Integral Yoga Institute

My best friend & I were visiting NY last weekend & really wanted to do a yoga class. She had never done a «real» yoga class and she has back issues, so I decided on a restorative class. I couldn’t be happier that we ended up in Lakshmi (Judith)‘s class! I’ve been to many restorative classes in my day, but this was the best.
The studio itself is huge and very welcoming. I loved the multi-​level setup with studios on each floor! The room that we practiced in was the Gold room on the third floor. It was very clean and even thought there was no a/​c, there were plenty of ceiling fans.
When we got into the room, all of the mats were laid out and our props were already set up. Lakshmi led us through an incredibly relaxing class with a great flow. I was also really impressed by how much attention she paid to my friend, making sure that she showed her modifications to avoid back pain. Overall this was an incredibly positive experience and all I can say is that I wish I lived closer because I would be here all the time! With a $ 17 drop-​in fee (including mat), I will definitely be back the next time I visit the area.

Simply the best! The classes are good to great and. My all time favorites are the workshops which are informative and taught by committed people. This is such a sweet and kind place to chill and relax. In a fast paced city that is constantly changing, I love knowing that integral remains the same nurturing, quality place back to when I was a teen. This is one of the few original true village experiences. Miss the cooking classes. Love ya integral

I was there for a reiki which was amazing. Then i signed for a 4 weeks yoga class and i tried after the 2 class to get a credit refund. I requested and was told will take 20 business days. The after the 10 business day i never got it and i proceed to call. Nobody really help i was told they will refund but cant gurantee anything. At the end this is a business and sell peace and love but when become a business is the same thing or worst because they show an image but at the end to get a refund from them is a nightmare!!!

Just took a restorative yoga class and the wonderful teacher, Sarah, set up and put away the props! That is my dream class for restorative. And, the class iitself was truly terrific. Sarah created an atmosphere that was deeply healing for 90 minutes in NYC. She had a great sensibility about what it takes to do this kind of class and I applaud her genius and kindness!
She is of service in a very important way. One bad thing did happen though which is that when I went to bathroom during class there was an extremely loud and disruptive group in the women’s locker room making way too much noise. The teachers outside were also overly loud and chatty. Integral is best when everyone is quiet! I hope the studio does something about this timing with the restorative. Five stars though for Sarah!

This studio is different than many others I’ve been in. The 1.5 hour classes have 1 hour of yoga followed by 30 minutes of meditation/​breathing/​chanting exercises. I wanted the classes to be a bit more challenging and to be introduced to new poses. A lot of the classes seemed to be more on the restorative side versus a flow (even though the descriptions said it would be level 2 or harder).
The teachers are knowledgeable and the staff is very friendly.

Excellent Hatha yoga studio for all levels!!! Also have prenatal, arthritis, HIV, Unemployed, gentle, restorative, veterans,
And relaxation classes as well. There is meditation sessions daily.
Spa for massages available.
Next door is their health food store and pharmacy.
Wonderful workshops on many health issues.
A great mind/​spirit experience.
A must go to!

This is an interesting place, I can’t quite put a label on it. It is definitely a bit of an older/​grandfathered in New York crowd. Not that that is a bad thing, but certainly was not something I could identify with. That said, I had a nice experience and do not regret going. It was not the meditation answer I was looking for, but that might be more my issue than theirs. I might try again and will update accordingly.

