Thanks to Buddha B Yoga, I now know how to spell Buddha
correctly. Ok, maybe that’s not a highlight in your mind, but it is in
mine.
Buddha B is a cool studio on U street that offers some really good intro deals. However, it's very pricey when your intro package is over. Currently there are several offers for deals on amazonlocal.com, livingsocial.com, and groupon.com. Here is a tip: BUY THE BIGGEST PACKAGE available. It comes out to $2 or less a class. Even if you go twice - worth it! I found this deal a while back and decided to commit after learning that Caitlin from Meridian also teaches here. SOLD!
Now for the review.
The place: Buddha B is across the street from U Street metro. It's very easy to get to but is a bit difficult to find at first (even though it's on a corner) because it is on the corner above a 7-11. Parking is tough here, so I suggest metroing or pulling a Chesti and walking from Virginia or wherever you are. (Hey Marylanders…no excuses for you to not walk).
The space: oddly enough, with two small rooms, this studio does a lot. The rooms are a warm color and inviting. They are clean and get swept down after each class. There is a building-shared bathroom that is always clean and a small changing room inside the “Buddha” part of the second floor. The waiting room is impossibly small, so only show up early if there is NOT a class before yours and you can actually go in the room you will practice in. The check in people are really great. Darin is a riot. Ask him anything and he will tell you everything you ever wanted to know (literally about anything). He’s funny and sweet. The crew is always friendly and they have a “scan your card” system. When you sign up, you are given a free key tag with a barcode (if you lose it they charge $5 for a replacement). This makes checking in super easy and you don’t have to scream your name 30 times and spell it out like in other places. One part of the check in and sign up process I really enjoy is that online you can see how many people are signed up for class that day. It gives you a good idea of how crowded it will be before hand. Also, the studio’s website is pretty cool. A lot of it doesn't really appeal to me, but I have to give them credit for really putting in the time and effort to maintain an up to date website and encouraging yoga practice and lifestyle. They even have a “pose of the month” section. Two more notes on the space: they provide all of the props for you, free of charge, except for mats which can be rented and water/beverages which can be purchased. Second, the cubbies are outside of the rooms you practice in so you can't really keep an eye on your stuff (not that I don’t feel perfectly comfortable leaving my goodies outside) but the so most IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE HERE IS THEY DO NOT ALLOW WATER IN THE ROOM WITH YOU so water too stays in your cubbie. The reason for this is “water cools down your system when you want to heat it up during yoga.” You've been warned. And really, its not like you are going to die of thirst.
The classes: I've liked just about every class I've taken here. I've taken Ashtanga, Jivamukti, Vinyasa, Prana, Hatha, and even beginner yoga. All are good with incredibly knowledgeable instructors. This studio sets up the mats with students on the left side and right side turned in towards the center so that the instructor can do moves in the middle rather than front and you mirror students (no actual mirrors). According to the studio, this set up encourages the instructors to be more interactive and walk around to correct postures and movement. It works. I found out at Buddha that I was doing chatarunga incorrectly. Seriously, I must have done it two hundred times in various other studios....always the wrong way. (It's a lot tougher when you do it right and don't let your belly hit the floor).
Of the classes, Jivamukti was probably my favorite even though I was completely freaked out by the chanting in the beginning and music. However, the instructor Krista Block quickly turned it into an amazing workout. (Be warned: in this class she puts a tiger-balm type substance on you to heat up the body. If you don’t want it, tell her in the beginning. But go for it if you don’t have allergies.)
I took Ashtanga with Luke and he likes it hot in his rooms, so be prepared for that.
Prana yoga was probably my least favorite of the classes I've taken. Not because it wasn’t a good workout, it really is, I just don’t like a lot of preaching and philosophy during my workout. Preach all you want before and after, but during I just want to get my flex on. As for what Prana yoga is, I think the best way to describe the way Gopi teaches it is as yoga ballet. Her movements are fluid and when she performs a sequence it looks more like she’s dancing.
There is a class that I've yet to take, but I will within the next few weeks: Yin Yoga. It’s a type of yoga designed to focus more on joints and muscle tissue. Darin (see above) told me it's not as much of a work out, but a great supplement to your practice. He’s not a salesman, just a cool guy, so I believe him. All in all, I think Buddha is a great studio.
I have two issues with Buddha (not the actual Buddha, the studio). First, reward your loyal patrons. The mark up is extreme from new student special to package buying yogi. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Buddha does have several meditation programs for free and partners with Sweet Green to occasionally do a free Monday yoga session at 7pm in Meridian Park. But instead of these, I'd prefer better discounts on multiple class packages. Buddha offers seminars with world renowned yogi-jedi masters that they do charge for. The prices for those are high but I guess its like paying for a Rolling Stones or Jay-Z concert. The bigger the name, the bigger the price. I wouldn't mind if they charged a ton for these to offset other costs since it's not really my thing. ;)
My second issue is directly related to the first: because the newbie packages are so cheap, there are a ton of students. I think Buddha B grossly overestimates how many students COMFORTABLY fit into each of its rooms. This my friends, is precisely why I check to see the number of reserved and open spaces online before class. I always want to take the Wednesday 5:30 class, but it is always way too full. I guess I need to make Wednesday my happy hour night. All in all, I'd give Buddha a big belly rub because it rocks- even if it is only yoga classes, it does what it does best: real honest yoga with instructors who care about the practice and making you your best.
