Funky Door Yoga

06/11/2007 Posted by orangeyougladtoseeme

it never ceases to amaze me how i can judge my overall bikram experience after the first one, two, three or four classes, or even after a year! i've been practicing at funky door (the one on waller st.) for 3 years and still continuing to go 3-4 times a week. the problem with reviewing a yoga studio is that yoga is a process that continues and changes everyday, just like how my attitudes towards life changes everyday. i learned the hard way to leave my ego at the door and fought so much against the very same details other reviewers are writing here: too hot, too stinky, too militant, too unexperienced, too clique-y, too bright, TOO EVERYTHING THAT SU**KS! i don't think these reviews do funky door any justice and that is why i'm writing to let whoever that has ever wanted to try bikram at funky door to need not be afraid! sure it's awkard not knowing anything about the yoga or the community there. but it won't take too long before you start noticing that you keep coming back! sarah b. (and this is only my opinion) who owns the haight studio has one of the best and far out interesting staff and work traders i know! she's a pretty cool lady herself! it really does feel like home away from home. after trying out different bikram yoga studios i finally found a studio that i can come to everyday. there are four locations of funky door with one in berkeley and the other three here in sf, and even though they are all called funky door, they each have their own character to the place so try all of them (the great thing is one membership gives you access to all four locations, how cool is that) and for the clique-y part, sure, in any environment there will be that, but it has never stopped me from being focused on the real reason i'm here, to create a stronger practice and everything else will tend to unfold itself as long as you let go. forget all the hype and leave your ego at the door, as bikram says, don't let anyone steal your peace.

Pros: service, flexible and friendly staff

Cons: parking, trying to find the time to workout

05/22/2007 Posted by hobib

I was a fan of Funky Door since Jeff and Lynn Renfro first opened it 10 or so years ago. You should know that all of the Funky Doors have been sold and each one now has a separate owner. IMHO, the Funky Door of old is gone. New, inexperienced teachers think yelling at students and joking around with their buddies throughout class is being cool. They think they're rock stars or something. I have moved on to other studios that take a more serious approach to yoga. If you are a beginner, or you don't want to try to fit in with the cliquy atmosphere, I'd try one of the other excellent studios in the City or the East Bay, like Global Yoga in the Marina, or Bikram's Yoga College (the original!) on Columbus, or El Cerrito Yoga in the East Bay. But DO take Bikram Yoga! There is nothing better for you than the heat! Don't let it deter you. And you will find that most studios don't turn up the heat nearly so much as Funky Door where they equate 117 degrees with being hard core. There is no need to have the temperature that high. It is just debilitating. And go often - 3 times a week is adequate, but the more the better! You can do yoga every day and not stress your body, unlike running or other forms of exercise.

Pros: Lots of classes every day, lots of locations

Cons: inexperienced teachers, cliquy atmosphere

11/11/2006 Posted by casonjc

I went to the funky door near height st for my first class session. This was my first time taking bikram and was nervous but excited. The people at the front desk were welcoming and friendly..however once I started the class I found the teacher to me mean and un-helpful. As I struggled through the poses, he called me out by name, yelled at me, and did not offer any suggestions for improvement. I ended the class frustrated and humiliated. I switched to Fluid Yoga in the Inner Sunset and found what I was looking for. The instructors were helpful,challenging and encouraging. Not to mention it is much cleaner and does not smell like sweat. I will never go back to a funky door and would not recommend it to anyone. In my opinion, the miltant attiude of the instructors are a diservice to the practice of yoga and counteract all the postive aspects.