As a former professional dancer and someone who has practiced yoga for over two decades (I’m not old just got started early)… THIS IS MY FAVORITE STUDIO!!!
I have been to many studios and practiced many styles in NYC over the years. Bikram yoga bored me and was a bunch of hot air. I eventually got hooked on Jivamukti in the late 1990s when they were located on Lafayette. It was great lots of hands on adjustments and seemed to be the place for me. I went there and was totally narcissistic with my practice (not saying it is their fault but that’s what happened).
I was an advanced mover but in many ways I was still a novice yogi. I could do the poses and look great but didn’t ever delve deeper. It wasn’t until I was a bit older that I first went to Integral yoga. I took a level 2 we started with centering, chanting, eye movements (which are pretty much forgotten at all other studios I’ve been to), then got moving. It was like a dream, I was in a deep meditation the whole class. I didn’t even notice the people on their mats near me. I went inside!!!
I was hooked. This is yoga! It brought me deep inside with its clear class structure I can go back and count on a meditative class no matter who’s class I take. The structure of the class is the star not the teacher. So many other studios have skimpy spandex clad self absorbed teachers reducing yoga to a cheap and dirty business. Integral shines above this. The teachers are always modestly dressed and in white (so you don’t have to guess who is teaching).
I also appreciate a class that is explained versus demonstrated. It is a testament to their teachers ability and experience. I prefer to avoid yoga works for this reason. I feel totally held and safe in Integral classes yet I am always given options to go deeper or hold back. They opened my eyes to how holding back is sometimes the harder option. That being said I love that their instructors offer hands on adjustments after asking for your permission! YES!!! I hated that about Jivamukti… teachers would come up behind me and out of no where pull me into a very deep pose (sometimes too soon) without even a warning! At Integral personal space and your own individual journey is really respected with grace and integrity.
Lastly, I have read a few of the negative reviews that point out it isn’t a workout class, there is chanting, and there is pranayama. I see this as a real plus!!! After years of abusing my body and pretending I was doing yoga I have found a wonderful place where pretention can be left at the door. It is the most honest mat work I have done in my life. The deepest yoga and very clearly the most challenging yoga I have ever done! If you want to sweat and live in a world of illusion and self consciousness go take cross fit but if you want yoga come to integral!

An established yoga center, IYI is worth checking out for the diversity and breath of their offerings. I recently took a 10am-​1pm workshop on Thai Yoga Massage with Renee Rice and two of her assistants. The workshop and instruction was excellent. I learned how to give a 30 minute thai yoga massage based on curriculum from Lotus Palm in Montréal/​Toronto. If you want to be certified in Thai Yoga Massage, IYI offers two 5-​day tracks. They have a decent bookstore in lobby; also a food and vitamin shoppe next door. Place has an intimate Greenwich Village feel to it. Credit cards accepted.

If you are someone that is impatient, very «busy», and wants an intense work-​out, go to a gym or Bikram and not this institute. Or, rather, you may unknowingly be in desparate need of the therapeutic benefits of breath work and meditation which is an intense work-​out for the busy, western psyche and is incredibly challenging and doesn’t occupy the majority of the class time. The class is 1.5 hours, longer than most other classes I’ve taken.
I’ve been to other places but Integral yoga feels closest to what the yoga lifestyle was intended to be until the western world branded it to fit the western attitude, rather than redirect it to a healthier way of existence. And I’m far from a hippie New Age type and don’t plan on adopting an eastern religion but I enjoy the benefits of some of their practices.
I enjoy the gentle hatha yoga technique, the breathing exercises, and meditation. I like feeling relaxed and energized after class rather than spent and pooped. After months of regular attendance and also the free lunchtime meditation, I noticed a decrease in my stress levels. I could also use the breathing exercises anywhere. The physical and spiritual practices are synergistic. Most other yoga places I tried focus soley on the physical which I find no different than going to a gym and doing cardio, stretching, and using weight machines or taking a dance class which are all fine too but the point of yoga is mind body spirit.
I also learned more here about which poses do what physiologically (ie: fish pose stimulating the thyroid gland) and how to modify for specific health issues or injuries which I remember when going to places that don’t warn students.
I like what IYI has offered to the community: lectures, workshops, nutrition etc. There are classes for specific physiologic situations as well.
I like that the instructors wear modest loose white clothing rather than Lululemon attire or trendy American Apparel sparkly leggings. It brings the practice down to earth for me and the teacher becomes an instructor rather then a performer/​show piece.
It is also the place that seems to attract a wider age range which also makes it for the «every man».
One thing I don’t like so much is you might take the same class/​time slot but have a different teacher each time so if you had a teacher that really worked for you, you may not see them again and I didn’t love every teacher.
As with all yoga classes that I have taken in NYC, people leave quickly when class is over. No one talks to anyone. This is probably more a NY thing (I’m from the West coast where people are more open to meeting or at least acknowledging others)
All in all, IYI has the most holistic/​balanced practice/​philosophy that I have experienced in NYC.

