Lotusland Yoga SF

I've been taking classes at Lotusland for about 8 months (how time flies!), and I'm really impressed by the quality of the experience. I used to go to Yoga Tree extensively before they shut down, and I've been to a few other local studios. Not all the teachers at Lotusland are equally skilled, but they all have a quality which I've found lacking at many other studios, which is a desire to actually TEACH yoga rather than just instruct it. The studio is small enough that the teachers can get to know the students and offer personalized, hands-on assistance, which helps new students practice proper form and more experienced students refine their technique.

This is not the place to go if you want a Core Power Flow Maximum Heated Vinyasa Yogaerobics Body Sculpting class, but it's a great place to go if you want to, you know, learn and practice yoga.

This is a bright beautiful studio. I have come many times to the Happy Hour Yoga class as well as their Yin Yoga. I've mostly attended via ClassPass.

Class is never overcrowded. The instructors are friendly and warm and take their time to explain the postures while still maintaining a nice flow to the class.

They also have a nice little space in the lobby to write what you're grateful for and have warm tea and ginger snaps. A lovely treat before or after class.

I recently was at Laughing Lotus Yoga Center to attend a kirtan led by Jai Uttal. Laughing Lotus is conveniently located a short walk from the 16th St BART in the Mission District. The show started at 8pm & I arrived at half past 7. The front desk checked me in & showed me where the cubbies were for my shoes. She graciously told me to help myself to some tea.

Blankets were laid down on the hardwood floors of the yoga studio. Since I arrived early I was able to secure seating up front. It was a nice space w/ good energy. It was a packed show & gather there were probably over 100 people in attendance & upwards of 150 people I would guess.

This was my first time seeing Jai Uttal. The album of his I am most familiar w/ is the classic from the '90s "Beggars & Saints". Jai has been quite prolific putting out a lot of work. His latest release is a double album called Roots Rock Rama!

During the performance he played acoustic guitar & harmonium. There were two other performing w/ him including a woman named Nubia who had a lovely voice & they were joined by Daniel who played both the tablas & the harmonica.

The kirtan was quite amazing & was supposed to go until 10pm yet was still going on a bit past 10pm & this is when I realized I needed to exit to head back to Oakland to get up early to work the next day. I look forward to coming back here to check out another kirtan soon.

I attended two yoga classes here. People are friendly and teachers are pretty good. Chanting and calling God's name during yoga is a little too much for me. I do yoga to relax my body and mind. Luckily I was able to accomplish that here. I liked their choice of music and that definitely put me in the right mood. Location of this place is not the best, the neighborhood is sketchy and not very safe.

Lotusland is a beautiful and peaceful place, and it is a pleasure to be back on the yoga mat in such a sweet spot! The instructors really know their stuff and its amazing how good I feel every time I leave this place. So lucky to have this yoga studio in SF!

I found this studio on ClassPass when I was looking for a restorative yoga class. From the outside, this place is hard to miss. It's definitely at home in the mission with its colorful exterior. Upon entering the staff is always super warm and inviting. After you check in on the iPad, leave your shoes in the cubbies by the door, enjoy a cup of spice tea and then head into the back room.

While this studio only has one room, I love how large it is. It's never felt cramped and I've never felt like I needed to rush out for the next class to start. They have scheduled the flow of classes very well. There are plenty of props for all students and they feel clean and well maintained. I haven't purchased anything yet but they also have an interesting selection of clothing, candles, yoga items and bath supplies in the lobby.

I've taken a few different classes here but my favorite is Restorative (you only do a few poses but you hold for a longer period of time). I love the attention to detail the instructor provides (if a pose doesn't work she will help you find a solution). During class, she will walk around with essential oils and place her hands on you if you choose. It sounds weird but I promise it is very relaxing. Her musical selection is always intriguing. It definitely puts me in a different mental space. This is the perfect class to end or begin your work week.

I also enjoy the Lotus Flow class when I'm looking for more of a workout. I love the pace of this class (not too fast and not too slow, it literally flows) and even if I can't hear the instructor all the way in the back (this one fills up so get here early), I can easily follow along with everyone else in class without feeling like I'm falling behind.

