The Grinning Yogi

UGH, I’m not sure how to update this review. I came here a month or so ago during a busy 6pm class I’d signed up for in advance. The room was PACKED by the time I arrived (maybe only a minute early) and there were more people coming in behind me (some of whom stated they were drop ins). The instructor was telling everyone she’d make room. I honestly don’t know how people could have been closer together… Maybe if mats were laid out in the entry way? I really couldn’t believe how many people were packed in this tiny studio.
I asked the instructor to move me to a 9pm class later that evening, which she did without a problem (thanks!). I’m so on the fence about this… on one hand, I know it’s hard to turn people away — I seriously doubt yoga studios have huge profit margins. But the prospect of spending an hour packed elbow to elbow really stressed me out — just not the practice I’m looking for.
I’ll continue to love, love, love Chillin’ Flow and Lullaby at 9pm, so I’m giving this review a 4 star rating. Grinning really is great, and the instructors are always fabulous. However, my honest review of Grinning on this particular instance would be a 3, maybe even a 2. I was really surprised no one was turned away (except me, and I left voluntarily).

TGY is an AMAZING yoga studio! I’ve been out of practice for over three years and the class was challenging but accessible and Tara is my new yoga hero. So glad to be back to the mat just around the corner from my house in an affordable and supportive environment.

I LOVE the grinning yogi! I finally got into yoga this year and was a little nervous to start because I didn’t know anything about it. I feel so comfortable here and Shannon’s classes are my favorite. She helps with positions and is so positive. I’ve also tried Sam and Bree’s which also are great! I have had back and neck pain from a car accident and I’m noticing it’s improving. But yoga is also changing me in many other ways. I also am seeing a huge improvement with flexibility and can do things I have never been able to do before. Nobody judges and it’s a very encouraging atmosphere! Also, Jamie the owner reached out personally one time to ask about my experience etc. and that to me sealed the deal. This place really doesn’t get any better.

The Grinning Yogi is a hot yoga gem in Capitol Hill. After visiting many yoga studios in Seattle through my ClassPass membership, the GY always has me coming back for more asana-​kicking goodness!
Classes are perfect for all levels, so you’ll be sure to fit right in. The room is lightly heated (maybe 80 – 90 degrees) to soothingly relax your muscles before getting a good sweat in. Like all workouts, the amount you sweat depends on the amount of work you put in – but it’s safe to say that the vinyasa flows here are always quite the workout!
I’m a big fan of the Groovin’ Flow and Rockin’ Flow classes — specifically because their poppin’ playlists are always on point! It makes practicing yoga so much more fun when you’re doing it to good tunes.
The instructors are very laid back, knowledgeable and welcoming. They provide hands-​on assists and occasional savasana neck massages. I love that they all have wonderful senses of humor, poise and personality; it makes it easy to come back time and time again.
Aside from lack of shower and lockers (which are not a necessity for me), I love practicing yoga in this studio. Plus, the bolsters that are provided for you at your disposal make it even more worth it to practice here!

I’ve been going to the Grinning Yogi regularly for almost a year. I actually quit my gym membership for an unlimited auto membership at GY. I go here 3 – 4 times a week on average. I’ve had variable and somewhat negative experiences at other studios in Seattle. Reflecting on how good I have it with GY inspired me to write this review.
Gently heated, which is perfect for me. The atmosphere is super laid back. I don’t feel intimidated or out of place. The instructors are all attentive with a great sense of humor. They don’t take it too seriously! Awesome playlists with 90’s throwbacks. I really appreciate the emphasis on listening to and having compassion for your body. Very welcoming for modifications and skipping whatever doesn’t feel right. They really approach yoga as a process.
I literally don’t know where the time goes sometimes. We start to flow and then all of sudden you are in shavasana. I can’t imagine another workout where I’m so focused and enjoying myself that 75 minutes feels like 15.

