Bikram Yoga in the City

I have been a member of Bikram Yoga in the City for over a year. I never liked yoga before because I was a cardio fanatic. I also moved to Chicago 3 years ago and never found a spin studio or gym I liked compared to LA. This is an awesome workout. My back pain has decreased immensely. The instructors and the owner are awesome and are very passionate about Bikram. I don't understand the other reviews. I have been to studios all over the US now and nothing compares to this particular studio. This is a tough workout. This is a great studio which offers over 40 classes a week. The Popsicles they give after class are awesome.

Pros: Instructors are Awesome

Cons: None

Posted 11/06/09

SMALL , NASTY SMELLY, BITCHI LAME ATTITUTE INSTRUCTORS SUCK ASS!!!!!!!!! 2 TWO YEARL OLD HAS MORE POISE THAN THIS LAME BROADS AND THE OWNER IS A JERK TOO. when u walk in they state at you up and dow n and they dont have jobs< because all they do is hang out inthe 8th by 8th of a "lobby" get a job take a shower go outside! u loosers!!! i hate it and will never say nothing nice about this crapper. in the other hand the location in wiker park is anotherworld! is hip, cool and huge spacious people are in sinc. love it the owner john is an incredible instructor , carrie rocks, jeff is good and hot! connie is very very good and miryana is very knowlegable and sweet. katherine should get fired. she sucked! are u hiring in this dump? she beongs here with you. u blow and hope you go under. u give bikram a bad bad name!!!! the elevators sucks too!!!!!!!!!!! DONT GO HERE IS TERRIBLE DONT GO HERE I RATHER GET SODOMIZED THEN TO DEAL WITH THIS NEGATIVE DEPLORABLE SAD ATTITUDE. U WILLBE OUT OF BUSSINESS SOON. THATS WHY THEY CHARGE 80 BUCKS A MONTH! CAUSE THEY SUCK SOOOOO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS PLACE WAS WRONG! U SHOULDNT CALL YOURSELF BIKRAM DUDE. U R RUINING THE NAME !

Pros: WHEN U LEAVE NOT TO EVER RETURN!!!!!!!!!

Cons: WHEN U CANT GET THE HELL OUT!

Posted 10/03/09

THIS PLACE IS THE WORST AND I WILL NEVER GO BACK! Let me start by telling you about my 3 tries there. My first experience was great and the instructor took the time to go over some of the moves with me. My second class was crowed, hot and smelled like garbage. Not to mention, the facility is GROSS AND UNSANITARY! For the final straw, I had the owner as the instructor and what an as****e he is! He was rude to newer students and made fun of them for having to sit out. What a way to run a business. Then, I had the pleasure of watching him confront this student after class and he was nasty! Note to the owner-if you want to stay in business with your filthy studio, I highly suggest you be nice to all your patrons! I will never go back there after what I saw tonight! This student handled herself well and walked away when this horrible owner was incredibly rude.

best of luck in this bad economy! bad economy + bad attitude = FAILURE! I would avoid this place at all costs!

Pros: NOTHING

Cons: THE OWNER, UNSANITARY STUDIO

Posted 04/05/09

Along with the truth of the comments below regarding this place (I won't even classify it as a yoga studio), all potential customers should be aware that the management has just instituted a retroactive, non-compete clause instructing all of its teachers that they will be fired if it is discovered that they are instructing at a specific, non-affiliated studio, of which I am NOT a teacher. Continue to spread the love, I guess or greed, right? This place needs a serious attitude adjustment, but I guess that the economy will do that for them. One of your instructors once told me that "all yoga is good yoga", I guess that that is just parrot talk like the rest of your monologue. Namaste.

Pros: Location

Cons: disrespectful teachers, bad energy

Posted 02/16/09

i love bikram yoga... i take that back, I LOVE BIKRAM YOGA. i have been practicing with great frequency for the last year or two, and i have noticed SIGNIFICANT improvements in my emotional, physical and mental health and well-being ever since i began my practice; the changes were immediate and unparalleled. i studied in new orleans at an amazing studio where the instructors were encouraging, had good positive energy and a positive outlook on life, and genuinely stimulated students to progress. they were transparent in their intentions: to spread the knowledge of this amazing institution to anyone wiling to push his or her own limits and discover new realms of personal awareness and progression.

the people at THIS yoga studio, BIKRAM IN THE CITY AT 219 W. CHICAGO AVE are the antichrist of those mentioned above. they are NOT encouraging, with the exception of one, maybe two instructors. the VAST majority is not friendly, does not smile, does not spread good energy. they don't even seem happy to be there! Going through the motions with concern for an promoting enriched understanding for the intricate muscular facets of balance. also, i want to know about MORE ADVANCED POSTURES! my practice has DEFINITELY DIGRESSED since my time at 219 w. chicago-- i have found myself working it less and less in to my life.

