Kind and caring staff that greets and welcomes everyone. Karma classes that give back to the…read morecommunity. Overall, mindful and peaceful.

Absolutely fabulous yoga studio with caring staff. Always greeted by name and really feel at home…read moreat this studio. I cannot thank the instructors enough for giving me a place to relax as well as build strength.

Seeking relief from the impacts of a stroke, I decided to try Lori's private Yoga Therapy sessions…read more I hadn't done yoga in years and I was nervous about trying again. Immediately, Lori's supportive and non-judgemental presence put me at ease and I knew I had made the right decision to start Yoga Therapy with Lori. Lori has helped me to believe in myself and move into a new relationship with yoga. In the private sessions, it has been a joy to go at my own pace and to learn new things about my breathing, posture and alignment. In the initial session, Lori drew upon her wealth of knowledge and experience to create a unique daily yoga practice that suited my schedule, my abilities and my needs. In follow appointments we work together to make sure that I am completing the routine in a safe, effective and fun way. Having 1:1 support holds me accountable to my practice and helps keep me motivated to continue. Yoga therapy has been life changing for me. Thanks to Lori's customized yoga routine, I now have the power to improve my health and well being. Through just 30 minutes of daily practice, most of the symptoms I've dealt with for decades have healed. Because of the individualized daily yoga practice, I no longer experience muscle pain, migraines or fatigue. Thank you Lori from my heart.

My husband and I attended weekly private yoga sessions with Lori throughout my pregnancy…read more We always looked forward to our weekly sessions with Lori. We love that she tailors her sessions specifically to us with specific themes and mantras each week. Her sessions were beneficial to us both physically and mentally. Since I was pregnant, Lori helped me feel prepared and empowered for the birth of my daughter. She would even bring me birthing books, prenatal recipes and music! We are looking forward to starting back up with Lori postpartum :)

I've been to a lot of yoga studios. While my favourite one is still the YYoga giant, there are a…read morelot of great smaller ones in Vancouver. Yoga West is the first that's been review-worthy. You're greeted with a storefront, and the studio room at the back is carpeted and looks like a normal room except that it's quite big (not as big as some of the huge studios though). There is a smaller meditation room (which I'd love to check out someday) and Yoga West specializes in a very specific type of yoga: Kundalini Yoga. The "instructor" is more of a facilitator - he admitted that being new to the class, I would learn more from my classmates than from him, and as far as poses this is true. But he was great -- he looks like a guru from India but spoke perfect English and his voice was commanding yet gentle. The Kundalini Yoga poses start and finish off much similar to regular yoga but the exercises in between use some pretty hard core aerobic-like movements and breath work. Even the simplest of movements are hard to keep up for a good 5 minutes. Oh! And the chanting! There is some chanting, and some time spent on meditation, which I really enjoyed because I like to practice thinking about nothing - it's difficult! Normally the chanting isn't my thing but 3/4 of the way into the class we did a great mantra to music that symbolized (I asked about this) the transition from darkness to light. The savasana was AMAZING because gongs were used and not the high pitch mousey gong - two big earthy gongs. They were facing each other a slight bit, which caused the sounds to ripple off of each other and cause a sound wave that came over us all like an airplane flying directly overhead. It was awesome. Then more songs. If you want to amp up your spiritual experience while getting a great 1.5 hour workout, try this place out. Mats are not required as the provided blankets serve as mats. Bring water too!