After a long hiatus from Yoga (I want to say it’s been close to 8 years since I last did it!), I finally had a chance to go back to try to pick up my yoga routine again. I decided to check out the Grinning Yogi because of a really high rating and the close proximity to where I live. After all, if I were to try to pick up a new routine again, the efforts must not be so great that I feel like I have to make a huge effort wake up, prep and drag myself out of bed and drive to where I can make myself work out all the kinks in my body.
I’m so glad I found The Grinning Yogi. The instructor was really helpful, and they seemed to offer a lot of variety of yoga/​styles and different types of teachers/​flows, so that you can find the one you like/​that matches your style/​schedule, too.
The community is very open. There’s no judgemental people here. Even though I’m so stiff and can’t possibly bend like all those hardcore yogis, I didn’t feel out of place or weird… and didn’t get any stare/​glaring look from anyone like «OMG.she’s weird» :)…so that definitely made me feel at peace. The style I did in the class today was different from the Bikram style (hot yoga) that I was used to doing in Thailand. Some poses I had never done (but you can still do/​push at your own pace and really get to stretch out your body. Although their room is warm, it’s definitely not as warm as Bikram Yoga. In an hour or so, I was definitely sweating like a pig. maybe my body wasn’t so used to it yet. but I’m so glad. I feel so refreshed now! Plus, I sort of like how they have the soft music with changing beats/​rhythm playing in the background, too.
I went in there for the first time today wondering if I would ever find a place where I can see myself going often enough. and left the Grinning Yogi today feeling how much I’ve missed all the yoga practices all these years. Thank you The Grinning Yogi for connecting me back to my old feelings and how much I enjoyed yoga again. I will definitely stop by again soon!

This place is great. Good flow, good temp, personable teachers, nice sense of community.
There are a couple things that I would like to see improved:
1. WATER. There is a water cooler but you have to have a water bottle to use it, so if you forgot your water bottle and you’re parched, you can’t drink water unless you lean over and slurp from the one bathroom sink! This is a problem. Small cups by the water cooler would help.
2. Crowdedness. Some classes get packed way too full to comfortably move. I don’t know what they should do about this, but it does make me avoid class sometimes.
3. I’ve used their mats a few times and several of those times the mats were kind of stinky, like leftover sweat/​foot stank. Maybe make an announcement at the end of class about where to put the dirty mats, so people don’t put them where the clean ones are? And make sure they get wiped down thoroughly?
All in all though, this really is a great place.

I’ve been practicing yoga for years and this is by far the best studio I’ve ever joined. Each and every teacher has a unique style and talent for teaching yoga. I’ve made more progress in my flow in just the few weeks I’ve been practicing here than I ever have before (including with other studios and DVDs at home).
I love the gentle adjustments and essential oil massage in each class. The music is great, the temperature is great, the quotes at the beginning/​end of class are great, etc. There are lots of convenient times for classes and I’m always impressed when the teachers greet me by name. I can’t recommend this studio highly enough!

I have taken over a dozen classes here and think the instructors are good-​I just wish that would show more versus just simply talking. There was an instructor that used to show the more difficult poses really well but has left. If you happen to go to the donation class when Jamie is there, you will be publicly embarrassed if you donate less than $ 15 which I don’t think is right. Donation class should allow people to donate what they can afford. No other instructor does that so you’re ok as long as the owner isn’t collecting the money.

The Grinning Yogi is a fantastic yoga studio. I mostly attend their Groovin’ Flow classes, which I found accessible as a beginner. You just let them know when you sign in that you are new to yoga, and throughout the class they offer different variations on poses whether you need something easier, or more challenging. These classes continue to serve me well as my practice has grown and evolved.
All of the instructors I have taken classes with (Jamie, Sarah, Tara, and Ryan) have been great. It’s easy to tell that each instructor really cares for each student, making sure the class is accessible for all students, and offering adjustments at times when a pose isn’t being done in quite the right way. This yoga studio is so fantastic that I’m deeply considering going from 5 monthly class pass to an unlimited monthly class pass.

Amazing yoga studio! I am new to yoga and too flexible and trey make it so easy and relaxed to join. I haven’t been to many different instructors classes but Bree is awesome, I always enjoy her classes!

There are probably at least 10 yoga studios closer to where I live (a few only blocks away) than the grinning yogi but I sit in traffic for 20+mins, and roam the streets for parking to attend their classes.
I’ve probably been to at least 50 yoga studios due to living in different counties, traveling regularly for my job and class pass — I decided the grinning yogi was my favorite after just one class.
Great music, creative flows, relaxing atmosphere and amazing teachers, I can’t rave about it enough!

