BIG Power Yoga

After hearing some horror stories I was terrified of trying hot yoga, but after seeing all of the amazing reviews for BIG I knew I wanted to give it a try. I’m happy to say that I’ve become a total addict! All of the instructors at BIG are enthusiastic and encouraging, and I find that the hour flies by. There is also no greater motivation to push yourself in class than the lavender towel they give you at the end– such an amazing reward for a challenging workout! I also love the fact that you can pre-​order a drink from the in-​house juice bar so it is ready for you at the end of class.
The only reason I’m giving 4 stars instead of 5 is because the parking is a bit of a nightmare and sometimes I feel that the classes are just a bit too crowded. Granted I’m a beanpole, but it would be nice to be able to fully stretch out without worrying about hitting my neighbors. Still, nothing feels better than leaving a class completely drenched yet rejuvenated and BIG definitely delivers!

After trying out Bikram yoga, I was ready to say good-​bye to HOT YOGA. Bikram was too hot for me and the poses are challenging for beginners. My body couldn’t handle it. Luckily, a good friend of mine told me about this place.
They offer $ 5 hot yoga class with a new teacher at least one time per day. The class is an hour long and is suitable for both experts and beginners. The temperature isn’t as hot as Bikram (less than 100 degrees). My boyfriend and I love coming here!
I do recommend signing up for the class in advance online instead of just «walking in» so you’re guaranteed your spot (if you come to class 5 minutes before it starts). My boyfriend usually can get in without «pre-​registering» online but last Sunday was a nightmare! We were on a wait list. This wait list allows a limited amount of people to attend the class if the people who signed up online fail to check in with the receptionist 5 minutes before class. Lucky for us, we were the top 5 people so we were able to get in.
Don’t worry if you don’t understand the yoga terminology during class. Just look around and copy the poses that the other students are doing. Sometimes, the instructor does come over to you if he/​she sees that you’re not doing a pose correctly. The poses are pretty basic so you should be able to do the majority of them. Towards the end of class… you are rewarded with a cold lavender wet towel over your eyes so you can relax/​mediate for the last 5 – 10 minutes of class.
There is a juice bar here so you can replenish after a hardcore hot yoga session! Don’t forget to bring at least one bottle of water into class so you don’t get dehydrated.
The parking lot is small so that’s the only bad thing about this place. Overall experience was fantastic and I will definitely come here again!

This place is one of the most relaxing place to meditate and test your yoga limits.
I’ve been to Bikram Yoga. & it’s great if you’re an expert. (Not that big yoga doesn’t have experts)… In my opinion Bikram is 90 minutes too long. Big yoga it’s 60 minutes of hot yoga, ending with a cool lavender towel and an empowering speech.
The instructors have all been encouraging, full of good energy and always pushing you to reach your goals.
I haven’t been in a few months but I plan on gathering a new membership tomorrow!

Wow love this place! Challenging yet peaceful yoga. Knowledgeable, friendly, and accomodating staff!

The staff members are extremely friendly, and they have an amazing juice bar!
What I love about Big is that they offer classes all throughout the day, from 5:30 AM, until 10PM. Also, most of the classes are heated, but not too dry, which I like.
The only thing I would change about this place if I could would be the variety of yoga practices. Most of the classes consist of Baptiste Power Vinyasa yoga, and I am more of a Hatha person (which, sadly, they don’t offer).

