Hot 8 Yoga — Local services in Los Angeles

The parking situation and the membership cancellations fees at Hot 8 Yoga in Woodland Hills are both money grab scams. I was told when I signed up we get two hours parking validation which is plenty of time to finish class and take a shower unless you take 26/2 class which is 90 minutes. Every other Hot 8 Yoga location has two hours validated parking. I started noticing that the parking meter machines at the Tapanga Village exits run by LAZ parking started charging me $2 every time even though I was there under 90 minutes. I even took a stop watch with me to test it and I still had ten minutes left and the parking meter machine said I owed $2! I hit the help button and their rude customer service rep told me to just pay the $2. I asked the front desk girls what should I do and they said we only get 90 minutes validation at Hot 8 and if I wanted longer validation times to go walk to 24 Hour Fitness and use their parking validation machine! Why don't the owners of Hot 8 Yoga validate the parking for their members for a minimum 2 hours? I noticed there are a few posts about this annoying problem before. It needs to be addressed asap as it's making Hot 8 Yoga look cheap & bad. I hate the feeling of being rushed. Going to my yoga class is supposed to calm me down and relax me not make me hurry hurry hurry and run and stress out because my parking validation is about to expire because Hot 8 Yoga Woodland Hills only covers you for 90 minutes when they used to cover you for 120 minutes. I finally spoke with customer service about it. She was very hard to get a hold of. She said she will get back with me and never did. My final straw was that management recently quietly removed my favorite yoga class off of the woodland hills location schedule so 26/2 is no longer there. I think they got rid of 26/2 because it's 90 minutes long and they only offer 90 minutes validated parking so they canceled it because they figured many people will complain about the 90 minutes parking. I recently canceled my membership with the manager and everything seemed to be fine and done. I tried to cancel it over the phone and they purposely make it harder and force you to come in and sign paperwork just to cancel your membership. Today I got an email today from the same manger saying I owe another $50 because their contracts supposedly require a two-month commitment. Why didn't she say this before? It's obvious that they are always figuring out ways to pull money out of you. I have been going to Hot 8 Yoga for many years and it's just not economically worth it anymore unless you don't care about being overcharged. Plus they go through yoga instructors like toilet paper and most of the good instructors are gone now. They have increased their monthly fees non-stop. The executive membership used to be $179 and now it's $249 a month for the executive membership. This is just pure insanity. There are much better options out there. I referred a number of people to Hot 8 and I recently told them I am cancelling. They are...

Embarking on my yoga journey with Hot8Yoga, I allowed myself the gift of time, opting to immerse myself in the experience for a full month before putting pen to paper for this review. This period of exploration and consistent practice under the guidance of two remarkable instructors, Sage at Sherman Oaks and Jeremy at Woodland Hills, provided a solid foundation for my honest reflections as a beginner in the vibrant world of yoga.

Sage's Yin class was a sanctuary of tranquility and acceptance. Her friendly demeanor and approachability made the world of yoga feel welcoming from the outset. Under her guidance, I navigated the introspective poses of Yin yoga, learning patience and flexibility within the serene atmosphere of the Sherman Oaks studio. Sage's emphasis on mindfulness and breath work was a revelation, offering a sense of calm and presence that was both new and deeply comforting. For any beginner drawn to the nurturing side of yoga, Sage's classes are an invaluable introduction.

Contrasting the calm of Yin with the vigor of Sculpt, Jeremy's classes in Woodland Hills were a dynamic introduction to the more physically demanding aspects of yoga. Initially daunting, the combination of yoga and weight training quickly became an exhilarating challenge, thanks to Jeremy's motivational spirit and clear guidance. His focus on safety and form ensured that even as a beginner, I felt confident and engaged. Jeremy's classes are a testament to the energizing power of yoga, perfect for beginners looking to dive into a practice that strengthens both body and mind.

Reflecting on a month spent with Hot8Yoga, the journey from novice to a more confident practitioner has been profoundly rewarding. The welcoming atmosphere of both studios, coupled with the clean facilities and supportive staff, made each visit a pleasure. The diverse range of practices, from the soothing depth of Sage's Yin to the vibrant challenge of Jeremy's Sculpt, highlighted Hot8Yoga's commitment to accessibility and variety in yoga.

This month-long experience has not only enhanced my physical capabilities but also enriched my mental and emotional well-being. The guidance of Sage and Jeremy has been instrumental in this transformation, offering a balanced approach to yoga that respects both its calming and invigorating facets. For anyone at the beginning of their yoga journey, Hot8Yoga stands as a beacon of community, diversity, and personal growth, supported by instructors who are genuinely invested in your journey.

In sum, my time at Hot8Yoga has been an enlightening introduction to the world of yoga, marked by personal growth and newfound passions. The studios, with their distinct yet complementary offerings, have provided a solid foundation for my continued practice. For those considering starting their yoga journey, Hot8Yoga, with its blend of welcoming spaces and dedicated instructors, is an...

If you're looking for a studio with room to move and actually hone in on your practice, skip over hot 8. I've been an avid lover of hot yoga for nearly 8 years now, trying new studios anytime I travel, and being a loyal client to a studio back in my hometown. Having been in California for the past few years, I've experimented around with a couple different places, but never found one that could check all of my boxes.

Enter: Hot 8 Yoga. It seemed like the perfect franchise. Loads of studio locations, so I can always get a class in no matter what part of LA I find myself in. A variety of class options offered, so whether I wanted something slow and stretching or something challenging and quick, I thought hot 8 had me covered. Whatever I thought I was getting excited to experience, was immediately squashed as soon as I walked into the studio room.

What was probably a 40ft x 20ft rectangular room was packed with nearly 50-60 people, even more trickling in after me (and I came in 5 minutes prior to class starting). Something I thought was comical was the instructor commenting on two girls trying to smush into the back, saying that it was a "safety concern to have them crammed" when everyone who was 'spread out' by their standards was still packed in like sardines.

Now for the actual class. Like I said prior, I've done hot classes for years. Never have I taken a class like this before, although it's probably due to the sheer amount of people they have crammed into the room. For starters, I got kicked in the head by the person in front of me. In no workout class, let alone YOGA where you are expected to be able to stretch and lengthen through moves, should people be so crammed together that one can touch the other in front or behind them with barely moving. The blunt force mixed with the heat of the room wound up with me having to leave for 15 minutes of the class to avoid passing out, and even when I tried to go back in, I had a throbbing headache for the rest of the session. The person on the mat next to me grabbed my weights for one of the sculpt portions (which were on top of my mat) because we were SO. CLOSE. TOGETHER.

I get that running studios are expensive, and I get that being funded by private equity means you have to cut corners to cover costs and make a profit, and that usually comes at the cost of squeezing more people into classes. I saw it with Pure Barre, I saw it with SolidCore, I saw it with CorePower. But when safety is seemingly a concern of instructors, it's comical when that's obviously just said to waive liability. Thankfully, I only paid for the welcome week before signing up for the unlimited membership, but safe to say I will not be returning, nor will I ever be recommending this...