Yogani

I was in the area and heard so many things about this studio, so I was going to go take a ""Bikram"" class here but I noticed on their Web site they did other kinds of Yoga, so I became skeptical if this was actually a certified Bikram studio. So I did my research (i called Bikram's HQ) and as i suspected they were not an approved studio. To make matters worse, I was told by a person at HQ that the the person who owns this studio was not even trained by Bikram at his teacher training. I thought this was weird because it said in the Web site Bio the owner went in 99 or something. But it gets even worse, I then asked them if any of the teachers were certified and the answer was ""no""... I guess one of the teachers went to a teacher training but was never re-certified and was even asked to leave the re-certification. With that said, are they are charging for classes with instructors who are not trained and/or re-certified by Bikram? So you have to wonder if you are even getting what you are paying for? Also, the potential risks that are involved in taking a bikram class are numerous and to put their clients in potential danger is scary. This is also very sad and dis-heartning because they are selling Yoga and calling themselves a Yoga studio but they are trying to capitalize on something that Mr. Bikram created without his permission. Agree or disagree with Mr. Bikram, if someone copied Yogani's business model and took their name and then started to open up studios, I bet Yogani would have a problem with that. They obviously know it works so why not pay the piper and do the right thing? So do your research. more

I am new to yoga and not them most flexible. My massage therapist recommended that I take yoga, as I am a hairdresser and my shoulders and upper back are constantly in knots. more

Best Yoga Studio in Tampa! more

Note: I didn't attend any other classes, so maybe they are good at teaching other kinds of yoga. I was in town for the weekend and went to the Friday noon ""Bikram"" class. This isn't a real licensed Bikram studio, and they don't follow a lot of Bikram's rules (e.g.: Bikram doesn't allow wood floors because they're too slippery/dangerous, but this place has them). My biggest problem was that the room was not NEARLY hot enough. It could not have been hotter than 90, when a real Bikram class should be at least 105. Also, the instructor deviated a lot from the standard Bikram instructions, so instead of giving lots of details about what you should be doing in each pose, he talked about things like finding your inner peace. That's nice and all, but I noticed a lot of people in the class doing the poses completely wrong because the instructor wasn't being fully informative. I guess this class is fine if you're into ""gentle"" yoga, but I'm pretty hardcore about Bikram and this was a disappointment for me. I come to Bikram classes to get an intense workout and to be pushed to the limits of what my body can do -- NOT to be told I can just take it easy and meditate on my goals in life. That's what therapy is for. Pros: Only Bikram class in the area Cons: Not hot enough, instruction not very good more

I've been practicing yoga for 1.5 years and this was my first Bikram yoga class. I've been to several studios and this one was warm, inviting and helpful. The class was terrific and the teacher, Annie, was a superb motivator. Anytime I'm in Tampa visiting family, I will make it to Yogani and sweat out the family tension! Pros: Mat rental, friendly staff Cons: Parking more

I've been going here since they opened the location (plus a couple years at the old location). They offer many types of yoga. I like Eric's Tuesday 5pm intermediate flow class for a great workout. It is a popular class with good reason, many regulars. In general, the instructors I've had here are the best out of the studios I've visited in Tampa and NY. You must give this place 3 tries, with 3 different instructors to get a range of what they offer. Pros: instructors, ambiance, showers, class variety Cons: if you forget your mat, you have to pay for mat rental more