BIG is fabulous! I used to swear by bikram, but the baptiste practice has really grown on me. I love being able to hop into side crow or a handstand at my own pace, and class never gets boring. I prefer the 1 hr 15 min classes to the 1 hr cjasss, but I think that’s the bikram in me. Classes here are great. The studio is beautiful and well maintained, the women’s bathroom is always well stocked with hair elastics and organic lotion. The staff is extremely positive and I always feel incredibly welcome and at home. This yoga is for everyone– professionals, retired people, crossfit athletes, hipsters, and conventional rice students like me. All levels of fitness can benefit from the physical and psychological aspects of a class at BIG.
It is rather pricy, and for a broke college student like myself that makes it hard to commit to a membership. However, I always take advantage of the $ 5 new teacher classes and I’m always willing to drop $ 20 on a class with Nick (he’s amazing, pushes me so hard). The clothes they have for sale are also very cute, and very pricy. Once and awhile I’ll treat myself to a tank or a new pair of pants (usually after I reach one of my goals in class!). The juice bar is also very popular, although since I don’t drink juice I cannot add much here except that my friends absolutely love it.
If you’re a first-​timer, don’t be shy and let the instructor know. They are SO willing to help and just wonderful at walking through the basics without singling you out. Prepare to sweat and be sore afterward, but the savasana with a cool lavender towel is one of my favorite feelings in the world.

I’m so in love with this yoga studio. My review is very biased but if you are even considering trying hot yoga this is the best place to start. The team is beyond welcoming and friendly. When I visited BIG for the first time over a year ago I was so nervous and shy about failing terribly in my first class. I was immediately greeted, given a tour and had someone even set up a mat for me. I have never felt more welcomed!!!
I love this place so much I work in the energy exchange program. I work 4 hours each week to receive my monthly membership paid for.
I have made so many truly amazing friends from the short year I have been here.
They have workshops frequently that cater to everyone’s needs.
Big & Juicy juice/​smoothie bar is actually inside the yoga studio! You can preorder a drink and have it ready for you when you are out of class! It’s the best treat for yourself!
I love this place!! b

Easy to schedule, great phone app, amazing juice bar, really nice staff, and classes almost every hour of the day! Be ready to sweat, push yourself harder then you knew you could and leave empowered. Note the is hot yoga!

I absolutely love workouts that are fun and punishing at the same time. Big Yoga definitely does that for me. I love the atmosphere of Big, it’s very calming and dare I say sensual? Maybe it’s the sweatiness of Big. The actual entrance was a bit difficult to find, since there’s no signage where you park. I literally just followed yoga pants wearers and hoped they’d lead me to the promise land.
Big has an AWESOME juice bar and snacks galore. There’s also lulu lemon gear and other yoga necessities available for purchase. Lockers for your stuff, just bring a lock. If you’re extra smelly, there’s showers and I love that they have just small little things like hair ties and bobby pins available in the bathroom.
Class itself is wonderfully challenging. Flow yoga kept me on my toes and I’ve never sweat so much in my life. I guess I could also attribute it to the fact that they don’t have any air conditioning in the classrooms. The classes aren’t for any particular yogi level, so beginners and experts alike are in the class.

Just take the $ 5 New Teacher class offered everyday and you will be hooked. The cold lavender towel tops it off like a cherry on top
Staff is super friendly. They have a juice bar in the back.

I love this place. If you love yoga like I do you should totally give them a try. They always have great specials to get you in so check their website. The instructors are REAL yoga practioners, that know their stuff. They make me feel comfortable and I like that.
Mantra: I will return, to learn to let go!

Oh my lawd, BIG Yoga, why haven’t I gone here sooner. After one class, I was hooked. They have a great scheduling system online (by the way, $ 40 new student special lets you take as many classes as you want for a month!) that’s very easy to use. Their powerful flow classes are open for all levels, and every instructor that I’ve had was amazing, funny, and helpful. If this is your first time doing hot yoga, get ready to sweat! The classes are done in rooms that are heated between 91 – 97 degrees (depending on the instructor). They walk you through the moves, and if you can’t do some of them, it is perfectly ok to modify the moves to your comfort level. At the end of the class, everyone receives a icy cold lavender towel. You leave each class feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
The staff are always helpful, and the entire facility is clean and welcoming. There are showers and they have nearly everything you need (forget a bobby pin/​hair tie?, they’ve got it!). If you forget a towel for your mat, you can rent one for $ 1.
The Montrose location shares it’s space with a juice bar. You can order your juice before your class, and it will be ready for you by the time you get out. Genius!

