B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center of Las Vegas

I tried the B.K.S Iyengar Yoga Center of Las Vegas as part of a promotion and hope to be able to continue going to classes there in the future. I’ve always had a love/​hate relationship with yoga with both excellent and terrible experiences from all over the world. Aileen definitely opened up a wonderful new world to me of what yoga could do for my body. It was immediately obvious that she is very experienced but I think it’s the fact that she’s a fantastic teacher who’s patient and knows how to communicate with everyone that allows her to look after and push all her students, getting the most out of them regardless of their level. In every single class I tried, she was always introducing new poses to us, using different muscles and accessories. The classroom is small but well-​maintained with all the equipment you could ask for: a wall with ropes for hanging, different apparatuses for different levels, and all the basics like blankets, mats and blocks to keep you comfy. The class ambience was always relaxed and friendly with people free to work at their individual pace.

I’ve done two types of yoga — Vinyasa flow and Iyengar. I was introduced to the vinyasa flow at Lululemon and I mainly went because it was free (Free on Sundays!) However, Iyengar is more for me. I have bad hips and, more recently, my back, right wrist, and behind my knees are twinging. Aileen does an excellent job at tweaking each of the poses to fit you. On the months where there 5 weeks instead of 4, that 5^th week is called the «Odd Week.» Great term for it! Where during each week she focuses on a specific sort of pose (today seemed to be mainly sun salutations), during the 5^th week, she asked each student what body parts they would like to focus on and then made up a class, on the spot, that combined all issues. It was fantastic!
If you’re looking for a good Iyengar teacher, then Aileen is for you. Don’t let the building fool you. Yes, it is understated and tiny, but its spacious enough for you to feel right at home in her classes.

The teacher here is really amazing, she really knows what she is talking about and makes great adjustments for everyone of her students. So this was my first time taking Iyengar, but decided to see what it was all about it. I really enjoyed the classes, because they gave you a great comfortable stretch, which she tried to make sure everyone was in the correct position and gave plenty of modifications. She was also really sweet and approachable about any issues you were having, which is a great asset in a teacher. One of the downsides is the studio is hard to find, but once you get over that and become a regular it’s not a big deal. Another downside, is the fact that she does tend to show up and open the studio about 5 minutes before the actual class starts, despite her website saying to arrive 15 minutes early. So if you get there early, the studio won’t open until she gets there about the time class starts. But other than that, her studio is great if you are new to yoga, have injuries, are afraid of being injured, or are looking to deepen and expand your understanding of proper alignment for your poses. I would highly recommend her classes!

I recently moved here from Wisconsin, and I was really excited when I found an Iyengar yoga studio in Las Vegas. I was disappointd however to find there was only one. Being an active yoga student for 6 years, I didn’t want to get out of my group routine even though I do have a strong home practice.
My first day of class February, 2011, the class was ok. I just put it on myself that I had to get used to a different studio, instructor, etc… I arrived 30 minutes early and was surprised that the studio was not yet open. Iyengar students warm up prior to class using the rope wall, legs up the wall, downward dogs, etc… The instructor, Aileen, opened the studio at 9:20a.m. for a 9:30a.m. start time. I just thought there was some emergency that she didn’t arrive in a timely fashion. After the studio opened, the students were chatting about their weekend or what they were doing the night before while they were getting their setups of blankets, bolsters, belts and blocks. I was surprised that I was the only student that was physically warming up. 9:30a.m. arrives, then 9:35a.m. I asked another student if this was a 9:30 class and she said yes. I asked if it starts on time and she kindly smiled at me as if to say, «are you kidding?» The class started close to 9:50. Unacceptable.
After the class started, we did 3 Ohms and a invocation that was not explained. Alrighty then. It was a multi-​level class. There were a couple people who were well into their 70s, some middle-​aged people, etc… There is one regular student in the class that makes you feel like you’re in a brothel rather than a yoga studio due to her constant, loud moaning. If you’re into that, this class may be for you. The instructor never told her to control her breathing or quiet down. Ok!
The second time I went to class, all the same things above happened. Same scenario the third time. The class is too crowded if there are more than 8 students and a bit dingy. Nothing a paint job couldn’t fix. The ropes on the rope walls are uneven, so it is easy to tweak your neck or back. The fourth time I went was my «do or die» class. Depending on how I felt was going to determine whether I came back or not. She started late… AGAIN! This time the instructor actually insulted my former instructor while making a physical correction by saying, «I don’t know what they have been teaching you in Milwaukee, but your posture is wrong in this asana.» Oh, I’m sorry, I’m a student, not Geeta Iyengar, I’m always learning.
I’m no yoga snob by any means. I’m in class to learn from a professional teacher. I was very disappointed in the studio, the instructor, and some of the student not knowing the asanas in Sanskrit. Those that were around me asked me to translate because they saw I knew the Sanskrit term for the pose. If you are an experienced yogi with more than a year of experience with a disciplined instructor, I think you will be disappointed in this class. I feel none of the students except for one would make it through a class with my former studio. Never once did I feel like I got a fantastic workout or that floaty feeling you have when you practice yoga. However, I feel like I gave it a fair shot and I won’t go back. It has made my home practice even stronger and my instructor in
WI sometimes skypes me in during a class.

