Bikram Yoga Union Square

Like many of the other reviewers, I purchased a month-​long package through a deal site… except it seems they’ve changed the terms because they told me towel use was not included. Minus one star for that, especially since I paid $ 59 for mine, which is more expensive than the Groupon promo they had going on (which included towel use).
I’ve taken about 6 classes so far and each time, I was able to try out a different instructor. My favorite is Lina (super nice, has a true yogi’s demeanor, and is helpful and encouraging) with Corinne as a close second. Otto lives up to his reputation; he was the first instructor I encountered here and I wanted to throw something at him halfway through the class. He not only kept calling out «ma lady» several times throughout the class to several students (also noted he never once called a guy out… sexist much?). and then he made a big fuss about me bringing in a bottle of tea.
I’ve been to SEVERAL bikram studios (in PA, NJ, and VA) and never have I been in a studio where they forbid anything but water in the classes. (Not sure why no reviewer has noted this.) So be wary of that… they will call you out, confiscate your bottle, and then call the front desk person to bring you a bottle of Vitamin Water (therefore being forced to purchase one).
Some other truths:
— They are constantly trying to sell you Vitamin Water or their Watermelon juice
— All of the instructors are pretty chatty. (Otto is the worst, I’m pretty sure he just loves to hear himself talk.) All the classes I’ve taken start late and end late. So really, it’s a 2 hour class. Then tack onto that the time spent commuting back and forth, as well as showering. It’s almost really a 3 hour commitment… Erg.
— Some of the instructors turn the fan on way too much throughout the class… (Um, hi. I paid to sweat and suffer!)

I hadn’t been to Bikram in a while so the $ 20 for a week unlimited Bikram trial was appealing to me. I had just found out I was preggers and wanted to get my stretch on before I got too far along. I had never done Bikram preggers before so I was kind of nervous. The owner/​instructor, Otto, was amazingly helpful; he gave me all the modifications I would need in order to be successful. I continued for the entire week and got my money’s worth. It’s a great studio. No funky smell even with the funky sweaty people, so I was pleased. It’s a little bit of a commute for me so I’ll be back when I have to be in that area for a while again. BTW: Get to the shower quickly if you want hot water or else you SOL! Namaste.

This place is terrible! I bought a package through Groupon and I was immediately sorry I’d made the commitment! First off, the rooms are carpeted. CARPETED! I have only been to bikram studios that have heated wooden floors. But this place was carpeted and it stunk to high heaven! I couldn’t concentrate because the smell was nauseating! I mean, really? Carpet in a bikram room? That has to be a petri dish of bacteria, germs and god knows what. To boot, the instructor, an Asian woman, had SUCH a heavy accent, I really had a hard time understand much of anything that she was saying. I never went back and make sure I spread the word about the lousy experience I had there. No thanks, no Groupon is worth coming to this place.

I live a couple of blocks away so I keep getting sucked into giving Bikram Union Sq a chance over the years, but this is easily the worst Bikram studio in Manhattan. The picture of the studio here leaves out the large, extremely loud, exposed metal machinery that sits on the floor next to students blocking the windows. They use it to manually control the heat, so it’s turned off and on repeatedly completely killing any flow to the class. Bikram involves heat, if you can’t get that right (and they don’t), then you shouldn’t be teaching Bikram.
As for the instructors, I don’t care that Otto’s rude. I care that when Otto’s being rude it stops the rest of the class from getting through the progressions making a 90 minute class last a lot longer. He’ll even come into other instructors classes and interrupt them, so just avoiding his classes isn’t enough.
You can also tell from the other reviews that the studio constantly has to offer Groupon type deals to keep going, so the people you get in the class are often there just to try it out when means more interruptions o the flow of the class. Bottom line, it’s worth the walk to the Flatiron location instead.

Worst Bikram class I have ever taken! First off the heating system in the room are these fans that blow straight on you and during standing series anytime you have your arms up the heater actually burns your fingers.
But what makes it even worse is the instructor Wed mornings… it is literally like a scene from Full Metal Jacket. She screams at you as her sweat drips onto you. I like strict instructors but this one was just AWFUL. I felt like screaming back at her during the class. Berating the «back row» and generally using embarrassment and hostility as a motivational tool is NOT OK. I will NEVER be back. Give me the good old Flatiron studio any day of the week. I feel like I was abused and although the facilities are nice and new, nothing is worth the treatment I and others received.
She should be ashamed of herself. You know who you are.

