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Integral Yoga Institute
Category: Active Life Fitness & Instruction Yoga Yoga [Edit]
770 Dolores St(between Liberty St & 21st St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Castro
(415) 821-1117
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 9 am - 2 pm
Mon 5:30 pm - 9 pm
Tue-Wed 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Thu 9 pm - 2 pm
Sat 7:30 am - 1 pm
Sun 9 am - 1 pm
Sun 4 pm - 6:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
olivia w. said: "I cannot say enough about this Dailey Method. Close to my house, on the way home from work. Having gone to Bar Method downtown, this was so refreshing. Everyone is just so chill, there is no air of competition and you will not feel…" read more »
15 reviews for Integral Yoga Institute
15 reviews in English
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Review from Beach L.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012
The family yoga and regular yoga classes are great too. Very clean and friendly.
I love the prenatal pregnancy yoga classes. Really helps with stress, aches, and pains. Totally focuses on your integral well being helps the body. I learned from another yoga teacher who teaches elsewhere that she began her yoga here. -
Review from linda b.
San Francisco, CA
12/20/2011
IYI is a wonderful place to pursue the study of Yoga. Many westerners consider Yoga to be (only) physical exercises, but it is so much more. In my years at IYI I have learned so much about meditation, yogic breathing, hatha and study of yoga scriptures.
It's an amazing place with good energy. Whether you are a beginner or more advanced practitioner, you will find classes to heal, guide and renew your soul. Work exchange opportunities make it very easy for people of low income to take class and participate in activities......
I encourage you to visit, to see for yourself! -
Review from Lisa L.
San Francisco, CA
12/24/2011
This is the place if you want a true YOGA experience.The moment you walk in the door you are embraced with love, there is an amazing feeling you get.Like being home.The teachers are well trained and absolutely know what they are doing.The true meaning of yoga is expressed here.I love this place so very much.I don' t go anywhere else anymore~ not fond of loud music or so hot rooms, oh so stinky..I recommend the IYI it gets 5 stars and only because there is not an optiin for 10 stars. I love it .
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Review from Brady K.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2011
The Integral Yoga Institute feels like a Hogwarts school of Yoga. Our class was held high atop one of the castle's turrets on Dolores street. Be prepared for walking up three floors of stairs, but your reward will be beautiful views from vintage windows of the city.
Upon entering the IYI I was greeted with a happy "Welcome, welcome welcome!" by the man behind the desk. This friendly institute feels like a co-op offering volunteering in exchange for classes. In addition to yoga there are vegan lunches and meditation at noon. Classes here have a more spiritual vibe than most studios.
Our teacher was extremely gentle and the practice very mild. The yoga was Hatha and focused on breath. It was a nice meditative style, but at times I felt restless and was worried about cooling down. Despite the carpet flooring it didn't have any odor.Listed in: Yoga! Passport to Prana
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Review from Julia D.
8/16/2011
This building is amazing. It's a huge old house and the yoga instructors live there. It is definitely more "yoga" feeling than a Bikram class you might take in the Mission w/ a bunch of hipsters. The classes are relatively small and the teachers really look out for you. The building has a narrow winding staircase that takes you up and down to the classroom levels. It feels very old-timey, but also very clean and pretty. Many of the rooms have a lot of natural light. I have always left classes feeling much more relaxed and invigorated. This is a real gem of SF next to the disaster of Dolores Park.
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Review from Melanie S.
San Francisco, CA
8/16/2011
Love it! Beautiful upper temple and great instructors. I got a great stretch workout as well as meditation and walked away with a calm clean mind. Thinking of getting a package deal... will definitely be back next week. woot!
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Review from Murry t.
San Francisco, CA
10/3/2010
This review is for the pre-natal yoga class at the Integral Yoga Institute:
The people who greet you are very friendly, but not overly so. There is a home-type atmosphere to the place. The pre-natal class is fairly new, so so far the classes have been small, which is great because the instructor has a chance to give more individual instruction. She is very good at helping people find alternate poses if something isn't working. She is also knowledgeable about a number of local resources. Also, the studio classes are in has natural light from multiple windows and if it gets to warm you can actually have fresh air!
If I could do 4.5 stars I would, only because parking can be difficult, however, if you live close enough to walk, ride a bike, or are familiar with public transportation this shouldn't be a problem, so I left it at 5 stars as this is more my issue than the Institute. -
Review from Denise H.
Petaluma, CA
3/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
After an absence of 18 months, I made the trek to the Integral Yoga Institute (IYI). An amazing and beautiful place. This isn't simply a place for asanas (physical yoga), but a place that lifts your spirit with all the lovely souls who are there. Just crossing over the threshold makes me softly energized, light, at peace; I become the 'glass is half full' person again. I've missed this placed. I'll be returning as often as I can!
