This is the only bikram studio I've ever been too, so I may not be able to compare it to other studios who also do Bikram's poses. However I can tell you that this place is by far better than any other yoga studio I've been too. It's a great workout and the instructors are both kind and challenging which is a difficult balancing act. (see what I did just then?)

So let's just start off with the basic fact: Bikram is not for everyone. In fact, I would say that Bikram is not for most. This makes sense, Bikram is terrible. Well, terrible in a good way.

In general, for the inexperienced (read: me) Bikram makes you feel like crap. You want to quit, you want to leave the room, you want to run out and curse the man who came up with this ridiculous notion of working out in 110 degree heat. I mean, SERIOUSLY NOW. We do this voluntarily??

Putting all that aside, you have to take that part out of reviewing. So I did. I hated Bikram during, but I LOVED it after. I very much liked this studio because they didn't have the 'boot camp' vibe I've heard spouted about Bikram places before. I have anxiety already, that would not help. They do push you, and even encourage you not to wipe off sweat or drink water unless you absolutely need it. But they don't make you feel guilty for needing to lie down for a minute, and I think that's important.

So that alone was worth 2 stars. But everything else about it stopped it as that. The people behind the desk in front are always really chatty with everyone except for the person standing in front of them, waiting for help. The bathroom is dinky and you have to fight your way out after a class. The parking is crap since you're in downtown La Jolla, and if you're taking a class right after work and your job isn't located right next door, look forward to waiting in some traffic on your way in.

Lastly, the studio itself is pretty unattractive. The ceiling has yet to be covered, so you see piping and such that sort of ruins the vibe. Despite all of this, the classes do tend to get pretty crowded, and the people who are attracted to Bikram are usually pretty cool people.

My only advice - wear as little clothing as your comfortable with. Suddenly your love handles don't matter as much when you're having trouble seeing through the sweat.