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| - I read some negative feedback about this centre and decided to find out myself the real story....and here is my honest opinion.
I love that it's super close to the bus stop - it's just a half block walk from the bus stop on King street (which turns out to be a perfect distance to cool down period after sweating like a pig for 90 minutes).
The open space which makes up the reception /resting or cooling area is dimly lit which gives it a nice calm feeling, particularly useful after 90 minutes of sweating.
I LOVE the instructors here, who seem to genuinely care about your practice.
They correct your posture every time you need it, until you've got it perfect; and they let you know that you're doing it right. They remind you constantly that you need to focus on what you can do at your own level; push yourself if you can, but don't force it - remember that doing it right(right posture, right breathing etc) is more important than doing it more(but in wrong form). Should you fall out of your pose, they will encourage you to jump right back in. They will share their water with you if they see that you need it but haven't got any. They will explain what the benefits of each posture are. And if consistency is something that you like, the instructors here use a script (I think) and have just about the same message, structure and poses every time. I particularly love the attention they give to newbies -which I feel, is how it should be - They are truly awesome; no hibijibi nonsense.
They warn you that it will be hard and that you will sweat like dirty pigs; one instructor even called it the "torture chamber" - but they also tell you that you WILL get better and to give it at least 3 tries before you give up - which I find is usually the day people realize how wonderful it is.
But for those who don't want to invest in buying a mat until they tried it, there is rental everything - mats, towels...and you can buy everything there too- gear, mats, towels, water bottles.
Don't rent the towel for the mats though - it really smells, so much so that you wonder if it was washed...and a couple of postures require you to "kiss the mat".
There is a washer and dryer to wash your towel or gear while you cool down and wait in the long line up for the shower(there are 3 per sex) to become available.
This is the only studio which I've been to that has complimentary tea available in the "cooling" area - and great furniture - loungers, medicine balls, bean bags...etc. They are the only ones who offer cotton swabs, Q-tips and tampons in the woman's washroom.
It's also the only one which seem to keep a basket of lost and found stuff for people to rummage through.
What you will notice as you walk through the narrow hallway (Crammed with mat drying hangers, fans to cool them and washer and dryer) is THE STENCH. I thought it was just old sweat-dried clothes and feet smell(to know what I'm talking about, get some old clothes you did rigorous exercise in or get a sports teams uniform after a game, let it sit in a pile for a week or more), understandable in a yoga studio that only does HOT yoga - where 20 or more people sweat for 90 minutes 5 times a day. But then again....it wasn't like that at other studios.....anyway, it's not pleasant.
Then my friend pointed it out: it smells like SWEATY BALL SACKS.
There is no other smell like it - it's very distinctive...that's what the rental towels for the mats smell like...yum...
So the place is not for the weaker stomach or super sensitive noses....who want the "flowery holistic experience". It's not for newbies who haven't done ANY physical exercise in the past 5 years, because you'll have difficulty breathing in the heat, let alone move in it. But it's a great place for those who want to sweat, be challenged and be corrected - you can come here and be privy to a different kind of yoga experience.
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