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Review from Sean S.
Oakland, CA
10/3/2005
All you ever need in this life can be found here!
And the Sunday 11 am advance beginner teacher is pretty hot to boot. -
Review from elle d.
San Francisco, CA
7/28/2010
Om shantih! Integral Yoga now has Swami Ramananda in the house. He is an amazing, wise, and kind Teacher. Also check out the variety of workshops they offer now. Kirtan is every 2nd & 4th Friday and it's really fun! Jaaya Raam Shree Raam
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Review from Anonymous F.
San Francisco, CA
5/6/2009
I hate to ruin IYI's five star streak, but in the name of honesty it must be done. I really like the idea of IYI. It is a truly lovely, contemplative space where everyone seems kind and open. But, even though the yoga classes are supposedly intended for beginners, that wasn't my experience. They leave a great deal up to your own intuition, which is fine once you've developed the necessary foundations, but is hard on a beginner. I've been to a handful of yoga classes over the years, but this was the first one that left me with back and leg pains. I'm pretty sure I was doing something wrong but wasn't corrected. Bottom line: IYI is a great place for someone with a solid grounding in yoga principles, but not ideal for those needing guidance.
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Review from Dodie B.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2008
I've been going here on and off since the mid-80s, and it's spoiled me. Whenever I go to another yoga studio I miss the soft carpeted floors, the beamed ceilings of the temple, the meditative approach, and the truly noncompetitive atmosphere. I'm currently on a cleanse, and I went to a restorative yoga class at another studio, having gone once to IYI's restorative yoga--and this studio did not compare to IYI. Some of the poses hurt, padding wasn't suggested under our knees on the hard wooden floor, and since I'm weak, I felt nauseous much of the time. By contrast, the restorative yoga at IYA was so relaxing, it was like floating in a warm bath. No matter what class I've taken there, I've felt energized and relaxed when I left. The only other yoga experience I've had that felt as positive/supportive as the ones I've had at IYA were with Radha at the Yoga Loft in Woodland Hills--but that's a long way from San Francisco. IYI's not the most popular place in town, but it's truly the gem.
But I would say Dolores and 21st is the Mission. Not the Castro as it's listed here. -
Review from skipper a.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2010
IYI is a great place for a beginner and intermediate yoga practitioner.
Beginning yoga is their speciality! Most all the classes are beginner or intermediate.
However, if you want to advance and learn more challenging Asanas find another yoga studio.
If you've been doing yoga a while you will find the poses & classes boring. Boring in that I can do the poses in my sleep. Very simple, beginner type classes. Teachers are not very creative in the yoga classes. Same ole, same ole poses. -
Review from Michael D.
San Francisco, CA
1/18/2009
There aren't any places quite like Integral Yoga. The atmosphere is incomperable, with a variety of rooms nestled in a big cozy old Victorian that won't make anyone feel as if they are doing yoga in a sterile gym or ballet studio: no big mirrors, no hardwood floors, no barre, no fluorescent lights - just lovely molding, plushy carpeting, Victorian mantles, and big airy windows. And unlike most other yoga studios, Integral tends to have medium to small classes - sometimes as small as two students - so one does not end up jockeying for space or wind up ass to nose with fellow classmates. The teachers are lovely, and the addition of chanting, breathing, and meditating into each session really deepens the experience. Also, there seems to be a minimum of the wacky props some studios want to cram into a session. Lastly, even though their prices have gone up a dollar or two over the years, at twelve dollars a class, it's certainly a lot more reasonable than, say, eighteen dollars at the Yoga Loft. Moreover, one hour of work exchange will earn a free class that is one and a half or two hours long.
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Review from Camille C.
San Francisco, CA
5/19/2009
The Integral Yoga Institute is a beautiful stone castle just up the hill from Dolores Park. I used to walk by in wonder, sometimes hearing a peaceful melody of chanting from high above its' mystical walls. My first experience with yoga was Bikram in a studio filled with moldy carpet and smelly patrons enduring 108 degrees of militant torture. The experience at IYI does not resemble my first. The setting is amazing; at the top of this magestic fortress is a temple with a round tower and round windows like an animated playhouse. I place my mat at the center of this tower and escape into total serenity and balance. 90 minutes of complete body, mind, and heart awareness leaves me utterly amazed at the transformation that takes place. The instructors are gentle, easeful, graceful, and spiritual. They practice the art of Karma Yoga and volunteer their time to the institute in order to serve others and enhance their own experience and journey. This place is not one of competition, judgement, or achievement but rather a space for you to come to realize your true nature. It is awesome!
