Prana Yoga Center

I’ve been to La Jolla for holidays and saw this yoga studio, so I booked the five class package and did yoga for the first time and I love it! Thank you all for this experience. You really do a great job!

This is a great, very professional yoga studio. I’ve taken classes with Sara, Jennifer, and Gerhard. All of the classes have been excellent, high-​quality classes. The classes can get crowded, but that’s a good sign. Another good sign is that many of the people who attend classes seem to be long-​time regulars. I’ve been coming here once a week for the past several weeks, and plan to continue.

Worked with each of us from where we are.
My daughter took me here for Mother’s Day. She is highly experienced, it was my second yoga experiece. The instructor made sure everyone benefited from the class. I left feeling destressed my daughter also was pleased with the session. It was well attended but everyone was getting help. This place is welcoming and helpful. It was part of a Mother’s Day that left me with lots of smiles.

For the Yoga Teacher Training Program:
In 2011, I moved to San Diego specifically for this training after hearing incredible feedback about Gerhard and his training. I completed my yoga teacher training at Prana Yoga center in 2011. Since then, I have taken about 700 hours of YTT in various other studios. Every training after my 200 hour at Prana was disappointing because they lacked the depth and integrity that this training provided.
I feel like I got more than my moneys worth by taking my training here, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to train here.
Because of Prana’s in-​depth training, I am now a full time yoga teacher. Thank you!

This is one of the best studios in town. I practice vinyasa here and it is my favorite studio in town, but alas too far for me to frequent regularly. I did the New Year’s Eve class with Sara Deakin and it was amazing. Top notch instructors, warm environment and great vibe.

Its unfortunate that I will have to cancel my membership with Prana Yoga today. I purchased the unlimited classes package and thought I would be allotted a certain number of guest passes with my membership. I had my two daughters that were visiting from out of town meet me at the center with my expectation that I had guest passes to use (none of us brought purses) instead they were turned away with no consideration for my membership. At the very least I would have appreciated a courtesy pass with a notice for future reference but that was courtesy was not offered. UPDATE: Since my original posting, I have had two calls from the center (one by the owner) apologizing for the misunderstanding and for the experience we had. Due to their efforts and the great classes I’m raising my rating.

I took a class here while visiting La Jolla. It was a friendly environment and a great start to my day. I would highly recommend dropping in if you are a visitor. The class was top notch.

This is my all-​time favorite yoga studio in San Diego. I absolutely love the energy in this cozy studio because it has an authentic vibe of community. I also love the «advanced-​ness» of the classes as they offer options to go deeper into postures. This challenge is what keeps me coming back for more! The main attraction that keeps me coming back, however, is the talented yoga instructor Sara Deakin. She has an easy-​going, laid-​back, and fun energy that sets the mood for her classes. Her hands-​on adjustments are awesome and can help you «feel» what the pose is suppose to be like if you haven’t quite mastered it. I highly recommend this studio and especially the instructor Sara!

Prana Yoga Center is a great studio, and it was the first Yoga Studio I ever went to. They basically made me into a Yogi. My first visit is about three years ago, and I’ve been very promiscuous with my Yoga studios ever since, using every Groupon for cheap class packages that I can get my hands on, but even after yoga-​ing around so much, there remains a sweet spot for Prana Yoga in my heart…
The studio is intimate, clean, has a changing room, but no shower, and most classes are conducted at room temperature, and they do not offer any hot yoga classes. The emphasis in the classes is to learn the postures correctly, alignments are often corrected, nicely explained, and you really learn where your body is at and how to improve it.
As a beginner some classes were a little tough for me, and especially the classes by Gerhard were hard to keep up with at first. The classes by Jennifer Oh, Sara Deakin and the Happy Back Yoga Wall Classes with Jason Cull are a real highlight.
They also have Tuesday night community classes for $ 8. The teachers are yoga teachers in training, but the classes I have taken were all really high quality.
This is a great studio with talented teachers, diverse classes and if you are a beginner or have back problems or need something chill at the end of a busy weekend, try and pop into Jason’s Happy Back Yoga Wall Class and before you know it you’ll be hanging upside down…

