Transform Yoga

Sun is super sweet and welcoming (she gets three stars because of this) but I was very disappointed in TransformYoga. TraditonalHot is advertised as a Bikram-​esque class… It was about 80 degrees and I didn’t sweat at all. A schedule on the door says class begins at 930, the website says 915, and the location is confusing as well. A highlight is 10 days for 10 dollars of unlimited yoga, so I was planning on taking a double but there was no second class, different from the schedule on the door. 10 dollar drop in is great, but I’ve been spoiled by yoga to the people in NYC, where you get an awesome class in an awesome space… for 10 dollars. If you want a hot class, pay the high price that Bikram charges and take class down the street.

I have yet to find a better Bikram Studio, especially in Ithaca area! The owner who is also 1 of the instructors, named Sun, is 1 of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. She tailors her classes to people of all levels. I personally only go to her classes. Love, love, love this place. Worth the money!

I love practicing at Transform Yoga. The classes and instructors are great! There ‘s a very open and friendly atmosphere there. Transform Yoga has recently added many new classes — there is something for every level and every schedule. I definitely recommend checking it out.

Transform Yoga is the hidden gem of Ithaca’s yoga scene and is quietly tucked away near the mall with plenty of parking. Their staple class is the Bikram series led by the owner, Sun. Sun is a fantastic teacher: knowledgeable, supportive, friendly, and focused on her students. Bikram yoga is a sequence of 26 postures (each repeated twice) practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees. There are no «downward dogs,» pushups, or headstands in Bikram; it is very different than Vinyasa or flow styles. I was skeptical of hot yoga before trying it, but I am now a convert to Bikram. Try it: you will sweat more than you thought possible; strengthen your core, legs, and back; and sleep like a hibernating bear after your first class.
Unlike many hot yoga studios, Transform is very clean and extremely open and welcoming to people of all ages, fitness levels, and experience. Most classes seem to have people new to yoga or new to Bikram yoga practicing alongside people who have been doing this style for years. You learn Bikram by doing it, and Sun is excellent at helping new people pick it up. I recommend you bring your own mat, towel, and water bottle, although the studio has these things for rent. I thought my first Bikram class would never end: the heat seemed unbearable. After a few classes, though, the poses and sequence began to make sense and the heat helped me relax and bend parts of my body that do not like to relax and bend.
Transform added several new teachers and classes in September 2012 and now offer several Vinyasa, Kripalu, and Bikram classes daily. Most of the Vinyasa classes resemble a modified Ashtanga primary series flow. So far, these new non-​Bikram classes are small — often 3 – 5 students — so you get a lot of personal attention and adjustment (if you want) from the instructors; these classes feel like private lessons. Drop-​in classes are $ 17 ($ 15 for students and senior citizens), which is a better deal than many places because almost all classes are 90 minutes.
Highly recommended.