The Bhakti Yoga Movement Center Online

Why are you offering online yoga classes?

This online resource is entirely for you, and for a few really important reasons.

• Global Pandemic has created new avenues of need and capacity for so many of us. 
• We believe in accessibility, and know that even a single in-studio class can be cost-prohibitive to many students. Even with our best efforts and intentions, most bricks-and-mortar yoga studios, including ours, simply cannot offer a low-enough in-person price for a lot of folks to be able to come practice yoga regularly. We do not want yoga to be simply a practice for the privileged, and wish to offer the highly skilled, compassionate and detailed instruction that you have come to expect from The Bhakti Yoga Movement Center to anyone, inside our warm and beautiful space, right wherever you are.
• We wish to stay in touch with our many, many students that we no longer see in person because of COVID, or that no longer live in Portland, who miss the special beauty of practicing here, with teachers they love, with a practice in which they feel safe and cared for, so that we may continue to maintain the connections we have deeply forged. Also for the many visitors, family members, and friends that have taken class here and been touched by the skill, experience and wisdom and have told us, “There is no place like this where I live, I wish I lived closer.” This is our love letter for all of you.
• We are also here for you as a resource for home practice during the pandemic, when you travel, get held up at home with a sick kid or no childcare, when you just want to be in your PJ's rolling around on the floor, or when you wish SO badly to be able to take that exact class again, just to hear the guided meditation part or do that hip-opening sequence again. We are here for you.

How do I sign up?

Its easy! You just create an account with us here, decide whether you would like to participate as a Monthly Unlimited member for just $18/month or purchase single classes for $5 each, or take a workshop, immersion, or series for its advertised price, and set that up. Once you have an account, you can either take your chosen single class or browse our library of classes and choose what you would like. Once you have purchased a single class, you will have access to it as long as you like, or until we take it down and replace it with something more current. At the moment we plan to keep most of the classes up indefinitely.

What if I want to cancel or change my membership status?

Simply log in and go to "My Account." From there you can cancel or change your membership with us at no charge. If you have already paid for a Monthly Unlimited membership, you'll just use up the rest of the month and won't be charged further. We cannot pro-rate any payments that have already been made, so if you need to cancel your membership, just be sure to do it prior to being billed for the next month.

Are Monthly Unlimited Memberships auto-deduct?

Yes, you will be automatically charged on the date you sign up via the credit card you used to sign up until such time as you cancel your account with us.

Can I download the classes for use when I am not online?

Our classes are only available for use when you have a wi-fi or internet or hotspot connection. They are compatible with any device as long as it is connected to the internet!

Can I make suggestions or requests?

Absolutely! If you have any ideas, concerns, suggestions or feedback we would love to hear from you at [email protected]. We are listening and want to be a resource for you. Tell us what you like, what is working and not working, and what we can do to further serve you.

Why is the production value not perfect?

We believe in the real thing, and for us, that means being real and vulnerable and transparent. Since we are a small studio without much extra budget, we are teaching you from our homes and hallways, kitchens and spare rooms. This means that the sound isn't going to always be perfect, in fact it may deviate somewhat (though we will do everything we can in editing to clean it up!) and there also may be sirens, occasional banging, salsa music, animals/children and white noise. We live in an urban environment and that is just what happens. Also we are hoping that the teachers can continue to act naturally, imperfectly, and like humans rather than robots under pressure of cameras and lighting, and thus the teacher might wander out of the frame, the internet may garble or bork for a second, and sometimes you just won't be able to see or hear what is going on for a minute or so. We apologize for that in advance, and are generally doing the best we can without doing anything weird or fake or unnatural. So please do bear with our imperfections as we try to bring you the real thing, in real time, in our best real way.

Can I give a gift of Unlimited Class Memberships to a friend or family member?

Yes you can. Please send us an email at [email protected] and we will set you up with a gift code for your friend or family member. Gift certificates for Gift Codes can be delivered through email.

How do I redeem a coupon code?

To redeem a coupon or gift certificate coupon code, start the sign up process for a Bhakti Yoga Movement Center Online Classes account. At the bottom of the page of the sign up form, select the box that says, "have a promo code?" Once you select the box, another box will appear in which you can enter the coupon code. Even though you are signing up with a coupon code, you are still required to enter your payment information upon sign up. Your card will not be charged for redeeming a gift certificate until such time as that gift certificate code is used up. At that point your card will begin being charged for the Monthly Access fee unless you cancel your Membership.

Where do I get the yoga props that I need for yoga classes?

Yoga mats and other props are readily available at most retail and online stores like Target or  others. They don't have to be fancy. We suggest you get an 8 foot or 10 foot cloth belt to start with, and there are special Falsa-type yoga blankets that we often use, though any thick, wool blanket will usually do the trick. You can get one from this site: http://www.mexicanblankets.com. Sometimes we use a long stretchy thera-band, like the kind you get from your Physical Therapist, and a Hi-bounce Pinky rubber ball, both also available from online retailers. In a few classes you will see that we use yoga bolsters. Dense couch cushions or bed pillows can often work, but if you are going to use it a lot, we suggest you get a rectangular bolster from a site like this. Also, some of the classes utilize a backless metal yoga chair. This is a very handy, interesting and fun accessory to have, and we don't suggest that you try this with any other type of chair, to avoid injury. Here's a site where you can buy one, and here's a video on how you can make one using a metal folding chair available here! If you are taller than 5'10" you will want a "tall" chair.

I'm having technical difficulties. Who do I contact?

Please get in touch with the host of our platform, the fine folks at Thinkific. There is a little blue tab at the bottom right of your screen that says "NEED HELP?" and you can send your questions there. If you do not get your question or issue resolved, please do contact us at [email protected]. If there is a glitch in the class itself, you can contact us about that.

Can I use your site Internationally?

Yes! As long as you have an internet connection, you can take us anywhere! We accept payments via STRIPE, which means you can pay via credit card anywhere you are in U.S. Dollars.