Kinship Yoga

The Vibe: I’m from Chicago, and the moment I pulled up to Kinship, I felt like I had landed in Wicker Park… urban, creative, art-forward energy everywhere (love 😉). First Impression: I was greeted by a charming young woman who warmly welcomed me, explained how the studio flows, snapped my photo, and set me free to explore. The Class (Kinship Hot - Skyler Burke): Skyler is conversational, playful, and has a unique cueing style. He guides the movement first and then names the pose in English. It kept me very present because I had to actually listen and follow rather than just move straight into the shape. At one point he tossed out movie trivia about how pain makes you feel alive. Naturally, my curiosity sent me down a quick rabbit hole after class, and the idea echoes a theme from Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground, where suffering is closely tied to human awareness and consciousness. (A thought-provoking little moment in the middle of a hot flow - and I have no idea what movie he was referencing.) The flow itself was solid. It built a light sweat that perfectly primed me for breathwork. Meditation & Breathwork (Do NOT skip this): This is where Skyler’s inner light really shines. His energy softened, and he created a comfortable, grounded container for the room. We moved through box breathing; extended-exhale breathing; some strange-sounding vocal breathwork (stay open - it's worth it); and a progressive, controlled breathing technique used by scuba divers to improve breath control. From there, he guided us into meditation using a clever story that gently walked us deep into our inner landscape. Once inside, he invited us to look around, notice who was present with us, and settle into a quiet, healing space. Honestly…it was lovely. My only complaint? It ended too soon. Before I knew it, Skyler was guiding us back and joking with the classic line: You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. And just like that...container closed. Bottom line: Kinship has a cool urban sanctuary energy, and Skyler’s Breathwork & Meditation alone is worth the visit.

The steam room they have is the best on the country. The first steam room I have seen with a huge glass wall to see outside while I sweat inside. Just amazing and they also added tile to their seats!!!! Best studio in the United States.

I started taking classes with Sita Dass Ji a couple of months ago and she's excellent at keeping me, and the rest in the class, on our toes. Just when I think I've figured out her class structure, she shakes things up in a way that feels both challenging and intentional. It also helps seeing familiar faces show up consistently. While I've only started my hot yoga practice for a couple of months, it's already changed my relationship to my body and to my breathing. I have been cultivating a spiritual practice the past few years, which has made me more open to practice yoga in shared spaces. One of the best things about Kinship, aside of its instructors and amenities, is that the space does feel sincere and grounded. The only drawback is how crowded the main hot yoga studio can get when its overbooked. That said, it does feel like a reasonable tradeoff given the price point. Especially with a 15-class pack coming up to $17 per class, which is remarkable for a studio with showers, a cold plunge and a sauna.

This place is very nice. We tried the yin yoga class and it was very relaxing. The overall environment is peaceful. They offer a large variety of classes and the teachers there are very experienced and knowledgeable. The girl at the front desk, Eve, is super friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend to anyone who is interested to try out yoga!

Been here about 10 times over the past few years. It's always a solid experience. The teachers have a decent, but not advanced, understanding of yoga principles. The atmosphere is solid. It also gets extremely hot, which I enjoy. Unfortunately they don't offer mat spray. As for my background: 13 years of practice, Ashtanga trained, 300-HR YTT, two 200-HR YTT. The teachers mention the breath but it's nothing like a trained Ashtanga teacher would emphasize. Cues are okay but again, nowhere near the level a well trained Ashtanga or Bikram teacher would disseminate. Overall a rock solid 4 stars.