I love Yoga classes that are effective without being strenuous!!! It’s hard to explain, but their Yoga is advanced and gentle at the same time.
I’m specifically delighted by the Restorative classes though… With all the busy-​ness of the city and the constant chatter/​crowds, I need to lay down in cozy positions and have someone speak sweetly to me. It’s very healing and seems to alter my digestion, my mental state, and my tolerance for pushy people on my commutes. Their restorative classes are 90 minutes long, which is rare.
They are also one the few places that offer Yin Yoga. It’s my new favorite thing because it really alleviates tension in the fascia, where habitual tension is mostly held. I’ve had less pain in my shoulders since I started practicing Yin Yoga.

The people are very nice. The space itself is not very nice. The yoga room was carpeted, which seemed dirty, and there’s an older person clientele. I had a 1 month membership but couldnt go back.

I’ve been practicing bikram yoga and decided to try a regular yoga class. I called to inquire about which level I should start with and the lady recommended level ll since Bikram is more advanced.
I almost fell asleep taking this class. It was a lot of very basic slow and breathing movements. I expected something more challenging since the class description indicated that its for students who «are ready to move at a faster pace. New asanas, including mayurasana (peacock) and shirshasana (headstand), and kriya (purification) techniques will be introduced. This class has less instruction and less relaxation between asanas; asanas are held longer for an experience at a deeper level.» The class was all of the opposite of the description. This seems more like an introduction course than level ll. The instructor did not introduce any of the new Asanas moves. I was looking forward to learn those techniques.
I’m pretty disappointed because the class was nothing like the description of the course. I will not be returning. I wanted to leave in the middle of the session but stayed to give it a chance.
PS. My instructor was a pregnant lady… So I’m not too sure if that was why she taught slower with only basic techniques. In any case, I didn’t get what I expected from the description of the class and I am very disappointed.

Chanting is my LEAST favorite part of any yoga class. I have a hard time personally accepting a skinny blonde woman leading a room of other white people in a round of affected Sanskrit with total solemnity. Can any of us speak Sanskrit? I’ve taken classes (elsewhere) with an instructor who would sing short chants in Sanskrit — she had a BEAUTIFUL voice — but that context was always troubling. I like my yoga athletic and the intent secular, because any other way and you run the risk of co-​opting bits of a culture you’ve made no effort otherwise to take seriously (other than as a commodity, part of a transaction, and in claiming a right to declare it «authentic» or not).
/​rant
So, I didn’t expect to like IYI much. But in the interest of challenging my own assumptions, I tried them out. IYI has 6 practice rooms across 3 floors in a big house of a studio. The space is older, clean and peaceful. The first floor «lobby» is a bookstore/​shop with the smell of incense hanging in the air. The front desk was extremely kindly and efficient, and I was on my way upstairs in no time. Women’s locker room on the 2^nd floor includes bathroom stalls and lockers; bring or rent a lock. Thin, heavy mats are free to borrow in the classroom.
The variety of classes and number of instructors is mindboggling. Unlike many yoga studios which have distinct morning, lunchtime, and evening periods, IYI offers tons of classes all day. The fact that many presumably non-​South-​Asian instructors have adopted Sanskrit-​ish names is irritating, but this isn’t the place to nitpick about that kind of thing. As others have mentioned, IYI focuses on a more «spiritual» aspect of yoga.
Integral Flow (Level 2) was somewhat slower than your typical hatha class. But it was so relaxing in the end! Dressed all in white, Alan led our half-​empty room (Monday at 6:15pm and only 7 students in a room that could’ve comfortably held 12) with chants at the beginning and end of class. Newbies are given cheatsheets and told they can either listen or participate. Poses were basic, and moved slowly but deliberately (but the slowness may have been exacerbated by a particularly disruptive, and advanced, student who kept needing adjustments AND blowing her nose…). Alan walked up and down the room and made sure every student always had proper form. He himself began and ended class with a personal meditation in front of a shrine at the head of the room. Other students were mostly women in their 30s and upward.
I wouldn’t make IYI my go-​to studio because the philosophy is not what I’m looking for. I’d either go insane with moral fury, or (worse) become blind to the implications of my practicing by their style. But they do take yoga as a philosophy very seriously, and admittedly aren’t as exploitative as they could be about it. Those seeking deep, focused sessions and strong instruction with conscious adherence to tradition would enjoy this place a lot.