Pros: flexible schedule

Cons: instructors, hygeine, class size

06/28/2006 Posted by pilya

i understand why some people might be turned off by the so-called "militant" technique that some of the instructors use at this studio, but i for one appreciate being pushed to my limit. is it hot? yes. is it hard? hell yes. but in the end, is it worth your time and effort? absolutely. it's amazing what you can accomplish when you tell yourself you can do something, and that attitude goes past the yoga studio and into the real world. every discipline has a degree of mental toughness in it, and bikram yoga, while beautiful and graceful in it's own way, is not for people who aren't willing to tough it out. the only thing that ever really distracts me is the occasional thought that every passerby on 2nd st can see you through the "fishbowl". aside from that (and the inevitable smell, which you really just ignore after the first 5 minutes), i like the fun pictures adorning the studio walls, love the cleanliness of the lockers, the great and accomodating staff, and the fact that i am making my way toward being more focused, balanced and flexible. if you like to reap the rewards of good, hard-earned sweat, this is a great place to be.

Pros: fun atmosphere, friendly staff, committed instructors

Cons: crowded classes

05/11/2006 Posted by marieckim

I have done Ashtanga yoga classes, but this is my first time doing Bikram. I really like Funky Door. I think only 1 instructor in particular is really militant or pushy. She's the boot camp yogi. But she also helped me correct my posture so she is paying attention to the little details. And in my previous Ashtanga classes, I had an instructor who was really pushy too. (She kept correcting my fingers during downward dog. My fingers!!!) Otherwise, Funky Door gives you an excellent value for the first month. The people are very nice and encourage you to come back often. The only drawback is that the classes are pretty crowded. And yes, it does get a little stinky in the studio. But what do you expect? It's not going to smell like lavender and roses. But you get focused and you don't notice it anymore.

Pros: good value, clean locker room, friendly staff

Cons: crowded class size

03/21/2006 Posted by nangirl

I love Funky Door Yoga. Their studios have the best teachers and I've seen a lot of teachers in my seven year practice. They teach a good solid Bikram class and made me feel welcome from the moment I walked in the first time. I moved to SF recently and had heard of Funky Door in New York and they had a good reputation and I was'nt disappointed. I appreciate the attention I get from the whole staff and the fact I can go to the Downtown studio during the week and to the other ones on the weekend. Kudos to Funky Door!

02/14/2006 Posted by mags2006

I have practiced at Funky Door for 2.5 years, but they have lost their way. The Bikram practice is supposed to be a marriage beween body and mind. Yoga is a meditative, restorative mental practice. How can you possibly find this inner peace with the militant teachers yelling at you - saying you need to PUSH, PUSH, PUSH. How can you promote the yoga concept of meditation when teachers are rewarded the more they yell? Why should I show up for a yoga class to endure 115+ degree heat and drill seargents that have no concept of inner peace. Some poor first time students look like they are about to have cardiac arrest - at the same time the teacher says we all need to work harder. I (and my friends) have found better Bikram studios in this city - look around - it doesn't have to be this awful.

Pros: locations

Cons: angry teachers, militant atmosphere, unreasonable heat

01/17/2003 Posted by phoebe505

I have been attending classes with Bikram in Los Angeles for years and The Funky Door studio and teachers are the closest to the real thing. The lights, the microphone, the teaching style are all the real thing. If you really like Bikram yoga and you know what it is all about you will love the Funky Door. The new downtown studio is great!1

Pros: consistant teachers, fun atompshere, great staff

Cons: none

01/02/2003 Posted by billhobi

Sure, you can nitpick this or that issue or instructor, but overall the Funky Door locations deliver a consistent workout that closely models Bikram's delivery. The studios are large, the changing rooms are kept clean, and they all have showers (how anyone could have a Bikram studio without showers is beyond me). Most of the other Bikram studios I have been to are makeshift spaces that don't offer the overall expreience that Funky Door delivers.

Pros: spacious studios, changing rooms, instructors

Cons: crowded

10/31/2002 Posted by lisabagg

I was truly disappointed with this place. The instructor marched around under fluorescent lights with a mic, there was little personal instruction, and no emphasis on the mind-body connection essential to yoga. I am a huge fan of Bikram Yoga--I just think this place does it a disservice.