I had written a nice review about this place because of the teachers…
and I fell in love with the practice as a result of me going to this studio.
Now, the owner is a fraudulent, inconsiderate, and is an incredibly self-​centered individual whose Karma is going to catch up with him.
How do you close shop– with tabs still open, from one day to another, and having signed up new students knowing you were going to close ??? Yes, that’s him. Otto, El «Yoga Nazi» per his fame.
I am very disappointed in his actions… but the teachers cared. They were also shafted.
So while it is now a closed yoga studio… it is a shame that he went down like that.
Otto– you can have my tab money. You can have the time on my membership which matches up to money. What I wish I could give you is a back bone, a nice personality, and a conscious. Your over priced water won’t buy you a clue.

I came here because I got a Groupon for unlimited classes. I’ve become a Bikram nut. Overall, the studio is alright…
Pros:
1. The studio is clean and smells better than most Bikram studios because right after class, someone comes to wipe of the mirror and light incense.
2. The Bikram room itself is pretty large, which is a good or bad thing because it can get really crowded, really quickly.
Cons:
1. I really, really hate how the instructors wear headsets. It’s like I’m on some kind of Universal Studios tour or something, which really kills the mood.
2. Otto: I know he’s the owner and all, but this guy’s just plain mean. I was in a class where he wasn’t even the teacher, he was only observing. He made some poor woman do toe stand all over again, BY HERSELF, while we all watched because her first try was, «Ohmygod that’s terrible!»
The rest of the instructors I do enjoy. My favorite is Corrine. She has such a pleasant voice and demeanor.
If you take Bruce’s class, be prepared to die. It’s a love hate relationship with Bruce’s class because I always feel like I’m getting my money’s worth of Bikram, but he keeps the room so friggin’ hot.

I bought a seven day pass to this studio while on vacation in NYC. Ended up taking two 7am classes during the week, both with Lina. The classes were what I would expect at a Bikram studio — hard core, strict, strong coaching component. Lina is tough, but good, and I get the feeling all the teachers here are at least the same level of toughness.
Generally, the studio space was nice enough — although I will never understand why hot studios insist on having carpet, which smells like wet dog within a few minutes. But, there are five showers, each with their own doors, and a good size locker room.

Was here for years. Ultimately found the owner, Otto’s attitude to be too much. He’s a mean-​spirited jerk who I have seen:
1. Kick someone out on their first day of class while screaming at the new yogi, «You have no spirit. Get out of here.»
2. Make a teacher quit. She was trying to teach and had been there for months (her name was Alisa and she was a GOOD teacher). He came into the room and verbally abused her and humiliated her. She walked out and I assume quit b/​c I never saw her again.
3. Take way too long demonstrating things and then the class goes over 20+ minutes the already 90 minutes it’s supposed to be.
4. Yell at employees at the front desk for really dumb things.
Oh, and I never saw OTTO in a class. Probably b/​c he’s so out of shape that it’s easier for him to just manage like a tyrant than actually practice the asanas he sells.
This man is a jerk. I didn’t feel comfortable with him making money off me, so I switched studios. I’ve been much happier every since. I can’t believe this guy is in the business of selling yoga classes, since he’s antithetical to everything yoga represents. He’s just a mean person.

BAD

If there was a way to give this studio zero stars, I would.
I purchased a deal after becoming obsessively interested in Bikram style yoga. I had sampled several studios around the city and was attending classes regularly at Bikram Yoga NYC. After my 30 days expired for Bikram Yoga NYC (my favorite collection of studios, thus far), I thought perhaps I should sample a new studio to continue moving the energy around rather than succumbing to any kind of a monotonous routine & to save some cash since Bikram yoga can get pricy.
After attending Bikram Yoga Union Square, I felt that my attempt to save a few bucks was the biggest mistake I could have made.
My first class was with Otto, the owner of the studio. Not only did he find it necessary to insult & scream at his students, he kept us in the class for an extra 20 minutes due to his bouts of ridicule & self-​righteous anecdotes in which he thought he was being inspiring, yet was really only revealing his despicable & self-​absorbed, cocky self to the class. Eew, I still cannot get his horrible screaming voice commanding to another student, «Hellooooo MISS BLUE!» I never wanted to tell an instructor to STFU until attending his class.
A huge part of me wanted to give up, but the optimist inside stepped in & I began to tell myself, «He is not the only instructor here… I should really give some of the other teachers a shot.» So I did.
I ended up in Lina’s class. Overall, she was fantastic! She did emulate his militant style quite a bit, but was definitely less hot-​headed & seemed to have an appropriate regard for her students. However, Otto apparently has no self control & found it to be totally acceptable to correct Lina in a very condescending fashion while she was in the midst of conducting a class!!! Can you believe this guy???
I vowed to be sure to share these experiences with any of my friends who are interested in Bikram. Bikram is very challenging & these extra added burdens are gratuitous. I would hate for any newbies to turn away from Bikram yoga because of one JACK@$$ who thinks he is some godly know-​it-​all. How Otto teaches IS NOT, I repeat, IS NOT how most other studios treat this discipline!
I DO NOT RECOMMEND BIKRAM YOGA UNION SQUARE AT ALL.

