Yoga by Degrees

I’m a newbie, so take this with a grain of salt. I bought a Living Social deal for 5 classes and was pleasantly surprised that they offer a free week of yoga. My friend and I took the Restorative class with Lara and we were amazed/​impressed/​in awe of how great the class was and how wonderful we felt after. The hour felt like it went by so fast! It was so great to spend some time on myself and really get a good stretch. I was so relaxed after the class, I could not wait to go back. I also took the level 1 class and enjoyed that as well. I liked that the level 1 class was a bit more of a challenge, but both were great. I can’t wait to experience the other classes and see what else they have to offer.

I have been coming to YBD for many years now, and as a previous Lululemon employee I’ve been to a LOT of yoga studios. So, let me tell you a little bit about YBD and why I gave them 5 stars.
First, the number of locations that you can pick from with your membership (or class pass) is fantastic. They have four locations: Wheaton, Downers Grove, Western Springs and Elmhurst. All four locations are comparable — they each have two studios, and sizeable locker rooms with shower facilities. Parking is usually easiest in Downers Grove or Elmhurst, though you can always find a couple spots at Western Springs and Wheaton as well. They both share lots with busy grocery stores, so they’re usually pretty hopping!
Classes range depending upon what you feel like — they offer Restorative, or yin, yoga in an unheated class, but the rest are all heated from 80 to 105 degrees. They also offer a Sculpt class which is a great mix of cardio and weight training along with yoga. Their level 1 and 2 classes are vinyasa flow, and are a fantastic workout! The studios are nice and dark, lit by candles, so very relaxing (and nobody can see you get all sweaty)! And at the end of each class, they bring you a lovely cool peppermint lavender cloth for your face to help you cool down, while you rest in savasana.
They have SO many wonderful instructors, which to me is the most important part of yoga! These guys are the reason that I keep coming back, and that I actually can say that I LOVE to exercise! I’m sure if you try YBD you’ll find your own favorites, but a few of mine that you can try are Lara, Colleen, Kara, Sarah P., Nadja, Heather, Shawn, Brandon, and Jenny T. They make yoga fun!
If you’re thinking of giving yoga a try, check Groupon — YBD often offers a 5 class pack for newbies. They also offer a free first week trial for newbies as well. No reason not to give it a shot — it just might change your life! :)

I loved my free week here and now I’m hooked on hot yoga. I did the lowest level heat and the level one classes, but when my friends invite me to do regular yoga, I’m not even interested anymore. The instructors are really kind and let us go at our own pace. The place is clean, feels great, and I love the cool towels with peppermint and lavender at the end of the classes! I always leave feeling really pampered and taken care of.

I went there with my sister who has attended one class and wanted me to join her as well. The instructor was really rude and her attitude was out of the world. I am
not sure if she was having a rough day or something but she was rude and not nice to us at all. Most of the yoga teachers or yogis I know generate a an aura that attracts you towards yoga and its power. We were so excited to be doing this but decided to leave right away.

I went here for the intro week offer and I was impressed. One of my favorite instructors teaches here now so it was a treat to be able to go to one of his classes. I did go to a handful of other instructors and I definitely enjoyed a couple of them. I would consider getting a membership if the location was a bit more ideal for me. Definitely a good place to go.

I keep hearing how great yoga is for runners, so I got a free week pass and thought I would give it a try. I’m definitely a beginner – only my 3^rd time doing yoga – and today I tried Heather’s YBD1 class and absolutely loved it! The class was easy to follow along with and a great workout.
The studio is very clean! They have free lockers, nice changing rooms, and showers with complimentary shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
Once my free week is up, I’ll definitely be purchasing a class pass!

Stacey and Heather’s classes make me a really happy girl!!! If you are new to this studio you must take one of their classes you will leave feeling revived, refreshed, and renewed.

Love this place! Great variety of classes and always immaculate! I’m moving out of state soon and wish I could take this studio with me.

I wish I’d given in to trying this place sooner! I’m sure these hot yoga classes would’ve made the polar vortexes much more bearable.
So I went to 5 classes during my free trial week and then I bought the Groupon. I’m pretty sure I’m going to get the monthly unlimited after my Groupon is used up. Bonus: they have teacher discounts!
The teachers I’ve encountered are kind and cultivate an environment of acceptance. I especially appreciate Lara and Heather’s classes. I love how all the classes end with being treated with a cold peppermint/​lavender washcloth on the forehead. It’s heavenly!
The locker rooms are always clean and the lockers are free.
I recommend YBD wholeheartedly!

