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Urban Yoga Spa
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Downtown
1900 4th Ave
at Stewart St
(between Stewart St & Olive Way)
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 420-0222
1900 4th Ave
at Stewart St
(between Stewart St & Olive Way)
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 420-0222
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Garage, Private Lot, Validated
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- By Appointment Only:
- No
13 reviews for Urban Yoga Spa
Having just moved to Seattle, I did the 1 week for $25 and LOVED IT. I did hot yoga in Texas before moving here and really liked it but hated the studio so I was glad that a yoga studio near my downtown home offered 1 week trial classes so I could get a feel for the center before signing up for an extended period of time.
THIS STUDIO ROCKS ... I had several instructors during my 7 days and they were all wonderful. They really helped everyone in the class with their form, regardless of skill level and went out of their way to make those new to the class feel welcomed. I also, dig the studio's cleanliness and the facility is nice and calming.
I definitely plan on getting a membership here once I finally land a job here in Seattle!!!
Although I'm a purist Bikram devotee at heart, Urban Yoga Spa is my new (post-move) neighborhood go-to yoga studio.
Having heard good things from fellow Yelpers, I elected to check out UYS before any of the Capitol Hill studios (not into no showers, chanting, etc). Although I was a little leery of how freshly scrubbed the place looked from the street (so much white! so much perfectly contrasting black! the wall of perfectly rolled yoga towels!), I headed in for a class with Mandy, an hour of Hot Yoga. And promptly headed back two days later for more....
Yep, it's a bit trendy, but guess what? Everyone here, from staff to instructors to other yoga-goers, is very friendly and welcoming, something I haven't experienced at other yoga studios in three and a half years of practice. The space is nicely laid out, with one hot and one regular-temp studio on the first floor, and the spa and locker rooms up on the second.
And by locker rooms, I mean a very nice space, with lockers, but also hairdryers and shampoo/conditioner in each of the four showers! Wow. A nice perk are the free locks; you grab one from the basket when you walk in. Plus, there are plenty of cubbies outside the studios themselves.
Having taken Bikram yoga for years, I was pleasantly surprised by the Hot Yoga class. Many poses are the same, and it was nice to get a little variety and to practice in a slightly more flexible atmosphere (music, more talking, some laughing when falling out of poses). I didn't find it distracting; on the contrary, it fostered an atmosphere of a little more mutual acceptance than what I've found at some other studios. And for me, the option to take an hour-long class is very helpful, because sometimes 90 minutes is just a little too much time from my day.
They also have some donation-based classes, which is a nice way for a yoga studio to give back (I've never seen a Bikram studio do this), and besides Hot Yoga also teach Power Vinyasa (in 60- and 90-minute offerings) plus a Relaxing yoga class in the evening. I'm excited about my new yoga home!
beautiful studio (light, airy, fancy ceramic heaters), very clean facilities, nice touch with the candles, and handsome yogi assistant todd to adjust your postures as needed. all very good distractions while getting your ass seriously kicked. went in for a power vinyasa class and i left a new woman. yay urban yoga spa! if only you were here in san francisco. cant wait to come back. little pricey, but definitely worth it. bravo!
So, I'm on my third week of doing hot yoga and so far so good. I really like the studio by my house in Freemont but decided to branch out and check if there were any places by my office.
I called Urban Yoga, it's only three blocks from my office. Elise answered and she was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and super friendly. I briefed her on what I was looking for and she pinned my down to a class for tomorrow.
My big qualm with Bikram Studios is there cleanliness and the fact they are so regimented. All the classes are 1.5 hours and nothing changes. Urban Yoga is also a spa, they have actual looker rooms, there floors aren't carpet (I wrestled in college and think this is funky), and it's clean!!! In addition to the fact that it's new, how could you go wrong?
To recap: Super Clean, Friendly personnel, Looker rooms, variety in classes
Ooh. This place is beautiful, polished, clean! The staff is warm and inviting, and the hot yoga class hit the spot. I've been to the Sweatbox a few times, and I really enjoyed myself, but the facilities here are vastly superior - hot showers, great air filtration system, light pouring in everywhere -- thoroughly sleek and modern.
The hot yoga classes are also much less strict than the ones at Sweatbox, which actually became a little annoying when students decided to come late, or leave early, or leave in the middle of class and come back. But overall, it was pleasant to not have such rigid procedures.
