Yoga Shakti Wellness Club — Attraction in Irvine

i recently started practicing yoga @ shakti and what i appreciate about the studio:

1. intimacy: i've been going to level 2 classes and each class is really no more than 8-10 people. you get a lot of personal attention and hands on adjustments from the instructors. if you have questions you can ask during the session as well.
2. challenge: each class session is 1.5 hours, but tough 1.5 hours. i think because it's not heated they can push you further with more challenging poses as opposed to what i'm typically used to at a heated studio.
3. great instructors: i've only taken classes with ashlee but she mixes up the flow a lot and we even got to do sun salutations with blankets and boy was that a core workout!
4. not corporaty: i'm used to other studios being very "corporate". shakti is definitely much more spiritual.
5. amazing merchandise: love all the jewelry the studio carries, but expensive!

there are 2 rooms in the studio, and i believe they're right next to each other... so sometimes we can hear instructions coming from the other room and it's a bit distracting. other than that, i want to try out different instructors. i first heard about shakti through rebecca fink who i've taken a class with before and i knew i had to try shakti out! :) i need to master handstands!

p.s. they have...

Paid for 10 classes upfront package. Was unable to use 4 of them as I had some unexpected travel over summer. Asked for extension 2 weeks before expiration and was told that should not be a problem. After waiting 1 month to get a response and leaving several messages finally heard back that they can't extend my classes. Was asked to pay additional $50 to have classes extended which seems utterly ridiculous. When I buy restaurant discount gift certificate/card, there is no expiration, why should there be expiration for classes. California Civil Code Section 1749.5 prohibits the sale of gift cards/certificates with expiration dates, making such enforcement illegal. Why should I pay even more money for classes that I have already paid ahead of time!!! I lost my opportunity to use my remaining classes due to lack of timely response from Yoga Shakti. Very insensitive staff, untimely response time, only care about $$$, terrible customer relations and service. ————-

UPDATE: After complaining on social media the management apologized for delay and frustration, reviewed my case and extended the expiration of my remaining unused classes by 1 month. Now I am able to use my remaining classes without...

Yoga Shakti is a great place with enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and helpful teachers and staff. They help you to progress at your own pace and prepare you well for level advancement. It is helpful to find your own inner peace, find something to help keep you physically fit and find a meaning within practicing yoga. The teacher training program which I am involved in, is a true blessing, helping students to be independent and make the most of teaching. It is worth the price.

The main teachers I have been going to are Ashlee Goite. She has a lot of upper level moves, but they connect and flow well. There are gentle soft transitions. The practice is not too hard on your body as long as you take necessary modifications. The other teachers I go to are Lauren Dahl's class. She does a lot of good prep work for inversions. Another teacher I go to is Colleen Hieber's class. She has a lot of good standing move sequences, high energy, and pushes you to do your best. All the teachers are really good and friendly. I would recommend them. I believe you should do the level you feel most comfortable with and then build...