Living downtown and working in the suburbs, to avoid sitting in rush hours traffic I’ve been trying to find a yoga studio near my office that offers great hot vinyasa classes with flexible schedules. I took a YBD 2 85 at 12pm with Samantha (sub for Bridget), YBD ²⁄₃ 85 – 90 at 6pm with Rich, and YBD 2 95 with JennyT, all three classes were simply amazing.
The studio is very clean with plenty of free lockers and shower stalls. I can easily run out during lunch for a 12pm class and able to rinse off quickly before returning to work. I love the size of the classes I’ve taken, there were plenty of people but never felt overly crowded.
I purchased a Groupon for 5 classes and planning on doing the monthly membership. It is a great investment for your health! Namaste.
UPDATE: It’s been over a month since my original review, I signed up for monthly membership once I used up my Groupon. I’ve been going 4 days a week and have taken classes with Lara, Rich, and Briget; all three were amazing teachers!

Although it doesn’t compare to the yoga I’ve had when I lived in Brooklyn, there are some great instructors here who are great for intermediate practice.
My favorites are Jenny, Loretta, and Tomek — each one has very individual style. Jenny thoroughly prepares ahead for her class: she gives an inspiring reading prior, during, and at the end of the practice with the right sequence of steps for you to follow. Loretta has a very positive energy and makes her classes fun and challenging at the same time. Tomek pushes your limits and also inspires you with his words throughout the class.
The only one instructor that I stay away from is Nadja — I left Lifetime Fitness in Naperville where she taught yoga, because of her. She incorporates «shake it out» and some hip hoppish moves into her practice, her sequences, albeit challenging, do not flow into one another and tend to create disharmony in your practice. And at 105 degrees, the last thing that you need is disharmony.
The clothing is overpriced — you can take pictures of the tags and find everything cheaper with discounts online.
The washrooms, showers, etc. are VERY nice and clean.
I would definitely recommend this place for anyone in the surrounding area.

Love this place. Love some instructors and some classes. Love the bathroom for post shower and clean up (some places don’t have showers eww!!!).
Hate hate hate they have no class maximums so we’ve been in classes where you get kicked in the face or have your face literally up someone’s ass. Not great atmosphere for getting in the zone of relaxation.

Lara is such a gem! I have brought three different people to her classes b/​c I find them to be amazing!
Her approach to yoga is so all encompassing bring mind, body and spirit together as her class progresses!
The prices are outrageous but I will admit I keep going back for her.

I’ve taken 3 classes here in the last week. Each one wonderfully challenging. The instructors are all warm, friendly, and welcoming. I’ve been to other studios where I felt I wasn’t part of the clique. Not here. This place is wonderful! I cannot wait for my next class.

Update: I’ve been back here when I come home for summer break, and both Kara and Lara are great teachers.
Kara has this kind warmth and acceptance about her, and you can tell she loves what she does and everyone in the room. Her voice is also very reassuring.
Lara is the same way, and she even takes the time to learn her students’ names. You can tell that she really pushes her students past what they think is their limits, to make them better than they were yesterday.
Lara is really in tune with what everyone is feeling in the room. I can think of two times when my body was giving out on me, and I wanted to take a break, and she sat down on the floor right next to me and gave the instruction for the next pose and acted it out, like she was mentally carrying me on her back to get me through the roughest part.
And even after yoga class in the lobby, she told the other students and me what a good job we did today. Wow.

Yoga by Degrees has changed my perspective of yoga and the benefits of it. I’m very active, I run, kickbox, did crossfit, etc so yoga was never the first thing on my mind when I thought about getting in a good work out. I’ve tried a class that was a mix of yoga and pilates before and didn’t like it. It could be that I did an intense boot camp class right before it, but it was too slow for me and my mind was wandering around 100 mph.
However, what intrigued me about Yoga by Degree is the class is done in a hot, hot room! The temperatures of the rooms vary between 80 degrees — 105! Another plus is YBD offers a FREE week of classes, which definitely allows beginners like me to try it out before committing monetary to it.
I’m in love, oh so in love! My favorite class has to be Yoga Sculpt! Cardio, weights, sweat, just what I like in a workout! There’s always modifications for poses or movements that are too hard and there’s no judgement if you decide to stay in a child’s pose midway through the class! The class worked everything from legs, arms, core, flexibility, you name it and we probably touched on it.
I went to 4 classes during my free week and truly enjoyed it. Now if only they opened a location closer to home like Elmhurst/​Lombard area since Wheaton can be a far drive for me. YBD classes also helped me with weight loss. Not drastically, but with that 4 classes I took I feel more zen and cleaner, like I sweated all the dirty/​toxic stuff in my body out. I also loss a few pounds which can be mainly water weight, but it still made me feel good.
This is definitely a must try!