Finally! Hot yoga in downtown Seattle! I took a class in studio B, the downstairs space. The studio is calm and clean, with high ceilings. The instructor for my Hour of Power vinyasa yoga class was exactly what you'd want in a yoga instructor, her soothing voice was relaxing, her comments encouraging, but she also gently coaxed the class into pushing themselves further and harder. The room was warm enough to have us sweating hard, though I would have enjoyed a slightly higher temperature (I'd give it five stars if it was just a few degrees warmer).
With its airy atmosphere, cleanliness and professional staff, Urban Yoga Spa feels appropriately like a spa, a far more enjoyable experience than the Sweatbox on Capitol Hill, which sounds like it smells. I expect to sweat at hot yoga, I expect to smell other people's sweat, but I don't want to feel like I'm inhaling the stench of years of compounded sweat and body odor before every om.
Rates are pretty typical at $18 for a drop-in. Packages are the way to go, the 10-class option brings the cost down to $12 a class. If you're really into hot yoga, the February special for the annual unlimited package is $995, which, if you go enough, could bring the cost down considerably. They also offer two classes each week for a suggested donation of $10, a good option if you are just looking to try this out.
Be sure to bring a towel and water. Mat rental is available for $2.
Ok, let's be real. Urban Yoga Spa is downtown, bright white, clean, and trendy. So that just screams expensive, pretentious, and all around probably a pain in my a**. I really had no intentions of ever setting foot in there really. I mean, Yoga has always been such an expensive and mostly unobtainable goal for the working girl with student loans and rent to pay. And I assumed that Urban Yoga Spa was no exception.
But I appear to have been wrong here. I first saw an add for UYS on DailyCandy (if you don't get it in your inbox, you should) and kinda just passed it off for the above mentioned reasons. But then a girl from my apartment mentioned it and asked me to come with and I did. WOW was I impressed. A) The staff was far from the snooty yoga-ites I've run into at other studios. B) They were beyond understanding and accommodating to my lack of experience! And believe me, we're talking about a major lack of knowing what the heck I'm doing. C) and probably the most important...it's not too expensive. Not cheap, but not out of the galaxy expensive. Plus they give a student discount for all of us still slugging through some kind of school.
Toni taught my first class and yes, she kicked my wide dimpled behind in a way I've never experienced before. But she also went out of her way to make my time enjoyable and as difficult as possible for my 1st time without killing me. Since then, some of the teachers are a little too hard for my skill level, but the front desk staff has been more than helpful in telling me what kind of instructor someone is.
I think the really most astonishing part of this whole thing is that the owner, who was in my first class with the above mentioned Toni, took the time to not only welcome me to UYS and help answer my questions when the front desk staff was busy but then came after the class and sat down with my friend and I to see how we felt. She took the time to see if the class was good, how we coped, etc in a genuine way that really blew my cynical self away. I think people like her are hard to find in this world, and despite my general dislike for most people, I must say I'm glad she's part of the opening of the first welcoming Yoga Studio (and more) that I've ever come across.
The waiting is over, and it was worth the wait -- Urban Yoga Spa is open! UYS has two studios with a variety of 60 and 90 minute vinyasa and hot hatha classes at very convenient times.
The Hot Hatha class typically is in the smaller studio. It has a mirrored wall, and wow, the radiant heat system works REALLY well. The radiant heaters simulate being in the sunshine. Bodies heat up quite efficiently. You are guaranteed to break a sweat just standing still in that room...
The Vinyasa flow classes are scheduled in the larger studio, which is brighter and has a higher ceiling. The heaters are just as potent, but with the higher ceiling the feeling of the room is airier, which is great for a flow class where you work up your own sweat by breathing and moving.
Once you've worked up a good sweat, you can wash it all away in the comfortable locker room. Obviously I can't speak for the men's locker room, but I can say the women's room is well arranged, has lovely rainfall shower heads, Dove hair and bath products, and hair dryers. Towel rental is $2. Locks are provided free of charge so you can store your belongings worry-free. (Yes, we trust our fellow yogis, but unfortunately, sometimes things have a way of leaving the studio...)
UYS has an arrangement with the Macy's parking garage on 3rd and Stewart. Make sure to get your validation card from the front desk so that you'll only be charged $3. Street parking is free on Sundays - even more incentive to get your yoga on and detoxify from the previous evening.
