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| - Let me begin by saying I *want* to like Kula. I really do. The location is great: for someone who used to live at Spadina and Dupont, you can't really get much closer. The schedule is good: I like that there are a number of afternoon classes for those of us whose work schedules are shift-ey as well as a number of evening and weekend classes (and even weekend evening classes!). The two instructors I have had there have been lovely: I highly recommend going to classes with Ana Maria or Linseed. And I love a studio where you can have options of hot or regular temperature classes so I don't end up putting my membership on hold in the hot hot months of the summer. But there's just something that leaves a bad taste in my mouth...
I have been to a few classes here before my experience this week. In the winter, they had a Hot Karma class on Saturday in the late afternoon (ana Maria's class), and you can't argue with hot yoga for $5! This week I went to the Reiki Restorative class with Linseed; this was my Passport class. Never having done a restorative class before, it was a different experience. I'm much more used to vinyasa or ashtanga and lots of flowing. I do want to give restorative another chance (second first chances are key), but I don't think I'm a total convert.
The space is lovely. That said, it does overlook Bloor and Brunswick, and Bloor is a busy, noisy street; it's hard to restore and chill when you hear mid-day traffic and yelling.
The folks who work reception? I think that's my discomfort. While friendly enough, I definitely felt an "other" vibe when the receptionist greeted regulars for the class. I also felt like I was a horrible, horrible person for not buying one of the mason jars and instead running across the street to get a plastic water bottle from Superfresh. Yes, I do realize the problem of plastic water bottles, but where am I going to put my mason jar at home? This isn't an isolated experience with the reception staff here; I felt the same discomfort waiting for the classes I'd attended in the winter as well as when I picked up my wallet after leaving it one day (oops!). While I was greeted, I never felt welcomed.
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