Jen’s review contains some good info on the setup of the studio. Florence is right on too.
Typically what happens here is a rotating schedule (weekly) of: standing postures, forward bends, back bends, and restorative-​focused classes. If there’s a 5^th week in the month, the instructor, Aileen, asks what people would like to work on and caters the class to that.
The instructor, Aileen, does sometimes have a brusque instructing manor and also is very good at emphasizing alignment and what muscles should be working in a posture. I really appreciate precise instructions for getting into and holding postures and found that laking in my experience with many other instructors and styles of yoga in town. Aileen is very helpful in getting students into postures with manual adjustments — sometimes you do have to ask if you’re in the pose correctly as her attention might not be on you in the moment. If something doesn’t feel comfortable or right, be sure to let her know.
Iyengar’s style of yoga really feels more effective compared to getting tired (exhausted) doing Bikram or getting backaches and exhausted doing vinyasa flows.
It’s really helpful to have her instruction to relax into the poses, calming the mind, and being aware of the body.

You wouldn’t be able to see the place if you weren’t actively looking for it. Its a tiny little studio right next to Goodwill in the crotch of the plaza. The hardwood practice floor isn’t but three feet from the entrance.
The studio is modestly underdecorated.
When I first got there, Aileen, the instructor was stretching out. Looking around the room, you see all of the Iyengar yoga props: yoga mats, a stack of Mexican blankets, a box of straps, wood and foam blocks.
The class schedule online said the class would be from 930a-​11. I tried calling several times, but could never get a live person or a recording that gave adequate information. So I said eff it and just showed up.
I got there ten minutes early, signed in, and got acquainted with Aileen, who was very friendly and informative. Besides the instructor, I was the only one in there for a good ten minutes. Then people started trickling in. We didn’t get started til 10. I guess the schedule online was wrong because we finished at 1130. One guy left early because he thought the class was supposed to end at 11, too.
Including myself, there were eight students. The studio was just the perfect size for us + instructor.
When you first walk in, you can see the instructors’ certifications posted on the wall.
To begin, we started with three OMs and an invocation. She said the invocation. We repeated it. She never explained it. I could have been calling the devil for all I know.
Most of the students were middle aged. A few had skeletal problems and could not execute the postures. But Aileen came around and corrected or modified the postures. She’s very hands on. But sometimes her hands weren’t so … soothing? She kind of molds you into position. She was very strict with form, although she didn’t force anyone to do anything they didn’t feel comfortable with. For that reason, the class was very good for all levels.
I’ve never done a head stand before. I’ve done a tripod headstand, but not the head cradled in your hands kind. It was like the third posture we did. I’ve never done an inversion so quick in a session before. We did two inversions throughout the practice. The headstand, then shoulder stand later. She’s not really big on counterstretching, either. After shoulder stand, there was no fish. We just laid there for a second.
Not that the class was bad, Iyengar is just not for me. I prefer more fluid practices like Jivamukti or Vinyasa. Iyengar was very lectured. The instructor tells you what to do, then you do it. Like a lab class in college. Even Aileen’s voice was similar to that of a college professor’s. The asanas (postures/​poses) are held for an upwards of a minute, unlike Vinyasa, where you’re almost constantly in motion. But the Iyengar postures weren’t like super hard postures to hold. Stuff like staff or down dog.
Sometimes I liked using the props to correct or compensate, but sometimes it seems really awkward. You constantly have to be moving around your blankets, folding and unfolding, adjusting your straps. It gets to be too detached from the asanas. At one point, we even changed the orientation of our mats.
Aileen called all of the asanas by their Sanskrit names. Which is not educational for me, unless the Sanskrit is footnoted by the English translation (as instructors often do in Bikram).
Mostly everything we did was lower body and back. Not much upper body at all.
We finished with savasana (corse pose), a namaste (a salutation) and a bow of the head, and she just goes «Any questions?» and that was it.
After people packed up, she talked a little to me, I gave her my money, and she gave me the exit information.
I think its weird that the first two posts (the only other posts to date) are from inactive users …
* off the strip, non-​casino

One of a kind. The real thing.
If you are a newcomer to yoga or you are more advanced, I promise you will find what you are looking for here. The instructors have dedicated many genuine years to attaining the proper training and certification to teach Iyengar, and it really shows through in their expert knowledge, abundant patience, and wonderful/​helpful ability to customize yoga poses for different ages, different injuries or physical challenges, and different levels. I enjoy the type of yoga studio that treats the practice not just as a form of exercise but also as a lifestyle, you can gain awareness and strengthen physically and mentally during your practice. Or if you prefer, just go for a killer work out and to relieve stress of your daily life. I definitely have restorative, healing, and enriching experiences there. Check out their website, or call… I spoke with Aileen, she is welcoming and informative.