UYS is offering special 25% off during the month of February, which is a good way to check out the studios and instructors for yourself.
UYS Is also offering RAW organic foods in partnership with Chef Adam Lewis and House of the Sun. Order your lunch by 2pm and pick it up the following day after your yoga practice. Last weekend I had a fruit/nut parfait with macadamia nuts and coconut butter that was delicious and filling. It was just the right meal after a vigorous practice.
The UYS instructors are awesome, studio is lovely and the owners are there greeting everyone and asking for feedback. UYS is a welcome addition to the yoga community. Look for the spa to open in early March.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/10/2009 First to Review
This will be Seattle's newest yoga studio, set to open in mid-January. I can hardly wait! The space… Read more »
I think I officially have a new little obsession with HOT YOGA! I just started going to the Urban Yoga Spa and totally love it. It's not as strict as some Hot Yoga studios and they have 60 minute and 90 minute classes. I've only taken two of the 60 minute classes so far, but love love love it! It really helps me sleep better at night too which is great. I'm hoping that it will help me with my running. The spa just opened up, so the classes are very small. My first day I only had 2 people, but last night there were a few more. I'm really excited about it and happy I finally found a yoga studio in Seattle I like. I'm not really into Power yoga (they have those classes too), so this is perfect. I really like holding my positions and working on my focus and balance and this fills the need!
They have definitely started turning the heat up higher. Between Monday night and Thursday night I totally felt a difference.
This place is awesome. Finally a yoga studio that looks & is clean and not smelly, has professional staff, and has a proper locker room & shower facility. Not to mention the location! I can finally walk down several blocks from my place in Belltown to go to this studio, instead of crossing the bridge to get to Kirkland, or driving up to Capital Hill. I just went for the first time this morning, and really enjoyed it. The heating system they have in place seems to work pretty well, but the instructor kept opening the door a lot especially later in the class - maybe I should've politely asked her to stop doing that (or, maybe I should just get a spot farther away from the door). I took the HH (Hot Hatha) class and I found it to be pretty similar to the HH at Kirkland, with a few minor variations. I'm recommending this place to all my friends, especially those who live on the Seattle side.
I was in Seattle visiting for a week, and I suffer from chronic severe migraines that make me completely incapable of enjoying my vacation, let alone anything else. I was enduring a week-long migraine during my stay in Seattle, but I forced myself to go walk around while I was there, and I passed by Urban Yoga Spa and saw that they also did massage. I inquired, and they said that a "Matt" had an appointment available right then, and I decided to give it a whirl and see if it helped my head and neck. I have gotten many massages and to be honest, lately I've been thinking that massages are overpriced and a risky way to spend money because while some masseuses are good, sometimes it just feels like they're rubbing your back really hard and a day later you still don't feel any better. This place, and Matt specifically, was different. If I lived in Seattle, I would make a regular monthly appointment with Matt right now and those monthly appointments would continue forever, even if it meant altering the monthly budget. This man knows what he is doing. When he asked me why I was there, he actually listened, and he altered his massage plan accordingly. He knows enough about the body and how it works that he was able to massage parts of my neck and shoulders that triggered reactions in nerves and muscles that I didn't even realize I had, and it was like he knew where the light switch was in my body to make the tension go away. Very impressive, and worth every penny. And then, when I went to shower afterwards, the bathrooms have a drier for you to use, and everything is nice and clean. Overall, money well spent. If you need a massage, go to Matt.
The Hour Hot Hatha was a very pleasant experience. The place actually feels like a luxury spa! I love how the room is bright and super clean, as opposed to a dim setting like the Smelly Sweatbox on Cap Hill.I definitely felt more energized and comfortable. The instructor was very encouraging. If you are a student, you get a 20% discount , which knocks the price down to $14.40 for a single class. O yea! the lockers are complimentary too!
I can only say nice things about this place! On Sundays they offer donation based yoga so that anyone is able to practice. I love the concepts that Urban Yoga Spa uphold. I do a work study there, so I don't have to pay for classes, but otherwise, they can be a little pricey if you've been to other studios. But you seriously get what you pay for: immaculate studios, knowledgeable instructors, friendly staff, and intensive hot yoga classes that really gets your day started.
