Q: Where are you located? What times are your classes? What are the rates?
A: Our studio is located at 3030 Travis Street, Suite E, Houston, Texas 77006, and is very near downtown and Montrose with easy access to and from 59, 288, I-45 and I-10. The studio has ample parking and a brand new, custom designed generous studio space with locker rooms and showers. Class schedules were designed with the working person in mind, with classes before work, at lunch and after work, to suit your needs. We also have several classes for those students who can only get away for a class during the workday/schoolday. For a map, click here. For a class schedule, click here. For rates, click here.
A NOTE ON PARKING: With our recent expansion and new neighbors in our shopping center, parking has gotten tighter. There is surface lot parking on ALL THREE sides of the studio: front, side and back as well as street parking after 6pm on Travis and Milam. In addition, our shopping center has an agreement with HCC for the use of their parking garage at the corner of Travis and Elgin (which is monitored by security). If you live close, consider riding your bike. You can bring it inside. Please pay attention to the parking signs and please allow a little extra time for parking. The class schedule has been structured so that spaces should open up from people leaving class just before your class begins, but it might not always work out perfectly that way. Breathe deeply and start your yoga practice while you cultivate patience in this regard. As with anywhere in Houston, please never leave any valuables (or anything that looks valuable like a briefcase or purse) in your car. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. However, we do have lockers for your use in the locker rooms. You can bring your own lock or borrow one.
Q: What is yoga?
A: We can give you a simple answer which could be used as a starting point. Yoga classically is an ancient discipline made up of several branches, three of which we actively practice at YogaOne: asana (postures), pranayama (yogic breathing) and meditation. You probably think of postures (asanas) when you think of yoga. Yoga literally means union, as in the union of the mind, the body and the spirit. The name YogaOne is derived from the concept of mind, body and spirit as one. To learn more about yoga as a discipline, a good place to start is Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar.
Q: What are the benefits of yoga? Why do yoga as opposed to something else?
A: The benefits of yoga have been well studied and are numerous. The most immediate and obvious benefits of continuous practice in YogaOne’s yoga classes are weight loss, increased metabolism, increased flexibility, detoxification/cleansing of the body and the mind, increased stamina and cardiovascular fitness, an digestive system, improved balance, improved posture, increased focus, deeper relaxation and better sleep. For centuries yogis have also reported experiencing relief from chronic pain, an enhanced immune and nervous system response, and overall improvement of the general health of the mind and body. Yoga is a complete discipline, so that if you only practiced yoga, you would still get a complete and comprehensive workout of all parts of the body.
Yoga is unique because it provides all of these benefits while remaining a “low to no impact” form of exercise. That is, yoga does not cause repetitive stress injuries like many other forms of exercise like running, aerobics, cycling, basketball, baseball, football, soccer, weight-lifting, etc.). In fact, many yogis have experienced that yoga helps them avoid or overcome such injuries through regular practice, strengthening the joints and connective tissue in preparation for, and also speeding the recovery from, such activities. For that reason, it is a perfect complement to these and other activities, and many of YogaOne’s students use yoga as a complement to their other activities and sports while others practice yoga exclusively.
Q: Why is it hot?
A: We find that a heated room warms the body and allows for deeper relaxation, greater flexibility, and increased detoxification/cleansing. In general, it also provides a better workout and burns additional calories. Our students also like it hot. We rely on humidity as well as direct heat so that we do not have to have extremely high temperatures to achieve the benefits of a heated room. We have created a custom heating and humidification system (HVAC) for these purposes. Note: not all of our classes are hot, only the ones that say “Hot” in the name, but none of our classes are held at ”room temperature.” The Forrest Yoga and Flow classes could be accurately described as warm.
Q: What should I bring? Is there any special etiquette for yoga?
A: First and foremost, water, at least 1 liter, in a portable, spill-proof container. You will need this to replace fluids during your class. Ideally, you will come well hydrated to class. YogaOne also sells water and electrolyte enhanced fluids. Free refills are available from the tap at the Hot Studio and from our Ozarka fountain at the Flow Factory. Please also bring a sticky mat and towel. This is the personal space where you will perform your yoga. If you are a first time student, we can supply you with a sticky mat and a towel for free during your first class, but you will eventually want to have your own. YogaOne sells sticky mats and yoga towels/carpets. Standard sticky mats are also available in sporting goods stores and online. For etiquette for taking classes at YogaOne Studios, please click here.
Q: I am not very flexible and/or I have poor balance. Can I do yoga?
A: Of course! Increased flexibility and greater balance is a benefit of yoga, not a pre-requisite for starting.
Q: I am injured/physically challenged/ill/out of shape, can I still do yoga?