I am totally obsessed with BIG. Like, stalking them on Instagram obsessed. This studio is the place that finally convinced me that:
A) I actually like Yoga and
B) I needed to buy a yoga towel.
I started going as a part of Class Pass, and my first class I honestly felt miserable. It was full, heated, HARD, and I slipped all over my $ 7 thin-​as-​paper mat because I hadn’t realized that towels are really helpful. Plus, everyone in my class seemed so «yoga-​ey» and experienced.
But luckily my friend convinced me to try again – she told me the heat takes a bit to get used to, and that I would love it. So the second class I went to was on Sunday night with Madonna McManus. Oh. My. Gosh. I fell in love. Yes, it is still pretty warm, but this time I had a towel and real yoga mat, I brought water, and was prepared for the full room. Madonna’s class was truly inspirational, great music (Powerful Flow Jams), an amazing flow sequence that was challenging but also energizing, and I met several of the people around me who were very nice.
This place is great to expand your practice. They have people assisting in some classes, which is weird at first, but then when you realize that they’re there to help guide your hip into just the right position, or help shift your weight to open up your pose, it’s amazing.
Try BIG– you’ll love it. If you don’t love the first class, try once more — I promise, you’ll be hooked!

My bestie has a membership here and when I’m in town we always like to work-​out/​do something fitness related so this Saturday morning she suggested a drop-​in Yoga class — which was either $ 10 or free for my husband and I because the instructor was in training… or something to that effect. (I don’t quite remember, sorry).
The yoga instructor was excellent. This was our first time doing yoga and I had no problem understand what I needed to do, how I needed to pose and when it was time to die. LOL! No really, the class was Power Flow and it kicked our butts. I usually don’t sweat when I workout but I was dripping from head to toe when we were done (granted, the room was warm on purpose lol).
I enjoyed my experience here and my best friend just loves this place, so you get 5-​Stars from me!
Namaste!

I just moved from Austin and was anxious about finding a new yoga studio. My previous instructor recommended I check out BIG yoga.
My first experience didn’t go so well. My fiancé and I made the mistake of taking 610 during rush hour and missed our class (not their fault, obviously).
My first real experience was amazing. Being in a new city and trying to replace something as personal as a yoga studio is intimidating, but at BIG Yoga I felt right at home.
This place is a larger scale yoga studio, but they maintain much of the charm and warmth of a smaller studio. They also have a juice/​smoothie bar attachment that offers the amazing option to order before and have your drink waiting post session! The Montrose location is right off a beautiful park with plenty of greenery and walking trails, which is a nice perk.
So far my fiancé and I are very happy with this studio. Seeing as we got a month membership, we will be happy to come back many times :)

This is my favorite yoga studio in Houston. I have a classplass so I can only go three times per month but I have been doing that since January. My favorite class is their Power Flow (the 60 min class, 90 min nearly killed me). Most of their classes are heated which at first turned me off but now I’m hooked. One of the reasons I love this place is that the classes feel like true work outs. I feel strong and energized when I’m done. Expect to move and to sweat.
Some other tips:
— During their «40 Days» the studio can get very crowded. Like 2 inches between you and the next mat crowded.
— Parking is awful, not much you can do about it unless you can make it to a class before noon. Plan to get there early to hunt for parking.
— There’s a juice bar in the studio. You can order before your class so your drink is ready once the class is over.
— Bring a towel. My mat is super grippy but I still like to bring at least a hand towel to wipe off with every once in a while.

Whenever I’m in H-​Town, this is where I get my downward dog on. The instructors are top notch and are really invested in sound and caring yoga practice. This isn’t the place if you’re just trying to look cute in your yoga pants and tell all your friends how «into» yoga you are. This is where you go to change your life. BPY is better than those pills that Dr. Everything’s Gonna be alright prescribed you, so when the elevator of life tries to bring you down, go to Big Power Yoga. Oh yeah, and tell ‘em Big Texas sent you.

