I have been to all of the hot yoga studios in the West Seattle, Renton, and Burien areas and I have to say Breathe is BY FAR my favorite out of any place that I have ever been to. A few years ago, I was a hardcore hot yoga junkie, but then life happened and although I still managed to go every now and again, I definitely wasn't practicing as much as I would have liked. So, I decided to stop the excuses and find my way back to hot yoga.
The studio is clean, new, and very cute. It is small, but not cramped and I love the flooring. A lot of places I have been to have weird carpet and during floor poses, I can actually smell the funk that has accumulated in the fibers, but this is definitely not the case here, which I really appreciate! Also, the room is not as hot as some other places, but still hot enough to get a great sweat going (I peeked at the thermostat and saw that it was 94 degrees in the room). Because the heat was not so intense, I was able to focus more on really pushing my body in the poses instead of worrying about "oh godddddddd, I feel like I'm going to pass out and DIE!!!"
Seeing as how it has been a while since I have gone to a session, I was a little apprehensive, but the class I took with Amber could not have been better. I have never received so much help and guidance in a yoga class. It almost felt like an individualized session even though it was a packed house. At a lot of other studios, if I made a mistake, the instructors' comments would make me feel as though I was being reprimanded instead of helping me to progress, but that wasn't the vibe here. I felt like she was concerned about making sure I got the most out of the poses without injuring myself or overdoing it, and I really appreciated it when she would come over to help with my posture or to help me push myself further.
So, in response to other reviews, if you notice the studio is called "Breathe Hot Yoga," NOT Bikram Yoga. It even states on their website that they do not follow the traditional Bikram style. From my experience, the 90 minute class I went to was closely based on the traditional Bikram format, with maybe three or four poses taken out and replaced with something different/nontraditional, which I did not mind at all. I actually preferred the "new" poses. I also attended a 60 minute session and although it is shorter, it was, in my opinion, way more intense. Chris was the instructor for that one and he was also awesome. I have been to some studios where the instructors were just plain mean, but that is definitely not the case here. I feel like all of the instructors genuinely care about helping the participants achieve their INDIVIDUAL capabilities.
My only real complaints would be that there isn't an actual parking lot for Breathe, but I've managed to find street parking without a problem, so I guess walking won't kill me :) And, I wish they could offer more mid-day classes, or perhaps a 60 minute mid-day class, which would be perfect for squeezing in while the kiddo is at school. I plan to use the rest of my beginner package and then purchase a regular monthly membership.
I really like Breathe Hot Yoga and have had excellent experiences here so far. You should definitely check it out and try a 90-minute class with Amber if it is your first time or if it's been a while since you have practiced. Also, I was late on my first day here, but I appreciate how accommodating they were. I definitely wouldn't have been disrespectful and interrupted if class had already started, but I got there RIGHT at the starting time and because the instructor had not entered the room yet, they let me come in for class. read more