Yoga Passage

I’ve been practicing yoga for about a decade and am pretty picky about where I go… usually that comes from practice style and actual physical space… then comes available practice times.
I am happy that Yoga passage exists and has a GREAT schedule for those who (like me) live outside the city but still want to get their yoga on.
I am not overly fond of all of the teaching styles BUT if your practice is advanced enough you can manage your way through a lot of classes putting in modifications where necessary.
I would like to be able to try something other than the 2 time periods over lunch to get a better sense of staff/​practice styles here.
Change rooms for women is eensy… but no one ever showers at lunch so there is never a line up for me. Isn’t that weird though? Out of 2 classes of about 40 ppl of which 90% are women I am the ONLY PERSON WHO SHOWERS. Ick.
Anyway, lots of space to move, classes you can make over your lunch hour.

After living in Calgary for a couple short weeks I figure I’d better add yoga back into my daily routine. I work downtown so I literally Unilocaled which yoga location would be closest to my place of employment in hopes to frequent the studio after work a couple days per week. I’m so glad that Yoga passage came up in my phone –I really lucked out. The first time I showed up the staff were super friendly and helpful and I signed up for the 4 week unlimited pass for $ 40. Over the course of the 4 weeks I’ve managed to attend 8 yoga classes making this pass so worthwhile at $ 5 a class. The classes are packed, and everyone is so focused on bettering their practice; it’s refreshing.
The instructors are fantastic, I love yoga because it’s a great workout but I also really enjoy the mental/​spiritual side of it. I think the instructors do a great job of helping you let go of your day and really help you accept and love yourself. If you are feeling down or having a bad day you should check out a yoga class! There are so many times I don’t feel like dragging my butt to yoga but I’m always so grateful that I did. Seriously you guys, this place is the best.

Ahhhh Savasana… I have been practicing yoga for ~10 years, and have been going to yoga passage for over 4 years. And Love it. They have two different studios, wide range of classes (including hot) and many different teachers. My all time favorite is Kim Wiebe in her Strength and Soul class.!! There is even lunchtime classes that are 50 minutes long. Great way to break up the work day. Buy a drop 10 pass drop in card and drop in!

I have always been a fan of Yoga Passage.
When I practice here, I learn something with every class. The nuggets of advice sprinkled throughout the classes at Yoga Passage tend to stick with me and improve my practice overall; things like «still hands means a still mind»; «acknowledge and observe your thoughts as they come, then accept them and move on»; etc. This also seems to be the only studio where in shavasana, I can relax my eyeballs…
I like that the practices focus on both the mental and physical aspects of yoga. Of course, one cannot squeeze all yoga philosophies into a 75 minute class; but I find if you go enough, you will learn a little more each time.
The studio is clean, it’s staff friendly and the classes an good mix of challenging and relaxing. Each class offers alternates to the poses so you can push yourself further, making the practice as beginner or advanced as you like.
Yoga Passage looses a star because the meaning of «hot» in the hot yoga classes varies widely. I have been in hot classes that are everything from almost unbearably hot to just this side warm. This disparity seems to have no pattern. There is no common instructor or time of day that correspond to a certain temperature; so my advice would be to perhaps purchase a better thermometer for the hot room, decide on a temperature, and stick to it.
Temperature disparities aside, I always come out of Yoga Passage feeling refreshed and revived.
T.

There are two kinds of studios in Calgary — yoga studios that offer hot yoga and hot studios that offer yoga. Yes, I’ve said this before (and will say it again). Passage is, generally speaking, the former.
Recently, Passage has been through a transition both in its space, undergoing a recent renovation to its hot room, as well as in its teaching staff. While some instructors are seasoned pros (I love Gord), there are a lot of new faces. Overall, a good studio, and if you want a ridiculously tough/​awesome power flow class, you need to attend on Sundays at 11am.
Valuable sidebar: I’m not sure there are any studios with more competitive student rates. Just saying.

