Taj Yoga

I really enjoyg coming to this studio. It is warm and friendly. The workshop that was offered with George Purvis was fantastic and Laura's Yoga Nidra Sunday night classes are a wonderful way to end the weekend and begin the week. more

I had studied with Theresa a number of years ago before I left the Seattle area and when I moved back, she was the first person I looked up to take classes from. I was so struck by the relaxed and inviting atmosphere of this neighborhood studio which is a part of a very cool community of artists and healers all housed in the Crown Hill building. Needless to say I continue to study here and just last month completed the Pacific Yoga Teacher Training that is offered at Taj Yoga. I can't express my gratitude and excitement at having found this studio and encourage all of my clients and friends to explore and deepen their practice in a place that is tons of fun and very informative. Fabulous job, Taj Yoga!! more

I value the care, the excellent instruction that includes a willingness to explore the safest process, that all the teachers at Taj employ to teach students. There is the light filled room and the humor too! Theresa Elliott, Melissa Samuels and occasional classes with Dylan are the pleasure of my weeks. more

This is a great yoga studio with very talented teachers. I have loved all the classes I have taken at Taj Yoga! The community setting is perfect. more

Wonderful studio - wonderful teachers. I have taken yoga for over twenty five years - one of the walking wounded. This studio made me believe in movement, freedom from injury and love of my body again! Great place, cool people, and great enviornment. Try a class, and enjoy learning from real professional, highly trained movement teachers! more

I am a beginning yoga student and have been at Taj for about 2 years. I love the small class sizes and individual attention. The instructors really care about you and your body . They want to make sure you are not injuring yourself but encourage you to try things when you are ready. The atmosphere is relaxed. My yoga class is the highlight of my week and has made a difference how I feel every day Pros: Small classes, great instructors more

All the teachers at Taj yoga are caring and extremely knowledgeable. I have gained a thorough knowledge of anatomy as well as the philosophy of yoga through the classes I have taken at the studio. I especially enjoy Carol Levin's Alexander Technique class, which has given me a new sense of freedom in breathing and movement in every aspect of my life, and has given me an extra dose of in-depth knowledge on how our minds and bodies work. Thank you to all the dedicated teachers of Taj Yoga and to Theresa Elliott for having the foresight to create such an incredible studio for all of us to play in :o) ! more

Since 2001 I have been attending classes with Theressa Elliott every time I can get to Seattle at the right time - that is the right time for one of her classes. I have NEVER been disappointed with a class from Theressa. She is not only extremely talented but funny and very knowledgeble. She takes her subject and students seriously, but not herself. What a refreshing combination. Pros: Great teachers, especially Theressa Elliott Cons: Too far from Port Angeles to attend on a weekly basis more

In a sea of yoga teachers today where do you think one can find teacher that is knowledgeable , talented, experienced ,who actually practice what she preaches, refines her own practice, deepens her knowledge, as great for the seasoned practitioners as for complete beginners, have great sense of humor , absolutely inspiring and loved by her students but possesses neither inflated Ego nor disease of self importance? ......you find her in her Taj yoga studio. Her name is Theresa Elliott! Pros: Theresa Elliott! more

I am, to put in crudely, extremely promiscuous when it comes to checking out the yoga scene in Seattle. I would drive by a yoga studio, my car would come to a screeching halt (like in the movies), and I'd flip a U and check it out. My promiscuity also extends to yoga styles. If someone's labeling it, trademarking it, or teaching it, I'm taking it. My Baskin-Robbins approach has taken me to teachers and yoga conferences from the East side to the West side, and even all over the country. (I'm sure the hallmark of a yoga nut is you travel for it). So yes, I get around, and I can truly say that Theresa Elliott is one the best yoga teachers I've ever had, and most certainly hands down *the* best yoga teacher in the Seattle area. While the claim of ""best"" anything is purely subjective, I make this strong statement about Theresa and Taj for the following reasons: + Location location location - As they love to say in Real Estate (also, bubble bubble bubble, but I digress), yoga is also about understanding what is happening *where* in your body, and whether that's desirable or not. I had never learned how to do this until I met Theresa, where I learned what ""moving with awareness"" really means. + Safety first - yes, yoga is all about peace, love, and all that groovy good stuff, but we are working, first and foremost, with the body in the physical branch of yoga. Like any other adrenaline-induced beginners, I went along with the more is better mentality. More backbends, more touching my head to the floor, more pushing my knees back. As a result, I've brought upon myself a few yoga injuries, and at Taj, I can practice with the confidence that someone is making sure that I get rid of that habit. + Variety is the spice of life - There are classes for: Beginning, Skill in Asana, Vinyasa Techniques, Universal Flow , Back Care, Kids Yoga, Senior Yoga, and Alexander Technique. The Skill and Technique classes break down the mechanics of the poses, and makes the anatomy geek in me very satisfied. The Flow classes are great when you need to build more heat and endurance. Even after over 10 years of doing yoga, I still consider myself a beginner, and I always learn something new in the Beginning class. + Real people - Yes, yoga teachers are real people too! Ok, I'm being facetious, but really, the teachers are casual, relax, down-to-earth, and have a good sense of humor, allowing me to also relax and be myself, and it makes the learning experience much more pleasant. + One last thing about the studio before I end my epic review. The setting of Taj Yoga is really unique and unlike any other studio. As you've probably gathered from the other reviews, it's in an old 1950s-ish building, which is also home to a ballet school, Wassa African dance, Flamingo dance... ok you get the idea. It's always really fun for me to come to class and see all the buzzing activities going on. There it is, I've given the Iliad a run for its money, but all this rambling is really to say that Taj Yoga is a great studio, and whether you're a brand new or seasoned yogi, you'll love working with Theresa Elliott and the awesome teachers at Taj. Pros: Highest quality of teaching you can get for your bucks more