I love the music and lessons that Jaimie talks about in class. Very relatable and I always feel better than I did before the class

Im surprised to see a lot of high reviews for this place. They overcrowd the classes and its very tight. The floor is dirty and it seems it doesnt get mopped (just wasnt impressed by the general upkeep of the studio). The staff is alright. They seem to only be nice to the regulars they know. Also, the yoga routine is a bit off and lacks transitions in the moves.

Just wanted to jot down a few reasons why I love The Grinning Yogi, in no particular order:
— Heated yoga, but not «I want to die» hot
— Staff is amazing — so kind, welcoming, patient, and with a sense of humor
— Wide range of classes
— Unique attitude I haven’t found at any other studio
— Reasonable prices
— No mirrors! :)
I love you, TGY!

Jamie and Tara are great instructors and I love how they encourage personal reflection and acceptance. I’ve done some yoga before but always feel some apprehension going to classes. Everyone was open and welcoming and I never felt pressured to do things my body didn’t yield to! Also, it’s a great workout! I finished each session feeling really in sync with my body. If I lived in Seattle I would be a regular customer and recommend it to anyone!

So, I go up to Seattle for the weekend to visit a friend.
And she’s like, I’ll go to this bar you want to go to later so you can look for this other girl (long story) but first you gotta go do a yoga class with me.
Now I don’t really do a lot of yoga, but my friend’s like, there’ll be lots of cute girls in class and who doesn’t like lots of cute girls in yoga pants? (Plus there was that whole bar thing).
So we go to class, and my friend is right about the yoga pants.
But I gotta say that I was also surprised at how much I liked the class. Half the time I’ve been dragged to classes at other places, they go boring-​ass slow and I get sleepy. Or they do these crazy moves where they ask you to bend your back into some weird configuration that’s not humanly possible. The class we took was well-​paced and the moves felt really balanced. And I actually felt more limber afterwards. Which kinda makes me want to reconsider this yoga thing– at least a little.

This is my new favorite place on 15^th. Great hours! Perfect temp! Sweet beats! Plus the BF broke his yoga cherry here! Gotta love that.
I don’t usually go with the flow but here I’m rolling down the river.

I have been to so many yoga studios around the country – so when I sing praise, you know the place is good! And The Grinning Yogi is THE BOMB!
I had a friend in the area and I suggested some yoga to relax us both. I had heard good thing about The Grinning Yogi, but had yet to try it out. But, heck, if it’s called The Grinning Yogi, it better be fun.
We went to Michael’s Rockin Flow class… which I later found out was the advanced class. LOL… we just thought «rockin» meant higher energy music. However, Michael really tailored the class to each person and every level. He was really hands on in adjustments and really pushed my practice to a new level! He did some super creative poses with props that we wouldn’t usually use. He was also awesome himself (and we spent like twenty minutes chatting with him after class). He was so encouraging and gave everyone a hug after class. Anyway, he was amazeballs!!!
Studio: We walked into the studio, and I was a little surprised to see a one room studio. I am used to the larger ones with yoga seeming to be built up these days. However, it was no issue as our class was very small.
Schedule: They offer classes at great times here– even later at night than most studios. They also have yoga jolt classes which are a super quick and convenient way to get in your yoga in 35 minutes!
I also just love the names of their classes. Super creative. They also have donation classes that support a good cause! Nice!
Prices: The prices here are pretty standard. I got the new student special which is a super good deal. You can bet I will be back to use my other two classes!
Anyway, this place is really a yoga gem!

Great instructors, lovely studio, all at and affordable price. I love The Grinning Yogi and wish I still lived in Seattle so I could enjoy it. On a 10-​day vacation I decided to purchase the new student package, $ 18 for 3-​classes (use within 15-​days). Each class comes with a complimentary towel and use of their bolsters. I paid $ 2 to rent a mat. The FUNdamental FLOW was a great into back into my yoga practice and the Chillin Flow classes was a lot of fun. I’ve never done «hot yoga» before and at first I wasn’t use to the temperature in the studio but easily adapted to it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend this to anyone in the area!