After much reasoning and consideration that I live on the Beltline, and the Yoga Passage is now most accessible to me, I went in this Monday to purchase a three month pass for myself. You may not realize this, Unilocal,but this is a huge deal for me. Firstly– three months??? I am a commitment-​phobe. I have had relationships that lasted less than three months. Additionally, I have previously mentioned my misanthropic tendencies.
Despite these factors, I took the dive. I initially went in for the amazing student rate of $ 120 for 12 weeks of yoga, but it just so happened the Yoga Passage was having a 20% off sale and I caught the last day! Therefore, I obtained three months of yoga for under $ 100, averaging about $ 8 a week. Amazing.
As well, the reception staff were very helpful, kept calling me «sweetheart,» and made sure I had everything I needed. They rent out mats for a miniscule fee. The changerooms are fairly spacious with more than enough cubbies for your things, there are showers, and energy efficient most things. The Yoga Passage also seems to have an affiliated spa, Swirl, that offers massage, I’m looking forward to taking advantage of that.
As for the classes themselves… I left my last studio because I decided I was pretty sick of the hot yoga trend. Of course I’ll still enjoy a hot yoga class from time to time, ‘specially in the winter, but I’m really happy that isn’t allll the Yoga Passage has to offer. Recently, I’ve been into very long, intentional holds, and stillness of mind. I am happy to say the Yoga Passage has just what I need, with some very educated instructors. It’s also a much more comfortable, unpretentious environment for me than other studios I have experienced. I really don’t like feeling like I’m competing with the person next to me, or having people stare at my tattoos, or lack of Lululemon apparel.
All in all, I’m a fan of you, Yoga Passage. :)

The teachers and staff are AMAZING at this Yoga Studio, so they get a 5, but the reason why my overall score is 3, is because parking is horrible, and the classes always seem to be too packed. I found this makes it hard to focus on form, when you have to worry about hitting someone around you. Best class is the Saturday 9am!

Yoga had always been one of those things that I CLAIMED I would do and never did.
That is, until Yoga Passage had a great deal for a 3 month pass. It has a central location downtown, but be warned it has about 8 parking spots, so try parking nearby instead or you may be late for class. I figured if I went once a week that would pay for my pass over time, but I became addicted. Grranted, it took 5 months for that to happen, but the benefits are worth it, especially if you’re tired.
Henna is one of the most wonderful teachers I’ve had. She is the type of person who raditates kindness, and positivity, and can uplift you to enjoy the class, even through the tough parts.
I recommend being up to 30 minutes early, and classes — especially hers — get busy fast.
If you don’t have a mat, you can rent one for $ 1.
Now for the things that they don’t mention about yoga class:
— You will be getting close to others, sometimes to the point of touching, so if you can’t accept that, don’t go.
–The smell — the room is warm, and the sweat smell will cling to your towel and mat. Sometimes you may have other people’s sweat on your mat too — yum yum!
— Loud noises — Some grunt, or breathe heavily (all part of the practice) try not to focus on it. Oh, and passing gas… there’s a lot of that unfortunately. So far, I have yet to experience a ‘death fart’, phew!
— the ‘sights’ — immodest clothing, odd sweat stains, weird positions, all normal. The point is to not worry about others, and what they’re doing and simply focus on yourself.
Have fun, and most importantly BREATHE.

Yoga Passage is indeed as good as Yoga Studios get. As someone who finds some Yoga places a bit too pretentious for me to feel comfortable, I find Yoga Passage the perfect mix of dedicated to the art of Yoga, but not overly commercialized or at all judgmental.
I’ve been going to Yoga Passage for about three years now, off and on. They offer a great variety of classes and have great walk-​in rates. Their Karma Yoga on Sundays at 1pm (by donation) are usually a lot of fun and packed to the gills.
Overall, I have nothing but kind words about Yoga Passage. You should check it out for yourself if you’re in the area — and if you’re not — it’s worth the walk/​drive!

I am a lazy bum and picked my yoga studio for the close walking distance from work and convenient schedule… And I am so, so glad that I lucked into yoga passage because of it.
One of the major benefits of yoga passage is the sheer amount of classes they offer at all times of day. Working late? I’ll go to the 7:45 hot yoga. Getting off early? Maybe I’ll check out the Hatha flow at just after 5:00. The variety in classes means there is always something new to try — I got an unlimited pass for 3 months, and I was really glad that I did. When it ran out, I lucked into some cheap drop-​in passes and promptly burned through them.
The big secret is really that the staff and instructors are great. They know their stuff and they want to teach — you can really tell that they are dedicated to their practice. And they don’t encourage you to go past their limits, and are very careful to ensure that everyone is practising to the best of their abilities and not comparing themselves to everyone else. If you are über competitive like me, this is a big deal — it forces you to really relax and get into your own practice, which is really what yoga is all about anyways.
And ok, I am the first to admit that hot yoga can be a bitch, but you feel ten million times better when you do it regularly. I highly recommend you try this studio — they really care, and you can tell.