My prior experience with yoga, before discovering this studio, was intermittently attending classes…read moreat large yoga chains whenever I felt like it. i.e. not that often. I thought yoga was great, but for some reason I never felt inclined to go back consistently. I never got attached to any said studios. About 9 months ago, I decided to try a class here because it was nearby and I had heard good reviews about the instructor. Fast forward to today: I have been practicing yoga twice a week consistently at this studio for the 9 months following my first session. If I ever do not live in the area anymore, yoga will still remain a part of my lifestyle. What you might notice at first is the size of the studio. It's tiny. Almost a hole in the wall. Heck, you might have driven past it multiple times and had no idea. When you go inside you'll find a very friendly group of yogi's who attend classes here regularly. They're dedicated to the studio because of the instructor, Tracy, who I would say is the sole reason that I give this business a 5 star rating. Tracy has dedicated her life to teaching the most thorough, balanced, and quality yoga classes I have ever participated in. Usually, she begins class with some brief chanting (they always translate to some wholesome message like spreading positive energy, etc.). No matter what the class is, there is always a thorough warm-up. You'll never find yourself in a difficult pose without your body primed and ready to do so. Her classes also always have a nice rhythm to them. Generally, they start simple and raise in complexity and difficulty as the class progresses. Don't get too comfortable though. Just when you think you have a class figured out, Tracy will surprise you with a completely unique pose or routine that you have never done before (this still happens to me and I've been here 9 months). Also, due to the small room and the intimate nature of the class, Tracy will personally correct you if you're doing something incorrectly. I cannot express how grateful I am for this. You're essentially getting the benefits of a personal training session in a group class. This studio is the best for beginners, and advanced, but especially beginners. Even if you're super fit, if you're new to yoga, take a beginners class. It might be easy for you, but trust me, you learn some fundamentals that will aid you in the advanced classes tremendously. For example, Tracy will teach you how to properly breathe during yoga. It's a very different style of breathing than any other exercise, and it helps a lot. She also gives you the translations for the common poses you will be practicing, so in the future you know exactly what to do when she says a pose in yoga-lingo. You'll also learn what poses work specific muscles and joints, so you'll be able to feel when you are doing a pose correctly. Ultimately, Tracy provides you with the tools you need to make yoga a regular part of your lifestyle, even if you can't attend a class. Lastly, I will say that Tracy offers many different classes catering to all the demographics of her students. There are beginner, intermediate, advanced, restorative, and aerial yoga classes. She also offers private sessions, and a meditation class. Honestly, I can go on and on about what makes this place special, but you should just go check it out and see for yourself. I'm torn between wanting Tracy to be a teacher of the rest of her life or become a guru and train others to teach the way she does, because, wow. This is yoga at it's best, purest form.

I have gone to several classes with Tracy, and she's the best. She learned my name right away and…read morealways makes me feel welcome in her studio. Her classes are the best way to start my weekend, because I feel very happy and serene when I leave. This studio has an amazing community. Everyone you meet here is kind, caring, and is never competitive with one another.

I took a few prenatal yoga classes here over the summer via class pass and really enjoyed the small…read moregroup setting. The instructor was great and made the class personal with opening introductions so all the soon to be mamas could meet. Would recommend for anyone looking to get a good stretch and relaxation during pregnancy.

This studio has a lovely ambiance and Rich and Nora are warm and fabulous teachers. The offerings…read moreare dynamic, varied and oftentimes guest teachers come in for special workshops. I LOVE Rich's Wednesday advanced vinyasa and his Sunday 8am vinyasa. Great energy and my favorite yoga studio in Chicago!

I've haven't been here in a few years. I'm planning on…read morecoming back more often. It's such an amazing space. Beautiful hardwood floors & spacious ceilings. Great decor, blankets & yoga blocks provided. Everyone here is so friendly & informative. I took a class that was donation only because it was a new teacher who just finished her training. It was a class geared towards hikers. What a fantastic idea. We talked about local places to hike & she gave pointers about what muscles we engage while hiking. I loved the class & can't wait to attend more.

Very zen studio. Attended a yoga session geared to hikers. Very informative and enjoyed the…read moresession.

