Highland Yoga - Memorial — Local services in Atlanta

As a previous member of highland yoga for many months, I decided to try somewhere else after feeling discouraged and unwelcomed there. It didn’t feel like my “tribe” and the classes were getting repetitive. When I finally decided to go to somewhere else, Westside yoga, the atmosphere was completely different. Warm, inviting, friendly and accepting. The instructors at Westside made small talk me before session, gave me specific ways to improve during the session, and talked about life after. It was a complete shift from what I was used to. Fast forward to many months later when I move into a new place and decide that because of it’s close proximity to where I live, I will give Highland yoga a try again hoping their new location would be different.

I explored their website for a while and after not getting the answers to a few questions I decide to drive over to Highland to talk to a person. I walk inside and the door is open, and their website says they’re open as well. This is at 1:45pm. There are two instructors there, chatting amongst themselves in the studio room. I walk from the lobby and stand in the doorway, walking back-and-forth several times waiting for the instructor who obviously sees me standing there to say something. She doesn’t so I say something myself. The other instructor immediately asks me is “how long have you been standing there?” And “how did you get in?”. I tell her the front door is open and I have a few questions about membership. She informed me that they are closed and I should send an email instead. It’s always bothered me at highland because instead of helping me they would always direct me to email... I don’t want to email. That is precisely the reason why I came into the studio - I want to chat with a person so I don’t have to type out 10 questions and wait for a response. I walked out validating the belief that this is not the studio for me.

TLDR - Highland is not a studio that gives a sense of inclusivity and connection which is a core component of yoga. (It literally means unity!) Their classes are rushed and fitness-based not mindset-based and you will not feel like you found your family when you walk in the door but rather that you’re there to work out...

I’ve been attending classes for 8 months or so now, and being newer to yoga I found it to be fun and challenging. My body definitely feels better after I leave each class. I’ve had nothing but kind, positive instructors who have their own twist on each class so it’s a little different every time.

Warm deep stretch is a great way to start the week. Vinyasa is a great workout but not as intense as Power Flow. For Power Flow, I would recommend making sure that you’ve eaten enough and have had enough water. There are a few of those classes where I could tell my body wasn’t quite ready for that workout - so make sure you nourish your body throughout the day before attending!

I think there is an area of opportunity for some of the instructors to let people land their poses before signaling for the next. I understand it’s supposed to be fast-paced - I am pretty fast. But even for me, sometimes it doesn’t feel like an efficient or effective pose or workout if we can’t even properly land it before moving on to the next. (This is mainly pertaining to Power Flow classes).

Atlanta traffic is wild - the Memorial location feels impossible to get to with the roads nearby it. I missed a 7:35 class but arrived at 7:40, so I almost made it but didn’t get to enter the studio to join. I recommended leaving way earlier than you think you need to because the traffic is bananas.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed my experience at Highland Yoga! It would be cool if the unlimited monthly membership included the events like sound baths - I was so excited to attend and didn’t end up going because it would’ve been an extra $30. I would’ve thought that an unlimited membership included...

I’ve been taking classes at HY for a couple of months and it gets the job done, it’s fine. I always feel refreshed from the workout after taking a class, but it’s not my favorite yoga experience. Some things to improve upon: music and culture. The music played during classes is extremely distracting and does not allow me to get into the flow and mindfulness of yoga. The music really makes it feel less like yoga and more like just a typical work out class. The culture of the studio is also cold and not particularly welcoming — first time I visited, I was not greeted, I was not given any kind of tour or orientation of the space. Since I’ve continued attending, I have not met any of the teachers, none have introduced themselves to me or asked about myself. This hasn’t been my experience at other studios, where teachers are a lot more engaging with students in an effort to understand who is in their class and make it more comfortable for folks to request support or modifications in their practice. This culture also makes it feel like this is a place to get a work out in, not to practice yoga. Overall, I’ve been practicing here because of convenience and proximity, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to take classes at...