Explore Yoga Studio — Attraction in Troy

The studio looked like every other yoga studio but the instructor of the class was absolutely horrendous. In all the group classes I've taken (yoga, Pilates, kickboxing, etc.), this instructor had to have been the most disengaged and disinterested.

My cousin and I went to a Vinyasa class because she found the studio online and wanted to give it a shot. I've done a bit of Bikram and Hatha Flow sporadically and she had never done yoga before (maybe a free group class or two). We walked in and the receptionist was nice enough. We go inside the heated room and do a bit of stretching before class.

The instructor walks in and says his name is Austin and that he's subbing for someone named Justin. My cousin and I have never been to this studio before so that means nothing to us. His shirt had a Buddha on it with "Let Shit Go" underneath and I internally groan: Buddhism is an actual religion so slapping a deity millions of people worship on a t-shirt with a basic saying underneath just reeks aloofness.

But that's besides the point.

He notes that my cousin has never been to yoga or Vinyayas before. The class begins and he walks us through a long series of postures once and then said something like "Now do that flow for the next five minutes." Besides two people in the class who seemed to be regulars, everyone else was entirely lost on the sequence and generally had really confused and lost looks on their faces.

Meanwhile, after his initial quick listing of the poses, he doesn't do anything else. He says absolutely nothing and just looks bored. He makes no effort to explain the poses, guide the class (the vast majority of whom were struggling), to correct anyone's postures, to offer advanced alternatives for the only two people who seemed to know what they were doing, or do anything an instructor is expected to do. He just checked out after listing the poses once.

The dude literally just stood against a wall and stared into space, only resurfacing two or three times during the entire one-hour class to add more postures to the sequence and say "Now repeat this for 10 minutes."

If we wanted something with no engagement, we would have happily stayed home and watched YouTube videos, which quite frankly are better because they at least provide some instruction and guidance. I'm also not sure why he bothered asking if there was anyone new to yoga in the class when he threw that out the window immediately - luckily, my cousin is athletic so she was able to catch on as much as anyone can in that situation.

This studio needs to train its instructors better. I've gone to many group classes of all varieties for years and never have I had an instructor that was absolutely disinterested in guiding, teaching, or even minimally engaging with the students. My cousin had bought a series of classes and regretted it after this...

So far I have attended two "Gentle Yoga' classes by two different instructors at this studio. The first class was with Instructor Amy. First, she is very welcoming when you walk in the door, greeting you with a smile and making you feel comfortable right off the bat. I told her I really did not have a lot of experience with Yoga. She said I came to the right class! I brought a mat, but she shared a mat the studio offered that had more cushion and traction so I wouldn't slip. There were bins and hangers for coats and it was very clean. The rectangular yoga room is big, dim, and calming. There were candles lit and the perfect background "Yoga" music playing, blankets, bands, and blocks. When we got started, Amy had the perfect, calming voice. One that soothes and makes you feel quite relaxed. She guided the class through the poses, which was helpful for me to see. She also shared where I might be feeling the stretch, or shaking, which I was glad was normal. The class lasted an hour and I felt so amazing when it was done!

The second class, I had instructor Gwen. She is her own unique personality. I really enjoyed, her too. She has a great playlist of music, she likes to light several candles down the middle of the room for relaxation and maybe a focus point throughout instruction. She was very sweet and offered correction when necessary. I liked that because I was new and wanted to be sure I was doing the poses correctly without hurting myself. I felt her to be very kind-hearted and approachable. Both classes were fantastic!!!!

I'm not quite sure where the random "one star" review came from, but I know this is a fantastic studio with wonderful people who have a purpose of benefiting the health of others. I really appreciated the encouragement during both sessions and allowing me a free "first- timer" class.

Excellent studio and would highly recommend! Keep up the...

I started coming to this studio about 3-4 weeks ago and I absolutely love it! I have been practicing yoga for 2 years at home & came here for my first live class. I was so nervous and did not know what to expect. This studio & everyone in it made me feel so comfortable & welcomed. I have been to several different classes and all have been wonderful. I feel that my practice has grown & I have become stronger in my poses from this studio - even in the short time of coming here. I told myself I was just going to go up to the 1/2 marathon I am training for this month...but I am hooked and will be back continuously. This is now in my weekly workout routine. HIGHLY recommend...