To all Yogis out there! Whether aspiring, intermediate, or advanced, IKOV Yoga is led by a…read morewonderful woman who will help center your mind and strengthen your body. * * * As I sauntered across town from the Mission to the Inner Richmond with two of my favorite ladies on the planet, I couldn't help but drift through weaving connections in my head about my yoga practice. Sporadic at best, when I do come to my mat, it's generally to let go of some stress from work or some desperate play for Jason Stackhouse abs. However, as we navigated West through the foggy Pan Handle and across Stanyan on Sunday night, the air visibly twisted, bent, and yoga'ed around our car and inspired an excitement for the 3 Sunday classes I had planned at IKOV. Upon entering the space (located at WestSide Art House) warmth and the smell of homemade chai tea replaced the chill of the fog from outside. Inviting hardwood floors, soft lighting, and mellow indie music (hear Sufjan Stevens) converged and I immediately embraced the yogic state of mind. I borrowed a mat (yep, they've got some there) and set up my little yoga station complete with blocks, blanket, and water next to my friends. As the time for the class to start approached, the space filled to a comfortable capacity -- nothing kills your Zen like having to do yoga in fear of slapping your sweaty neighbor, and thankfully it was a great class size that facilitated a lot of one on one attention. As we all found our way to our mats and in a sitting position, the class opened with an Ohm and expression of gratitude for our attendance. Our instructor, Mary, then led us through a great balance of warm-up poses that got our movements in sync with our breathing. These were some poses that I had never done before, but really focused my breathing and practice. Definitely the best way I have ever started a yoga class. We proceeded to do basic flows that brought us through the warrior positions, and the crazy one where your left arm wraps under your right and then you hug yourself with your legs (eagle I think) and then down to our mat for some inversions. By the time we made it to the inversions at the end, I felt great. We did shoulder stands and plow and it was the first time I was able to make it to ull plow with my feet behind my head touching the floor (awesome achievement for a pizza lover!). After the class, we were treated to homemade chai tea and oatmeal bars, which facilitated an awesome forum for a post-session run down with the other members and even the instructor Mary. In summation, I felt like I was part of a small, intimate, yoga community where judgement, embarrassment and self consciousness were not even an option. From the very beginning to the very end I felt centered, relaxed, and in the moment thanks to the ambiance, organic flow, and natural instruction. IKOV is truly the difference between "like" and "love" for Yoga to me!

Yoga Bear offers a monthly Sunday yoga class in various San Francisco studios....and the fee you…read morepay ($10 and up, you decide) is used to provide free classes for cancer patients and survivors, providing them with more opportunities for wellness and healing through the practice of yoga. So there's a win-win situation for ya. Do yourself and others some good by wrapping up your weekend with a class led by one of Yelp's finest, Ms. Megan K. Next classes for '08 are April 13th and May 4th. Keep your eyes peeled for event postings on Yelp. Namaste! http://www.yogabear.org/

Many people often do yoga because it makes them feel good. Yoga also can be very beneficial for…read morepeople with cancer or other illnesses. However, yoga classes can get expensive, especially if you're having to get costly cancer treatment. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to bring cancer patients free yoga classes? Enter Yoga Bear! Yoga Bear is a volunteer-run new nonprofit that works with UCSF and other facilities to bring free yoga classes to people with cancer. If you're a yoga studio, you can "donate a mat" or rather, a spot or spots in classes for people with cancer. If you're a yoga student, you can encourage your local studio to get involved. I'm thrilled to be volunteering with this organization and hope this is an idea that will spread. Yoga Bear is brand new, so hence only the 4-star rating, but I'm confident they'll earn the 5 five stars as their work gets rolling.

Jonathan is the best. Always creative with routines designed for you to maximize your best…read moreworkout... He's super focused, intuitive and on top of all that, kind and fun... Go work out with him... you'll be stronger, more streamlined and more happy for it :)

Highly recommend! Been with Stryde for a while now and absolutely loved it. I get bored when I…read morerepeat the same exercises and Jonathon does an amazing job of rotating the workouts to keep me on my toes. Also highly knowledgeable and can help you with whatever your fitness goals may be.

I've taken several classes with John, and he's a wonderful coach. Based on the individual…read moreencouragement & support he manages to give in a group of 15, in a 1-on-1 setting, you should see great progress toward your fitness goals!

If you're serious about your fitness goals DL Fitness will help you achieve them. I had no…read moredirection before and wasn't satisfied with results I was getting. Now I'm on track to achieve my goals and then some! Many kudos to DL Fitness for salvaging my routine and being there every step of the way!

Dan the owner of DL Fitness is a fantastic coach. Each session with Dan has been well thought out…read moreand programmed specifically to me prior to meeting. Working with DL Fitness is the first experience I've ever had where a coach actually designs a program to fit my needs and helps me achieve my goals. Not only do i get a great work out during my sessions with Dan, but i also learn a lot! Dan's attention to detail and educational background sets him a part from other coaches because he actually wants me to technically understand what is happening to my body with each movement and stretch. I've been taught to understand muscle groups, their names, what their function is, and how they all connect. Even after my first session with Dan i already felt stronger and confident in myself to accomplish movements i never knew i was capable of! If you're looking for the best coach who will help you achieve your goals and also learn to understand how your body works, then Dan at DL Fitness is your man!