I purchased a one month plan for Bikram Yoga Union Square, and really liked it: clean, towels provided, friendly staff. However after attending a few classes lead by the bad apples of the studio, I was nearly entirely turned off by Bikram yoga.
I’ve attended various studios across NYC but I’d never seen such blatant rudeness, judgement, and at times humiliation. The owner takes pride in being mean, but isn’t that the complete opposite of what yoga should be? I’ve seen him humiliate people during class for not holding a posture correctly or for needing to take a break (note: he did not open any windows at all during the crowded class). Just not a good environment to clear your head and concentrate.
If you notice there are tons of Groupon and discount deals for this studio lately, for obvious reasons.

I been practicing Bikram Yoga on and off for about 3 years
I signed up Bikram Union Square about a year ago when they were doing a promotion $ 100 a month
I tried many Bikram in Manhattan and Queens
First I have to share with you all, after few weeks practicing here, I met the owner, and I hated taken his class, and for some times, I even skipped class because of him, all other instructors are very good here, but the problem with my work schedules, best time for me to go during weeknights is after work between 6 and 8pm in the evening, and those classes usually taught by the owner, so from time to time, I have no choice but take those classes, he is not only mean, but he is mean to his students, I saw him kicked someone out before in his class, which I don’t think that was necessary
After I year here, the promo expired, and I quit and moved on to else where because of I moved and Union Square is not convenience to me
On and off I tried other places near me, and I have to say, I don’t know how good I had it before now since I’m out and discovered other studios
Now let’s go back to other instructors here, I notice the different between this studio instructors and other studios instructors, here they’re actually watched you and show you what you did right and wrong, I know many times they will stop the class and show you the right way to do it
I know the owner at this studio can be a pain, but his heart is really in the right place, and I agreed with him now, if you want to do it, do it right, if you just wanted to show up and not even try, stay home.
If you decide to show up, make it a goal, and this is what you are going to do today in this class
I been to a few studios and I wish I stay home, the instructors in other studios many of them do not walk around, they mainly stand at the front of the class, and if you are at the back, you sh*t out of luck, if you did something wrong, no one will know
Another thing is, if you been to Bikram Union Square, all other Bikram studios you later visit will be piece of cake for you
One more, I really like this studio here standing up to their customers for their rules, no shoes, no cell phone and MEAN IT
I saw them asked their customers to take their shoes off while they’re in house, I strongly agree with the house on this, we don’t go inside your house with our dirty shoes, why don’t you show us some respect and take off your shoes
Other studios I went to, nasty and they have a sign up that says «No Shoes, No Cell Phone» but if someone walk in with shoes and talking on the cell phone in the waiting room, non of their employees will say anything to the customers
Overall, this is a good studio, if I’m out that way, I will stop by for sure

This is my first Unilocal review and I felt I had to step in to offer my observations regarding the studio, and especially regarding one teacher, Otto who may be getting an unfair shake. After reading was some Unilocalers had to say, I was apprehensive about taking a class with him. Yes he is tough, but I found him to be straight up no chaser kind of teacher, AND very very good about making sure his students were doing the poses correctly. He will call you out if you are just coasting and if you are shy, then brace yourself. You enter his class to work at your best. His approach in my view is very refreshing. The other teacher I have taken a class with is Lina who is also very good. I also like that she takes time to correct.
Lina and Otto were gracious with their time and made themselves available after class for questions. And for a newcomer, this was essential.
This is the third hot yoga studio that I have visited and by far the best! The Groupon deal was sweet so I got a huge discount. The studio is clean, and staff is friendly.

I got a deal from Groupon and also I fell in love with the sweat after Bikram yoga so I come to this place everyday.
The place is clean and people who work there are mostly friendly. Teachers are incredible! I even found one of my favorite teachers was a Champ of the yoga!
And I love that I don’t have to bring my towels. And if I have got the mat storage, I could basically bring my body to practice without bringing anything!
I have tried the other yoga studio, but it’s the best so far.
My favorite teachers:
Corinne Idzal, very cheerful and +ive.
Olivia Anselmo, very energetic, very +ive, and can «squeeze your every juice»
Lina Contestabile, relative new teacher, but very passionate about yoga, will go extra mile to make you do a yoga pose correctly.
I like that they demo the pose the way it should looks like instead of just verbal instructions. And they surely passionate about yoga and don’t mind to spend more time to correct, improve, answer yoga related questions.
Cons:
not having enough classes
some teachers are mean, very mean!

