Be The Change Yoga & Wellness

San Jose, United States

4.6

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 408-837-1348
Website:
www.btcwellness.org
Address:
52 S 1st St Ste 320, San Jose, CA, 95113
Downtown
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
120 ftFirst & Santa Clara
260 ftSanta Clara (Northbound)
360 ftSecond & Santa Clara
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Bike Parking
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
By Appointment Only
No
Accepts Insurance
No

Today

Today 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (San Jose) 22:26 Tuesday, 15 July 2025

Business hours

Monday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm

Description

Specialties

We offer donation-​based yoga classes in downtown San Jose. Specialties include: Vinyasa, Gentle/​Beginners, Hatha, Kundalini, Power and Yin.

BTC welcomes you to practice yoga exactly as you are. We emphasize compassion, self-​acceptance, and non-​judgment of self or others. We believe that yoga creates and supports positive change from the inside out.

Please visit our website at www​.btcwell​ness​.org for more information.

History

Established in 2013.

Opened July 2013!

Meet the Business Owner

Taraneh S.

Business Owner

When Taraneh started teaching at Be the Change, she instantly fell in love with the studio’s community centered values and mission. As someone who is deeply connected to the transformational power of yoga, she feels passionate about making yoga accessible to everyone in her community. With this, it was a natural transition to take ownership of the studio when BTC’s inspiring founder, Michelle Linane, was ready to move on from her role as owner of the studio in December 2014. Since then, Taraneh has had the great privilege of owning and managing the studio, building upon the great foundation Michelle created when BTC was founded in July of 2013.

BTC has over 17 teachers and team members who dedicate their time and energy into offering quality yoga and wellness guidance to their community. As an organization that is mission-​driven and heart centered, we seek to uplift our community by inspiring positive action, from the inside-​out, through the power of yoga.

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20 reviews of Be The Change Yoga & Wellness

