Ashtanga Open Practice — Local services in New York

Ashtanga Open Practice is a welcoming community with people of all ages and varying levels practicing together. Scott and Jamie have a friendly and non-dogmatic approach to the Ashtanga tradition, which makes the practice less intimidating and fun.

I also love how they have such a wide window of 6-11am to drop-in for a practice as it's easy to fit anyone's schedule. Before finding AOP, I had a hard time finding somewhere to practice after 9am.

The new studio space at Valor MMA is also incredible with the padded flooring that is firm enough to practice on, yet soft enough that it takes away the fear of falling from inversions and arm balances!

With the re-opening of yoga studios and group fitness classes, Valor MMA is definitely the safest place to practice during covid, as they disinfect the padded floors after every class, have UV lights to kill bacteria and strict compliance with requiring proof of...

Jamie and Scott bring Ashtanga yoga back to its roots, where each individual uses the sequence to help their own body and their own lifestyle. It is not about making your body conform to the sequence and compromised to do so. There is talking allowed so people have formed friendships and community that is hard to find in many places. There are helpful tips and assistance to help one thorough injuries and hard times in life and encouragement to celebrate the wins. There are lots of laughs!

If Ashtanga feels too rigid for you, don’t give up on it and try these teachers! They are Manju-authorized (versus Sharath), which is an entirely different approach. If you have questions, you can ask because curiosity is not only allowed, it is encouraged! Everyone is welcome at AOP and everyone leaves...

I searched for two years before I found a place where I felt at home learning and practicing yoga in NYC. And now I’ve been with Ashtanga Open Practice since 2015. Scott and Jamie teach each student from wherever they are. They guide us all safely and supportively towards steadiness and ease in our own practice of the traditional postures of Ashtanga yoga. The practice space is inclusive and fun. My classmates range from teens to seniors, and beginner to advanced. And everyone of them is a joy to practice with. The sense of community is real, and very strong at AOP. And this held us all together through 18 months of Zoom practice. Now we are very happy to be in our awesome new space at Valor MMA. I feel very safe there, and with AOP, in...