First Impression: Bfree Yoga

My second official studio trial began at Bfree Yoga on Friday. I'm doing a one-month trial for $60 and have friends who are excited to do the $20 10-day trials throughout my month, so we should have some guest bloggers!

My first class was Friday during lunch, I knew this would extend my lunch hour but since everyone else at work was out having drinks and watching the NCAA tournament I was still ahead! The classes are organized very well and are very clear, they offer BFlow, BHot, BGroove and some others. I have to admit I LOVE her branding strategy. It is easy to remember and allows for a lot of play on words, for example, she could add BAge-less for an older crowd or BMommy for pre-natal yoga..you see where I'm going with this. Anyway, I think it's genius and the marketer in me went to town :)

The class schedule is very flexible which I really like. There are 6-7am classes everyday which is great for early risers like me, but also multiple evening classes to choose from, including a new 9:30pm class on Thursdays. There seem to be many instructors, some of which teach only at BFree and others who I've seen on the schedule at various yoga studios around the city. Shelby, the owner, just purchased BFree a couple of weeks ago (it used to be Bodhi Yoga).

Because the name has recently changed I had a little trouble finding the place. I had the address and all but the sign isn't on the building yet so I wasn't sure how to find the studio...I would suggest putting a quick blurb on the location portion of the website that explains it is "on the San Gabriel side, on the first floor by the stairs." Just for us who are easily confused :)

So, on to the studio. My first impression was a good one. It has a lot of space which I like and is very open. There is a small locker room with two showers (which was perfect for going back to work Friday). It is clean and has an earthy feel, very yoga. The hot studio is huge, so when practicing there is enough room not to be on top of each other, I personally enjoy the space. There is another studio but I'm not sure yet if it's used...Shelby has a huge blackboard right when you walk in with announcements and information which is fun to read while you are waiting for class to start. April is bring a friend free month!

It seemed as if there were mats that one could use for free if you forgot and hand towels for during class. The one thing missing was a water cooler or a small refrigerator to buy a bottled water. I am not one who likes water typically so I tend to forget and be the person who buys a bottle or finds an empty something in my car...so maybe just having a small fridge and water for purchase would be simple improvement.

The classes I've taken so far were both taught by Shelby. She was substituting because a few of the other instructors are traveling. Both were great, and very hot! I sweat more in her classes than I ever have before, so I walked out feeling like I lost 5 lbs. Her classes seemed more focused on strength than some other Flow classes I've taken, which I liked. There were quite a few holds, various versions of plank, and a lot of back bends. The music was great, especially in the Sunday class...she played songs like "Like A Prayer" and "Handstands" which were very fitting.

Overall, I'm excited to really get started and try out the different instructors at Bfree, as well as classes other than just BFlow. I'll hopefully get some friends to check it out with me and give their thoughts over the next couple of weeks!