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Pleasanton, CA
I’ve only gone to Pilates HIIT on Sunday with Miquela. These are the reasons why I keep on coming back:
1) This is not your momma’s pilates class. Each round is 30 seconds and you do burpees, planks, push-​ups. Miquela always changes it up. It’s a killer full body workout that will leave you drenched in sweat.
2) Price. Nowadays classes are at least $ 20, so the fact that it’s donation based makes it very affordable. You can sign up online or pay in person. They recommend a minimum of $ 10 per class.
3) Although it’s in a weird building in downtown San Jose, the studio itself is really cute and airy with good vibes. The classes are never too full which is nice. They validate up to 2 hours at two structures a block away so you don’t have to worry about finding parking.
Only wish Pilates HIIT was offered during the week, but not sure if my body could handle it! :)
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Visited Be The Change for the first time tonight and really enjoyed the experience! Lacy led a fabulous Power Flow class with options for all levels. The studio is really nice and calming. Recommend her class for sure!
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
i came here for a slow flow class on sunday, and it was really nice. the studio is light and airy, despite being in a weird bldg on 1st street. on sundays, most things in the area are closed, as are most of the businesses in the bldg. you have to ring up, and if you are a bit late, they may not open the door for you, b/​c they turn off the buzzer in the studio. good thing someone was coming out of the bldg and let me in.
the class was nice and relaxing, and i like the donation-​based idea. i would like to come back and try more classes, probably on sundays only to get the street parking.
Place rating: 5
Belltown, Seattle, WA
Dropped in for Saturday 9:30 class with an Australian sounding instructor (sorry forgot her name!). Class was great! She had a really nice flow style that blended smoothly from one pose to the next. Sorry I won’t be back for more as I was in town only for two days.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
This place has a lot of different types of yoga to offer. Some days I feel like doing some invigorating technical class and James class is perfect for that.
The Wednesday class has a particularly great community where you get to share with fellow yogis.
There are a ton of morning and noon classes that I wish I could go to if only I worked closer to this place so I could do some lunch time yoga.
Place rating: 2
Burlington, MA
If you are the kind of person who wants to stroke strangers’ auras, this is the place for you. If you do yoga for fitness reasons, and just want a good stretch and workout, it is not. I took a Kundalini class here and we spent most of that time sitting. People who sit in offices for 10 hours a day, do not go to yoga to sit and pant. I’ve done yoga that involved breathing before but it still involved movement. They are a really nice bunch and I love their donation model. Just be aware it might not be your jam.
Place rating: 4
San Jose, CA
It’s a pretty nice little studio in downtown San Jose.
I stood outside for 3 minutes waiting to be let in, but someone else inside opened the door for me. The instructor was welcoming and nice. The class was a little too full, and there wasn’t much space for me to move my arms, but the overall flow and pace was good.
What I didn’t love was the parking. I read that they validated, but apparently I parked in the wrong structure, which is my fault. They seem to have two doors, and I had followed Google Map’s directions. I’m still not a fan of places that suck to park.
Overall, I’d still revisit the location, hopefully to a less packed class.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I’ve only been to BTC three times but it already feels like a home away from home. Been practicing yoga on and off at studios in three states for 15 years and can already tell that these instructors are well-​balanced, knowledgeable, inviting, and seem to genuinely care about everyone that walks through their door. Been to the Kundalini classes so far and wish I was fluent in Spanish to go even more often! Also can’t speak highly enough of the sliding scale program. Not all if us in Silicon Valley drive Teslas or even own a car for that matter. Thank you SO much Be the Change!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I feel so fortunate to have found this place! It’s my sanctuary. The teachers are wonderful. Kind, intuitive and nurturing.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
The community here is very lovely and welcoming. The instructors pay attention to you because the class sizes are small. (My instructor came up to me after class to give me pointers because I am sooooo stiff.) I love the donation based system, which attracted me in the first place. Yoga should be for everyone, not just the rich! I bought the 10 class package, which is a great deal. :D
The only thing that I don’t like is the parking because it’s located in downtown San Jose… parking just sucks in general there. You have to park in a parking structure and walk over. However, they will give you a 2 hour validation! :D
Love this place. Don’t need to go looking for another yoga studio. I like how they have Kundalini class too, which is not offered in many yoga studios.
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
Nice facility. I’ve lived in San Jose for over twenty years and never noticed BTC! It’s right next to Temple Bar & Lounge– up on the third floor.
Fantastic Kundalini instruction. Good people. Good vibes. I’d return.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Fantastic studio. AJ is a wonderful instructor, I love her gentle instruction and sense of humor. The class I took was the right mix of physical workout and after-​work, evening decompression. The studio is clean, relaxing, warm, inviting and serene. I adore this place.
It’s also easy to get there on my bike, with plenty of bike parking. I will be returning on a regular basis.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
The energy and the community here has a rare quality that you will rarely find in any other yoga studio. All the instructors I’ve taken classes with here are very open and accepting. It’s a friendly space to be in whether you’re new to yoga or looking to deepen your practice.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Well ran and well organized yoga facility.
The staff is exceptional!
Will continue to practice here.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I love this place! Everything from the ambiance, classes, students, and most of all the good Karma. This is the only donation based studio in the South Bay, and it truly embodies what yoga stands for.
Place rating: 4
Riverbank, CA
Great little yoga place on the top floor of a downtown building. Howard put on a fantastic kundalini class… Complete with a gong! If I lived or worked here I’d go on a regular basis.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Sincerely a great experience as they are doing the Yoga in St. James Park. I look forward to doing the rest of the series and enjoying the opportunity to support community event but an active local business as well.
Aside from the Park, they do corporate yoga and donation based. A very calming experience. Must practice more
Place rating: 5
Davis, CA
This was my first time doing yoga, ever. I’ve been wanting to try it out for the longest time, and I was a little skeptical because I am literally the most inflexible person you will ever meet, but this little studio was the perfect place to try it out because the instructor was welcoming, the place feels very modern and down-​to-​earth, and there were no mirrors.
The studio is donation-​based. As stated on their website, it doesn’t mean free yoga classes — it just means you give based on what you have at the time/​sliding scale. This definitely helps out with my college student budget, and I thought it was really cool that it wasn’t just a set price.
I took the Vinyasa Flow class, and it was the perfect introduction to yoga for me. I definitely plan to come back whenever I am back in town.
Place rating: 3
San Francisco, CA
I discovered the studio through ClassPass, but it’s a donation-​based class so I wasn’t sure if I was still expected to donate.
I like the studio in general. There’s a single room for class and no mirrors in the room, which I actually like because mirrors can be distracting. Very welcoming, down-​to-​earth vibe here. The class sizes are pretty small (somewhat surprising for a donation-​based studio) and the students vary from beginners and first-​timers to advanced. The teachers are very friendly, but I didn’t find the classes to be particularly challenging. Even the «Power Flow» classes weren’t vigorous. The instructors whose classes I’ve attended also aren’t very hands-​on and rarely provide adjustments, something that I really appeciate.
Other things to note:
–Mat rental for $ 2
–You can apparently store your mat here so you don’t have to lug it back and forth, which is convenient if you plan on frequenting the studio.
–They validate parking for 2 hours in 2 nearby parking structures. Check their website for details!
–You have to be buzzed into the building so try not to be late for class
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
This is the nicest little yoga studio ever! All the classes are donation-​based. So if you are student you pay a little less and if you have a good job you pay a little more for your yoga session. All the teachers there really nice I specially like to come there Wednesday evenings.