I’m in San Francisco this week for a work conference. Since I’m here already, I decided to check out Baptiste Yoga San Francisco, the city’s Baptiste Yoga Partner Studio.
Practicing yoga somewhere other than Three Dog Yoga always feels like I’m cheating on my yoga instructors; however, we may have to agree to have a polyamorous yoga relationship for the purposes of this BLOG so I can review teachers and studios without angst.
Here are my take aways from today’s visit to the studio:
The Practice–
I attended the POWER 75 class at 10AM taught by Eric Tabora. The practice sequencing was classic Baptiste Power Yoga, which is great because that’s what I was there for. It was a fantastic 75 minute practice led by a world class instructor.
There were several out-of-towners in attendance and it took everyone a bit to get a handle on the pacing, because that is different with every yoga teacher. Eric, the instructor, recognized the fact that we were all out of whack and got everyone settled into a steady flow. After that, we were all set.
Practice rooms for Baptiste Power Yoga are heated to 90-95 degrees and this was no exception. The room was good and warm and was heated by infrared heat panels installed in the ceiling. The heat was evenly distributed, steady, and there was no air blowing around to dry out your contact lenses.
I’m always on the look out for the ways studios and yoga teachers use music in the classes they lead. In this particular case, there was not music in the practice room before class began. Music was added for savasana and the track selected consisted of some chanting, bells, and what may or may not have been whatever sound whales make. There was a cool mix of music throughout the rest of the studio space, however.
The Instructor–
The class I attended was taught by Eric Tabora whose extensive experience was very apparent. He is a 500 hour Certified Baptiste Teacher, has completed levels 1, 2 & 3 at the Baptiste Institute, and is a 200 hour certified yoga teacher through an affiliate studio in Cleveland. He is well versed in the asanas, alignment, modifications, and toured the class offering assists and adjustments.
The Studio Space–
Located at 38 Mesa Street, San Francisco, the studio is in the beautiful San Francisco Presidio near The Golden Gate Bridge. It is easy to find and there is plenty of parking.
Inside, the studio lobby is spacious and welcoming with yoga-related retail offerings including shirts and mats.
The practice room is very warm and spacious with lots of light and windows. The walls feature beautiful murals.
They rent shower and sweat towels, and mats in the event you are visiting the city without your yoga gear or you forgot something. They only provide one size of block (that I could see), so if you need a particular prop or a few different block sizes you may want to bring your own or check with the studio before you arrive.
And finally the spectacular locker room! This studio has a locker room with lockers (obviously), two showers, shampoo, conditioner, and body soap, and hairdryers. Heaven.