"12"^^ . . "2"^^ . "0"^^ . "0"^^ . "2012-01-23T00:00:00"^^ . . "I started going to this studio with a 20 class pass for $20. Despite my criticism of the place and instruction, it remains a good deal and I'm glad that I tried it for yoga. I will complete my class voucher, but will not renew it. I would in no way recommend anyone pay full price for this, and caution anyone from thinking that what is \"taught\" at this studio is similar to a standard yoga studio, hot or otherwise. The only reason it got two stars instead of one was the price I paid.\n\nStudio:\nThe studio is part martial arts and MMA (mixed martial arts, including cage fighting) training and yoga/pilates/circuit training. This means a nice variety of people attend, and you can get a range of experiences. \n\nThe yoga room has no mirror - big minus in my book - how can you know if you're doing something correctly? Also, they cram up to 50 people in each class, with markers telling people where to put their mats. This allows for up to 2 inches in between each mat. That is VERY tight! Couple this with no mirror and no helpful instruction, and it's not a recipe for one to learn self-awareness or body-awareness. Also, classes fill to capacity quickly (probably due to the low price) and then people are turned away. It's recommended that you arrive 30 minutes early for each class, which means waiting outside in cold weather, and then a dozen at least are turned away. This is not a more time-efficient way of exercising.\n\nTemperatures vary a good deal between classes. I've heard the instructors boast about this studio being the \"hottest in Charlotte.\" Hot yoga is between 95-105 generally, with standard Bikram at about 105. I don't know that this studio is hotter than that, but it's certainly drier, meaning my skin sometimes feels burned when I'm near the vents, without the good feeling of sweat. Also, many classes have instructors that will open a door to the outside one to four times in an hour long class (35 degrees some evenings). This is frustrating. Why boast that it's hot when we're then cooled down intermittently through class. It defeats the purpose of a hot practice, and only draws attention to the heat, rather than the practice. \n\nInstruction:\nI've attended two of the hot yoga classes, and the hot pilates. The instruction at this studio is little more than calling out a series of poses or counting through various repetitions. This is not yoga or pilates instruction. Despite the number of people in the room, I've never seen an instructor make a correction or guide the class with any nuance. This is despite the fact that people are doing poses significantly incorrectly, in ways that are harmful. Generally, the instructor will do the practice with the class, or call out the moves. Either way, without room to see the person (generally I can't see who is where given the volume and lack of a mirror), the person doing the poses is practically useless. Also, given how tightly we are all packed in, it is literally impossible to correctly execute moves because of hitting other class members.\n\nThere is no incorporation of yoga or pilates philosophy. The hot yoga practice is 80% Bikram practice that is shorter, without any of the additional descriptions that make Bikram manageable. The pilates incorporations a good deal of yoga, also without helpful instruction.\n\nWhile what this studio describes on the website is true of a good hot yoga studio, they do very little to follow through on helping people \"reach their potential.\" Take the website with a large grain of salt."^^ . .