tell people sweat in it every day, but it’s not a big deal. The teacher was cute and petite, and totally sweet… that rhymed! Yay for me. Anyway, I enjoyed the class and it was the traditional bikram to the t, so if you practice, you will appreciate that. I have been to other studios who have the same heating system which flows through what looks like a huge air bag vent with holes in it across the room. There appears to be humidifiers there, but those are usually used by teachers who desire a hot and super juicy session. I observed a lady wiping down the floor after our session was complete.
There are bathroom facilities upstairs for men and women (restroom, sink, showers, and lockers). If you do not feel comfortable leaving your personal belongings out, then I would recommend bringing a lock. The cost for the sessions is pretty standard in comparison to any yoga studio I have ever been to. I rented a mat and purchased a bottle of water which were $ 2 each. The teacher mentioned that pretty much anything (including towel rental) is $ 2. She made conversation with me and was friendly.
Overall, I would say it’s pretty much like any other studio I have been to. If you don’t like the rigidness of bikram, then it’s probably not for you. I personally like the discipline.

Avoid! I’ve had some very negative experiences here … like an instructor taking a phone call during class and another instructor hitting on me. The floors are not cleaned between classes — and they really should be considering the amount of sweat that sits on them. The mats are not thoroughly cleaned, either.
The studio is costly and the amenities just aren’t up there enough to make it work it. Try another studio where you’ll have a 100% positive experience.

I went to this studio for the past year. The teachers are truly excellent, particularly Omar, LaShone, and Pierre. Wow.
Over the year, I saw a huge decline in the overall hygiene of the place. There are puddles of water everywhere before class even begins, and you can’t tell if it’s sweat or these gross humidifiers they haphazardly placed on the floor. I stopped going despite my yearly unlimited still having another month because it just got too unsanitary for me to return.

I have been doing bikram yoga for six years, tried many studios while living various places and Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill has been one of the favorites.
The studio was nice and it was easy to find a parking spot off of H street. I actually really like the long room because there was not people surrounding me on all sides. The studio floor was not carpet (so it didn’t smell) or hard wood, but some kind of plastic which was nice because it was easy to grip with my feet when doing certain postures off the mat.
The actual class was great and I really liked the instructor. She was high energy at moments when you needed a little extra push and yet the class still had a great calming effect. I was very happy at the end of the class when we were all given cold lavender scented towels while in our final savasana, the little things go a long way.
Overall I left the class rejuvenated, relaxed and happy. Look forward to going back and taking advantage of the introductory offer.

Not the prettiest yoga studio in the world, but Bikram Yoga Capital Hill gets it down.
It’s bare and minimal, nothing complicated about this place. Show up, bring your mat, and enjoy the «torture chamber.»
It’s one long room, and I always managed to find a spot by just showing up. I don’t know how long that will last for, but I do appreciate that they have both 6pm and 8pm classes. And have later 2pm and 5pm classes on the weekends too for those days I just can’t wake up!
The teachers are fine, no adjustments here. Once you know your 26 poses, you are good to go on your own. I wish the room was a hotter sometimes so I feel like I’m getting more from my work-​out. It’s a bit distracting sometimes when the air rushes through the ceiling pipe tunnel, but what can you do.
There are no funny smells here, thank goodness. And the floor are made of material that is easy to clean. I always managed to get a shower fairly quickly in one of their two showers. There are those free high-​tech lockers you can put your own combination in – just ask someone how to use one in case you don’t know.
Overall, good vibes from this place for a no-​frills dependable bikram yoga class.

Neat studio with enough space to breathe. The practice room is a clean rectangle with a wall-​size mirror in the front. The introductory offer: $ 20/​week is a great deal. Showers and lockers are available upstairs (though only two showers) and the rest areas where they’re located are nicely dry and cool. A nice escape pre– and post-​class.
Some teachers are not very articulate when instructing, but if you’ve done bikram enough times you don’t really need anyone to tell you what to do as the poses are predetermined. There’s a water dispenser in the back of the practice room (downstairs) with a bathroom.
Not usually overcrowded — which is extremely nice (probably the most important factor for me personally in a bikram studio, besides cleanliness). Teachers hand out cold towels at the end of class (like they do in Ashburn) as well, but they’re almost always dripping. I’d prefer just wet, not dripping, towels. They also don’t smell that good occasionally and make me worry about the hygienic process by which the staff cleans them.
All in all, a nice option for bikram practitioners in DC with a relatively convenient location (Tenley is just way too uptown, and Bikram DuPont, sorry but I won’t be returning because of the layout, design, and the maximum number of students they let in per class). Also generally flat terrain and non-​congested streets to bike on to and from class!

I love saunas. I love yoga. But I’m just not one of those people who is joining the cult of hot yoga. It was one of my most unpleasant voluntary experiences in recent memory.
As a studio, I would rank Bikram Capitol Hill 4 stars. The reception staff person was professional and friendly. They use MindBody online like many other yoga studios in the area, which makes class signups and purchasing easy. Their website is very informative and user friendly (thank you for the special Living Social section). As for the studio itself, there is a small changing area, and lockers for you to leave your stuff. No mat storage available. Mat and towel rentals available. Thank you for the water cooler in the back as well.
Now, anyone who reads my reviews on a regular basis knows I can be value oriented. If a normal walk-​in class here is $ 16, and I got the Living Social for $ 25 for up to 5 classes = I should go to at least 2 classes to make it worth it, right? I’m only going to go to one, and here’s why.
Keeping in mind that this was my first (and last) hot yoga experience, I think I learned that there are a lot of masochists out there and I’m not one of ‘em. I was massively nauseated and dizzy by the end of the warmup. I drank plenty of water before class, not eaten a huge meal 2 – 3 hours beforehand, and had water available as they suggested on their site.
I really did not like my instructor’s style. My instructor, while experienced, seemed to lack sensitivity to people’s pain, and threw out instructions at rapid-​fire auctioneer speed. One gem was, «It’s like an Indian marriage! You have no choice in this pose.» and «Don’t drink water just because you don’t want to do the pose.» I’ve never NOT wanted to participate in a yoga class before until now. Nothing like feeling sick in a 90 minute class (quite a bit longer than a standard yoga class), with an instructor barking orders. However, nothing feels better than the cold lavender face towel in Shavasana at the end.
In summary, hot yoga is not for me. But if you’re into that kind of thing, in the other basics of a yoga studio, Bikram does pretty well.