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Brooklyn Yoga School
Category: Active Life Fitness & Instruction Yoga Yoga [Edit]
82 6th Ave2nd Fl
(between St Marks Ave & Prospect Pl)
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Neighborhoods: Park Slope, Prospect Heights
(718) 395-7632
- Nearest Transit:
-
Bergen St (2, 3, 4)
7 Av (B, Q)
Atlantic Av - Pacific St (D, N, R)
- Hours:
Mon, Wed, Fri 8:30 am - 9:30 pm
Tue, Thu 6:30 am - 9:30 pm
Sat-Sun 9:30 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
23 reviews for Brooklyn Yoga School
23 reviews in English
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Review from Amy L.
Brooklyn, NY
5/6/2012 1 photo
I really enjoyed my experience here. I'm very unfamiliar with yoga but I felt very much at ease. Lilly, our instructor assisted me with some of the poses and came up to me after the class and introduced herself. She was fantastic, as is the space, great sunlight and at peace feeling.
Will be back for sure. -
Review from Tonsies S.
Brooklyn, NY
2/14/2012
It's painful for me to even write this - but today's experience elicits this rating.
Dharma or BYS is right in my hood so I went today (This has been probably my 10th visit) to really blow off some steam and calm my mind that was working 1,000,000 miles a minute.
The class was nice - it was the 12pm class. Since it was Valentines day the teacher remarked how we should be nice to everyone every day, not just today (This comes back later)
I had to leave 10 minutes early to go teach, so (as quiet as a mouse!) I calmly gathered my things, making sure to send off really calm and quiet energy. The teacher started remarking about "Distractions and how we should continue on regardless" I was hoping it wasn't because of me.
I made it to the door and the teacher stops me at the door:
"What's wrong? Why are you leaving?"
"I have to go to work, to teach, I'm so so sorry to leave early" I explained
"Well if you knew you had to leave early you shouldn't have come, because now you're disturbing everyone else" she said
at this point I was mortified
"I'm so so sorry, I HAD to come to yoga today (See above) and I'm sorry I didn't say anything before hand" I replied
"NEXT time don't even bother coming"... "You can't just Leave in the middle" (it was 10 minutes before the end)
So, after all this, I leave crying and totally humiliated. I will NEVER go back.
Lesson: Maybe this "TEACHER" should reconsider WHY she's teaching and perhaps reconsider practicing what you preach.
oh and I wish I could take back that $20.00 donation for the class -
Review from Becks W.
Brooklyn, NY
1/31/2012
Brooklyn Yoga School is my favorite yoga studio in Brooklyn! Confession: I just moved here, so it's also the only BK studio I've attended, but that's beside the point. So far I've taken several All-level and Level II/III classes with the instructors Lily and Barbu. Their Dharma yoga instruction is clear and precise; and the sequences become familiar although the postures are varied each class as the teacher sees fit. The class is what you make it, and I find it to be both playful and challenging. One of the hiccups of an All-level class is that beginners can feel a bit lost, but I think anyone with even a passing familiarity of yoga can find the right pose/variation to suit their own practice. Sometimes watching more seasoned yogis helps to inspire my own practice, so hopefully others feel that same vibe as well.
The studio is clean, and the windows are tremendous. It's an intimate space, as opposed to an ambling warehouse or gym, so be prepared for close mat space in the busier classes. The practice does include chanting and breathing exercises in addition to the postures. I always feel super peaceful and relaxed after class, and I try to take that presence with me until next time. FYI I've been practicing yoga for nearly eight years, and have been familiar with Dharma style vinyasa for about four. -
Review from April Dawn R.
Brooklyn, NY
9/5/2011
Loves: I loved my visit to this studio. I loved the super spiritual chanting; the huge windows allowing all the light shining through, and the physically intense and challenging yoga.
Not In Love With: How packed the space got; we were literally mat to mat. There was very little room for instruction/correction, since the instructor literally wasn't able to walk around the room.
Tip: Arrive 15 to 20 minutes early, because the classes get so full that once people are mat to mat, people were still trying to come in.
Overall: Beautiful experience with the meditation and chanting. Was a little reluctant to attempt some poses, lest I fall and smack my yogamates in the face. Donation based yoga is truly the nature & spirit of yoga; very authentic practice. -
Review from beth k.
Brooklyn, NY
11/13/2011
Yoga by donation taught by some amazing Yogis.
BYS offers some great open level classes. I must say that if you are a beginner reading this review that if you go to a Level I or II class just do what you can. The Dharma sequence can be challenging for a beginner, but don't be scared just walk up to any teacher and they are really approachable.