I purchased a groupon-​like deal for a month and used it in February.
The studio is spacious and immaculately clean. When you exit the elevator you are treated to the «Bikram Scent» however, as of late (August) this is no longer. They burn scented candles and insence and this smell is now very pleasant.
The check in: you have to sign in… they should consider using the scan cards most other places use, however, in due time the receptionist knows your name and it becomes a breeze.
Locker room: there are 5 showers, and they are kept super clean. They usually have fresh cut flowers by the sinks too which is such a nice touch. The changing area gets crowded during peak hours, but that is to be expected when you have such a large space… speaking off
Yoga Room: Spacious, cleaned in between every class! At the end of the class they bring in insence to the room so it never smells like sweat… total love! Easily fits 60 people, so it is not for the claustrophobic.
Teachers: At this point I have tried most of them (although, there are a lot of changes every few months) so here goes:
Ben: One of my favorites, he does not teach like most teachers, he exhudes quiet strength and spirituality. He will guide you through each posture and make you focus on things other teachers do not… such as using gravity, and taking things slow, and being efficient in his movements. Additionally, he values savasana and ensures you get your due share. I have made such progress with his class. His words of wisedom are amazing as well… Oh, doesnt hurt that he is a total eye candy!
Mochi: She is relatively new and teaches most of the peak hour classes so I end up taking her class a lot. She keeps the temperature comfortable, it is hot enough to get the benefit of it but not hot enough where it overtakes you and you cannot focus on the pose because you are trying not to die in the heat… of course you will never die because its too hot but fellow yogis understand what I mean. She has the perfect heat balance! Not terribly strict but will keep the class on schedule and is extremely helpful. Total sweetheart.
Bruce: His class is always a scorcher… yes I left the room once. He is similar to Otto, in that he keeps the class very disciplined. However, when he offers corrections they are amazing. Last night (after a year of practice) I learned how to properly do standing bow… did you know you need to kick out not up? Me neither… leave it to Bruice to truly make a difference in your practice. So its love and hate with him… awesome instructor who kills me with the heat…
Corinne: Her energy is amazing, she is so upbeat and positive… truly a pleasure to have as a teacher. She creates amazing energy in her classes. Unfortunately, she teaches classes during the day so I do not get to take her often, however, if you can take her class please do!
Christine: This little asian lady will kick your butt. She is difficult to understand but once you get over the accent she is pretty good. Be warned her classes are very hot as well…
Otto: The yoga nazi… do yourself a favor… unless you are a yoga superstar do not stand in the first row… He is a drill sargent and sometimes I need that in my practice… As much as I hate his class it is where I make the most strides in my practice. He is a bit on the rude side but if you have ever taken a class with Bikram you will surely notice many similarities… His classes tend to run 2 hours… so plan accordingly.
Other items of note:
Once you hit savasana they offer you water (for purchase), kinda bizarre but comes in handy during an extremely hot class when you dont pace your water.
watermellon juice is amazing
a lot of the practitioners tend to be on the rude side… as in they will place the mat right in front of yours, they will push and shove in the locker room… basic yoga room etiquette will go a long way!
if you get locker storage they will clean (wash) your mat after every practice… totally worth the extra money!
the studio offers many specials so you can snag an awesome deal

Bikram kicked my ass tonight. I think mentally I am not there and also I have not practiced Bikram in a few months. How quickly you lose your endurance. But fear not, since I got a Groupon for unlimited monthly classes, I am determined to get my endurance back up to speed.
The studio is pretty big and one of the busier studios I have been to. There was a huge line to get checked in, but it went fast. It was a good thing I arrived 20 minutes early or else it would have been a clusterfuck.
The Groupon special also includes unlimited towels. That I really like. The changing area is large and there are 4 showers. But despite the space, there was still a long line for the shower afterwards. They also have shampoo and soap, so another bonus.
The studio is really big. It could easily hold 60 people or more. Our instructor, a gu (I f forgot his name), was wearing a headset microphone. Now you know that means crazy. He was a good instructor and wasn’t being a Nazi about things. My head was spinning for most of the class and I had to lay down many times. He never said anything and just encouraged as much as he could. I appreciated that.
The studio and instructor served their purpose. I did feel recentered afterwards and a serene calmness swept over me. I really needed that class tonight. I will definitely be back since I now activated my unlimited monthly membership. But, I dont think this is going to be a regular studio for me. But it’s fun to try out all the Bikram studios in the area!

