Pacific Grove Seaside Yoga Sanctuary

I was pleasantly surprised by the hatha flow class taught by Beth. It was the perfect balance of strength, endurance, and relaxation. She was personable, positive and her energy was uplifting. I left feeling renewed and craving more. I highly recommend taking a class with Beth, although I am sure the other instructors are great too. The studio itself was pretty simple, but the fireplace in the corner made it feel very cozy on the crisp evening I visited the studio. They have mats available free of charge and they run a new student special that is $ 20 for 10 days! I have taken one other class at the seaside studio with Jenn and she is also an excellent teacher and the studio in seaside is larger. Lots of great energy in these studios. The schedule offers different levels and types of yoga. I am enjoying this place very much.

It was my off-​running day and I was in desperate need of some yoga time during my stay in Monterey. I picked Seaside Yoga Sanctuary because of their class variety and availability on Saturday mornings. I opted for Vinyasa Yoga with Kelli at their Pacific Grove location.
Parking:
+ There is a small lot in front of the studio, as well as free street parking. For a Saturday morning, I had absolutely no problem.
Studio:
+ You walk up a few steps and enter one large, naturally lit studio. I arrived early. There is no small lobby to hang out in so if you are early, it is best to wait outside.
+ No shoes policy so leave them near the door.
+ The studio is clean and welcoming. I can tell the owners put thought into creating a relaxing atmosphere.
Registration:
+ You can register your information online or as a walk-​in. A few small suggestions for the owners would be for availability to pay online, as well as investing in accepting payment via Square (versus manually entering card information). This was a minor setback.
Mats, Props, Towels:
+ This is quite possibly the only yoga studio I have been to that provides mats and towels free of charge.
Class/​Instructor:
+ The Vinyasa Yoga class was physically challenging. I realized that my wrists tired easy though so not sure if this is common with this instructor and class. I liked how Kelli encouraged us to challenge ourselves in poses she introduced to us. I appreciated that.
Outside Environment:
+ Perhaps the locals are used to this but the seagulls are very loud. As I waited for the earlier class to let out, I was easily distracted by their presence. Once you’re in the studio, though, I became accustomed to them.
Overall, a welcoming local yoga studio with (what appears to be) a strong following. I will definitely come again when I return to the area.