Finding the right style of yoga is like dating. You have to try various styles before you find the…read moreone that truly suits you. However, when I attended my first class in Yoga West which was actually a workshop by Jot Singh, it was love at first sight. I knew right away that Yoga West and Kundalini Yoga was for me. The first 2 reviews kind of gives you an inkling of what to expect in Yoga West but there's more to that so I've reserved my 11th review for it. When you look at a painting you can always sense what the artist is feeling. Same thing with a finished product like for example South Africa's Shakti Shanti Yoga Wear - you can feel its a good product made by ethical people. And when it comes to Yogi Tea, you can feel its made out of love everyday. I love this Yogi Tea. Besides being delicious, having it before or after class allows you to get out of your space and enjoy the energy of others. You will really meet the most real and nicest people in the planet in Yoga West. There's this welcoming spirit that emanates from everyone which includes the yogis, the staff, and of course the teachers. I've probably attended the class of about a dozen teachers in the studio since I started and they all epitomized gracefulness, excellence and professionalism. And they're also fun. You'll have moments that make you feel like Yogi Floyd Mayweather in Rai Kaur's class, or Yogi Mikhail Baryshnikov in Ramjot's class or Yogi Eminem with Harpreet. They're all pretty amazing teachers who have different ways of sharing their expertise and knowledge. However, my schedule only allows me to attend the classes of about 4 or 5 of them. It's always been a privilege for me to attend the class of Hari Singh. Bir Kaur is such a great Kundalini teacher. I really learn something new from her in every class so I look forward to attending her class every week. However, if I can't make it to her class there's a big chance I'll end up in Ramjot's evening class. Ramjot's class is full of grace, radiance, and energy. I remember when I was having breakfast in Naam one morning, my friend comes to me talking about her amazing Community Class. Well, I guess our feeling was mutual. Plus, I like it whenever she reminds the class to practice with integrity as I do have that tendency to push myself to my limits to feel the amazing effects that Kundalini gives me after. And she does remind her students to smile always. Harpreet's class is magical. The energy in her class is probably as vibrant as that of Mount Shasta. There's just something in her class that allows me to finish a hard Kriya or allows me to complete a pose I've never done before. I can rarely attend her class but if I do I'm always blown away by the amazing experience. Whenever I do my gratitude meditation, one of the persons I'm truly grateful to is my wonderful Kundalini teacher Ong Kar. I'm just very fortunate that my schedule allows me to attend her exceptional classes. My life transformation is best symbolized by one of her favorite poses which is the butterfly. When I started attending her class and other classes I was just a plain caterpillar who metamorphose into a radiant butterfly. And her classes are always fun and she does have a great sense of humour. When I started my Kundalini practice in Yoga West, Jai Inder told me that my life will change and she was right. I just allowed the practice to do its work. I'm now 22 pounds lighter, I haven't seen my Doctor of Internal Medicine since I entered the doors of Yoga West, I'm totally free from more than a decade of high blood medication, I'm more flexible and energized now than when I was playing baseball in college, I've managed to remain graceful in the most ungraceful circumstances, and most of all, I've finally learned to let go. I guess things happen for a reason, and by thy grace, the energy of this special place brought me in and healed me. Sat Nam

Stopped by for another class with Jenessa and was humbled once again. It was a full body workout…read moreand I was dripping in sweat by the end of it. All cardio with weights in a hot room and good music. It was a fantastic workout and I got to pet the cute doggie at the end! There was also a pop up by Gram, so I got to sample some of their protein soda. It was very good!

Tried out both the Ignite class and Sculpt class during grand opening weekend, and they were…read moreamazing workouts. Instructors were good at demonstrating the movements. The studio is new, very clean, and modern. Definitely will be back.

I am new to Belinda Ayurveda. She is quite competent in her field and one can have full confidence…read morein her treatments. You will feel extremely safe sharing all your issues with her to work on them. Looking forward to work with her :) (Edit) 3months later: I had digestion issues and was losing a lot of weight. With help of her I have started gaining healthy weight and my digestion is so strong. I feel more clear in my mind and content. You only pay her once for the initial consultation and then the follow ups are free. Belinda spares no effort to get behind your issues and uproot them completely. Grateful to have discovered this beautiful soul :) Go for her!!

I know and have worked with many Ayurvedic practitioners over the years, but none of them compare…read moreto Belinda. I have worked with Belinda on and off for about 8 years when various imbalances have shown up in my body. She has an incredible knowledge of how specific imbalances affect the various tissues of the body. She uses food and herbal medicine through the science of Ayurveda to bring the body back into balance. I have recommended countless people to her. She is also the "go to" person when you've tried everything else.

OK....Any HOT YOGA studio without changing and showering facilities can not be taken seriously…read more When I leave a hot yoga class, I am soaking wet with sweat. What am I supposed to do, put my clothes on over my soaking wet yoga shorts and body and carry on with my day? What were they thinking here...I wonder? There are so many other nice hot yoga studios with proper facilities!