This place is a little bit of a hike from where I live – about 30 minutes or so door to door. I tried to go to the community class tonight (Saturday) and admittedly cut it close, but should have been okay. But then, even though I’d been once before, I got turned around and when I finally found the place, I was around 15 minutes late (17 minutes to be exact). Overlooking the rather dark rain cloud over my head, the nice ladies at the desk told me there was a 5 minute grace period and they were not allowed to let me into a class after that. They graciously gave me a pass for a free class, and I grumbled my way out the door.
Of course it’s fair to have a cutoff time so latecomers don’t disrupt a class (although my first class didn’t get started until at least 10 minutes after the scheduled time). Just be aware that the hippie vibe mentioned by the other reviewers does not include a tolerance for lateness. If you know you are going to arrive more than 5 minutes after a class is scheduled to start, turn yourself around and go home – They will not let you in.
As for me, I’ll probably just find something closer to home.

There are all different types of yoga studios in the city, so depending on your mood (or how many yoga passes you have lol), this studio may work for you on days you need a lighter, less vigorous yoga practise.
The yoga studio is actually above the store, so you can check-​in at the store and then proceed upstairs to the yoga practising rooms. I think there is also a 3^rd floor, but I didn’t get to explore it. On the second floor, there is a good-​sized women’s changing room with also 3 bathrooms. All the yoga equipment comes with the purchase of the class ($ 17), so it is nice that you don’t have to pay extra to rent a yoga mat.
I came for the Hatha I/​II class last night. I knew that it would be a slower paced class, so I wasn’t expecting a sweat dripping class. Sometimes it is ok to switch it up a bit. The instructor was pretty good and I felt I got in some good stretches. We did many sun salutations and then moved into a series of triangle poses. And afterwards, also some inversions. I definitely worked but also I could’ve used more stretching, like pigeon and handstands. But I understand the nature of the class.
The class was 90 minutes, so be prepared to do a lot of chanting. Chanting in class isn’t really my thing, but it was nice to just have some space for meditation.
You don’t have to go along with what everyone else is doing. Yoga is for you and you set aside time for yourself to recenter and focus.
I will be back to finish up a 2^nd class and every now and then when I feel like I need something lighter than Vinyasa/​Bikram yoga, I’ll come here.

I will start of this review by admitting that I am a big fan of Integral Yoga Institute, and I won’t have anything negative to say in this review. I will caution you that if you are looking for a strenuous workout in which you will struggle to engage in and hold strenuous poses that will leave you out of breath and with fatigued muscles, then this is not the yoga studio for you. I am not knocking yoga as exercise, but there are plenty of opportunities for challenging, even competitive, yoga practices in the city and practices grounded in mindfulness and a commitment to spiritual growth first and mastering the asanas second are far and few between.
If you are looking for a relaxing, yet invigorating, mix of chanting, asanas, breathing exercises, mediation, and deep relaxation, then like myself, you will love Integral Yoga. If you are interested in moving beyond basic poses, there are opportunities to do so in the upper level classes, but you will always be encouraged to work within your own comfort zone, and you will never feel pressured by the instructors or other students to try poses that you are not ready for or which you feel could be risky for your body. The classes typically follow a set sequence of activities and poses, so if you are beginner, you can easily develop a home practice based on the Integral approach.
I typically take the Level I class, and I particularly enjoy the 7:15pm Friday night class, because it is a nice way to enter the weekend, the class is rarely crowded, and it is lovely to stretch on the top floor of the Institute amidst the sparkling lights of the City. You do not have to bring your own mat – all of the mats, bolsters, straps, and blocks you need are available in the studio, and you do not need to pay an extra fee to use them. They also have a health food store next to the studio, so if you want to continuing doing nice things for your body after class, you can pick up organic produce and other foods.
I highly recommend the Restorative classes. I have taken them when I am feeling tense and when I was recovering from an injury (a running injury – not a yoga injury – they are very safety minded at Integral). They fill up fast though, so you may want to use the online reservation system for the Restorative classes. For all the other classes, you can typically walk in 10 – 15 minutes before the class.
Their fees are $ 17 per class which is a bit steep in my frugal book, but you can save by purchasing their introductory offer if you are a new student (3 classes for $ 30), buying a pack of classes, or taking the $ 5 Community Class on Saturday nights at 6:15pm.