Will feel spoiled the rest of my life after coming here! The friendliest staff, the cleanest, most comfortable studio, and the constant positive energy will keep me coming back here whenever I’m in Houston.
Challenging workouts that will make you not only sweat, but clear your mind. You truly feel rinsed, mind and body, after each session! They even have $ 5 drop ins at 2 pm for anyone curious :)
My only complaint before would have been the parking situation, but now that they’re opening a second location, I’m confident things will be way less congested. Loved my time here so much and so sad I have to move. Come for the insane sweaty workouts, stay for the heavenly lavender towels at the end of practice!

I dropped in for a hot yoga session Sunday about 20 minutes early for the 2pm class. Its ideal to get in a bit early if you can especially for your first visit so you have time to register (I think registration is available online also).
The 2pm classes are the ongoing student instructed class it seems. $ 5 for drop-​in rate for non-​members but my session felt very complete. As a newbie they offered me a free matt and towel, plus if you forget your water they will sell you a bottle at the front desk. The room is about 85 – 90 degrees and with some good effort you will feel much more straightened out at the end similar to a good deep tissue massage.
I appreciate the juice bar on site but missed my opportunity to order in ahead of class to have a juice waiting on me at the end. A shop for yoga gear is built in just in case you get inspired to get into ongoing classes.

$ 40 new student special gets you unlimited sessions for one month. After that, it’s $ 90 unlimited a month with 3 month commitment. You can choose to prepay for 10 sessions, but that package is $ 160 and not really worth it.
If you’re tight on cash and don’t want to invest the $ 40, they even have these $ 5 new instructor classes throughout the week.
I just started my second month, but I’ve been pretty motivated to attend as they have classes basically every hour of the day between two rooms. i usually go to the 8:30 PM classes since I work late, need to walk and feed the dog, and eat a light dinner before going. Other yoga studios only offer classes as late as 7 PM, so it’s very inconvenient. The latest class here is 10 PM!
What’s even better is that they have an app where you can register your classes! It’ll also keep track of your visits so you can look back at your progress. I think this has been the key to get me to go. Otherwise I’d just go whenever I felt like going.
They are also opening a new location in Memorial, so this should also help ease up on the crowded classes. This location is behind the shopping strip in the basement, and there are no signs except once you walk up to the door. You can park in the neighborhood or in the back lot.
Oh, and this is all HOT yoga, so 90 °F temperatures. I’ve always been a skeptic, asking myself why I would want to sweat more. But after taking the classes, it’s been a good aerobic exercise as well! My heart is beating and I’m breaking out in sweat just like a spin class! So bring cold water, a towel, and your yoga mat!
Instructors are very knowledgeable, and in some classes they have assistants walk around to correct your posture. Most of the classes do not have music unless otherwise noted, as you want to concentrate on your breath and hear others breathing around you. Yoga blocks are encouraged, so there’s no shame in using one or even take a break. The teachers are not judging you.
The staff is very friendly too, as you can show them your keychain ID or just tell them your name to verify you’ve signed up for the class. If you don’t show up 5 minutes before, your reservation is not guaranteed.
Oh, and they have a juice bar if you want to order your drinks ahead of time. I’m kinda cheap and just buy some Bolthouse or Odwalla from the supermarket.
Last of all, you develop a Pavlov’s response to the lavender towel they give you at the end. The instructor will lay the cold towel over your eyes, and it’s like you’re mini-​reward for enduring 60 minutes of sweat!
Hmmm…did I have anything else left to say? Oh yeah, I’ll update this review after my 4 months are up and let you know my progress!