This studio only hires kind and loving individuals. Most of them are very advanced yogis, but offer guidance to anyone.
This is a classical yoga studio. If you want to learn classical yoga.
No retro music here.
You must go 20-30 min before class to get a spot.
This is a very popular place. What does that mean? Great teachers.
The idea is simple: Everyone can afford to practice yoga with a senior teacher. -
Review from Jenn W.
Washington, DC
8/4/2011
Went to my first class here today.
STUDIO SPACE: 3.5 stars - almost an average between the 5+ stars for the gorgeous stained glass, dome-like front window that allows enormous light, and 2 stars for the somewhat cramped small space (and awkward bathroom configuration). However, if you arrive early (at least 15-20mins) you'll be fairly safe securing a spot that is comfortable for you.
INSTRUCTION: 4 stars - solid, meditative, with several rounds of sun salutations, inversions, and balances. Some very peaceful chanting enhances the mindfulness factor here.
AFFORDABILITY: 5+ stars! Yoga by donation is all too rare, and there are even mats available (no cost to borrow/"rent"). Now, can't speak exactly to the cleanliness of these mats (didn't see any spray bottles to wipe them down afterward, or maybe I missed 'em...) - but in terms of cost, this place is the best I've ever seen.
Park Slope is lucky to have Dharma! -
Review from Leah D.
Brooklyn, NY
2/27/2011
This place is wonderful, and Brooklyn is starting to know it, so get there early, class space DOES fill.
I've tried all the teachers here, and I have little to no complaints. In my experience, Katurah's classes are nice and gentle, (she seems to teach only beginner-intermediate classes, and I highly recommend her for those just starting out), where Barbu and Lily's classes are a little more demanding. Olga is a newer teacher here and I think she's a good middle ground. Just some thoughts.
It's donation based, and you drop your donations in a box on the wall, so there's no pressure to give more than you can (though, if you have it, really donate from the heart to this place, they're doing a wonderful thing.)
I also just love the way the classes flow (or, how they don't.) A lot of school's now, I think, are more focused on "vinyasa flow" and getting you to constantly be moving and sweating, rather than letting you really become the pose. They really seem to emphasize development over New York state of mind "I neeeeeeed to sweat" yoga (not that you won't), and personally, I never thought I'd be doing forearm stands so soon.
Just FYI: The space has huge windows and is right off of Flatbush so it CAN get a little drafty, so I would wear a long sleeve over a tank if you're prone to getting cold.
So, thanks, Dharma Yoga Brooklyn. My broke ass wouldn't be the yogi I am without you. -
Review from Ju L.
5/2/2011
From a BEGINNER's point of view:
The boyfriend and I tried this place out awhile ago after really enjoying another yoga-by-donation place (Do Yoga Do Pilates, in Tribeca). It's just one tiny room with sun streaming in through the windows, which is nice.
I'd done a bit of yoga before but nothing hardcore. Even though the instructor told us that the class was doable for beginners (I think it was mixed-level?), this was definitely the most challenging and intensive class I'd ever gone to... and I wasn't ready for it. Very frequently I was wishing the instructor would go a bit slower through poses some of us had never done before, or emphasize transitions a bit more. I guess the fact that other people were pincha-mayurasana'ing the heck out of it didn't help.
Regardless, by-donation anything is awesome by default. Yogis especially who are more seasoned than myself should go support! Personally, I would go elsewhere until I felt advanced enough to take up floorspace at Dharma Yoga. -
Review from Diana G.
Brooklyn, NY
12/23/2010
I arrived at a 4:30pm weekday class full of hope that this new, much raved about Yoga studio would end up being my new home away from home. I moved to Park Slope 2 years ago but was still traveling to Yoga Works in Soho & union sq. area b/c i love the teachers so much. But, with a new year coming and a new bill for unlimited classes at their studios, I thought the rational thing to do was sample all the studios in my hood 1st before I forked over the $.
Dharma Yoga BK sounds good in theory... who doesn't like donation based classes? a cozy gorgeous, stained glass studio? and teachers who sound like they are so inspired by Yoga they are willing to share their wealth of knowledge w/out financial gain as a motivator?
But, right from entering the studio I began to have doubts. The teacher did not welcome students as they entered the space. Actually, we started 5 minutes late b/c she was busy doing headstand into lotus legs. Great pose for sure and beautiful to watch...but, for an open level class of students who may still just be mastering standing balancing poses I thought it was a tad showy way to make an opening statement.
