I am giving them a 5 star review based on past experience, but they have lost me as a customer by not returning the Restorative class to in-studio following the relaxation of Covid restrictions. During Covid, I tried it on ZOOM once and it was not my thing, even though I have props at home; I need the real group experience and the presence of a teacher. When it had been in-studio before Covid, I liked both the regular teacher and the teacher who frequently substituted. It was a perfect class. I still hope they will return the Restorative class to the studio but I have kept checking and it has not happened. read more

This is a fantastic studio for busy parents or people with injuries. The demographic of people who come to this studio are mostly middle aged (my mom went this studio a lot) so it reminds me of a mom and dad studio. It's very comfortably designed, very relaxing private place to practice. The instructors are extremely attentive to personal injuries and making you feel comfortable in class, which is the main strength of the people who teach here. They focus on Iyengar yoga which involves a ton of props and wall work. The beginner classes are perfect for people who have never stepped upon a yoga mat and a lot of personal instruction is given. The advanced classes go as for as headstands and more complex bends. Ultimately, I was looking for a younger more modern vibe so I'm still looking for a place to call my home yoga studio. I did enjoy my classes here though and would come back every now and then. Just one thing: I wish they put a stronger emphasis on flexibility but that's just my personal needs. read more

Two of my friends recommended this yoga center to me. Couldn't have been happier that I gave it a try myself. Friendly community, excellent instructors, and pleasant facility. All the instructors I've met have been wonderful. Highly recommend! read more

I really like to practice yoga not just for the health benefits but also because I feel really good after it. I took a Sunday class with Suzanne Dong. I was very excited at the possibility of finding a new yoga studio since I had just moved to the area. Well, lets just say that this was the first yoga class I have ever taken where I leave feeling worse than I started and in a very bad mood. It all started with her asking if we knew how to do inversions. We said yes and then without warmup or anything she told us to do handstands and headstands. Then, she jumped into something else. Absolutely no flow between poses. The worst part is that she called me by the wrong name at least 20 times throughout the class. Even the other students would correct her. She would ask me what my name was and then 5 minutes later call me something else. Among the names that she called me where: Darcy (100 times), Lucy, and just about anything with a D. Also, she had a very jarring personality. She kept on asking if we were sorry yet that we were there and would correct us in a very mean way telling us we were not doing things right. She even went so far as to get a book to show us how we were supposed to do it and that she was being so easy on us. It was almost like her goal was to try to think of as many hard poses to do to try to make us feel bad that we couldn't do them right. She wasn't nice when correcting and the poses had no flow. read more

Yoga for people who have back issues? No way! I was so jazzed to find a Yoga class close to my work, at 545 PM, that would accommodate my back issues. I had recently walked by the Palo Alto location, and picked up a flier. $15 dollars for 1.5 hours...sure...sounds like a plan to me. I was kinda nervous. I am super stiff and figured I would be the loser of the class. I was greeted by a nice lady named Elizabeth who was understanding of my lack of cash ways. She introduced me to the instructor and got me set up with all the equipment. The instructor, Elise Miller, was awesome. She was so flexible...I was truly admired. I wanted to be that flexible. After doing poses, breathing, relaxing, and releasing all my toxins, I truly felt wonderful. I had a busy day at work, but left it all on the mat. I meditated with serenity and peace, and closed my eyes. Calgon, take me away. DONG...time's up. Looking forward to coming back next week. I see the benefits already. I want to become more flexible and embrace my inner peace goddess! Yoga for the challenged, here I come. Small space, bring cash and your own mat. Good mix of people. Men are welcome. It's by the tanning salon, between Trader Joe's and Sears. Just look for the signs! read more

I think many people who have given this studio a low score expected more of a flow, vinyasa class structure which is not what CYC offers. The studio is primarily a Iyengar center, with a focus on alignment, precision of instruction and use of various props for perfecting the pose. In my opinion, this is by far the best studio I have been to in terms of consistently high quality of instruction and seniority of its teachers. CYC teachers really know their stuff, not only asana, but also pranayama and yoga philosophy. I feel safe and at ease in the class. The teachers are very down to earth and they constantly adjust students and make sure that each individual student actually gets the pose right. One cannot have a rehearsed flow class with these parameters. So far, I have taken classes by Elise, Birgit and Lisa and I enjoyed them all. I am definitely planning to continue taking their classes as well as workshops. I strongly recommend this studio to people who want to make yoga part of their life in the long term (and not as a stint in aerobics when they are in their 20s-30s) and benefit from the healing aspects of it. Thank you, CYC and Iyengar! read more

This yoga studio is the real deal. The instructors are excellent-- Iyengar yoga experts who love teaching. Can't recommend California Yoga Center highly enough! read more