So I decided a while back that I wanted to get into yoga (don't ask why, most of my life is…read moredominated by random pursuits I take up for no particular reason (case in point, yelp reviewing)), but I didn't want to take a group class because I suspected I would be very bad at this and wanted to fail privately before failing publicly. Well, I chose the right person because Morgan is a fantastic teacher, very personable, knowledgeable and able to teach people of any skill level. At our first session Morgan asked me about my goals for my practice, and we decided to do eight weekly sessions to teach me enough to practice on my own going forward. Each session involved a mix of breathing, going through a linked series of postures, being shown and practicing new poses, and discussion of what is working and not working in the class and my at home practice. Morgan also gave me a couple of audio CDs walking me though a routine for me to use at home. The classes are held in a yoga facility that she borrows space in for her lessons. As would be expected, the space is spare, modern and quiet. I would recommend working with Morgan if you are a beginner looking to get started or if you are a regular practitioner of some of the routine yoga classes (Bikram, Core Power) looking to deepen your practice. I got exactly what I hoped for out of our sessions and now I when I go to group yoga classes my ability level puts me in the middle of the pack, exactly where I wanted to be. :)

To my own surprise, I have embraced what I previously considered line-dancing on rubber mats. Steve…read moreCull is the impossibly limber instructor that led me down this path to yoga enlightenment. Steve is great instructor for yogis of all levels. He can patiently teach you the basics, but has a keen sense of when to ramp it up and push your skills to the next level. Some of the advanced poses he does, I can only dream of attempting. I have been regularly attending class for 18 months and look forward to it every week. Every class is different and has its unique challenges and journeys. Loop Yoga has brought positive and phenomenal changes to my life... both physical and mental. I wish I would have gotten into it much sooner, but I'm glad to be there now. What I like about it: smaller class sizes, welcoming environment, individual instruction, amazing/ insightful instructor.

It's a nice intimate setting, so there's room for comraderie amongst teacher and students. There's…read morealso good balance between workout, spiritual contemplation, & just spending the hour together with the group. A lot of people teach yoga, but there's something both light hearted & deep about the way Steve does it, that keeps it being fun.

Stopped in during a West Town business weekend. Liked the vibe and I am anxious to stop by and…read morecheck out a yoga class. They have different forms of payment available but, I think they have a small cash discount for someone wanting to do a drop in for a yoga class.

I really like the welcoming atmosphere of this studio and have been visiting it for about two…read moreyears. The teachers are clearly there because they enjoy it. The "consent to adjust" cards are good, but not always followed. I do wish that there was more focus on alignment. Many of us turn to yoga to try to fix our broken bodies, and yoga itself offers that, it's just not always done with fidelity. I taught yoga for six years in my twenties, so I am admittedly a purist. While Big Shoulders is definitely more attentive to the students than in a gym setting, it feels like there's not as much emphasis these days, both here and in other small studios on doing it safely. It used to be the norm to ask if anyone in the class needed accommodations due to injuries, but I've only encountered that a couple times in the dozens of times I've visited here. Other alignment supports, like breathing intentionally to make sure your ribcage isn't popping out, keeping your hips square instead of doing dramatic sideways twists in a lunge, emphasizing ears over shoulders over hips, holding the poses longer so that you can access the breath and let go of tension- all of these things really make a big difference. Many of the variations the teachers do to spice things up turn the poses into something else that's not quite yoga. This is my constructive criticism that I hope is taken with a grain of salt. I apologize for being a yoga snob- as a former teacher I'm probably wishing to change certain things and therefore very annoying to have as a student. Thanks to Big Shoulders for all of the things that it does well.

Whitney's is so supportive. I feel stretched, centered and ready to take on the week after joining…read moreher Monday morning.

The instructor (Sierra) was absolutely amazing and so attentive! The class was challenging and fun…read moreand the restorative yoga was so relaxing and peaceful. I have a crazy work schedule but I definitely look forward to attending more classes as soon as my schedule allows.

I'm coming up on the end of my 2 week intro pass. I've had such a lovely time coming to Tula's…read moredifferent yoga classes. Amazing instructors! They have all kind of tools for you to use to relax & feel comfortable during class - my favorite is the warm eye pillow for the end of the class shavasana. I plan on coming back again to extend my membership.

Tula isn't just a yoga studio - it's a place of community and education, too! I just finished…read moreTula's 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course and can't say enough great things. For anyone considering expanding their yoga journey or curious about meditation and mindfulness, definitely check out Tula and the MBSR course. Maile was a fantastic instructor and I'm looking forward to continuing to stay connected to Tula for yoga and all the other cool classes and community events she has as well!!! - Shannon M.