A: Our Hot Hatha Core Series yoga classes (almost all of our classes) are intended to allow everyone to practice, with some modifications, and yoga is known to heal injuries and aid in weight loss and conditioning. The benefits of yoga are too numerous to list here. Generally, your body will tell you where your limits are. You should listen to your body. You still derive benefit no matter how deeply you get into a posture, so you should not feel as though you have to do the posture as well as the next person, because every person’s body is different. There is no perfect posture, and even the best yogis can still benefit from some adjustment. Yoga is a discipline, not a competition. However, before beginning any exercise regimen, including yoga, you should consult with and obtain the approval of your physician.
Q: I am a Christian/Muslim/Hindu/Buddhist/Sufi/Etc. Is yoga contrary to my religion? Is yoga a religion?
A: Absolutely not. First, yoga is not a religion, it is a discipline, not unlike martial arts in a way. Yoga is essentially a form of active meditation (you might call it exercise) and many people find that it helps them to relax and quiet their minds and actually deepens their understanding of whatever religious philosophy they espouse (if any), because a quiet mind is ready to receive knowledge. It is up to you to set your own intention before each class. Some people come to yoga for the physical fitness aspect, some seek balance, some seek flexibility, some seek to lose weight and some come for the calming benefits and are more drawn to the meditative aspects of yoga. Our yoga classes do all of this, and all of these reasons are great reasons for coming. YogaOne’s classes allow you to decide what you want to get out of the class. The wonderful thing about yoga is that you do not have to believe in its benefits to receive them; they happen anyway.
Q: I tried X kind of yoga and they do this or that posture differently. Who is right?
A: Yoga is an ancient tradition. There are as many variations of it (and indeed as many variations of a single asana (posture)) as there are limbs on a very old tree. There is no right version or wrong version, just different versions of postures. The only wrong way is a way that is likely to lead to injury. Some teachers try to stick very close to the classic ways of practicing yoga and recently there have been a number of updated variations on these classic branches of yoga. However, they are all yoga and we try not to judge other teachers, studios, methods. At YogaOne, we try to combine the classical with the modern to get the benefits of both. Generally, each of our postures has roots in the ancient tradition and perhaps in some cases, haven’t changed much at all. Remember, thousands of years ago, yoga was traditionally practiced by holy men in caves and, so, some of the ancient practices need modification for the world we live in today.
Q: Will I ever be able to do that pose that so-and-so does?
A: Eventually, yes, but it all depends upon how long, how consistenly, and how hard you practice. Maybe it is 5 weeks or 5 months or 5 years away. Moreover, it isn’t beneficial to compare yourself to others in the class. Every person’s body is different and yoga isn’t about competition, it is about being disciplined in your practice, listening to the dialogue and doing the best you can do for that day. Struggling to get into a posture isn’t beneficial. Learning to work without struggle is. If you’ve done that, you will receive 100% of the benefits of yoga.
Q: Do you hire teachers?
A: Yes, YogaOne actively seeks qualified teachers who excel in their field on a case-by-case basis as our needs dictate. Please contact us to discuss your background and experience.
Q: How “green” is your business?
A: Our studio flooring is 100% real bamboo harvested from certified, sustainable sources. We used only no-VOC (non-toxic) paints and finishes and we clean the studio with non-toxic, plant-based cleaning products. Our lighting is 100% CFL lighting. We recycle and encourage students to bring their own water and towels to class and to ride their bikes to class if possible.
More Classes Our Featured Classes
Hot (90 minutes)
This is the core hot yoga class at YogaOne. This class forms the building blocks for a yogi’s/yogini’s practice of yoga. It is YogaOne's hatha yoga sequence practiced in a hot room in order to allow the body to warm up quickly to deepen the practice and to maximize the detoxifying, cleansing nature of the postures in the series.
This sequence was created taking what our instructors learned from a diversed range of yoga styles and is designed to provide a full workout for the entire body and leaves the student exhausted but invigorated. There are brief resting postures between the active poses. This class is for beginners through advanced students. Hot, 102-105 degrees F, 50-60% humidity. (BEGINNER FRIENDLY)
Flow aka Vinyasa Flow (60 or 90 minutes)
This is a more active class inspired by Ashtanga, Power and Forrest Yoga (and other yoga styles depending upon the instructor) with continuous movement where one flows from one posture to the next without rest in-between. Vinyasa literally means "to link"; movements are linked one to the next and breath is linked to movement.
This style of yoga is a great compliment to our Hot classes. Some previous yoga experience is generally recommended for these classes, but other than Flow 2 classes (which is for intermediate to advanced students), all flow classes are all levels. Warm, but not hot, 85-90 degrees F. (BEGINNERS TO FLOW ARE ENCOURAGED TO START IN OUR WEEKLY FLOW 101 CLASS).
