Chesti:
The places, the spaces, the faces....first post, woohoo!!! Meridian Yoga on 15th is an interesting place. First of all, its across from Meridian Park which I never even knew existed. It's a hike to get there if you are insane like me and refuse to take the closest metro stop. But that's what I like! I'm a blue line girl, so on days I don't walk from Clarendon after work, yes all the way over the key bridge, I metro to Farragut West. Even if you metro to U Street, there is an AWESOME hill you need to conquer just to get to the studio. Even in 90+ heat, you feel like a champion when you do. Its a good way to get your heart rate up a bit too and listen to one more high energy song before you get your yoga on. (Or you can metro to Columbia Heights or drive, but there's no extra piece of cake you get to eat if you do).
The actual space is cool, though it is easy to walk right past. It's actually a spa with one room for yoga. It feels like a spa when you walk in - quiet and a bit dark. Water is available and nice clean bathrooms and changing rooms. The check in people are odd at best. Never mean or rude, just "not present." Check in is easy and then you pop into a really cool room (no mirrors) that is the equivalent of a living room in an old mansion. Tons of windows, an old fireplace, and the room door closes and is covered with curtains. Meridian now charges a buck for mat rentals, but they have all sorts of tools for you to use for free, and they DO use them in the session. Yoga blocks, straps, blankets.
I've now taken 3 different classes here- all several times. One gripe is that on Monday and Wednesday the Vinyasa class starts at 4:45. That's great because you are done early enough for a nice long walk back to Foggy Bottom or wherever, but that's a struggle for most working folks. Monday is now officially taught by Sarah Hippert. My first class with her I hated, but I now believe that's because it was too hard for me. Its "flow" yoga which means it moves from pose to pose but her class is what she calls "dynamic". I call it "athletic yoga." She holds poses a bit longer and they are more intense poses. She's very positive, in a tree hugging kind of way, (versus positive in a teacher way or a nurse way- I know you know what I mean) and she will cheer you on as you try a pose but not stop and wait until everyone has it (which I actually like) or come and correct you. I really don't recommend this class for a newbie, but by my 15th or so yoga class (ever, not with her), I felt great and loved it. I do recommend stretching before the class starts, after your hike up the hill (you can do it!), because she doesn't take much time to warm up.
The actual space is cool, though it is easy to walk right past. It's actually a spa with one room for yoga. It feels like a spa when you walk in - quiet and a bit dark. Water is available and nice clean bathrooms and changing rooms. The check in people are odd at best. Never mean or rude, just "not present." Check in is easy and then you pop into a really cool room (no mirrors) that is the equivalent of a living room in an old mansion. Tons of windows, an old fireplace, and the room door closes and is covered with curtains. Meridian now charges a buck for mat rentals, but they have all sorts of tools for you to use for free, and they DO use them in the session. Yoga blocks, straps, blankets.
I've now taken 3 different classes here- all several times. One gripe is that on Monday and Wednesday the Vinyasa class starts at 4:45. That's great because you are done early enough for a nice long walk back to Foggy Bottom or wherever, but that's a struggle for most working folks. Monday is now officially taught by Sarah Hippert. My first class with her I hated, but I now believe that's because it was too hard for me. Its "flow" yoga which means it moves from pose to pose but her class is what she calls "dynamic". I call it "athletic yoga." She holds poses a bit longer and they are more intense poses. She's very positive, in a tree hugging kind of way, (versus positive in a teacher way or a nurse way- I know you know what I mean) and she will cheer you on as you try a pose but not stop and wait until everyone has it (which I actually like) or come and correct you. I really don't recommend this class for a newbie, but by my 15th or so yoga class (ever, not with her), I felt great and loved it. I do recommend stretching before the class starts, after your hike up the hill (you can do it!), because she doesn't take much time to warm up.
Wednesday's class is taught by Caitlin and is perfect for beginners or for people who are terrible at yoga (and those who are advanced too- she's great in pushing advanced people to the next level while keeping beginners engaged and showing them the RIGHT way to do a pose or how to modify a tough move for a beginner). She WILL adjust you and help you. She's positive in the "teacher/nurse" way - she's kind. I enjoy her class and find it involves more breath focus and fluid movements than Sarah's class.
Fridays the class I go to is at 5:30. Elizabeth O’Connell teaches this class (she is positive in a kindergarten teacher sweet way) and it's "hatha" yoga which is breath focused and has more meditation elements. This class is an hour and 15 minutes and is a ghost workout, meaning that you won't realize you are working out because it feels more like relaxation time. I'll have to post again after my class this Friday (also there is a sub for this particular class who teaches other time slots), but so far I've enjoyed this class and on a Friday if you need to decompress, this is the way to go. Some Fridays though I need high energy super cardio crazy chaos. Or a martini...or three.
Meridian DOES offer deals. On their website they have packages or run specials. I purchased 5 classes for $25, the summer special. Only problem is you have to use them in 30 days or so. I hate time limits that are so short, but I do like that it forced me to go often, which only made me stronger. The drop in rate is $15. This is still one of the "cheaper" places in DC. I'll ask them on Friday to give me the low down on upcoming specials. They ARE part of the MetaBody Fitness Pass (this pass gives you 20 classes at a variety of studios and that's a whole other post coming soon) and this pass is currently on Groupon for a crazy good price. (even if you go to Meridian twice and don't use the MetaBody Pass again, you made out like a bandit.
TWO big bonus points for Meridian: 1. I've never been a sardine, meaning they don't overstuff the classes. Class size is usually less than 10 people. 2. Late policy. They have one! Its so annoying when people walk in late and "jack my flow" (get me off focus). Meridian asks that if you are late that you wait until the class is in gear about 10 minutes in. It's the right thing to do, but some people need to be told. Kudos to Meridian for having a policy like this!