Best thing: The studio is huge, well-​lit, and does not smell. Nicest Bikram space I’ve seen so far. The locker rooms are clean and constantly maintained, however, the lockers and space cannot accommodate the larger class sizes.
The instructors are… fine? I’m not going to call out individual instructors, because once you do about 5 classes or so, you know the poses by heart and can tune the instructor out if they’re annoying. Yes, it sounds like they’re operating the rides at Six Flags with that stupid headset, but just focus on yourself and the poses, and you’ll quickly forget about them. If you have problems with instructors touching or adjusting you, just ask them not to. If you have problems with instructors insulting you, just roll your eyes, swear under your breath, and if necessary, avoid that instructor’s class.
I would give this place more stars, but they are so profit-​driven that they pack nearly 100 students into a class. It’s pointless to go online and sign up for classes because they totally disregard the registered list of students anyways. The crowd is distracting and makes it nearly impossible to do the poses properly. The temperature and humidity skyrocket above the Bikram guidelines, and they actually have to turn off the heat in large classes. I’ve seen my fair share of uncovered staph infections on bodies less than 2 inches from me, but both the studio and the students can be blamed for that (cover up your sores or stay home, people!).
I used a Groupon, hoping that I might find a place that I could go back to on a regular basis. This place, although convenient, is overpriced and way too crowded, unless you have a work schedule that affords you the luxury of taking midday classes. The staggered schedules are weird and encourage overcrowding. I’ll be looking somewhere else — I’m not going to pay $ 180/​mo for a distracting, crowded practice and a staph infection.

I’ve been twice already, getting some good use of my Groupon. Btw, it comes with free rental towels. At first, I was weary because of people saying that they basically had the towels tacked onto their bill when the staff didn’t disclose that they were NOT included with your pay as you go yoga class.
But nope, it’s free because you’ve an unlimited monthly!
My first day there, I was holding my flip flops in my hands in the locker room and one of the staff members points it out to me and says no shoes in the studio.
«Oh, I know! I’m just putting these in my locker.»
I turn around and hear this lady say in a not so quiet voice to her co-​worker, «Watch me catch her with them on in the locker room.»
For the sake of my yoga practice, PAID FOR GROUPON, and not wanting to bring some hoodrattery up in that joint– I didn’t turn around and hadouken the living daylights out of her. Mostly for the sake of my Groupon, though. Rude, unprofessional, and uncalled for.
The classes themselves and the teachers:
I had Christine for one class and her accent is pretty strong. It really is a good thing that bikram is the same 26 poses and you can easily see what everyone else is doing through the sweat dripping into your eyes. Her accent is really strong. There were times where I was thoroughly convinced she was speaking in Korean.
I had George the second time around. He’s so nice and willing to show people how to properly execute the poses.
As for Otto, you see… I value my life. I’m only 23, I’ve a bright future, and I want to do all the things on my bucket list. I’m pretty sure I’m going to avoid his classes like the plague.
Yeahhhh, I’m not sure I’ll keep going to this studio if it weren’t for this Groupon. I was actually considering getting a refund from them.
66 reviews and only a 3 star rating, womp womp womp. Unilocalers don’t lie, BKUS, step your game up.
Sidenote: I ended up getting a refund from Groupon later on and it was super easy and quick.

This yoga studio really isn’t that bad. I read these reviews and went to my first class with trepidation. But it turned out to be a pretty normal yoga studio… It wasn’t the best studio I’ve ever been to but it certainly wasn’t the worst (the worst yoga classes I’ve ever taken were at a studio that won awards for having the best teachers!)
There are only a few classes and regular teachers there. I tried them all except Otto, the owner. Based on the reviews here it seemed like his style was really what all the complaints were about. None of the teachers I tried were abusive or abrasive. I didn’t like Gina because she sounded a bit commercial in how she talked. I had no complaints about Danielle but during one pose she told me I wasn’t trying, which wasn’t true. There was actually a woman behind me who had just been standing there doing nothing practically the whole time– she probably should have directed that comment at her. But I would still have gone back to her class– it wasn’t bad otherwise and she did give me some good advice at other points. I ended up settling on Christine. I am not even sure why. Maybe because she is a bit older, she seems more stable.
Overall I was satisfied with the time I spent there. The one thing they have that my regular studio doesn’t is these amazing watermelon juices. They are $ 5 which is pricey but they are so delicious!