Almaden Yoga

Aug 2023

Almaden Yoga is my "home" yoga studio. If I'm in The Bay, this is the only studio I go to. I've been practicing for about 6 years at this point so I'm intermediate/advanced in terms of strength, but more beginner/intermediate in terms of flexibility. I'm a weekend warrior, and generally only go to Power Yoga classes, doing a mix of yoga/Pilates/calisthenics throughout the week at home, which I find helps support my practice. With that context out of the way, I'm very happy with classes at Almaden Yoga. Ashley's 8am Saturday morning class and Tanvi's 4:30pm Sunday class are some of the best classes I've been to. They're both excellent instructors although very different in their "power" styles. I am tempted to give a 5 star review, and probably would have several months ago, but management made a recent change to label almost all classes "Flow" classes. Along with the name change, management decreed that the classes should be toned down to accommodate new students. This does make the classes a bit more accessible, but a good instructor is capable of giving options for newer students to tone down the difficulty if needed, without sacrificing the difficulty needed by more advanced practitioners. It also has a side-effect for new students: if all classes are "Flow" classes, how do you tell them apart? Some are definitely more flexibility-oriented, and some are more strength-oriented, but telling which is which from the schedule is impossible at this point. Bottom line: as long as I'm in the area and practicing, I'll be sticking with Almaden Yoga, and I recommend it without hesitation to practitioners of all skill levels, but if you're new to yoga, make sure to talk with an employee to determine which classes you should take.

Aug 2023

This review is for Talita Sozkesen's excellent prenatal yoga class. It's a must-do if you live in the area. Talita is so skilled, kind, and helpful. She offers great movement advice, tons of modifications for all pregnancy-related needs, and creates such a warm and calm atmosphere. Her classes are often packed and it's obvious why. I only wish there were two after-work times a week. I am convinced that practicing with Talita from 14-40 weeks created optimum conditions for my fast, healthy unmedicated delivery. Try the class! You'll be going back!

Aug 2023

This review is for Talita Sozkesen's excellent prenatal yoga class. It's a must-do if you live in the area. Talita is so skilled, kind, and helpful. She offers great movement advice, tons of modifications for all pregnancy-related needs, and creates such a warm and calm atmosphere. Her classes are often packed and it's obvious why. I only wish there were two after-work times a week. (Once I was on leave I was able to attend the Thursday morning, which provided the same excellent class I was used to from Tuesday evening.) I am convinced that practicing with Talita from 14-40 weeks created optimum conditions for a healthy, active pregnancy and successful delivery. She is a true gem.