New to The Center

The Center For Yoga of Seattle is a nationally and internationally recognized BKS Iyengar Yoga Study Center

Thank you for your interest in our yoga program. From our modest beginnings in a church basement in 1975 to our first studio in Wallingford in 1980 to our present studio in Ravenna, our passion has remained the same: to provide our community with comprehensive instruction in The Art of Yoga. To that end, we have designed a highly structured program of courses that ensures safe, step-by-step development in yoga for students of all levels.

Today with the ever-increasing popularity of yoga, when choosing a yoga class, it is important to consider the level of expertise, safety and quality of instruction that is offered by a professional yoga studio as opposed to a class at a gym, community center or YMCA. The Center For Yoga of Seattle has an outstanding 35-year-plus reputation in the Seattle area as an institution of quality instruction. Many of our area's yoga teachers were trained at The Center, and many continue to study in our program today. The Center For Yoga of Seattle is well-known in the community for its high standards - standards that new yoga schools seek to achieve.

At The Center For Yoga of Seattle, we teach the most influential yoga method in the United States – the BKS Iyengar System of Yoga. The Iyengar system is unique among the various styles of yoga for many reasons. Iyengar Yoga instructors are required to have a high level of training in order to teach. The Iyengar style emphasizes precision and alignment when doing yoga poses and has an individualized approach: the instructors teach specifically to you — your particular body type and special needs — which, with the skillful use of yoga props, makes yoga accessible to almost anyone. The methodical way the student is led through the poses encourages students to truly learn the Art of Yoga.

The Center offers a wide variety of courses from the most basic beginner class to the more complex classes for advanced students.

Here's an overview of how our program works

All of our classes are structured as "reserved space" courses. These reserved space yoga courses are highly structured, commitment-type courses that allow you, over time, to gain a deep understanding and form a firm foundation of Iyengar yoga, from which you can build a solid yoga practice.

Weekly Courses

Great for people who:

Are a beginner to yoga
Are new to the Iyengar method of Hatha Yoga
Wanting to get back into yoga after time away

The Center For Yoga of Seattle offers the following Level 1 courses:

Course held once a week (normally meeting for 4-8 weeks)
Courses held twice a week (meet during a calendar month)
Courses held 4 days a week for 4 weeks (early morning and afternoon intensives)

If you are experienced in Iyengar System yoga, we offer continuing and intermediate courses starting approximately every 4 weeks, at the start of each month.

Intensive Courses

Our Early-Morning and Afternoon Intensives are the Mercedes Benz of our program! They are geared towards those who want to accelerate their progress in yoga.

These courses meet 4 days a week for 4 weeks
Minimum one beginner course one experienced course offered per month
3 distinct levels of Intensives offered.

Registration

Full prepayment is necessary in order to reserve a guaranteed space on a particular course (except Weekend Drop-In Classes). We have four convenient ways to pre-register:

By clicking the Registration button on our individual classes pages.
Call us at (206) 526-9642
Contact us by mail enclosing credit card information, a personal check or money order
Call in and see us or leave your sealed registration information and payment in the mail slot to the left of our front door
For all methods, we will need the following information

Your name (please spell if leaving a message and your name is uncommon)
Your daytime and evening phone numbers
The full account number and expiration date of your credit card
The billing address for your credit card
Which course/workshop you are registering for, including the start date
An alternate course/workshop and start date if your first choice is full

We will contact you as soon as possible if the course you requested is full. If you would like us to call or e-mail you to confirm your registration, please mention this on your registration information or in your phone message.

Make-Up Classes

We have a liberal make-up policy for reserved space courses. The numerous opportunities to make-up a missed class are explained on the Make-Ups, Refunds and Cancellations page of our website, and in our printed quarterly schedule.

Drop-In Classes

Saturday and Sunday mornings
Earned Drop-In Privileges may be granted to students who have completed one of our courses. This allows you to drop in on a once or twice a week course of the same level by paying a higher drop-in fee. No reservation is needed.
Early morning or afternoon intensives are not included
Details of these policies are found on the inside of our quarterly printed schedule

What to Wear and Bring

Eat lightly if you need to eat before class. We prefer that students wear non-baggy clothing that enables your knee joints to be visible. Bare feet are essential. We specifically recommend either footless tights and a t-shirt, footless tights and a leotard, or shorts and a t-shirt. For classes at both studios, it is not necessary to bring equipment as all studios are fully equipped. Some students are highly allergic to scents, so please no scented oils or perfumes in class.