I'm not really an Iyengar yoga person, I'll admit, but I decided to mix things up a bit and try a class here. Not a good choice! I've taken class with Elise Miller and Suzanne Dong before, and while they're definitely Iyengar-style, their classes had structure and flow. Today I took class with a different teacher, and it was a frustrating experience. She seems like a very nice person, but her class is not organized. Several times when we were about to move into a posture, she would suddenly stop and decide to do something else instead. The timing was very uneven--right and left sides were held for different times. And in the middle of a few poses, she started to tell a story and kept us there for a disproportionate amount of time. A couple restorative poses were thrown in at the end, and rushed. And then we finished 15 minutes late! Argh. She seems like someone who's been teaching for a while, but I think a little focus and planning ahead would help the class a lot. read more

I wanted to try yoga. After asking a few knowledgeable friends about the different types or styles of yoga, they suggested that I start with Iyengar. I found this studio because they appear to specialize in this approach. After a few classes, I was hooked. During my first year, I never had a bad class. The instructors range from good to great. If you've been thinking about yoga, but you are not sure if it is for you, this is THE Best place to get started. They are wonderful, warm, and very knowledgeable people. Be careful. It is addictive. read more

Started taking Iyengar yoga here, a year and a half ago. Never took a class before this and was hooked, would go an extra night on Fridays, would look for Iyengar yoga classes when on travel. Started going on a Tuesday night with Lisa, Level 1/2. Love her patience, quirky humor, attentiveness and thoroughness. She goes to the nth degree with details, what is the correct placement, what you might be feeling, what to do to ease the position if it is uncomfortable. The class would be filled many Tuesdays due to Lisa and her wonderful instruction, around 20-30 people lining the walls and center of the room. Class last 1 hour and 20ish minutes, classes are back to back. Not all classes are as full. I have tried other times and instructors and levels. Note: difficult to find the first time, around the corner from Trader Joe's and next to Sear's in the San Antonio Shopping Center. Parking can be a bear with the Trader Joe shoppers and the 24 hour Fitness Gym on the weekends and right after work. They must be doing well, they opened a second studio in Palo Alto. read more

I'm an experienced Yogi and attended my first formal Iyengar class today. The teacher, Yoon Cho, was knowledge, friendly and definitely knows her stuff. I have neck and shoulder issues so I am always cautious when doing inversions, but the props and queueing were detailed and I felt quite safe. Yoon described the muscles to activate in every pose with great detail, making previously difficult poses much easier to achieve. I look forward to coming back for more. read more

I stumbled across this yoga studio after my doctor and physical therapist recommended I try yoga to help ease some of the neck and back pain I was having. The day they made the recommendation, I did a bit of googling and discovered that a Back Care Workshop was starting the very next day. I signed up and couldn't be happier about that little bit of serendipity. I completed the six week workshop and have since been going to the studio twice a week and practicing at home a couple of times a week. The instructors I've worked with have been kind and knowledgable. They've helped me to adapt poses as necessary to alleviate pain/discomfort and also accommodate for my relative lack of flexibility. In my current favorite class at the studio, a mixed ability class in the early morning, I was initially intimidated with a number of the students having practiced for years. As a relative newbie I was afraid that I would slow folks down. Or that I'd be beyond my abilities. I'm glad that neither of those things have come to pass, I've been welcomed in and am so glad to have found this space. A place to practice and learn and grow. read more

Love love love this place! The studio is in a good shape, they have tons of great props! Instructors are well knowledgeable, friendly and nice! I attended most of the different sessions and they have been all great! I specially like Naomi, Yoon and Lisa's classes! read more

Been going here for a few months, just one day a week. I love the style of yoga and the relaxed atmosphere. I am still taking beginner classes and love the way the instructor knows me due to the small class sizes and is there to adjust each person based on their level. Lots of instruction, ability to ask questions and each week there is a focus or theme, which works for me. I truly look forward to each week and the benefits of Iyengar yoga - I have really learned a lot and love the way I feel after each class. read more

Been going for over 10 years and have taken classes with most teachers. They have all been great and helped me to gain a much better quality of life. The Iyengar style has been taught me proper fundamentals and now allows me to practice other types of yoga as well without injury. Highly recommended! Thanks CYC. read more

I am a yoga teacher. Elise Miller was my teacher for many years until scheduling issues created a need for me to take a weekend class at another Iyengar studio. I would highly recommend her for her knowledge and gentle style. Now I regularly go to workshops at the studio. They bring in excellent teachers for the workshops. read more

I've tried this place twice so far. My first class was with Brigid - pretty good. I'd go back. My second class was with Simin, and it was one of the worst yoga classes I've ever taken. I've been practicing yoga for 15 or so years, on and off. I took Simin's level 1 class b/c I was feeling pretty stiff and sore, and wanted to take it easy. She spent the first couple of minutes telling me about how some of the other people in the class had been taking yoga for 2-3 months (!!) and how I can aspire to be like them. Then during class, her corrections were almost laughable. My husband ( who had tagged along) wasn't very comfortable in his downward dog. Instead of actually helping him, Simin repeatedly told him that his downward dog wasn't "sufficiently joyful" and that he needed to "breathe joy" to be comfortable. How on earth is that supposed to be helpful in any way? Does joy equate to shifting my hips, or spreading my hands? I am just grateful that my husband didn't walk out of the class at that point. Other examples like that continued for the remaining 90 minutes .... yikes. I was pretty annoyed. Definitely will not be going back to her class. read more