However, the yogi in me said 'Sirsasana (headstand) is a calming pose, maybe this is her way of centering herself before class...I'll keep an open mind." Then the teacher spoke...and I knew this was going to be the longest 1 hr yoga class I have ever attended. Her voice had a thick accent, which is all good, except for that the level of her voice was barely higher than a whisper. I was in the first row, dead center and could barely make out what she was saying the entire class.
In my training, the first pose is essential in transitioning students from the hectic outside world into the calm quiet of the inside world. Kinda hard to do when the first pose is jumping jacks. Really!?! I didn't know we were at an 80's calisthenics class.
The rest of the class was a mess: No smooth transitions between poses (people were falling over left and right), the only alignment provided was to "lead from the chest" and "draw the navel up," the teacher modified students who had decent alignment by pushing them to go deeper and ignored the students who were toppling over.
We ended the sequence w/ Sirsasana and their was absolutely NO instruction, she pretty much directed students to come up or go to the wall and try. Only 2 people went up and the rest of the class just fidgeted. I figured she would at least instruct beginner inverters on the what the arms need to be doing as the base. Offer up dolphin or something as an alternative!
Overall, I am so disappointed that I ventured away from my beloved Yoga Works studios& just hope the crick in my neck/shoulder that started after the teacher adjusted me goes away asap. -
Review from Joseph D.
Brooklyn, NY
3/26/2011
Yoga by donation is the way all studios should operate. After taking a few classes at this spot I'm really starting to get an appreciation for the space and the feeling that it might become a regular place of inhabitance.
The big front windows allow for the feeling of connection with the outside world and the people around you. I liked how the windows began to fog up as the class began to heat up.
Both teachers I've had there have been nice as well. Check it out! -
Review from Courtney R.
Santa Clara, CA
12/22/2010
Wonderful space with wonderful teachers.
Being one of Dharma's many students, I wanted to try the studio opened by his fellow students and I'm so glad I did.
The space itself is gorgeous, the studio has lots of natural light, nice floors and a great set up. The teachers are wonderful and caring and the class schedule seems accommodating to almost every persons schedule. You can tell a lot of love and thought came into putting this studio together. In addition this studio is donation, which means you pay what you can, having been to a donation studio I tend to offer what I can which is usually around $15 a class.
The instructors are wonderful and carry on the teachings and knowledge of Dharma infused with personal style. I recommend Lily's class or Barbu. I will be back on my next trip back.Listed in: YOGA
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Review from Dali L.
Brooklyn, NY
3/8/2011
I happened upon this place when i biked by and saw the fogged up windows and then a yoga sign. Then I visited the web-site. DONATION BASED and student/lineage of Dharma Mittra. I was game.
I went to one class (Open Level). It was taught by lily. I liked it. Lily started with meditation, music, dharma and Oming. We only did 2-3 sun salutations (an abbreviation to what I was used to, but I am open to different forms of yoga lineages and 'schools'). We held asanas longer than I was used to but that was good and offered room for variations of asanas. I didn't feel warm enough to do some of the sequencing, but I monitored that. It didn't have the dynamic flow that I am used to but it did flow and I never felt like I was left hanging (if you know what I mean, like when a teacher has poor cueing or doesn't know her/his sequencing). The teacher made it around to all the students especially the ones squished in the back nook. I got one adjustment and it was right on and very gentile. We ended with an ample savasana, more music and oming.
This place is what yoga should be in many ways, esp in an urban setting. Payment is by donation and a MIX of the community was apparent and I LOVED that. Seasoned yogis, newbies, stiff athletes, men, women, short, rotund, tall, lanky, black, brown, fair, primped, hairy, grunty...this place had it ALL and i loved that. We were tightly squished in but the atmosphere was chilled out and I felt good when I left.
Thanks you for being part of the community. I will come again, next time to a 2-3 level to see what is on offer! Thank YOU for being in Brooklyn Dharma Yoga!
UPDATE: 1/12/12
I have been going here for about 9 mos. I love it. I only go to a few other places here and there, and have taken a few out of town retreats/hiatuses, but this is my shala in brooklyn. Lily, Jeremy and the rest of the teachers are so authentic. They support you in finding the teacher within. The energy they help manifest in this space is amazing. Last minute cancelations are my only qualm with the place, but alas, it isn't a business, not really, It is a community. Much love to BYS/Dharma. Jai! -
Review from Melanie L.
Brooklyn, NY
4/10/2010
Almost hate to yelp about this charming place. But they are so charming I just want to share.
Park Slope needs more yoga spots about as much as New York needs more pizza places. But Dharma is different. It wasn't like a yoga class. It was like a cozy get together with loving yogis who help you bloom into your spiritual self. Oh, did I mention it is by donation? Kind of like going to church and putting money in the plate.
