We cater to a wide variety of students and offer classes for every fitness level. Questions about which classes to try and why? Don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected] or call 415-643-9007.

Yoga Classes

Afternoon Yoga

A slow, deep and powerful class combining easy movements and yoga asanas focused on unlocking chronic tension and stress. Props are utilized to help with muscular release and skeletal support. Open to all levels.

Chair Yoga

Come experience the gentlest and most accessible form of yoga. Just like all of its other incarnations, Chair Yoga is a practice of presence and release aimed at finding greater ease in our mind and body. The use of the chair allows students to experience the many benefits of yoga without having to get up or down from the floor or stand unassisted. Practitioners will explore yoga’s shapes and movements either seated or using the chair as an aid, allowing people of all shapes, sizes, and abilities the chance to experience yoga’s stress-relieving properties while creating greater balance, strength, flexibility, and range of motion in community with other practitioners.

Gentle & Restorative Yoga

Soothe your stress with this healing, calming and rejuvenating class. The first half of our practice will focus on slow movement, stretching and strengthening postures, while the second half will be completely supported, quiet and restorative. In all parts of this meditative practice, we will connect mindfully to the breath, body and spirit. Yogis of all ages, sizes and levels are welcome to attend, as are those with injuries and therapeutic needs. Pregnant women in all stages of pregnancy are welcome, as are new mothers (minimum 4 weeks postpartum) and those trying to become pregnant. Everyone will be given individualized, healing modifications as needed.

Hatha Flow

This class will help to strengthen and stretch our bodies and will cultivate mindfulness through the exploration of synchronized breath and movement. Through both held poses and flowing transitions, we will focus on alignment and guided movement, leaving us feeling centered, open and energized. This class is suitable for any practitioner with some yoga experience. Variations will be offered to give each practitioner a suitable and safe challenge.

Hatha & Qi Gong

This is a Hatha Yoga class that incorporates Qi Gong. Qi Gong, a cousin of Yoga, similarly combines movement, breath, and relaxation. Qi Gong movements are of the gentle and flowing variety and focus on nourishing the qi (or what yoga terms “prana”). Both our bodies and our minds benefit from this largely repetitive moving meditation, which uses symmetrical standing movements along with breath, to guide us towards natural ease. No experience necessary. All are welcome.

Hatha Yoga

Using the styles of Iyengar, Ashtanga and classical yoga, Hatha classes move through a variety of poses, themes and focuses. The poses and themes will be chosen to suit those present, and aim toward a balanced body and mind: aware, powerful, and present. The pace is slower than that of a flow class, which makes Hatha classes valuable for beginners, and provides experienced practitioners with an opportunity to play with the foundation and subtleties of poses. Students are given suggestions for a range of possibilities, so that they can express each pose in a way that suits and addresses how they feel. The class contains asanas (poses), pranayama (breathing practices), and meditation in order to address health and well-being on all levels.

Mellow Flow

A slower-paced Vinyasa flow class, allowing for more attention on the breath, alignment, and awareness. This nourishing practice focuses on both held poses and flowing transitions, so we can focus on grounding, strengthening, and settling the body, which will leave us feeling centered and open. Mellow Flow is accessible to beginners and experienced yoga practitioners alike.

Morning Vinyasa

An alignment-based Vinyasa Flow class that focuses of using awareness and breath to drop deeply into a variety of poses. Classes place a strong emphasis on each student finding an authentic practice that fits their current needs. The class is appropriate for practitioners of various levels. Modifications and variations will be offered in a supportive way for each person to practice being where they are. Most classes will include sun salutations, standing poses, seated poses and inversions.

Morning Yoga

Wake up to a yoga practice that will stretch and strengthen your body as well as cultivate mindfulness through the exploration of breath and movement. Through both held poses and flowing transitions, we will focus on alignment and guided movement, leaving us feeling centered, open and energized. This class is suitable for all levels of yoga practitioners. Variations will be offered to give each student a suitable and safe challenge.

Prenatal Yoga

Using breath exercises and asana (poses), you will be guided through yoga sequences, both active and restorative, geared towards leaving you feeling grounded and empowered in your pregnancy and beyond. Celebrate your new and changing body in a supportive environment. All levels welcome, including absolute beginners to yoga, as well as long-time practitioners.

Renewal: An All-Levels Gentle & Restorative Yoga Practice

During the first half of the practice, there will be gentle stretches and easy to follow poses that will help to increase your flexibility and warm up your body. The second half of the practice will included longer and deeper stretches, as well as restorative poses to help decrease stress, soothe your nervous system, and prepare you mentally and emotionally for the week to come. Often the classes will have a theme that will help to guide and tie together the sequences of poses. The classes will also include breathing exercises (pranayama) and guided mindfulness or meditation that will help to add another layer of meaning and focus to your life both on and off of the mat.

Restorative Flow

Activate the healing science of your body and engage the wisdom of your spirit through mindful movement, breath work, meditation, energy healing, slow flow and restorative poses. No experience is necessary, and all levels are welcome.