Situated in an old school building full of different movement professionals, Taj Yoga is a gem! Take a class from an expert instructor and and follow it up with a dance class if you like! The teachers at Taj, especially Theresa, ALL emphasize safety in alignment. At Taj it's not a competition... it's a fun and ecouraging learning experience that keeps you coming back for more! Weekly ongoing classes are offered as well as workshops. Best of all?! Your kids can take yoga next door at the same time as the Monday afternoon General level class!!!! Pros: plenty of parking, lots of classes more

I have a lot of good things to say about Taj yoga and its director Theresa Elliott but I will make it short: Pros: Great teacher more

I found Taj Yoga last fall after my previous yoga teacher retired from doing weekly classes. I am absolutely delighted with the two different weekly yoga classes I now take at Taj Yoga - Theresa Elliott 's Monday 4:15 -5:30 pm class for mixed levels and Melissa Samuels' Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00 am morning Senior Yoga class. Both Theresa and Melissa are very knowledgable about human anatomy and physiology, which allows me to trust their instruction without worrying about risking injury. All the positive things other reviewers have said about Theresa Elliott and her instruction are the things I would say as well and more. Melissa Samuels' Senior Yoga is a terrific class for anyone, senior or not, who wants to learn and practice yoga particularly in order to retain or improve balance, muscle strength and flexibility. Melissa's class is fun and challenging. more

Theresa Elliot, otherwise known as the Goddess of Stability and Alignment, is a seemly infinite mine of information on yoga and the body. Ever had a yoga related injury or ache and pain? Theresa has a laser eye that will ferret out those personal mysteries. Theresa is the Yoga teacher's teacher. Experience the best in town with jokes thrown in for free. Pros: Theresa Elliot more

I searched extensively for a yoga studio where I would be comfortable (as a middle-aged person, with only one prior year of yoga) but also would be challenged and encouraged to the next level. I finally found Taj Yoga, which I'd describe as ""serious but never sanctimonious."" The general class I take has beginners, mid-levels like myself, and people studying to be professional yoga teachers and, amazingly, it works! Pros: Instructor more

Theresa is a biomechanical Goddess, no two ways about it. You will learn amazing things about your body. She?s been practicing for years upon years, and it shows. Her knowledge and understanding of how the body moves, why it does that, what it will do if you do something else, etc is fantastic. One of the things I appreciated the most about her is that a person might easily feel overwhelmed or ?in over their head? with someone so well practiced and steeped in this practice for so long? but that?s not the way it is at all. Present a different way to practice within a pose, and she?ll mull it over? she?ll pay that idea respect every time. Only if she can think of a reason it?s unhealthy or that you might hurt yourself, would working that different way within that pose be ?wrong?. She?s a purist only where health and integrity are concerned. Everything else is just an organic idea deserving attention and I love the group discussions (tangents, really) we get into. I always feel like she respects my thoughts on matters; though she?s got a lifetime of experience on me I never once feel like she is looking down on me. more

I recently completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training course with Theresa Elliott and Kathryn Payne, which was held at the Taj Yoga classroom. It was the most solid preparation I could have gotten anywhere. Theresa was extremely well organized, demonstrated poses clearly, had us practice them repeatedly, and then had us practice teaching the individual poses and an entire class, so we would be super-well prepared to teach afterwards. I have been using many of her teaching techniques in the yoga classes I teach, and it has been a delight to introduce them to my students and keep the variety and level of interest high. My students say they appreciate knowing the rationale for doing things a certain way, not just knowing what to do, but why to do it that way, and I thank Theresa for giving me that knowledge! Go to Theresa for the clearest explanation and teaching of mula bandha anywhere. Learn from her how to avoid yoga injuries by going into the poses in the correct sequence, and learn how to do the poses themselves elegantly and powerfully. Above all, learn how to teach the poses clearly, correctly, and effectively. And do be sure to enjoy her humor! Pros: Good schedule for teacher training, homework was reasonable amount and useful. Cons: None. more

A great place to begin and learn good yoga habits! Theresa's classes are totally fun and down to earth. I love her teaching style and she is simply a master. I've also taken yoga class with the other Taj teachers and each one is full of knowledge and brings a unique contribution to the studio. The atmosphere is unpretentious and it's all about yoga here. Lots of different styles and topics too. Pros: Nice room, ample parking more

I was a novice at yoga when I walked through the doors of Taj Yoga 14 months ago. I had heard about yoga being good at centering one, calming one down, but let's be honest...there was a strong attraction to the possibility I might get a tight, high yoga butt as an extra benefit. more

I came to Theresa Elliott seeking the solid teacher training program that had been recommended to me, and she has remained my teacher long after the two year training was completed. Whether you're working with a particular injury, are new to yoga, or are an experienced practitioner looking for finding a sense of intuitive understanding, a deeper experience, or just want to try that crazy pose you saw in a book, I can't recommend Theresa enough. Her particular gift is an intuitive seeing and body intelligence and how it connects to the pose and she conveys it in a way that is non-threatening and fun. Classes are light-hearted, comfortable, and focused without being rigid. Theresa's approachable style and innate compassion and love for her art make practice at Taj a pleasure. Pros: Atmosphere, lighting, parking, props, affordable more