Its not yoga for status symbols or power yoga or yoga with celebrities. Its Yoga. For your mind, body, and spirits. These people trained with actual yogis and it shows. Rare, real, and personal.
Lovely, going back for more. -
Review from Cris M.
New York, NY
10/8/2010
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Thank you for not being packed
Thank you for the great teachers
Thank you for being donation based
Thank you! -
Review from Michael P.
Brooklyn, NY
5/16/2011
I have done some yoga, but I am definitely a beginner. I went to the All levels class and it was completely packed. I understand that it is a donation only place but it made for a very uncomfortable experience. There was no way the instructor could correct you properly when he could not walk around the very small room.
The instructor had a very heavy accent and was difficult to understand. The poses were not suitable for the beginner yogi at all! The lady next to me was actually laughing with me as he showed us the poses as there was no way we could do them without serious help.
If you go here, bring your own yoga mat!! The ones they have are filthy and I was definitely not wanting to put my face down onto them. The studio floors were full of dirt because there is no mud room. You enter directly into the yoga studio. I left with my feet black with dirt.
If you are at all a beginner go to the specific gentle or beginner class here. -
Review from Jenny C.
Brooklyn, NY
6/25/2011
No commitment. Unpretentious. $5 min payment (wow!). Teachers with a sense of humor. Happiness.
Tip: Get there early. Fills up fast. -
Review from Alex R.
Brooklyn, NY
4/24/2011
I tried yoga a few times before but never really got into it until I started going here. I passed this place on my bike and was reminded about it reading an article in New York mag. No intimidating front desk. No yoga clothes or dvd's for sale. Very welcoming. I came here to help repair the damage on my hips from practicing Muay Thai. Since coming here a few times, I feel like my body is going back to how it was three years ago before all the tightness set in. I think what differentiates this place from other places I've tried is the spiritual focus and mental calm invoked by the teachers. The Hare Krishna music was making me think I don't believe I'm doing music to Hare Krishna music but it feels authentic and now I can't get it out my head. The harmonium played before each class is killer too.
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Review from mary l.
Fresh Meadows, NY
8/8/2011
Went to my first class here b/c one of the teachers in long beach referred me here.
STUDIO SPACE: BEAUTIFUL the gorgeous stained glass and lots of light, and super clean
INSTRUCTION: like another reviewer said - solid, meditative, with several rounds of sun salutations, inversions, and balances. it was great for all levels. my boyfriend is a beginner and he was very comfortable
AFFORDABILITY: AMAZING Yoga by donation is something you find in NYC at yoga to people but there is no instruction at all.. this place is the most affordable.
FRONT DESK AND TEACHERS: warm, friendly and kind the way a yoga studio should be.
Park Slope is lucky to have Dharma! it's saving my friends and i a trip to manhattan.. -
Review from Lauren R.
Brooklyn, NY
3/25/2010
I went to my first class at dharma yoga this past weekend, and I was very impressed. They call their yoga style classical, which seems to mean that they incorporate a little more of the chanting and other religious aspects than some places. I attended an all levels class as an intermediate student with my boyfriend, who had never done yoga before. The space is beautiful, and small enough that the teacher was able to give a lot of individual attention. I found that I was being pushed to do a little bit more than I normally might have, and my boyfriend found that he was being told to hold back and work on the technical correctness of his poses.
The other thing to know about this studio is that it is entirely donation based.
I will absolutely continue attending classes at dharma yoga. -
Review from C C.
Brooklyn, NY
4/2/2011
I just got back from a class here and I have to say, I really loved it. Not shocking, since I really love Dharma's style of yoga. I had Barbu, and he was really wonderful. Pays just enough attention to the students to correct them when they're not aligned, but not so much that you're uncomfortable. Best part is that it's by donation--$5 minimum-- which is great compared to most other places, AND the quality of instruction far exceeds that of most other studios- so you really can't go wrong.
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Review from Monica M.
Brooklyn, NY
10/20/2010
Simple, sweet, perfect.
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Review from kate l.
Brooklyn, NY
12/1/2010
I am super grateful for the existence of this pay what you can studio. It is a beautiful space (great at night, including storms) and taking profit out of the equation really changes the yoga studio dynamic for the better. I really appreciate the adjustments I get during practice and hope to start going more regularly. This is only 4 stars because there is only one style of yoga taught here which is great on some nights but at other times I could really go for a more flowing, endorphin releasing approach.
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Review from Jennifer H.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2010
Best yoga studio in Brooklyn! Maybe the world! Love you guys.
