The Shala Yoga | Fort Greene

I took an all-level class a few months back, and it was not beginner-friendly. The instructor went fast and led everyone into inversions at one point. When I said I couldn't do that, she obviously gave me an alternative and was kind about it. I got the vibe that everyone there was advanced regulars but I felt like the odd one out. They leaned heavily into the spiritual side of yoga, which is not my thing personally but I don't really mind it to some extent. The instructor started out with some inspirational reading. Okay, this is nice, I thought. Then, they broke out into a sing-songy type chant, and I was the ONLY person who didn't know the words. I feel bad saying it made me uncomfortable, but I just wanted to do basic yoga.

The Shala is the best yoga studio in NYC. My fiance and I have been practicing here since we moved to Clinton Hill in May, 2022, nearly two years ago. We had no idea what we were getting into and started attending the Mysore classes with Kristin, Barbara and Sherry. Since then, we have been guided along the Ashtanga Primary Series with so much guidance, patience and kindness. Both my partner and I have a lot of sport related injuries and all of the teachers there have been so mindful with us. I always had an idea about Ashtanga yoga that it was too difficult or intense, but practicing regularly at The Shala with these ladies has broken down all my prior ideas. The Shala also offers Kirtan, Buddhist Studies, daily online (FREE!) meditation, vinyasa and restorative classes. From time to time they have workshops and they host yoga retreats in beautiful locations. The studio is cozy and everyone is accommodating when it comes to making space, especially in the Mysore room in the morning. The Shala and all of their instructors are a gift to Brooklyn and NYC. They sincerely practice what they preach by contributing to the community via donation classes and their individual volunteer efforts. An absolutely amazing community.

The community classes are amazing! It's hard to find high-quality, affordable yoga in Brooklyn, and I'm so grateful to have found this studio.

Interesting studio. As a male I felt uncomfortable and not very welcome. The class was lined up with two rows going down either side of the room. You did your poses directly in front of the other row. A lil weird. In the beginning I had mixed up warrior 1 and warrior 2. The instructor told me loud enough for the whole class to hear ‘don’t worry buddy, what counts is you are here’ which felt condescending. Towards the end we were going to do a partner stretch. I was one of two males in the room. Felt uncomfortable doing it with a female I only briefly made eye contact with especially considering it was a more - uhh how to say this- intimate partner stretch. Do not smell the blocks or put them by your face. I don’t think they are regularly cleaned. Maybe ever? It was a vinyasa class but it was maybe more ashtanga which I suppose moves faster. I’ve done over 100 vinyasa class, this class moved so fast that I couldn’t really get into the poses much or find a flow. Especially considering you’re also trying to avoid eye contact with the row of people directly in front of you. Also seemed a little dangerous with how deeply we were going and how quickly. At one point I heard someone fall out of a pose. And she said she had a leg cramp, the pain in her voice was audible. It made me wonder how many people have gotten injured at this studio. Kinda seemed like giving instructions rapid fire was a power trip for the instructor. 🫤 The studio is beautiful though with lots of plants!

One of the only places that you can do Ashtanga yoga in the city, and the instructors remember you and what you’re working on. I haven’t gone to a vinyasa class here so I can’t speak to that, but I LOVE the Ashtanga community. And the free yoga they do in the park on the weekends. It feels like a real community center which is a great thing to have in our neighborhood.