Citizen Yoga Royal Oak - Royal Oak, Michigan

Sheila Carey

While visiting my sister (for the Lions game), she signed us up for Monday morning yoga. I have a practice where I live, and I really enjoy it.
All the things I thought yoga was kinda disappeared as I walked through the doors of Citizen Yoga. It is true community in the best possible sense of the word. I loved the whole experience. When I saw how crowded it was getting, I freaked out a little bit - I really dislike being so close to people while on the mat - but then I saw how we were facing EACH OTHER, not all lined up to face the “ head of the class”, but together, sharing our space and time with each other. So cool.
I’m not gonna lie, some of the movements and poses we held were hard (for me), but the instructor was right there with us, guiding and talking us through with helpful tips - some laced with humor to relax the seriousness of the hold. And don’t forget that we are facing each other, so the man across the way was so helpful to look at for guidance. The time flew by and I am now in search of this type of practice near me. My body (and mind) was pretty jammed up before the class, and presently, hours later, I feel fabulous. Thank you so much!
Also, a huge wonderful bonus is that many people said hello, asked me where I was from. They hugged my sister, knew what was going on in her life. Community. Truly outstanding.

Matt Shepard

Sculpt & Flow Class - Steph is one of the most personable yoga instructors I’ve ever met. Her verbal cues and sequencing is great. The use of props and the stretch I got from the class was great. Class was a perfect blend of strength, stretching and flowing. Highly recommend

Melissa D

Hands down the BEST yoga studios in the Detroit metro area. The instructors are kind, knowledgeable and very alignment based. I've been to other studios across the country, and they can't compare to Citizens. And, they have a great retail selection...:)

Sabrina Brown

Najee creates a wonderfully welcome and relaxing setting. Loved her flow and poses. Got confused on a couple of guided instruction, but that couldve been me.? overall, great class! Would do again.

Nicole Bosca

Nick's Restore class was perfect for my first Yoga class. He created a great atmosphere and the pace was easy. It was a relaxing and grounding experience.

I came back for a my second Yoga class the next day, wanting something more intense and Ann in the Blend class did not dissappoint. She did a fantastic job balancing having a newbie in the class and keeping the intensity up for the regulars. I'll be back!

Nathan Cenovski

Been going here for 3 years. Generally very good experience, glad that they don’t do the pointless hot classrooms and generally keep the hippy dippy/religious BS to a minimum compared to other yoga studios.

I want a workout, looking to sweat, stretch and work my small stabilizing muscles for longevity, and mobility as the goal. As such, you have to be selective on which classes to take.

Paul’s classes are a tier of their own. I have never experienced a class that can compare anywhere else in 15 years of yoga living in RO and Miami. Ann is also great, she has a great presence, is funny and does a great job with micro adjustments to improve your practice. Lydia is ok, a bit hit or miss and kinda repetitive. The rest I’ve tried aren’t worth the time for my goals.

If you want the opposite end, a very gentle, low to no effort experience, Han’s classes are good for beginners or those looking for a very easy experience.

Enough variety here to fit whatever you want from yoga and avoid a lot of the self-important nonsense that usually comes wrapped up in the experience.

Suzy Grant

I’ve recently moved away and haven’t been able to attend since, so I’ve been in reflection mode on my 6 month experience of unlimited yoga at Citizen. I’ve been practicing over a decade and have gone through 300 YTT and am now purely just a student. I’ve practiced at many studios and feel like I have a good amount of understanding when it comes to what a yoga studio has to offer and the culture it exudes.
I came to this studio specifically following Sitara Bird. I had experienced several classes of Sitara’s at Detroit Yoga Lab pre-pandemic, because she is magic. She is soft, but mighty and really taught me how to do yoga for myself instead of doing yoga to look good. She is a story teller that engages you mentally and will help you work on “the work” as she puts it.
Shortly after joining, I gathered that Kacee was the owner, which in my experience, I’ve found that the owner sets themselves up above everyone and usually tries to act as if they are the best and all knowing. This is not Kacee. Kacee has created an environment where she has employed people who are just as talented as her. She created an environment that you can come to in whatever state you are in. She was at the studio all the time and practiced more than she taught, which I loved about her. She sat with me when I had a bad day and held space for me even though I was one of hundreds of students. Her story on how she started this all is inspirational and I can’t wait to support her business in the future.
I can’t mention my time here without bringing up Ann Fancy. Ann isn’t just a yoga instructor, she is a life coach, a therapist. I became infatuated with her classes due to the way they would kick my ass into shape, but I kept returning for the lessons that she taught to me. My relationships got better, my attachment style became more secure. I recommend her to every yogi I know. As soon as the highway construction clears up, I will be on my way to her class. She’s on YouTube if you can’t make it to the studio.
One more special mention is Elyse Brogdon, she has a unique approach to teaching that I haven’t experienced in other teachers. She’s soft and nurturing, but you leave completely spent, but feeling well balanced as well. She also made me feel very welcome at the studio as well as the front desk manager Rooney. They are both warm people.
Obviously all of the teacher are fantastic, but I wanted to take the time to tip my hat to the people who helped me through a transitional time in life. This is one of the best studios I’ve been to and you should definitely go here.

Kelly Roy

I love Friday Katonah classes with Elyse. Her style as a clear communicator helps me both understand the movements as well as the theory. Today’s class was a great flow and a great start to the weekend. Thanks Elyse!