I still love this place. I had purchased a few class packages, but decided to bite the bullet and sign up for the monthly unlimited — and I couldn’t be happier with my decision.
I never miss Yoga Sculpt with Jen (she rocks!) and my new fave is Restorative Yoga with Lara on Monday nights. It’s honestly the best start to my week and I find myself so much more calm and centered afterward.
If you’re debating about it — just go. I don’t have a lot of «favorite» things about the suburbs (I’m still slightly bitter about leaving the city), but YBD is on my list!

…cool lemon lavender cloth…
That made it all the sweaty chaturanga dandasanas worth it!
Came in for the complimentary week of yoga… what a sweet deal! Unlimited classes for one week and full use of their spa like locker room stocked with amenities such as bobbypins, Qtips, lotion, mouthwash.
Don’t forget to bring your mat, towel, and a frozen beverage!
Yoga Sculpt with Julie was just what I was looking for. She provides hands on instruction and soothing visuals. Toning with light weights, some bursts of cardio with mountain climbers, and yoga that made me sore for a couple of days Not too hot (80 – 85). Each class gets turned up to a certain sweaty range, hence Yoga by Degrees, which is awesome for those just starting out like me!
Their two studios are great. My feet and back love the cushioned flooring and my nose appreciated the stink-​free air!
Namaste!

Ohhmmmmm…(ohm) this is seriously the most beautiful sound at the end of a challenging yoga class with all of the collective voices.
Ken– Did you fall straight from yoga heaven?! You are inspirational and create phenomenal yoga imagery. I wanted to lay on my yoga mat and whimper in childs pose during Yoga Sculpt, but you told us that we were all warriors and when we had to run in place and do glut kicks you encouraged us and asked if we could see the finish line just ahead. My arms were so tired from lifting 3lb weights over and over (I promise… I usually am really strong and brave and can lift much more!), but when you explained that what we were doing was «champagne pours» it seemed way more fun! I loved Yoga Sculpt!
I also loved Rich’s Vinyasa 85 class! I finally understood how to do ujjayi breathing! You explained yoga in a way that made it much easier to do all of the poses. You shared your personal journey and I think that helps students connect to you in a shared love of yoga.
Vinyasa 85 was warm, not hot. Loved the 95 degree class for a really sweaty workout! New yogis: wear a yoga sweat band, bring a water bottle, bring a towel… GET READY TO DRIP SWEAT. If you don’t know yoga terminology, take the beginner class and learn the basics.
Yoga by Degrees… thank you for offering the 1 week free! I wish you had a studio closer to Elmhurst and I wish the drop-​in rate was just a little lower. $ 10 rate for student drop in class would be AWESOME (it is currently $ 14 for students and $ 18 for non-students…a little pricey). In any case, I will definitely be dropping back in from time to time or watching for a deal on Groupon!

I recently purchased a Groupon for this location, it was 5 classes for $ 29. What a deal! So before I use those I was able to sign up for a free week and check out the classes.
When you first walk in it’s kind of dark but you get used to it. They have a cute little boutique in the front where you can buy all kinds of Yoga paraphernalia. The girl behind the counter is real sweet and helpful. You can rent a Yoga mat for $ 2 and a towel for $ 1. All your belongings can be kept safe in the locker room. You can take the key with you.
The instructors really know what they are talking about and try to go through the poses slowly so that the beginner Yogis can keep up. I still don’t know half of the pose names but I intend to learn them quickly. If you can’t do some of the poses, don’t fret, go at your own pace, no one is judging. Well… they shouldn’t be.
Now it’s called Yoga By Degrees because the degree of the classes vary. They can range anywhere from 85 to 105 degrees. The beginners class is at 85 and there is definitely some sweating involved.
Don’t sweat it though, ;) at the end of each class, when you’re in relaxation mode, the instructor comes around and lays a nice cool lavender scented wash cloth on your forehead. One of the best feelings you’ll experience. PLUS you can shower in their nicely accommodating showers, complete with shampoo, conditioner and soap. Complimentary toiletries as well.
I’m giddy just writing this review and I can’t wait to go back.