Absolutely love this place. True to practice, relaxing Hatha yoga. There’s no rushing through breathing or poses, the instructors really take their time and help guide you through everything and give suggestions and modifications if you need them. Eileen is amazing. I’ve also had class with Erika, Sue, Tom and Alan, all of whom are spectacular. I regret not buying the 3 month unlimited Groupon now! Yes, there is a lot of chanting and meditation but it really helps to ease the mind from the hustle and bustle of NYC life. A couple of classes have really helped calm me down and I do some of the breathing exercises on my own time too. I think those looking for an in-​out, quick meditation or practice are really straying from the true meaning of yoga itself, which is to take time and go slow.

Integral Yoga Institute is really an oasis here in New York City. From their classes, to their bookstore, to their grocery and apothecary, to the spa — it is truly a school where loving kindness is truly practiced by all of the regulars.
I’ve been searching for a studio to call «home» for a long time. I’ve tried many types of studios in the process: anusara, hot power yoga, yin, kundalini, and vinyasa. During my search, I developed a few griefs with most yoga studios. My first grief is with massive class sizes where it is so packed that there is no possible way an instructor could pay attention to whether you were holding a pose incorrectly, thereby increasing the risk of injury. My second grief is with the lack of spirituality and meditation in classes — yoga is not purely physical with asanas. My third grief was sometimes people in classes and the feeling of competition and wanting to one up each other whether it was with asanas, or even who is wearing the latest Lululemon gear. My last grief is schedules and lack of available classes, especially when I needed them the most which is either early morning or evenings after work.
I’m happy to say that IYI, a hatha yoga studio, 100% fills my needs.
Because IYI is a school, there are plenty of rooms, with most classes never exceeding 15 – 17 people. This means that your teacher can pay attention and adjust you safely, and there is just enough room for you to express your asanas freely and not constrict yourself because you might hit your neighbor in the head with your leg. They also have plenty of props and mats as well (Jade Yoga, the good brand!) to borrow for free which is awesome.
For the spiritual aspect, IYI also has a routine of having a short chant of «Hari OM» at the beginning of class, and at the end an extended savasana, meditation, breathing exercises, and a chant to end the class. A lot of people don’t like this and leave early, but personally I think it is nice to have that quiet time to take care of yourself and be at peace.
The diversity of students here is amazing. I never feel that «competitive» vibe here. Practitioners range from older people ranging from age 70~ and up, to sometimes high school age. No one is ever ignored or neglected, even if they have something that ails them, such as a nagging injury. Often times instructors will suggest alternative asanas for those who need it.
There are many class times to choose from, some days with the first class starting at 7:00am and the last class starting at 7:15pm. The only small downside is that I find that Level 1, ½, and 2 classes are more prevalent than advanced classes.
I agree with most of the reviewers here that this might not be the studio for you if you expect an exhausting workout and being pushed to your limit. I think that you get pushed hard more in a different way by really learning proper techniques and good practices with your asanas rather than jumping quickly mindlessly into one pose after another. This also might not be the studio for you if you aren’t into the more calming, meditative «Yin» part of yoga.
IYI became my «home» studio because of the sense of community, classes are never too crowded, class availability, great instructors, and the wonderful meditation aspect that is ignored in many places. If you are looking for any of these qualities in your yoga practice, I recommend taking a class here.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! The grocery is excellent — tons of healthy, organic, and local options — and there are always good deals in the weekly/​monthly circular. The juice bar is great — always fresh, and always organic, yet comparably priced with non-​organic juice bars. The yoga classes are wonderful (restorative yoga is my favorite) and the apothecary is extremely well-​stocked (yet pricey) and staffed by highly knowledgeable people. It’s the only place I buy my natural remedies. :)

