Frequently asked questions

  • The name Half Moon felt right for a few reasons. First, ‘half moon’ is the name of a yoga pose that combines all of the best parts of yoga - strength, flexibility, balance, and most of all - mindfulness. It’s nearly impossible to be in half moon pose and be thinking about anything but what you are doing in that moment. That present moment awareness is one of the aspects of yoga that we value most.

    Secondly, there’s just something so magical about the moon… and we want Half Moon to be a space that allows you to more deeply tap into the magic within you.

  • Yes, absolutely! Our yoga is for everyone and we welcome students of all levels and all body types. You may wish to start with our Reset (slow burn), Zen, (restorative), or Half Moon (half Reset + half Zen) classes. Glow (vinyasa) is also an all-levels class, but the pace moves a bit more quickly. Please feel free to let your yoga teacher know that you are new to yoga so that they can make you as comfortable as possible.

  • Nope! Half Moon classes were intentionally designed around our belief that yoga is so much more than just the asanas (physical postures) of yoga. We want you to move in a way that feels good for your body, and nourishing for your soul. While your flexibility may improve over time, coming to yoga is about so much more than being flexible.

  • Yes, please register online via our website or using the Momence app on your phone (which is free to download and use). Many of our classes fill up so we do encourage you to sign up in advance if you can.

  • We’ve got you covered! We know that you may be coming to our studio before or after being at work, running errands, or activities, and we don’t want you to have to lug your yoga mat around all day. We provide the highest quality yoga mats, yoga bolsters, straps, and blankets for all students so that all you have to bring to class is yourself. We also provide tea and water via a filtered water cooler (so please bring your own wateL bottle).

    Last but not least, our yoga room is happily a cell phone-free and device-free space. Please put your phone on silent or in Do Not Disturb mode, and leave it in your bag during class in our lobby. We also ask that you please refrain from checking notifications on your Apple Watch or other fitness tracker during class. Once you step into our sanctuary space, trust us - you’ll be thankful not to have the distraction.

  • This is your self-care time, and we want you to feel as comfortable as possible! Wear something that you can easily move around in. We suggest going barefoot for our Glow, Reset, and Half Moon classes, while for our Zen restorative classes, it may be helpful to wear socks to keep your feet warm since you won’t be moving as much during that class. For Exhale which is a 30 minute savasana class in the middle of the day, you are welcome to dress in yoga attire in work clothes if you are coming from work without time to change - that class won’t involve any movement. You will not need gym shoes.

  • Our studio doors will lock once class begins, so we won’t be able to let you in once we start. Please try to arrive at least 10 minutes before class begins (15 minutes prior for your first class) to make sure that you have time to check in and get comfortable before class begins. Please note that we are a small team, and we may not be able to open the doors until 15 minute before class begins. If we are open prior to that time, you are more than welcome to come in early to med tateor just enjoy some quiet time on your mat before class begins, providing that the previous class has already exited the space. Please plan to stay for the entire class.

students at the serene studio Half Moon Yoga in South Loop Chicago

  • You may cancel a class reservation free of charge up to 6 hours before class. If you cancel with less than 6 hours notice or if you miss class without canceling, you’ll be charged $20. Non-members who miss a class will lose their credit. There are no refunds for purchased classes, memberships, or workshops. Cancellations can only be made online (not by phone or email) by going into your Momence account, go to My Classes, find the class you wish to cancel, click the three dots, and then "Cancel Myself".

  • We are located in the heart of the South Loop, just a few feet north of the Trader Joe’s at Wabash and Roosevelt on the same (east) side of Wabash. When you get to 1133 S. Wabash please look for the entrance that says ‘Suite 101’ with our name on the door, which is located to the left of the main entrance for the 1133 S. Wabash residential building. Please do not enter the residential door, which does not have an entrance to Half Moon.

    We are located just one block east of the Roosevelt CTA stop, so we are easy to get to via the red, orange, or green line El trains. There are also numerous CTA bus stops in this area, and there is a Divvy bike station right across the street on the west side of Wabash, in front of the Sip & Savor coffee shop. We don’t have our own parking lot, but you can often find free parking along Wabash and some of the side streets, and there is also a pay lot across the street from us on the west side of Wabash (just south of Eleven City Diner).

  • We have a designated area in our front lobby where you can leave shoes, jackets, and personal items. The front door to our studio will be locked during classes. We also have one restroom, and we have a room divider in the back room that you can use to change before or after class if the restroom is in use. We keep it folded against the wall so please know that if the room divider is open 'accordion-style', that means that it is being used by someone to change so please respect their privacy.

  • Please note that with one exception, Half Moon is not ‘hot’ yoga. Our classes are gently heated to between 80 and 85 degrees (vs hot yoga is typically 95-115 degrees). We polled our community, and it seems like the vast majority of people love that 'gently heated' temperature around 80-85, so that's our plan for the majority of classes. That being said, please let us know how the temperature feels to you. What's great about the infrared heat we have in our studio is that it's the same radiant heat that our body emits, which warms your body from the inside out in the same way that feel warm laying in the sun differently than being in a room that is heated through traditional forced air. Infrared heat allows your muscles, joints, and tissues to warm up more quickly which can aid in flexibility, circulation, and also in the recovery process. It can also increase metabolism and may improve immunity response.

    We are also excited to offer one true HOT class a week given it seems like many of you wanted at least one hot class a week, which will be our 7:15pm Tuesday GLOW class with Marin.

  • If you are injured, we highly recommend that you check with your doctor and/or physical therapist before attending class, and let your yoga teacher know about your injury. While our teachers are not medical providers, they can be helpful in suggesting modifications.

  • If you have been regularly doing yoga and other forms of exercise prior to your pregnancy, then you are likely to feel comfortable continuing to exercise with some modifications. However, please consult with your doctor before beginning a new exercise routine.

  • First, Half Moon does not tolerate hate or discrimination of any kind.

    We also recognize that yoga is an ancient spiritual practice with roots in India, and we honor and respect these origins.

    We also acknowledge that we are on native land that does not belong to us, and that this area in particular has recently been gentrified - displacing communities that were here before us.

    We believe it is our responsibility to be a business that puts people first and to share yoga with as many people as possible, and we never want financials to be the reason why someone is not able to participate. While our pricing packages are what they are as a necessity in order to pay our teachers fair wages and to be able to cover our rent and other recurring expenses, we try to offer regularly scheduled free & donation-based classes in order to make our classes more accessible while also giving back to local nonprofits.

    It’s also important to us to organize community service events for our students and team members to take place in, ranging from doing a neighborhood clean-up day to getting together to make care packages to give out to those are in need.

    While it’s not something we were able to make happen by Day 1 of opening, we also hope to eventually have a scholarship program to help make our yoga classes more accessible.

  • Please refrain from wearing perfumes or strong scents to class. We also ask that you please not come to class if under the influence of substances, which may alter your ability to judge your physical capabilities. If you are feeling sick, please do not attend class out of respect for the health of our staff and your fellow students. Also, kindness is a non-negotiable at Half Moon so please be kind to staff, students, and to yourself.

    All sales are final - no refunds or returns.

  • If you have any questions we didn’t answer here, please email hello@halfmoonchicago.com, or ask any of our friendly team members when you see them in person and they will be happy to help 🙂

Half Moon yoga students relaxing