There is one thing I can’t stand, and that is feet. Maybe it’s because I have such gnarly-​looking nubs from my high, sharp stilettos. Maybe it’s because when feet stink, they all have that unique, funky corn chip stank. And toe jam? Corns? Ripped off toenails? Yuck! Needless to say, when the ridiculously hot guy I dated last year revealed that he had a foot fetish, I literally ran out the door and told him to lose my number.
Big Yoga is a ginormously popular yoga studio in the city, meaning it gets pretty crowded during peak hours. Translation: lots of feet. Feet in your face. Everywhere. Look up, and some guy’s foot next to you smacks you in the face. Look down, and you see the girl’s toe jam to your left. If someone in front of you does the Plow pose, their feet will likely hurl your water bottle across the room. *shudders* I can’t.
Besides the atrocious parking, that is my only real complaint about the place, but that is just a testament to how awesome it is. It gets crowded because the classes are great. All the instructors are pretty rad, and I will say I love, love, LOVE Nick, Dan, and Cristina (but her Bhakti Beats Flow class has the most foot offenders of all, FYI. That’s where the guy next to me kicked my face with his hoof).
I know that in my practice, I am supposed to rise above it all and learn how to focus. I once lost it in Devotional Flow during Savasana when peeps at the juice bar were hootin’ and hollerin’ over something obviously hilarious. I couldn’t tell if I was mad at myself because I could not concentrate past their loud cackles and guffaws or if I was annoyed that I missed out on a really killer joke. Either way, it was distracting, and I clearly need to work on my «drishti.»
Also, because Big Yoga is so popular, be prepared to run into people you know. Remember that saying, «Dress as if you’re about to run into your ex?» Big Yoga is not pretentious, so don’t go all dolled up. Just be warned you will most likely see someone you know.
With all that said, let’s get to more of the good stuff! The staff is super-​positive and friendly. They take time to remember your name (update: and birthday!). And after a grueling, hot and sweaty Powerful Flow class, the instructor comes around and places a cool and refreshing lavender-​sceneted hand towel folded over your eyes. Ahhhh… so relaxing. That right there is almost worth the $ 99 monthly membership.
After class, be sure to head over to that juice bar in the back. They have coffee from Blacksmith – the BEST coffee in town. And the juices, smoothies and shots taste great. Before that Bhakti Beats Flow class I mentioned earlier, I downed a garlic shot with cayenne pepper. Oooh, boy, did I stink. Maybe that’s why Foot Boy kicked me in the mouth – I probably deserved it.

If you are looking for a review from a regular Yogi Bear, look elsewhere. Before I went to Big Yoga I had never tried yoga before.
For some reason I decided I really wanted to try yoga. After doing my research I signed up for a Sunday evening beginner’s class at Big Yoga. I did the one month deal for $ 40 so I could really immerse myself in it and get an idea if yoga was right for me.
The first class was a bit of a shock. I had a preconceived notion that yoga was basically meditating, stretching, and saying ommmmm. My only exposure was what I had seen on TV. Boy was I wrong! To me yoga here felt like a combination of calisthenics, static body weight exercises, and stretches. It was all of this in a 100 degree room combined with controlled breathing. I sweat like a hostage, and I was completely exhausted after the 75 minutes. It was crazy hard. Despite all this I went back seven more times in the following thirty day. I felt myself getting better every time. I spent less time trying to catch up and more time focusing on my poses.
Almost all of the eight classes I attended were full to nearly full. This place does great business. If you want to be picky about where you set up your mat, get there early. This can also give you time to order something from the juice bar so it is ready after class.
The parking situation was a little confusing. I parked in the lot behind the building which had a sign that said it was $ 3 to park. All eight times I was the only one I saw pay to park. Maybe you don’t have to pay, but I didn’t want to risk it. Sometimes that lot was full and I was forced to comb the surrounding neighborhoods for a spot. Parking is definitely a drawback.
Everyone was super friendly, and I felt very welcome. By my third class I was no longer nervous and looked forward to going. I will definitely go back, and I see a lot more yoga in my future. It’s an awesome no impact workout that leaves me feeling cleansed and invigorated. If you are thinking about trying yoga, this is a great place to start.