FireFlow Yoga

I hate to be that guy… I do… but man, you know you’re in trouble when their staff can’t answer a simple question via email. I emailed to find out what the options were as a beginner. Despite their website listing a beginner’s workshop and a yoga for stiff guys workshop, the only option provided via email was private lessons where I was very helpfully told that two private lessons would run me $ 50 each or $ 100 in total (because apparantely I haven’t gone to grade 1 yet and can’t add 50 + 50 on my own). I went back for more details and this time got vague generalities about when the beginners session might start (mid to late September — because that’s just super helpful in the middle of August) and again told that «Private sessions are the best options if you want the most benefits». Poor grammar aside, what increased benefits? I guess I’d have to email a third time to find that out. I was then told that my very specific need (relaxation/​stress relief) is ideal for every single class they offer. Right. Needless to say, I am unimpressed. If they can’t bother to give a crap about a potential customer I can’t be bothered even paying them a visit.

This place just wasn’t a good fit for me and I didn’t feel welcomed enough as a new client. It’s possible that someone else would have a very good experience with this studio for exactly the reasons that it’s not a good fit for me, so I’ve tried to be detailed!
Although I received a brief welcome as I registered and was pointed in the direction of both the change room (which is not great) and the washroom, the whole place had a really insider vibe and I was a kinda-​welcome, kinda-​unwelcome, outsider. I had to ask someone else in the class questions like, «Where will the instructor be set up?» and «What props do you usually need for this class?» At my old studio, my instructor would either announce what we needed on the way in, or would sometimes put a sign on the door. Here, it felt like I was expected to already know or to guess. I prefer more welcome and direction as a first-​timer.
The class was also PACKED. I’m a tall polite lady, and it always worries me a bit to be too close to those around me because it ends up making me limit my reach in different poses and movements. Realistically, the studio was too packed for the instructor to possibly be keeping an eye on safe positioning for the whole class. This is a big thing for me: I can practice all I want at home, but I go to classes partly to be sure I’m doing them RIGHT. Here, there was a bigger focus on physical exertion.
The physical intensity was more than I expected for a low-​level class. I have a regular but very basic yoga practice. I care about staying in tune with my breath and checking in with what’s happening in my body. The class I attended at FireFlow just wasn’t what I go to yoga for. I’m don’t want to do a disservice to the instructors here — I’m sure there is a lot to their individual practices and that many of their students get a lot out of it — but to me it felt like it was geared towards folks who want to work out. I want to build strength and flexibility, and I enjoy Vinyasa flow at other studios, but I didn’t enjoy the intensity of this beginner’s class.
They do offer an «absolute beginner’s workshop», which is what I would probably do if I was going to try them again. However, I’m not an «absolute beginner», I’m just someone who enjoys a different style of practice. So I don’t think I’ll be back.

What a great studio! I have taken many classes at Fireflow and have found all the teachers here to be very knowledgable and very sensitive and caring instructors. If you stay after class with questions they are always ready spend extra time and talk with you. I had some injuries and I mentioned them to the teacher and she went out of her way to help me during the class with modified poses. Anyone who takes ashtanga based yoga would that the classes are hot and you are meant to sweat so the people who are commenting about the heat obviously don’t know that much about this type of yoga! I come to class ready for a good workout and at this studio I know I will not be disappointed.

Fireflow Yoga is going downhill. Most good teachers don’t seem to last long. Constantly changing teachers. Only a few good ones still there. This schedule keeps changing and classes keep getting cut.
The studio is simple and has no frills, but has everything one needs to attend and enjoy a good quality yoga session.
I have attended a number of really good workshops there with world class guest instructors.
There’s a womens and a mens changeroom, small but fine. There are two bathrooms one with a shower in it. There’s a retail shop with a bit of yoga equipment.
There is loads of free parking along redpath ave, or paid street parking, or a two paid lots.
While there are some good classes there and some good teachers overall the studio has no feeling of community. Disdsapointing sin even the location is so good. Also not that clean.

Great place AND close to my work !!! I don’t know why the good reviews are filtered…

I have been wanting to try Fireflow Yoga for a while. and knew they had a great introductory rate. I came across a Groupon deal so decided to take advantage of it.
Studio is cozy. It doesn’t have all the extras (shower, change rooms, etc) but I usually don’t use those anyway.
My first experience wasn’t as good as my second, probably because the first time I was rushed getting to the class and it was my first time practicing Ashtanga Yoga. I usually do Hatha, Bikrim or Vinyasa Flow.
Anyhow, the owner was really great with answering my questions over the phone when I was registering and Shareen was a really great teacher, probably one of my favourites ever.
I think those who reviewed less than 3 stars are just being unfair. Fireflow isn’t over the top, but it’s clean, the space is nice and the classes that I’ve had so far have been great.

