Decatur Yoga & Pilates

09/03/11

I love this studio

by jexa

I moved to Atlanta a month ago, and right away I wanted to find a great studio where I could practice regularly and feel at home. I had been practicing yoga for a little while before this -- sort of nervously, since I have never been very active and am just starting to get in pretty good shape. DYP has really given me an opportunity to get into the practice and meet myself where I am.

As a non-fitness-oriented person, there are a few things I want from a yoga practice. I want yoga to be an "experience" and not just a workout. I want it to be zen but not overly spiritual. I want to feel accepted no matter how imperfect my practice is. I want it to always be okay if I sit out a pose, but I also want to be gently challenged at just the right time. I also want safety to come first. I have gotten all of these things at DYP and more.

I have practiced with almost every instructor at DYP by now -- and although each of them have quite unique styles (something I really appreciate!), all of them have been kind, straightforward, safety-oriented, and quite knowledgeable. I have always felt welcome and at home. The vibe I get from the studio, the gentle instruction, and of course the lavender towels after the hot classes, have turned me into a genuine yoga addict.

08/27/11

good and MEAN

by zhang2911

I practiced my bikram Yoga during a couple business trips at this studio and although I enjoyed a few classes (without being screamed at): Unfortunately I encountered a couple quite mean teachers who seem to be really enjoying screaming at you and force you to do things their way regardless your capabilities.

E.g., during the head to knee pose, she insisted that my legs were not far apart enough, not only that, she uses a wooden scale to point to me several times, regardless I kept telling her that I had knee injuries and they hurt.

Unfortunately not everybody is very inspired this way, some of us simply wants to practise Yoga at our own pace and we paid for it to improve our health. We are NOT doing this for teachers/others, and we know what is best for us.

I must also mention not every instructor at this studio is mean. Usually I enjoyed the 6AM class, it seems I can have excellent ones during this time - he even offers to fill my water bottle between poses! Thank you

08/24/10

Awesome studio

by dmyoga

Hmmmm, I started coming to this studio 3 months ago after being a regular at one of the Bikram studios mentioned below. I'll admit this studio's Bikram isn't as hardcore as a true Bikram studio but if you've truly practiced Bikram, it won't matter. You either know the yoga or you don't, the instructor shouldn't matter.

The other styles of yoga are wonderful and a great compliment to a Bikram practice. I have found the instructors to be very safety-focused and they do a great job of thoroughly demonstrating the more difficult poses prior to having the class move in to them. If I don't know a pose and they're not demonstrating, I've simply asked and they come right over.

I also found practicing at a Bikram studio was actually giving me repetitive stress injuries. Since widening my yoga style focus, the numbness I was experiencing has left. I purposefully take the Bikram classes at DYP because their instructors aren't militant about you following the instruction to a tee.

The changing room could be a big larger but oh well. I'm enjoying how friendly everyone is and how few egos I've encountered. People talk to you and there's a real community. A huge change that will keep me coming back. Plus, I'm loving the strength I'm building from the new styles I'm being exposed too. All in all yoga is a personal journey and this studio does a great job guiding you to find what's best for your body vs. what fits their 'dialogue'.

08/23/10

look for better yoga elsewhere

by theinvisibleheart

This studio offers substandard instruction and facility. The quality of hot yoga instruction is substandard compared to nearby Bikram yoga studios such as Bikram Yoga Decatur or Bikram Yoga Marietta.

Furthermore, restroom is small and dirty, and the studio is not well maintained.

On top of that, people who run the studios are crooks. I paid $150 on August 10 for unlimited one month pass, to expire on September 10, 2010(written on the receipt). On August 22, 2010(12 days later), I was told that my pass had expired and that I had not paid for the classes, LOL.

If this was not all the problems with this studio, that would be OK. However, on top of that, instructors at this studio SUCK BIG TIME and quality of the instruction is substandard, to say the least.

I lost track time of the time instructors at this studio told me that I'm able to do this or that advanced pose with ease because of natural flexibility. I happen to be a relative beginner suffering from severe back and knee injury, as well as chronic illness. I used to be super stiff before beginning yoga and is able to do advanced pose with ease due to superior yoga instruction I received elsewhere.

If I had to depend on the instructors at this studio to learn how to do advanced poses, I would suck big time, LOL!

If you want your yoga to SUCK BIG TIME unless you are naturally flexible and also be billed twice, try out this studio. Otherwise, go somewhere else.

Both the quality of instruction and condition of facility at Decatur Yoga & Pilates is third rate. On top of that, their billing process is crooked and this business deserve to be driven into bankruptcy.

My sincere hope and prayer is that Decatur Yoga & Pilates go out of business soon, driven by more ethical and well managed competitors. Namaste.

11/07/09

Highly qualified yoga and Pilates instructors

by organicfoodgirl

The previous reviewer obviously had a bad experience with a yoga instructor who was at Decatur Yoga and Pilates for a short time and is no longer there. The encounter happened outside of the studio.

That said, the yoga and Pilates instructors at DYP are all highly trained and hold a minimum of 200 hour certification--most have surpassed this--and continue their learning with workshops and other continuing education. Decatur Yoga and Pilates is a great place to practice, learn, and grow as a yoga and/or Pilates practitioner and as a person. The studio offers four types of Hot Yoga: Bikram, Hot Core Power, Hot Vinyasa, and Hot Pranakriya, four types of not-hot Yoga: Pranakriya, Restorative, Anusara-Inspired, and Prenatal, and Pilates, including Yogalates.

The previous reviewer is also mistaken--"Lotus Yoga and Pilates" does not exist. There is a Studio Lotus, and they offer Pilates, but not yoga.

Please disregard the previous reviewer's comments. They are in no way a representation of the studio as a whole or the vast majority of people's experiences there.

• Pros: Qualified teachers, great variety of classes