I went to Aum with a Groupon and an intention of learning more about yoga's msk and physiological effects and introducing my husband to the practice as part of his rehab. The space is very nice, with healthy snacks and drinks for sale, a communal space with a coffee table, reading material and a whiteboard full of inspirational mantras and doodles. I know some reviewers complained about the "dinginess" but I found that it gave a vibe of stepping into someone's modest but welcome home.
The reason for the two stars is because of my tension headache that happened the day after my first session and continues to ail me. I'm very much a beginner and am not well versed in how yoga teachers are certified, but it seemed rather odd to be instructed to do a headstand on my first ever session in a class with 2 other people. I have never had any prior neck issues, so it's very clear that the headache is caused by the headstand. The other sketchy thing was the lack of request for my verbal consent immediately prior to being adjusted. Is this another teacher certification non-issue? I don't know, but my experience is that fitness professionals must require this. On the bright side, I have learnt that I need to be more vocal about not being adjusted (just to cover my own bum) and that I should hold off inversions until I truly feel comfortable with them.
I would ONLY recommend this place:
- if you're VERY sure you have no latent muscle imbalances or other issues. If you're a very healthy and fit person, you're probably not likely to run into the same/similar problem I had.
- if you're interested in the spiritual and breathing aspect of yoga. It's not my thing, but Wally has impeccable control of his vocal cords that can change the entire vibe of the studio space, in a good way.