FURTHERMORE, THE STUDIO IS SUB PAR. mirrors do not extend to the ground therefore making it impossible for one to seem himself during the ground series. also, the studio is carpeted, and the carpet is typically damp/wet from the class before. i understand we're all going to sweat our hearts out, but a little disinfectant/mopping in between classes would be nice.

i am terribly disappointed, and fear that this is the urbanized, (more jaded) bikram yoga. i really hope that i am wrong, and a new studio opens up soon.

Pros: you get to continue your practice

Cons: everything else

Posted 12/26/08

I originally went to BYIC (Mike and John) and then Om on the Range (Beth and Terry), both which I would highly recommend. Great people.

This place, however, has left a very different impression. Coming to you BYC has been a HUGE turnoff . The instructors here are arrogant and degrade students who leave the room or cannot handle the 45% humidity. I like the heat just as much as anyone else, but come on, lets be rational, when students are writhing around on the floor, I don't think that they are enjoying themselves.

I talked to Mike (the owner) about it, and he insists that it is not "survivor" yoga, but I just got out of my second, extreme heat, class where my hands tingled and I was developing tunnel vision due to the heat, and was unable to cool my body down, so I could not do the poses as instructed. Afterwards, I was chastized by Karry (the New Zealander) for not following instructions, he told me that I just needed to lie down in Savasana and I will cool down, but that "you do as the instructor says, that's how it works in this studio, mate". OK, maybe, removing that person from the heat source might be a good idea, mate? I asked him what the heat/ humidity was in there and he casually replied "It is what it is".

I am a grad student in Exercise Physiology and have worked as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor for over three years and have never read a correlation study between fitness and the ability to tolerate extreme humidity. Nor would I have ever considered forcing a student to remain in a hot class with the threat of public degradation. I will definitely be going back to Mike & John's Studio in bucktown (about 3 miles west) or Om on the Range after my membership expires and would advise anyone considering going to BYC to do the same. I have been to bikram studios all over the world and this is the HOTTEST and unsafe.

Pros: Location

Cons: Instructor mentality, class temperature (excessive)

Posted 11/24/08

I have been going for a month now .And i have lost five lbs. ! i try to go to class six times a week . It is wonderful i have so much energy i feel great !

Posted 11/14/08

I signed up based on this website. Overall, I would not recommend this place. I paid the discounted monthly rate for one month and was only able to go twice. The third time I tried to go, they LOCKED the doors only a few minutes after beginning the class. When I tried to call to complain about not being able to get in, no one ever answered the phone. This is the kinda place where they treat you nice the first time and forget about you right after. After the third time, I stopped going for fear that I would be one lousy minute late and would be locked out - having commuted over a half hour just to exercise. Not worth it. Like the other review said, there are other studios out there.

Posted 07/06/08

I don't know what the other reviewer was talking about. I love this place! The first time I did Bikram was here and BYC made me fall in love with it. The classes were awesome, and afterward they offer freeze pops to help you cool down. The ladies changing room was insanely tiny with only 1 stall. That was the biggest downfall. But the classes were stellar! Check it out.

Pros: Great classes and I didn't feel like a loser when I had to lie down.

Cons: 1 bathroom for women, seriously?

Posted 10/16/07

There are much better yoga studios in this city, and all the other bikram studios I prefer to this one. I bought a 10 class pass when I moved 2 blocks away and struggle to use all the classes because I can hardly bring myself to practice here.

Pros: Showers, location by EL, hot

Cons: Rigid, dogmatic teaching style. Inflexible management in general. Seems more like a gym/boot camp than yoga.

Posted 09/27/06

Challenging. Every class makes you feel like you've gotten a crazy workout. Instructors are great, even the owner Mike teaches, and it's in a convenient location. Al Bikram studios tend to be pretty pricey so this studio is pretty average.

Pros: Location, Atmosphere, Instructors

Posted 04/06/06