Decided to shift my focus from Bikram yoga that I have practiced for more than three years to other styles, I started searching for a good place to learn yoga in south Bay area. After trying out different studios around, I found the best teachers in this center where I received very detailed instructions from knowledge instructors in a smaller class. The Iyengar style of practicing is a safe approach that I would recommend for beginners to build a solid foundation before you move into flow type or Ashtanga. I've seen many different style of yoga classes packed with students where the instructor can not come to each individual for adjustment except giving voice guidance. You won't learn much except shedding sweats like workout in a gym. It's not uncommon to see people doing postures wrongly all the time. Hardwood floor with coziness, all yoga props well provided (need to bring your own mat though), parking is not a problem in this plaza, come and start your yoga journey here. read more

Love CYC! Excellent teachers, nice studio, great selection of classes and workshops. Two thumbs up! Highly recommend it to anyone who likes Iyengar Yoga. read more

Their new studio in Mountain View is wonderful and enables participantsj to do rope work, also. All the teachers are experienced and know what they are doing. My back doctor recommended this yoga for me and doing the back session classes has relieved me of back pain! Clean, comfy, professional, men welcome, people of all ages and body types attend, and you leave feeling like a whole new person. Carmen read more

Came here for my prental yoga classes. I liked it, especially since I was never really into yoga before. I need to exercise more and the stretching I'm hoping will help ease birth! Since people have raved about Iyengar, I might try that after I give birth. read more

The best teachers are here at CYC. Very knowledgeable, very attentive, very attuned to alignment so you won't hurt yourself but will maximize the benefits of the pose. I've practiced yoga 10 years with a variety of teachers at CYC, they're all different but very good. This is not a yoga studio that draws the trendy yoga crowd. The teachers and fellow students are non-judgmental no matter your level of experience. read more

I have been going to this studio for a number of years. I started when it was in its old location near San Antonio and El Camino. I love the yoga orientation of the studio, they support the Iyengar tradition of yoga. This style of yoga emphasizes precise instructions, symmetry and strength. The studio has Senior and Intermediate Iyengar yoga instructors and often opens its doors to Senior yoga instructors that come from all over the nation and the world. It is well equipped with props, such as blankets, blocks, belts, bolsters, pranayama pillows, chairs, ropes, eye bags, etc. The props are invaluable to support therapeutic aspects of yoga practice. I have worked with a number of yoga instructors there, including Elise, Ann, Suzanne, Brigit, Diane, and Lolly. I am a yoga instructor myself and often recommend this studio to my corporate students who are ready to expand their yoga practice and who live or work in the area. Anya M. Kroth read more

The teacher is great, knowledgeble, very patient and correct your positions regularly. You might not sweat but you muscle will be sored after class. It is challenging since you might not do Yoga correctly from beginning! Try a small class and you will get the most benefit. I am giving it a 4 stars because the studio does not have enough mirrors and it is in the middle of shopping plaza, can be quite noisy.. read more

I have been attending Simin's class weekly for over a year. She is the best yoga instructor I've ever had. I never miss her class if I'm in town. She really focuses in on getting into poses in a way that gives the greatest benefit and has a very holistic approach in general. read more

I regularly attend Elise's Back Care yoga class. It is Iyengar yoga. 3 years ago I was having a lot of back pain. I took yoga at the YMCA, but that would sometimes make my back feel even worse. Then I found CYC's Back Care yoga class. I attend once a week and now rarely have back pain. Elise is very experienced and knows just how to adjust the poses for various back issues. When I buy a 10-session package, the price for an hour and a half clase goes to $14, which is way cheaper than the physical therapy the doctor recommended - and the yoga is more effective! read more

What a wonderful studio this is.......spacious, quiet, lots of parking, great instructors AND a rope wall that is phenomenal! I came here looking for more personalized instruction than the YMCA's yoga instructors can offer, and I got it. I have learned a lot here, and feel that Iyengar Yoga is very detailed and a necessity for those looking to learn proper technique. Also, I love the lack of "attitude" here.......this is not a snobby, trendy studio! read more

I love this studio. I first got introduced to yoga here almost 10 years ago; I've moved around since then, but most studios were disappointing in comparison. (I eventually stopped practicing yoga altogether as I got bogged down with work.) I finally moved back to the Bay Area, and was really excited to take up yoga again. I was not disappointed - not only is the new studio great, but as soon as I walked into my first class (in years) my instructor recognized me! read more