Restorative Yoga

Living in today’s world can take a toll on the mind and body, especially your nervous system, which is why taking the time to release stressors from your whole being is so important to your overall health. Feel tensions melt away in a class that utilizes bolsters and props to support the body in restful positions low to the ground and held for longer periods of time. Poses support you in consciously letting go, encouraging the body to open and the mind to replenish in a quiet and compassionate atmosphere. Open to people of all ages, all levels, in all states of health—if you have a body, you will benefit!

Stretch and Strengthen

A simple, one-hour class that combines strength conditioning exercises, traditional yoga poses, basic stretches, and relaxation exercises designed to strengthen and tone the body, and to focus and calm the mind. Props and humor will be used frequently in class. All levels welcome.

Strong Vinyasa

A more challenging vinyasa flow practice aimed at developing strength, stability, endurance and focus, as well as balance and mobility. Familiarity with sun salutations (A and B series) is recommended.

Vinyasa Flow

An evolving and creative form of yoga, Vinyasa Flow classes integrate breath and movement, awareness and alignment. Vinyasa is a logical arrangement and placement of asana (postures), where the intelligence is guided from within. Each class is unique, influenced primarily from hatha yoga traditions as well as other healing and expressive arts.

Yoga and Movement

Yoga and Movement weaves elements of various yoga and movement styles with rhythms and music. While focused and thematic, the class structure has a flow dictated by the needs of the students, be it injury recovery, balance and movement techniques, or movements focused on supporting our changing bodies. The class includes fundamental elements of yoga with the added joy of movement and music. It is accessible to beginning students, as well as seasoned practitioners interested in exploring a fluid, movement-based practice.

Yoga Basics

This is a great class for beginning and intermediate students, as well as those looking to further their understanding of the foundations and subtleties of yoga poses and breathing techniques. Yoga Basics focuses on alignment, adapting poses, working with breath and increasing flexibility, strength and balance. Assistance by way of props may be utilized to allow greater access, opening and awareness throughout the body, and to allow students of various levels to practice safely and comfortably. Self-exploration occurs through discovery and release of physical tension, habitual patterns and psychological resistance. As individual practice continues, a student’s ability to relax and concentrate improves and self-understanding is enhanced.

Yoga Basics (Mixed Levels)

Combining and using techniques, tips, and formats of a variety of yoga styles the Yoga Basics (Mixed Levels) classes are designed to be adaptable to a wide range of students, from beginners to more seasoned practitioners. These classes are slower moving and more detail-oriented than Vinyasa Flow classes. Emphasis is on alignment with skillful instruction, as well as time for exploration to see and feel how yoga poses differ by design, body type, and approach. Different techniques and instructions will be explained in order to adapt poses to fit the needs and experience levels of the class.

Pilates-Based Classes

Buff Bones® Workout - Build Strong Healthy Bones

Want better posture, stronger bones, greater agility and a stronger core? Try the Buff Bones® Workout! The Buff Bones® Workout is a medically endorsed, full body exercise program for bone and joint health. It integrates Pilates, functional and therapeutic exercise with bone strengthening and balance techniques. Buff Bones® workouts are safe for those with osteoporosis and osteopenia as well those without! The workout is adaptable and accessible to varying fitness levels, age ranges and body types. The workout program follows a research-supported design to increase bone strength, overall fitness and agility. And, very importantly, the workouts are fun and challenging!

Core and More

One hour of deep, simple core work, stretching and strength building. The aim of this class is to get you deep into the strength of your center, to strengthen and stretch your muscles, and to build better posture and awareness of body mechanics. This class is appropriate for all levels, and is recommended as an active recovery for athletes and yogis.

Pilates Mat - Mixed Level

Mat work is the core of Pilates training. The precise exercises developed by Joseph H. Pilates in the 1920s are tried and true in building core strength, increasing flexibility and range of motion, and improving coordination, control of movement, alignment, and deep full breathing. With practice and intention, building strong abdominal and postural muscles—also known as the powerhouse—is invaluable in the support of the skeletal system. Pilates exercises focus on using the breath to channel core energy into the center of the body and out to the limbs. From there, Pilates works toward creating symmetry between the left and right sides of the body, helping the body learn how to naturally prevent injury and improve overall physical performance. Over time, core-strengthening exercises can be incredibly invigorating and educational by informing one’s daily motions, athletic performance, yoga practice and overall health. The Pilates classes at Bernal Yoga are intended to help students gain a deeper awareness and respect for their own unique bodies.

(Each Pilates exercise can be modified to suit most people, of any age or fitness level. At the same time, Pilates is widely recommended by doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors for older people and those undergoing physical rehabilitation. If this is the case, however, please let the studio and your instructor know, so that we can help direct or accommodate your concerns safely and effectively.)

The 45 Minute Workout*

A quick, yet calm, 45 minute morning workout aimed to boost your strength, flexibility and overall body awareness as you rev up to start your day. Whether you are looking to add some focused strength work and alignment principals to compliment your yoga practice or you are looking to find a mindful full-body workout, this class will fit the bill. The workout consists of a combination Pilates, yoga, calisthenics and light weight and resistance band training that will tone and sculpt your body, and focus and calm your mind.

* Regular Class Passes Not Accepted