UPDATE: As of January 8, 2006, Nikki is no longer teaching in San Francisco. I guess only having…read more15 folks in the class is not such a good thing after all. Yogi nerd alert...if you don't do, like or want to hear about yoga don't read this, run away, run away as fast as you can. But if you do like yoga, and you're in the market for a teacher or just looking to try something new, read on... So here's my yoga story (mystical time travel fog rolls over screen) I'm 8.5 years younger and on the verge of having an early-life crisis. I am looking for any way to escape the insanity that is, what we now call "the dot-com bubble" and having the following conversation with a good friend Good Friend: "Hey, you are really stressed out and I'm worried about you. Maybe you should try some stress relieving activity, like yoga" Me: "Yoga? Are you kidding me? I may be from Fairfax, but I ain't no, hippie! Let's get another round of Seven & 7's" A few weeks later, noticing several things not working quite right with my body, I make a series of doctors appointments. During which, I have the following conversation, not once, not twice, but three times, with three different doctors to boot: Doctor: "The (insert symptom here) that you are experiencing, appears to be caused by stress. Have you thought about taking part in some stress reducing activity, like yoga?" Me to Dr. #1: "No, I don't DO yoga" Me to Dr. #2: "No, I really don't think yoga is for me, doesn't drinking reduce stress? Me to Dr. #3: "Well...maybe I'll look into it, on my way home from a bar or something" Hence, despite my hippie-averse ways, several weeks later I wander into a yoga studio that has recently opened in my neighborhood and into the the classroom on Nikki Estrada (McClellan at the time). I then proceed to get my butt kicked by one of the most challenging workouts I had ever experienced. I was hooked Alas, after a couple of years, the studio closed and Nikki started teaching exclusively in Marin. I soon found myself in regular attendance with Rusty, but after five years found that, although my spirit loved it, my body couldn't handle it (still miss him tho'). I took it down a notch with Steph (who I still see and love) but the damaged state of my hips and knees will not allow for such vigorous flow more than once a week. So I found myself in a yoga rut. Then joy of joys, Nikki returned to the city on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with the opening of The Yoga Studio San Francisco. And even better, her teaching has evolved to the level of my practice. Nikki now teaches a Level 3 Vinyasa Flow that is vigorous, yet meditative, strong but slow, exactly what this (somewhat broken) body was looking for and as an extra, super, bonus there are never more than 15 people in the room. So, here's where the revue actually happens, if you are looking to do seventeen Sun Salutation A's, then B's in 30 minutes, then this is not the class for you. If you want to wow the folks around you with your full version of eka pada rajkapotasana, then this is not the class for you. But, if you are looking to deepen your practice and your breath, in a well paced meaningful way, you might want to check her out. Nikki is a real gem, who is loving and knowledgeable and may just offer something unexpected.

nikki is perhaps the best teacher i've ever had. she is fabulous. go to marin to see her, and…read moreexpect to move slowly and mindfully through a rigorous (but self connecting) flow class. she actually teaches YOGA ... doesn't use yoga poses as the format for an aerobics class.

Andrea is great! Her classes include an amazing balance of strengthening, stretching, relaxation…read moreand pushing your personal limits. I always feel very rejuvinated after her Vinyasa classes! She has a great personality - very easy to talk to and always positive and friendly. She is great at adjusting your poses to make sure you learn how to maximize each pose and reap the benefits of each posture. Thanks, Andrea!!

Andrea is such an amazing Yoga instructor. We are lucky that she comes to our office once a week…read moreto teach a class. She tailors the class to meet our needs and It's helped many of get fit! I was never sure I would be able to do yoga, but Andrea helped keep me motivated and little by little, I've improved my strength, flexibility, balance and breathing practice. It's amazing what yoga can do to improve your overall health! I highly recommend Andrea.

Matthew is such an amazing personal trainer! I've been working with him for 7 months now and I…read morecouldn't be happier with his training style. He is extremely knowledgeable and so good at explaining how a particular exercise benefits you. He's very good at motivating you without being super crazy intense. He always comes 100% prepared with a fitness plan each session and doesn't just have you do random workouts. But he's also flexible and quick on his feet. If a particular exercise is bothersome in any way, he's quickly able to adjust the exercise to your liking. He is especially great with injuries which is perfect for me because I have a bad lower back, a messed up knee and big toe. He's also great with incorporating full-body exercises to work the entire body instead of working out one muscle at a time. Aside from being really good at training, he is also a pleasure to work with. He's very engaging and fun to chat with. He is also very flexible when it comes to scheduling changes. He is always professional and responds very quickly to texts. Overall, I highly recommend him!

Matt gave me a great workout! I work as a Physical Therapist and was looking to mix up my workouts…read more He introduced me to Muay Thai and it was great! He was continuously adjusting his plan to meet my needs. He seems very well rounded with his knowledge base. He is able to keep the workout fun and is easy to relate to. He is AWESOME, I wish he was still in Omaha! Highly recommend!!