This place is obviously really great for some people, but it was not a good fit for me, and here’s why:
1. Not enough of a work-​out. I’ve being doing yoga for a long time, and started out with three years of hatha, so I was really excited to find a hatha place in New York. But none of the 3 levels of classes I took were strenuous enough to unlock the benefits of a vigorous workout.
2. A little too much chanting. Hey, I love meditation, I want to work on it. But chanting for a really long time is really not my bag. I’m not dissing it for other people, but I’m not exactly soothed by the sound of my own voice trying to approximate a language I don’t understand.
3. The teachers were so-​so. Sometimes I get so caught up by the enthusiasm or warmth of a teacher that I continue to go to a class just to be in the halo of their glow. But of the four teachers I met here, they didn’t really seem to observe the class. It felt like they were leading the class with blindfolds on… like we were all invisible.
I stopped going here about a week into my month-​long Groupon for this place. I tried some other places in the city, and finally ended up at Yoga to the People. Which, I think everyone who gave Integral Yoga Institute a 5 star will scoff at for not being «real» or whatever. But it makes me sweat and feel really good on a consistent basis, so it’s a good fit for me.

I’ve taken yoga at a few places, including the last gym I belonged to. In all honesty, I haven’t taken a yoga class in years; but considering how close it was to my house, along with the fact that I wanted to sign up for prenatal yoga classes, it seemed like the obvious choice.
I love the fact that Integral Yoga also has a grocery store right next door (perfect for healthy snacks before or after class), as well as an apothecary across the street (with an abundant supply of vitamins and supplements). I love the comprehensive list of books on yoga, meditation and well-​being that are available in the reception area, and the way every staff member makes you feel like you’re a seasoned member of their community, even when you come in for the very first time.
The rooms are conducive to the kind of mental and physical well-​being you’re trying to achieve: the colors on the walls are very soothing and the rooms are carpeted. I’ve worked with two prenatal instructors already: Jyoti and Kelly. Both are nurturing and patient, walking each student through the many positions we transition through over the course of an hour and a half class.
I love how the language of the class focuses so much on the growth of and connection with your baby. The fifteen minute relaxation period at the end of the class is the perfect time to reflect on the events of the day and release tensions while simultaneously bonding with the baby. I leave class feeling less stress (and more strength) in my muscles and complete ease.
Integral Yoga offers a wide array of classes for people of any age, with specialized workshops being offered every month. Their pricing is also very affordable (I was able to get an unlimited monthly for $ 108, which, when you consider that my class is offered 6 days a week, makes each class about $ 4.50). I think it’s great and look forward to trying more classes.

I have been coming to this place to be quiet and still for almost a decade.
I love their store, the fact everyone who works there is a volunteer. Love the fact is its still one of the most affordable NYC yoga classes that INCLUDES your mat rental. and that it is quiet welcoming of every faith. and it is generally a mature following.
No mess no fuss… and you will get instruction in every Level 1 class and you will learn to breathe. do asanas. and you will learn to relax your eyes. and find some peace during the hustle and bustle of NYC.
You should come here if you are new to yoga.
You should not come here if you are looking for your classes to be different each time because they will not be at first level.
Solid routine that is followed to a tee.
But it is a place I hold close to my heart… it’s brought me many peaceful nights.