You and the Mat

I’m somewhat new to yoga and I’ve been going to You and the Mat for about 6 weeks now and have tried many different classes and instructors. It’s easy to gain a lot of insight and assistance from all of them. The instructors are very attentive and proactive in assisting with alignment, and helping you gain strength – particularly Vickie, Chrissy, and Reba. And Camille has helped greatly with focus and breathing. Everyone at the studio — the staff and fellow yogis — have been incredibly welcoming. It would be a great boon to beef up the schedule a bit to offer more «Yoga for Energy,» «Yoga for Strength,» and «Discovery Yoga» classes on weeknights and weekends. Reba’s «Yoga for Energy» was the best, most connected yoga class I’ve ever taken — she is incredibly warm and guiding, and at the same time I’ve never worked so hard! But I could only take Reba’s class (at 10:30 a.m. on a weekday) because I happened not to be working one day. It would be great not just to have more Reba, but also more evening and weekend vinyasa, strength, and fundamentals classes for All Levels rather than just intermediate. We have day jobs but still want to build our strength and energy at night! Anyway, thanks to all the instructors who have really helped me on my journey! Long way to go!

Three stars for Annie Carpenter and her incredibly difficult SmartFlow class. Yoga does not have to be super fast paced to be challenging and Annie’s class proves it.
The two stars I’m removing are for the fact that they cram as many bodies into their classes as possible and it makes for super uncomfortable classes. Worrying whether or not the person in front of me is going to physically hurt me in the face when their leg is lifted is not what I came here for.
But I love Annie. She rules.

Came here through Classpass for their Happy Hour Yoga with Gabriella. The location is very convenient for me, and the space is awesome. It’s clean, open, airy, very white, and relaxing. However, the practice was not my favorite type of yoga. I can appreciate slower sequences, and a more relaxing vibe, but maybe that should be part of description? I was looking for something a little faster, and after 75 minutes didn’t even break a sweat.
I did like the studio itself, so maybe I will give another class a shot and try to do some research on which instructors lead classes that I might be more into. But at the same time, with so many other studios in the area, I am in no rush to go back.

I used to go here three time per week when it was Piedmont Yoga. I’m sad to say that I was very disappointed with the reception I got my first time to You and the Mat. I left after she insisted on having me fill out various forms on a mini iPad despite the fact that I told her that I didn’t have my glasses. It could have been done following the class. I don’t go into classes late and was surprised that she suggested that I do so.
They have some excellent teachers (Richard Rosen, Vickie Bell) so I will use my groupon coupon, $ 32.00 for 10 classes but will keep looking for a less corporate studio.

The studio is beautiful, located in an easily accessible area right off the freeway. The location was clean and customer service was nice. Props were readily available, and there was enough for the entire class should each student like to use a block, strap, or mat.
My difficulty with this studio was with the class itself. The instructor was nice, kind and welcoming, but I think the class was mis-​labeled. It was advertised as «yoga for energy,» and the description says that you move from pose to pose in a flowing sequence. However, other then one small «flow» sequence, there was almost no flow at all. Poses that are usually considered energy provoking were almost completely missing from this class. I found it almost of a gentle flow class, rather then something that will leave me feeling energized and ready to take on the rest of the day.
The studio is great and beautiful, and if you like a more relaxed and gentle class, this is for you.

I received a Groupon deal for about 10 classes from my boyfriend for Christmas. We live a few blocks away and it made sense that I had to try this studio out, especially with the sweet deal.
It’s nested amongst all the boutique shops that line Piedmont Ave, right behind a Himalayan/​Tibetan shop. It can be hard to find if you don’t look closely for the sign out front. I’ve only taken classes in the upstairs room, which is kept clean, simple and very warm. I personally like this ambiance because the less distraction in yoga is the best for me.
The owners’ make their presence very well known and are very welcoming. I’ve taken many classes with Denise and she’s excellent! Very friendly, and a calming and relaxing energy to be around in a yoga class. Eric also subbed a class and did a guitar savasana at the end– amazing!
I’ve only done Happy Hour yoga, which is right around 5PM (after work). The place usually gets packed so arriving early is key, not unless you like the very front of the class, which is the only area kept empty if you arrive late. You would expect yoga to be a individual thing but I was very grateful for the partner sessions, in which expanded much more of my knowledge and body to different heights.
Overall, from my experience of studio hopping (I’ve tried 5 studios in Oakland thus far), this is one of the better ones. It wholey focuses on the art of Yoga and nothing else and personally, that’s what I like. I would have liked to continue here but the price just isn’t in my budget– but it’s worth it if you do have the cash to spend.

