I have a Y6 all-access studio membership, and have been to 24 of YogaSix's 216 studios, mostly along the west coast. I'm relatively new to yoga, having taken it up when I turned 59, and even after 538 classes, I am still learning and refining with every one. It has been a life-changing experience for me, having improved my balance, flexibility, strength, tone, and blood sugar level, and is the highlight of my days.
A few of the studios, all in California, are what I call "Classic", before the franchise-standard look-and-feel stark white modern aesthetic was developed. This studio is modern. Upon entering, you're greeted by a Wellness Advisor. At a few studios, you check yourself in via an iPad at the front desk, but at most, the WA checks you in after they remember or ask you your name. You can check in via the app once you're close to the studio, but that doesn't refresh the WA's screen immediately, so they may not see that you did. The app for browsing studios and booking classes is overall excellent, with just a couple bugs. It'll offer to put the class on your calendar automatically. Finding a suitable class for your needs is generally easy, with the hard classes in the early morning and into the mid-day, and the easier Slow Flow and Restore classes typically towards the end of the day. Despite Y6 being a franchise operation, there is a LOT of variability between studios in the mix of classes they offer and the details I note below.
The single practice room (some studios have two) has a mirror across the entire front wall, but the instructor also faces you and usually mirrors the poses, so this can produce confusion on the teacher's and student's parts as everyone tries to figure out which side to move depending on whether they look at the teacher or their reflection. To me, mirroring only makes sense in an outdoor setting. Most studios, like this one, use vinyl flooring. Some use rubber, which would be awfully hard to keep clean. There are cubbies and lockers to store your things. A few studios have sexed locker rooms with showers, but this studio has two unisex restrooms. There is often a wait for the restroom during the busy turnover times when one class is leaving and another arriving. There's a Flowater water dispenser to fill up your bottle. There are free sweat towels available where you check in; some studios charge for them. Mats and mat towels can be rented. Parking is free. This studio allows late arrivals, which is both accommodating and disruptive. All of the classes are heated, from 85 to 105, with 30-40% humidity, but specific temps are left up to each teacher.
The room is laid out with stickers for the top of each mat, allowing for 4 rows of 9 mats, leaving a moderate amount of room between you and your yogi neighbors. There's a thin weight-bearing pole in the middle of the studio that doesn't interfere and can be even be useful for those who aren't along a side wall for support. Virtually all studios have a tall ceiling, but this is the only one with a short ceiling, so tall people have to choose one of the spaces where their hands won't hit the ventilation tubes that hang from the ceiling. A few studios offer TRX, but this one doesn't and couldn't given the low ceilings. The sound system and color-changing lights are high quality. There's a microphone for the instructor, but only one of the 19 teachers use it, so it can be hard to hear the cues if the music is loud. Six studios across the country offer virtual classes, which can be useful when you're traveling internationally; this one doesn't. The walk-in prop room is small, with weights, blocks, bolsters, straps, and bands, all free to use. The teachers don't enforce "in through the inhale door, out through the exhale door", so it's bumper cars getting or putting away your things. The weights are mismatched, rubber coated, and some are torn and rusting; some studios use more durable metal-handled weights with solid rubber ends, but those can be harder on your hands.
This studio is one of the few where the instructor places the cooling eucalyptus towels directly on your forehead and gives you a one- or three-second head massage. I find it delightful, but you have the option of signaling to skip the touching. Most studios have the cooling towels placed next to your mat during shavasana, or have them available as you leave the yoga room. Side note: the washer and dryer were broken for over two months at this studio, so there were no sweat towels, cooling towels, or mat towels available.
The majority of instructors at this studio are really good, among the best I've had. Each of them go through 200 hours or more of training. The yogis here skew towards the young and fit. Everyone appears happy and spent when class is over, as it should be. read more