I took prenatal yoga classes at this studio which allows you try the first prenatal class for free (a nice option). A sub, Mandy, was teaching the first time I visited and she had a calming, happy, positive energy about her. Vicki Abrams taught the rest of the classes and she was wonderful. In addition to being a yoga instructor, Vicki is a certified childbirth educator (CCE), certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), and Director of the Childbirth Education Program at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing so she is a valuable resource for pregnant women. She has coauthored a book on pregnancy and childbirth with Deepak Chopra and gives her students a copy of it as well as a copy of her pregnancy relaxation cd. Vicki promotes connection and communication between the mothers and also between mother and baby.
One thing I really appreciated about Prana was that I could purchase a pack of classes and then use them for whatever was on the schedule (prenatal or other). A couple of places around town required that their prenatal classes be purchased as a series specifically for prenatal only and if you missed a class, oh well. At Prana, if I couldn’t attend one week it didn’t matter. The class passes were good for six months from date of purchase and if I had decided I didn’t want to do prenatal yoga any longer I would have been able to use them post-​baby for «regular» yoga.
Sometimes the prenatal classes were small and other times larger, but they never felt overfull. The windows in the yoga room gave lots of natural light and fresh air. There were props available and Vicki makes sure you are supported appropriately. It’s a clean, no frills studio. I do think they could use a water fountain or some type of filtered water source. The street parking wasn’t a problem at the time of day I attended. The people at the front desk were friendly. I’d like to try some of their other classes and will update if I do. It seems like a really nice, local, independent studio.

Excellent variety of classes, talented and diverse teachers who are supportive and helpful with your practice. I have never been disappointed!

This place is a gem! I’m not the best candidate to review the studio in general as I don’t frequent all the time, but when my schedule allows, I try to cruise into La Jolla for a class with Gerhard.
I know quite of few instructors that have done Prana’s teacher training and I must say that I’ve always been impressed with them.
The studio is very cute and clean with great lighting. There is a good amount of local street parking, and of course, the instruction is top notch. I always leave with shaky arms and a smile :)

Hurt my back about a month ago and started coming to classes to see if it would help. Instructors have been very friendly and knowledgable. I talked to Mandy about my back and she has been helping me with stretches for my back and my back feels so much better. I highly recommend prana yoga and Mandy.

I was in SD for work and decided to stop by this place for my daily yoga routine since it was so close to my hotel. They offered some early morning classes and it gave me the opportunity to practice before my morning meetings.
This is definitely a good sized studio surrounded by a lot of windows giving it a lot of natural light. I actually really love studios that have this attribute, it makes everything seem so much more open and zen like. You could hear a lot of construction, gardeners and traffic outside, but once they turned on the music, it was pretty much drowned out. It wasn’t loud club music either, it was a great variety of indie rock and I heard the likings of She and Him, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more. I love when teachers choose upbeat music for their classes.
I was lucky enough to take a class with Jennifer Oh. She was a fun teacher and she offers a ton of modifications for whatever level you’re in. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was impressed when she told everyone to get into side crow and they did almost effortlessly. I immediately went back to my studio and asked if they could teach me. Next time I will be prepared!
There was a good flow and she did a great job of doing adjustments. There were about 10 students in the class and it didn’t seem full and everyone had a ton of personal room to work with. The studio was clean and they had all of the blocks, straps, mats and blankets you could ask for. To make things sanitary, they have sani wipes for you to give your mat a wipe down after class and clean up the puddles you may have left on the floor in your surrounding area.
Drop in classes are $ 18. Sort of expensive, but it’s in a really nice area and the instructor was amazing. I’d definitely go back if I get so lucky to stay in that area again.
Parking is sort of a nightmare. I was lucky to take a class earlier in the day and was about to find a spot pretty fast– when it was over, there were cars circling and fighting for spots up and down that street. When it’s busy, spaces are pretty limited and most of them have a time limit, so beware.
If I was a resident in the area, I’d definitely make this my studio of choice. I really liked it.