Yoko’s classes are unmissable + beautifully curated. I wish she taught every day of the week — maybe this studio can make it happen? She’s probably the best yoga teacher I’ve ever had — that isn’t said lightly. One recent class, she demonstrated how modern humans have begun to move and stand while peering into phones all day. Then she led us through some brilliant poses to correct our spinal alignment and engage the «vestibule between the ears.» I swear on my life that I stand an inch taller than I did before I took her advice. The other courses have been relaxing and scientific — the Sunday evening candle-​lit class was soothing, I think the owner teaches it. Richard Rosen has more advanced classes. He seemed a little imperious (Leo??) and skeptical of new students but his sequence was detailed. Also I found the receptionist to be kind, refreshing my Groupon after it expired because a family health issue stopped me from attending classes.
No, this is is not the place to model your bizarre neon leggings or lose half your body-​weight. But it would be great to see a couple intensive Vinyasa classes scheduled in for those yogis seeking more physical challenge and faster pace. Many members are old-​school Oaklanders, and the classes are downtempo to suit them. I appreciate that yoga is about posture, science and breath, not cardio. However to make this studio my main venue, there need to be some opportunities to really amp up the energy.
PS: An AMAZING man from Tibet owns a clothing shop right outside the studio. He is incredibly interesting to speak to. Definitely buy up his beautiful textiles whenever you can.

Positives: Beautiful space, clean, good quality props
Opportunities: A 5 or 6-​digit code is needed to access the restroom. This is such an inconvenience because it’s not as if the code is 123 456. Why can’t the restrooms be easily accessible before and after classes?
The front desk staff need some training on customer service and how to check people in more efficiently. Learn how to work the computer and handhelds so people don’t have to wait. And PLEASE make sure someone is at the desk at all times, especially 5 minutes before a class starts! Not all of the staff are incompetent, but a few are. Yoga is expensive and generally speaking, people who pay full price for the classes (vs groupon) are in a socioeconomic class who don’t have time for less than expected service. And to be fair, maybe it’s a system issue that management needs to address. Either way, no matter the class, we all should receive better customer service. This isn’t Planet Fitness!

My rating for the studio, teachers and classes is 4+.
My rating for the customer service and treatment of students is 1.
I have taken a total of 6 classes: — yoga for flexibility, flow, and candlelight yoga. They were all good classes with well trained teachers. The studio itself is clean and appealing.
I would like to feel good about attending classes there in the future. However, I must warn fellow Unilocalers to be Very Careful with your purchases or enrollment! If you have an issue with membership/​billing, the managers and owners are difficult to reach and very inflexible. I had to call, email, and text both the Oakland AND Orange County location to find somebody to assist me. When I did get a return call from Eric the owner, he (courteously) defended his staff training & enrollment practices, and (patronizingly) explained that if he resolved my issue to my satisfaction, it would hurt his business. We came to a compromise that was less than satisfactory to me, but I had the sense keeping my $ 216 was more important to him than keeping me as a 100% happy and grateful customer.

I want to revise this after going back and attending a second class, it was much better and the teacher was sweet and welcoming. I also appreciated the follow-​up and help from the studio after the first review. Thanks!

Why has it taken me so long to share a review? I stopped practicing here when I got a job an hour away but I have several things to state: excellent and compassionate customer service. Kind yogi community. Clean. Great atmosphere. Very good selection of classes. Knowledgeable instructors who offer modifications (except the Thursday night one where I left midway through practice). Attentive owners with good customer service skills. Props, straps, etc were provided. Ok for pregnant women.