First of all, what kind of hot yoga place doesn't offer shower facilities? It can't be for lack of…read morespace, the washrooms are HUGE. Secondly, the layout of this place is just weird. You enter into a small lobby/sitting area, then cut through the studio into the change area/cubby hole area. For my first visit, I came early to sign up, but there was no one around, and no signage or anything. I would've gotten changed and ready for practice, if there was access to the change area, instead, once class ends, you're in the same small area as everyone else from either the previous or next class. The studio is one of the smallest I have seen. They offer a variety of classes. (I personally thought that some of the workout classes shouldn't be done in a hot environment, but different strokes for different folks, I guess) Free street parking around the studio.

Tried this studio out on Class Pass. There's pros and cons to this location. It's kinda a weird…read moreconfiguration because the actual studio is in the basement. They have self check-in, which is always nice. The change room is universal and the overall facilities are not huge, so there's no actual dedicated changing area or stalls. This is why they tell you to come already in your workout clothes, which is fine in summer but not great in winter when a lot of people don't want to be walking around in shorts. There were two shower stalls but they were out of order. One of two sinks was also out of order. There are two bathrooms, each is quite roomy. The coat/shoe area has cubbies, hooks and rubber mats for shoes. There is also a hydration station for filling water bottles and a water fountain. This area needs to be swept between classes as there was tons of debris on the floor, and at this point, no shoes are allowed. All gym equipment is provided except for mats- weights, toning balls, yoga blocks, bands and weighted bars. This is great because some locations do not provide this equipment. The studio itself is a bit strange as it's a giant long and narrow room. It is completely mirrored, but depending on where you are situated, I don't see how the instructor could be in view. The room, though, is more functional than the Smithe location and there was definitely less crowding, which is a huge plus. The instructor, Carla, was really good. She made sure to check if anyone had any injuries and she also made the stretch section more like a yoga flow, so it was less boring than normal. It was not the most difficult class, but it was challenging enough with the heat on.

I first tried Oxygen Yoga during Karma Week. This was something this location did for all West End…read moreresidents and it was to introduce all new clients to unlimited classes for an entire week! So I took advantage of it. I was scared at first because I'm not a fan of Yoga and I've never tried a hot class before. But I am so glad I took the chance! I was immediately introduced at the front desk. The front desk person was kind and not threatening like some other places. She walked me through what to expect and how to sign in. Down the stairs is the room, cubbies, washrooms, water, and lounge area (Note: there are no lockers so leave your stuff at your own risk). Bring your own mats and towel and WATER! Cause you are going to sweat and then some. I tried the Hot Amazing Abs, Legs & Butts by Molly and she is so inspiring. She pushes you to your max but is also really patient and doesn't force you or judge you during the class. If you need a time out, take one. I needed to leave 3 times to refill my water. The class was fast paced and easy to understand. She demonstrates how to do the moves and then walks around to make sure you got it. She also provides a ton of additional exercises if you have an injury. By the end of the class, you are drenched and exhausted but also exhilarated. Molly also checked in with us to make sure we were ok and to drink more water! Since this karma week, I have been back several times. Molly has been my faveorite class/instructor but I'm so excited to try more!

I went here for a team building event, and it's exactly what you expect it be - 45 minutes of…read moreplaying with puppies, with a little bit of easy yoga mixed in. Yoga exercises are fairly easy, and great for beginners. They provide yoga mats, so you don't need to bring anything other than proper attire. Puppies do have accidents, but they have two full time staff there to take care of anything, and move the puppies around a bit if they are concentrated in an area for too long. They also look out for their safety (e.g. they don't allow people to carry puppies while standing up because of possible falls). The staff are very happy to help with anything, including taking pictures of you with the puppies. It was really a well run session, and I would recommend to anyone to wants to do beginner yoga, or just wants to play with puppies.

PupsYoga Vancouver just got their own location on E Broadway!! My partner and I went here on a Sat…read moremorning, we booked it 3 weeks in advance and they only had 2 spots available. So I would definitely recommend booking this in advance! At this new location you don't need to bring anything, they provide you with a yoga mat and everything. They don't tell you what puppies you would be with on the day off which I like, kinda keeps the surprise. We were surprised with golden retrievers!! They were sooo adorable and so excited! Do expect "accidents" but the team there are very much on it and take care of it right away. Would highly recommend!