I love this studio. Each teacher is unique in their own way. The one thing they all have in common is a fantastic way of guiding yoga. I go regularly and have tried almost all the classes offered (which there are a lot of classes with different styles of yoga to choose from) and I have really enjoyed them all. I have been to many studios in the San Diego area and it is really impressive the care the teachers give to us budding yogi’s. They always make sure your alignment is correct, offer adjustments and lead an all-​around great class!
The owners are really kind as well. They welcome you not only into the studio, but into the yoga community.

I just started going to Prana, and I am LOVING it! I’m so sore and have been getting such a good workout with great instructors. Excited to keep going for a long time :)

Started taking the Neighborhood drop in classes a while back, then got hooked on a Daily deal. I have been going for a couple of months. Mostly to Sara’s classes. Happy with the decision, and think Sara has been a fantastic instructor. Her pace is great and she really helps you focus on the breathing and transitions.
Close to my house and so far it has been a really great experience.

The more I go to different yoga studios, the more I appreciate Prana.
I’m currently in the bay area for the holidays and taking yoga classes here and there — and nothing compares to Prana. Instructors don’t tell me half the things instructors at Prana do — regarding injuries, how to come out of poses, and how to deepen more and more.
I purchased an unlimited month on SignOnSanDiego — and I’ve been to about 7 classes so far with almost every instructor in November.
My favorites are Gerhard and Amy Jo — Gerhard’s classes are on the tougher side, with many other instructors and teacher in training attending the class to practice. I had just started yoga — so I was clearly the «worst» in the class. But I never felt unwelcome b/​c Gerhard paid just as much attention to me, if not more. He really helped me deepen my postures and showed me ways to «conquer» poses I never thought I’d be able to try as a beginner (crow, headstands, etc)! I really learned to appreciate and love yoga after taking a few of his classes — he’s super supportive and the best instructor I’ve had! I’ve never felt so accomplished, when leaving his classes :)
Amy Jo is a great teacher — she really takes you through the sequences step by step. She’s a perfect beginner-​intermediate instructor and I thoroughly enjoy her pace/​classes.
I was offered a discounted unlimited month at the end of my signonsandiego deal — and bought it right away! I can’t wait to come back in January — and will most likely be enrolling in the unlimited student discount for the future months! :)
— EDIT 2÷9÷12 —
I’ve been to more classes and different teachers — and here’s one I love: Jeanne! She teaches Saturday afternoons and definitely kicks your ass. It’s not the typical «zen» vinyasa feel — it’s definitely vinyasa, but the pace is faster and more upbeat. The music is more pop-​y and she really pushes the class. It feels like her class is more endurance-​based rather than hitting as many poses as possible.

Love Love Love!
I took prenatal yoga with Vicki and absolutely loved it! She is such an amazing teacher and a great, knowledgeable person. It was a very special class that I looked forward to every week, especially when I got to the end of my pregnancy. It helped me keep limber, prepare for labor, work on my soar joints and muscles but most all really made me feel peaceful and connected with my baby as well as with the other moms. We would nice have moments to talk about our highs and lows of our pregnancies and address any concerns or fears. The studio is big, clean, relaxing and inviting, and definitely holds a special place in my heart. Would absolutely recommend to anyone, newbies or yogi masters :)

I ‘ve been going to the prana studio on & off now for 4 years now. Living in the community I used to frequent this studio because of one instructor & some friends that go there. For some reason the level of cleanliness in that studio Is not up to par. With the availability of more new & modern studios in the area and the plethora of instructors & classes the new studio offer I feel compelled to give prana three stars.