My first review got flagged for negative cultural references - Yelp doesn't make it clear which…read moreones so I'm reposting with my best guess at what was objectionable removed:
This review is specifically for their sunset rooftop yoga class at The Local Hostel, this is the only class I've taken with them, and after an extremely stressful day I wanted to do some yoga in the sunshine, bought my $25 ticket online, and made my way over.
The vibe was weird from the moment I stepped onto the roof. There was man sitting on the edge of the front desk with my yoga instructor and it wasn't clear if he was an employee of Cosmic or the hostel; he was smoking a blunt and kept talking about how chill the vibe was but didn't make me feel chill. It wasn't a real conversation, he kept telling me to relax, to look at all the people and see how relaxed they were, and every time I tried to speak he would talk over me with more stoned nonsense. I just wanted to check in, so I put my phone onto the table and made extended eye contact with the woman instructor. She asked for my name and email, which I did NOT want to give with this weird rando hovering close enough to touch me. I smiled and held up my phone, and she asked again. Great looking out. I reluctantly gave my info, took a yoga mat as far from anyone as possible, and got myself set up.
I got up to use the bathroom, and the same man asked, "Leaving already?! Where you goin?!" To the bathroom dude, I'm going to empty my bladder, please leave me alone.
The yoga area is separated from the lounge area for hostel guests, and during the class it became clear he wasn't an employee of Cosmic, but just a random dude who decided to insert himself into the class and the instructor wasn't able to control him. He was dancing in the lounge section by himself, periodically yelling things like, "Release the dragon!" It was annoying and out of place.
The instructor started the class with "Well now that summer is almost over" and the audible grown from the people there facing another COVID winter with new mask and vaccine mandates was enough to make her backtrack and say, "We're at the height summer". Don't start a class with negativity like that. As for the yoga itself, the sound system they used had some feedback and quality issues, the roof isn't flat but has lumps and curves that make lying flat or balancing on one foot extremely challenging. The instructor seemed like she was still getting her sea (roof?) legs with her routine, direction, and confidence, which I don't mind, everyone starts somewhere and she was making an effort, that's what counts to me. What was less comfortable was encouraging people to video and photograph and tag the gym on social media during the class. On the one hand, this is how businesses get promoted. On the other, I don't want dudes getting up to take "promotional videos" of my downward dog that I didn't consent to. Also, can we please put the phones away for a YOGA CLASS, if no where else, and unplug during this time?
Maybe the biggest disappointment besides the creeper was the fact that they didn't schedule their class to coordinate with the sunset, the surrounding buildings block it. We had 15 minutes of sun before it set behind the buildings and a chilly shadow descended on the roof. So.....this wasn't a sunset yoga class, this was a post-sunset/twilight yoga class. Not what I would have signed up for.
I'm giving three stars only because this is not a review for the venue itself, they had to work with the hostel who didn't build their roof for yoga and who don't have control over what their guests do (if the dude was even a guest, I really don't know). But I really hated my experience.