I am new to yoga, and I’ve been enjoying my experience at this studio. I started with an absolute beginner’s workshop of 4 classes which I found really helped me learn the basic poses and transitions that are used in the classes — and really allowed me to «flow» easier when attending my first few regular classes. Classes occur daily, and the drop in format allows me to work around my schedule, whatever it may be that week. I have worked with 3 of the instructors so far, and although each has a different style, I have found them all friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I am enjoying the intensity of the ashtanga style, and I really feel I have worked my muscles after a class — as well as some great stretching and relaxation.
The studio itself if small but clean and simple. It is very accessible by transit and a short walk for anyone living in the yonge/​eg area.

What a shame — this place is relatively close to my work but I don’t think I’ll ever go back. I can’t say I enjoyed anything about my experience here. The instructor seemed knowledgeable but grim and joyless; the class was intense and she seemed intent on drilling that into us. I think she would have been better suited to Bikram yoga; that is their style. Her abrasive tone really made this unpleasant for me — I decided to be lazy and lie on my mat for the third part of the class because I wanted to zone out from her awful voice!
The studio is run down and the lock to the bathroom was broken. The heater cover even fell off the register when someone bumped into it. Smelly too.
Tip for the business owner/​manager:
Don’t insult your patrons by assuming they will use their cell phone during class and admonishing them before the class begins. I can read your sign regarding this perfectly well and using my phone 20 minutes before class to QUIETLY check my email isn’t a sign that I’m a rule breaker.
Overall: this place needs to lighten up and fix a few things.

FireFlow Yoga is conveniently located in the Yonge-​Eglinton area on the second floor of a low-​rise row of businesses. It’s easily accessed by TTC, and has lots of street and lot parking in the neighbourhood making it readily accessible by many people.
They offer a reasonable number of classes focussing on the Ashtanga influenced, vinyasa flow style.
Many of the instructors are Downward Dog trained, and are regular practitioners at that competing studio (that being said, many of the City’s vinyasa flow/​Ashtanga instructors practice at Downward Dog).
If you’ve done yoga enough in this City, you’ll see that many teachers teach at many studios. If you pick your classes right, you can have the same teacher teach a week of classes at 5 different studios (maybe not quite accurate, but you get the point don’t you?).
Although I’ve only been to the studio once for a weekday Level 1 – 2 class taught by Kathleen, I know FireFlow’s teachers from classes at other studios to be strong and inspiring practitioners offering in general fine instruction. I knew Kathleen from other studios and knew what to expect from one of her classes which followed the basic structure of some sun salutations, standing and balance postures, a few seated ones, and some closing finishing postures.
The Level 1 – 2 class itself was of average difficulty, I think toned down by the instructor based on the usual clientele of the studio. The class only had 2 other students, so the energy level was not really high or invigorating, but as with any yoga class, you get as much out of a class as you put into it yourself.
The studio itself is quite small offering a small retail space.
They don’t have showers that I’m aware of, and the changeroom for men was a little less than inspiring, being a small curtained off area with a few cubbie-​holes for storage.
The studio room had nice light, and nice dark flooring that worked fine with my mat.
Overall, FireFlow is a fine, small studio, offering a few more non-​hot, vinyasa flow style classes in the area, than does it’s competitor Yogaplus.

I took a Sunday morning Vinyasa Flow class with a friend here, with the Passport to Prana card, and we scored with free parking along an inner street by Eglinton.
FireFlow Yoga is located on the 2^nd floor, and the entrance is very easily spotted from Eglinton, so no problems there. Registration was a little slow, as there were already a few yogis lined up when we entered.
If someone let us know that we’d be waiting even longer than that (there was a technical problem with the computer so, understandibly this was an exceptional case), we could have used the waiting time to change and then return to register.
Good thing we didn’t, however, since the changeroom facility is simply a very tiny room across the front area, heavily populated at the time, and the door remains open, allowing anyone to see unless you’re right at the back.
The class itself was also very full. Unfortunately, the lack of diversity in positions & listless drive of the yoga instructor simply didn’t make it a worth while experience all around.
A page from their compadres at Yoga Plus (
) down the street, and they might find themselves with an improved studio.
2.5 Stars.