This studio really makes yoga an enjoyable practice. It's not a competition, they don't shame you if you are late and I've never felt awkward not being able to get into a pose or being right in the middle of the room with all eyes on you.

I am a regular yoga practitioner, and I took my first class at the Laughing Lotus Yoga center yesterday.
The teacher was Astrud.
On Thursday, 9 AM.

I really enjoyed how she started the class.
Strong, calm, friendly demeanor. She had a little instrument, and we did a bit of chanting to set the mood. That works very well for me.

The whole class was wonderfully structured and guided.
Parking was very easy to find on Dolores Street, I could've even found one right in front of the place as I noticed walking up...
The receptionist was very well coming.
The place was clean and had beautiful energy.

In other words, I highly recommend a place, and I will become a regular.

I have been coming to Laughing Lotus for about 8 or 9 years, so this review is long overdue. One thing that immediately appealed to me was how friendly everyone was, especially at a time when many businesses were not making this a priority (it was not unusual at that time to walk into any SF business and not even be acknowledged or greeted).

What kept me coming back is the way the teachers integrate a dharma talk, a spiritual theme of the month (chakras, for example) and some chanting or singing at the beginning of class. There is also much emphasis on community, not just theirs but the bigger picture as far as humanitarianism and living yoga philosophies (patience, compassion, kindness, etc) everywhere you go.

This has a way of easing into the physical practice in a very calm mindset and, for me, makes the practice more of a meditation. It has helped me learn to meditate outside of class, which has been fundamental in helping my overall mood.

And in the process I have gotten better at yoga itself, but this is also from the discipline of going regularly (about 3 times/week). The teachers do hands-on adjustments and are thoughtful about body mechanics and prevention of injuries. I am probably in the best physical shape I have ever been in, and prior to yoga I did years of dance and just before I started I was going to boot-camp groups 2-3 times a week.

I've tried other studios, many are decent, but I just don't get the whole mind-body experience. I also do feel more "community" even though I don't socialize with anyone outside of the studio, I have had many wonderful conversations drinking tea in the little lobby after class.

I l just moved down the block from this studio and have really enjoyed the classes here! I had done yoga regularly a few years ago, but haven't practiced for a while, and this has been a great place to reintroduce it into my exercise routine.

The studio itself is homey and pleasant. There is a place to sit down and take off your shoes near the entrance, along with complimentary tea and gingersnap cookies. They also have a water fountain outside the studio and cubbies to store your belongings in the studio room.

The studio itself is fairly large and filled with natural light. The back door (where the instructor is) faces a small yard with pretty plants, and there are skylights in the ceiling. This creates a very lovely atmosphere!

I've done a few of the class types with different instructors and they've all been great. Like any studio, the styles of individual instructors vary, giving you options to choose from to find who you like. What's been consistent across all instructors is the accessibility and scalability of the classes: the "baseline" flow will be accessible, vigorous and reasonably challenging, and you'll see people adding on or modifying as desired.

Many instructors offer hands on corrections, which is helpful. I'm not sure I'd recommend this studio to an absolute beginner, though, as there isn't a lot of directive coaching on how to get into poses correctly or what "not to do". I always leave refreshed and energized, without feeling like I overreached or strained anything.

On a practical level, some classes are 60 minutes which is fantastic to fit into your day, while some are longer for folks who prefer that. The schedule also offers great coverage of times throughout the day (including evening classes on weekends and an 8:15pm class on weekdays! Yes!). It's a short walk from BART or MUNI as well. I'm a fan!

Yoga isn't about religion - why make it so? On entering this studio, there are pictures of Indian Gods and Goddesses adorning every wall - which I find mildly offensive because I don't think religious deities should be used as decoration. I was even more appalled when at the start of the session, the teacher started calling upon Goddess Kali and chanting in her name. They then went on to talk about the "power of mantras" and starting chanting the Gayatri mantra (which mind you - was actually said in the WRONG order and using sanskirt words that don't exist). At this point, I wanted to just leave - but thought I'd give them a chance and stayed. The sequence of poses and the vinyasa yoga after was fine.. but I don't think it's anyone's place to try to appropriate a religion and bring it into a spiritual practice. I would give this place 0 stars and report it if I could.