Fridays the class I go to is at 5:30. Elizabeth O’Connell teaches this class (she is positive in a kindergarten teacher sweet way) and it's "hatha" yoga which is breath focused and has more meditation elements. This class is an hour and 15 minutes and is a ghost workout, meaning that you won't realize you are working out because it feels more like relaxation time. I'll have to post again after my class this Friday (also there is a sub for this particular class who teaches other time slots), but so far I've enjoyed this class and on a Friday if you need to decompress, this is the way to go. Some Fridays though I need high energy super cardio crazy chaos. Or a martini...or three.
Meridian DOES offer deals. On their website they have packages or run specials. I purchased 5 classes for $25, the summer special. Only problem is you have to use them in 30 days or so. I hate time limits that are so short, but I do like that it forced me to go often, which only made me stronger. The drop in rate is $15. This is still one of the "cheaper" places in DC. I'll ask them on Friday to give me the low down on upcoming specials. They ARE part of the MetaBody Fitness Pass (this pass gives you 20 classes at a variety of studios and that's a whole other post coming soon) and this pass is currently on Groupon for a crazy good price. (even if you go to Meridian twice and don't use the MetaBody Pass again, you made out like a bandit.
TWO big bonus points for Meridian: 1. I've never been a sardine, meaning they don't overstuff the classes. Class size is usually less than 10 people. 2. Late policy. They have one! Its so annoying when people walk in late and "jack my flow" (get me off focus). Meridian asks that if you are late that you wait until the class is in gear about 10 minutes in. It's the right thing to do, but some people need to be told. Kudos to Meridian for having a policy like this!
Fudge:
My specifics:
My specifics:
I attended three classes in late June and early July using the MetaBody pass (more on that below). Two were taught by Caitlin Van Hecke and one by Sarah Hippert (who was acting as a sub for that class).
The facility:
The studio is inside the Sri Sri Center for Peace and Meditation and if they don't have the Meridian portable sign out front, you'd walk right past it. I do like the space though. They have a beautiful, clean, yoga room with windows that are just high enough that you're not staring at people on the sidewalk (and they're not staring at you). Other than the yoga room, I've only really seen the welcome area and the bathroom/changing room, both of which are pleasant and clean. FYI, the bathroom is uni-sex if that matters to you. Unlike Chesti, I do not enjoy starting a yoga class with my heart pumping and sweat running down my face, so I would take the metro to Columbia Heights and walk down 15th Street instead of walking up the hill from U Street.
The front desk staff:
I think Chesti nailed when she said "odd at best." They really are only semi-present. I only attended two classes at Meridian and had some issues because I went through MetaBody. My first day the woman behind the desk just looked at me and said that I wasn't registered (I was). Then blinked at me for nearly a minute before I realized she wasn't going to say any more. My experience when something like this has happened before (at just about any place you need an appointment and have to sign in) is that the front desk person will ask a follow up question, "is it possible it is under a different name?" or "did you sign up online or over the phone?" or "let's see if the class is full or not..." Something. I got nothing buy a blank stare. So, I pushed the issue. Told her I signed up using MetaBody and her response was that they've had a lot of issues with MetaBody. And then more blinking. Okay, in the interest of not rehashing my entire one-sided conversation, the bottom line is that I had to figure out that registering with MetaBody did not automatically register me with Meridian and then I had to suggest to the woman that she let me into the class anyway. Which she was totally fine with but obviously was not going to offer on her own. It was a truly bizarre conversation. Like talking to one of those phone tree computers that can only respond to certain words. The guy who was there my second time wasn't much better, but at least I was prepared.
The instructors:
I really, really liked Caitlin and enjoyed her class. She is really good at providing alternative ways to make a pose either easier or more difficult, which I really appreciate. She also focuses a lot on breathing into the movements, which I've found makes a big difference. I did not like Sarah's class especially. I found that I got bored (not in that the moves were too easy, but my mind just easily wondered, which is weird for me while practicing yoga). Also, I felt like Sarah, although a good yogi herself, wasn't the greatest teacher and I sometimes had a hard time following her instructions and I'd have to stop and stand up or sit up to see what she was doing. Maybe if I'd taken a second class with her, she'd grow on me. Overall, though, I think the quality of instructors at Meridian is pretty good.
The rules:
I agree with Chesti, I really like the late policy at Meridian. I think a lot of studios have a similar policy, but it is rarely enforced. It seems like they mostly enforce it at Meridian, though there was one time where someone came in during the opening meditation, which is really, really distracting. Also, you are not allowed to wear shoes in the yoga room, which is fine (though I learned this the hard way by getting barked at by the guy behind the front desk). That same day (I had arrived early), I was laying on my mat in the yoga room and a woman comes clomping into the room wearing heels to replace the mat cleaning towels.
The bottom line:
I by and large liked the instructors. I like the yoga room. I don't love the location (in between U Street & Columbia Heights metro stations, which is no where near where I work or live and requires a bit of walking, which is fine unless you're trying to make a 4:45 class after work). For me, Meridian is not worth it. It is too far and the front desk people are not fun to deal with. Also, I know that Caitlin teaches at Buddha B as well (and Buddha B currently has a Groupon offer going).
The pass is a great idea in theory, but the studios seem to hate it. When I was using the pass back in June/July, Jordin's Paradise pulled out of the program and Meridian had a policy of only allowing so many MetaBody students in per class. The MetaBody pass seemed also has way more studios available in Maryland, particularly the Baltimore area. That said, it is a really good deal even if you only use it 2-3 times.
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