Buddha B is a cool studio on U street that offers some really good intro deals. However, it's very pricey when your intro package is over. Currently there are several offers for deals on amazonlocal.com, livingsocial.com, and groupon.com. Here is a tip: BUY THE BIGGEST PACKAGE available. It comes out to $2 or less a class. Even if you go twice - worth it! I found this deal a while back and decided to commit after learning that Caitlin from Meridian also teaches here. SOLD!
Now for the review.
The place: Buddha B is across the street from U Street metro. It's very easy to get to but is a bit difficult to find at first (even though it's on a corner) because it is on the corner above a 7-11. Parking is tough here, so I suggest metroing or pulling a Chesti and walking from Virginia or wherever you are. (Hey Marylanders…no excuses for you to not walk).
The space: oddly enough, with two small rooms, this studio does a lot. The rooms are a warm color and inviting. They are clean and get swept down after each class. There is a building-shared bathroom that is always clean and a small changing room inside the “Buddha” part of the second floor. The waiting room is impossibly small, so only show up early if there is NOT a class before yours and you can actually go in the room you will practice in. The check in people are really great. Darin is a riot. Ask him anything and he will tell you everything you ever wanted to know (literally about anything). He’s funny and sweet. The crew is always friendly and they have a “scan your card” system. When you sign up, you are given a free key tag with a barcode (if you lose it they charge $5 for a replacement). This makes checking in super easy and you don’t have to scream your name 30 times and spell it out like in other places. One part of the check in and sign up process I really enjoy is that online you can see how many people are signed up for class that day. It gives you a good idea of how crowded it will be before hand. Also, the studio’s website is pretty cool. A lot of it doesn't really appeal to me, but I have to give them credit for really putting in the time and effort to maintain an up to date website and encouraging yoga practice and lifestyle. They even have a “pose of the month” section. Two more notes on the space: they provide all of the props for you, free of charge, except for mats which can be rented and water/beverages which can be purchased. Second, the cubbies are outside of the rooms you practice in so you can't really keep an eye on your stuff (not that I don’t feel perfectly comfortable leaving my goodies outside) but the so most IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE HERE IS THEY DO NOT ALLOW WATER IN THE ROOM WITH YOU so water too stays in your cubbie. The reason for this is “water cools down your system when you want to heat it up during yoga.” You've been warned. And really, its not like you are going to die of thirst.
The classes: I've liked just about every class I've taken here. I've taken Ashtanga, Jivamukti, Vinyasa, Prana, Hatha, and even beginner yoga. All are good with incredibly knowledgeable instructors. This studio sets up the mats with students on the left side and right side turned in towards the center so that the instructor can do moves in the middle rather than front and you mirror students (no actual mirrors). According to the studio, this set up encourages the instructors to be more interactive and walk around to correct postures and movement. It works. I found out at Buddha that I was doing chatarunga incorrectly. Seriously, I must have done it two hundred times in various other studios....always the wrong way. (It's a lot tougher when you do it right and don't let your belly hit the floor).
Of the classes, Jivamukti was probably my favorite even though I was completely freaked out by the chanting in the beginning and music. However, the instructor Krista Block quickly turned it into an amazing workout. (Be warned: in this class she puts a tiger-balm type substance on you to heat up the body. If you don’t want it, tell her in the beginning. But go for it if you don’t have allergies.)
I took Ashtanga with Luke and he likes it hot in his rooms, so be prepared for that.
Prana yoga was probably my least favorite of the classes I've taken. Not because it wasn’t a good workout, it really is, I just don’t like a lot of preaching and philosophy during my workout. Preach all you want before and after, but during I just want to get my flex on. As for what Prana yoga is, I think the best way to describe the way Gopi teaches it is as yoga ballet. Her movements are fluid and when she performs a sequence it looks more like she’s dancing.
There is a class that I've yet to take, but I will within the next few weeks: Yin Yoga. It’s a type of yoga designed to focus more on joints and muscle tissue. Darin (see above) told me it's not as much of a work out, but a great supplement to your practice. He’s not a salesman, just a cool guy, so I believe him. All in all, I think Buddha is a great studio.
I have two issues with Buddha (not the actual Buddha, the studio). First, reward your loyal patrons. The mark up is extreme from new student special to package buying yogi. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Buddha does have several meditation programs for free and partners with Sweet Green to occasionally do a free Monday yoga session at 7pm in Meridian Park. But instead of these, I'd prefer better discounts on multiple class packages. Buddha offers seminars with world renowned yogi-jedi masters that they do charge for. The prices for those are high but I guess its like paying for a Rolling Stones or Jay-Z concert. The bigger the name, the bigger the price. I wouldn't mind if they charged a ton for these to offset other costs since it's not really my thing. ;)
My second issue is directly related to the first: because the newbie packages are so cheap, there are a ton of students. I think Buddha B grossly overestimates how many students COMFORTABLY fit into each of its rooms. This my friends, is precisely why I check to see the number of reserved and open spaces online before class. I always want to take the Wednesday 5:30 class, but it is always way too full. I guess I need to make Wednesday my happy hour night. All in all, I'd give Buddha a big belly rub because it rocks- even if it is only yoga classes, it does what it does best: real honest yoga with instructors who care about the practice and making you your best.
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