Bikram Yoga Wimbledon

It was after reading a glowing review (by Christie K) on Unilocal that I signed up for the «30 Day Challenge» at Bikram Yoga Wimbledon; 30 classes in 30 days, for £35.
The venue was clean and (apart from the changing area) spacious and the instructors were consistently helpful and patient with newcomers — giving clear and precise guidance for each posture, walking over to help any individual achieve the correct angle or position required.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the manager, Raj Sharma, who seemed to delight in chastising and admonishing people — by name — in front of the whole class, when they didn’t get it exactly right.
I witnessed this at first hand when I attended one of his classes in December.
Following that session, I found the «hidden» reviews on Unilocal,which warned of his brusque and arrogant manner. These reviews were not selected by Unilocal’s «automated software» to be viewed by default, unlike the rave review. If I had read them beforehand (referring to Raj as «rude, condescending, and talking to people as if they are 5 years old») I would definitely have had second thoughts about choosing that venue.
As a non-​motorist at the mercy of public transport, and in full-​time employment it is sometimes problematic to always time my arrival for 10 – 15 minutes before each class. When trying to get there after working late once, I phoned to check if I would be allowed in, and was told that I would be admitted to the class as long as it was no more than five minutes after the start time, so I aborted that attempt.
Today however, I meekly crept in to Raj’s class 3 minutes late, only to find myself being rebuked at some length by Raj, saying repeatedly that I was always late «every time you come into the class you are late» — a sweeping statement considering that this was only the second of his classes I had been to. I had been a couple of minutes late to some of the other classes, admittedly — but definitely not ALL thirteen of the classes I had attended thus far.
This would have been my third class with Raj, as I had arrived at the venue at least 5 minutes BEFORE the start time of a class on New Year’s eve, only to find the door locked, with no-​one at the reception desk. A few minutes later, a regular member arrived, and using a phone to look on the venue’s website to see who was teaching, said she wasn’t surprised to find it locked as Raj was taking the class, and was «a stickler for punctuality». She said he was no doubt upstairs already, hence the locked door.
Today I wondered at the practicality of Raj spending so much time berating me for being late, compared with letting me discreetly join the class, then having a word with me afterwards. It was clear to me which was causing the most disruption to the session.
On two previous occasions, mobile phones rang out from the little cubbyholes in the studio (where you are advised to place any valuables, as there are no lockers) and there was no big deal made of it by either instructor — neither of which was Raj, needless to say.
Now, as Raj told me to wait at the side until the posture in progress was finished (it was the first one, the breathing exercise) and he continued to tell the whole class how I was always coming into the class late, I decided I’d had enough of this public humiliation, so I left. Never to return.
With ten days remaining of my pre-​paid 30 days, I prefer to lose the money and enrol elsewhere, or even revert to being a couch potato than risk being humiliated again.
A shame, since I was planning to attend one of Raj’s workshops tomorrow «focusing on structure and alignment of postures and correct breathing technique»…
It would be difficult to focus while being belittled by the tutor.

Give yourself plenty of time to get to the studio if you’re coming from the train station ‘cuz it’s a good 15 min walk. There is a short cut path but tricky to find your first time there.
This is the most beautiful bikram studio I’ve ever been to (btw London & NY!). There is so much space in the studio and locker room. Lovely relaxation/​café area. The best part is that it hardly has that bikram funk most studios have ‘cuz it’s washed down pretty well. I really love the way they have their yoga mats hung up at the back between clean and used mats so no need to pick up a drenched one. Almost don’t want a lot of people to know to keep this place all to myself!
What’s even better is that they run a livingsocial deal and it was an amazing bargain for a set of 10 classes.