I love this place! I’ve tried a lot of yoga studios and this is one of my favorites in the area. It’s not too much of a workout studio, nor excessively hippie-​dippy. I wish drop in prices were a little more affordable, but they are market rate as far as I know ;). Website could be a little easier to navigate (sometimes the schedule doesn’t load), but I still want to give them 5 stars for interesting, engaged teachers, a clean space with lots of light, and an overall welcoming vibe. I received some nice adjustments and individual attention during the classes I attended earlier this fall, which was much appreciated.

Purchased a Groupon deal for You and the Mat and I’m extremely happy w/​that decision. The studio is clean, modern, and spacious. The staff is super friendly and they are willing to give class/​instructor recommendations. I definitely plan to continue to practice yoga at this studio once my deal is finished.

Wow. I just searched and searched their broken site to see class schedules. Just to find the schedule button was impossible and then it was broken and kept directing me to main page. Not a peaceful experience. Then I called as most studios are open by 7 am and got a loud beep in my ear telling me to state my name.
Yoga is expensive and I’m looking for a studio to join. I guess I’ll be going back to yoga tree… At least I can see when they teach. :(

Eric’s yoga for strength had been the kind of class I was looking for. Challenging and gentle — just the right balance. I am glad I gave the studio another try.

I’m giving the studio 4 stars because of Richard Rosen and the interesting workshops by well-​respected, long-​practicing Iyengar teachers (Mary Paffard and Leslie Howard, in particular).
To earn another star, the studio owners (Eric and Denise Antonini) need to get the props required for the more anatomy-​honoring, alignment-​focused practices (Iyengar yoga).
In the Bay Area, it takes a brave studio to have a mix of both the serious and the newer, commercially-​trademarked yoga styles. I hope You and the Mat continues the decades-​long tradition of this location by making room for long-​time, highly-​trained diversity. The alternative: youth-​only, yoga-​industrial complex, which seems to be swallowing the practice and spitting out ever-​more poorly-​schooled «teachers» with questionable ethics and injurious instructions, is now everywhere. Instead, look for teachers with actual training of 500 hours or more. If you do your homework, you’ll have a good instructor.

If you’re looking for a real Ashtanga class, this is the place. Stacey Lee is a great teacher. Be sure to try her Mysore classes as well as the led Ashtanga practice. For Mysore, you come any weekday after 6:15 a.m. and can stay until 9. I came at 8 and by 8:30 most of the others had gone, so I got lots of attention. Her tips are very helpful.

I’m always a little skeptical about groupon deals but this place was fantastic! The entrance is a bit of a hole in the wall and opens up into a wide entry way. The yoga studio itself was large, warm comfortable environment and spacious with a tall ceiling and all necessary props available. I went to a relaxation yoga session which was something I’ve never tried before and fits perfectly into the end of a long work day especially if you feel sore and cramped after sitting for a long time.
The relaxation practice flows from one pose intended for opening up the body, slowly into another. We perhaps did no more than 10 – 15 poses total during the whole hour, with the focus of healing the body. Works better than a massage at working out those tight knots in your back!

The two studios are spacious and get sunlight, stocked with manduka props, and Iyengar ropes.
They host a Mysore practice in the morning which is what I do now.
The other classes are all-​levels. I took one night class and a morning weekend class that was moderately crowded but the weekday morning classes are still small. I love Leslie’s class, highly recommened.

I have wanted to take yoga for years, but haven’t found a place that felt right. I just went to a Yoga for Flexibility class this morning, with Eric — it was WONDERFUL — He has great energy, is very helpful, and very kind! The facility is very nice and clean — the room wasn’t wall to wall mirrors, which helped me focus on my practice and hot be overly concerned with comparing myself to the others in the class! I look forward to going back, which is BIG for me…
I HIGHLY recommend attending!