Dharma Yoga Center — Local services in New York

I’d like to preface this review by saying it will be based on my opinion and preference. I’ve been practicing yoga for 13 years and have studied and taught the practice for 7 of those years. I hope it will be helpful for some.

When looking for studios in NYC, I was recommended the Dharma Center by several peers. While in town, I visited the center and had a class with Dharma Mittra.

It was easy to sign up for the class online and we were greeted very sweetly by the front desk staff. They made us feel welcome and showed us around the studio. I was grateful for that since it was my first time.

Upon walking into the class, I realized it would be a different experience than I’m used to. Before class, students were filming Dharma, taking photos of him, and practicing physically advanced asanas chaotically throughout the room.

I felt more assured after an introduction from Dharma with lots of thought provoking spiritual ideas and practices. But once the class started I realized I was out of my element. The Saturday morning class is definitely for physically advanced practitioners. It was a choppy sequence of incredibly intense and quick moving vinyasas, balancing postures, and back bends. Students who were hyper flexible folded into the poses while the rest struggled to unsafely follow.

Dharma regularly used the phrase “if you’re flexible” and pointed to students who were exhibiting the ‘perfect’ alignment. It was certainly not a class for everyone but for the few ‘fit and flexible.’ We were being taught in a way that implied you’ll only be able to do a certain posture in a certain way if you practice more; completely disregarding the idea that someone could have an injury or other limitations.

At one point during class, I was prompted by the instructor to change my alignment in lizard (a deep hip opener). Without asking, he pushed my low back aggressively towards the floor and said, “keep striving.” I have a very sensitive low back due to long-term injury and this was traumatizing to say the least.

A few times during class, folks stopped to film his demonstrations but they were also panning the camera across the room to record other students in the class. This made me uncomfortable and took me out of what little meditation I could find.

This was a fascinating experience. A few times during class I felt so uncomfortable that I wanted to roll up my mat and leave. I’m sure there is plenty of Dharma’s teachings that I’m missing or that I’m ignorant to. It’s clear he’s doing important work and his message and style resonates with a big group of people. I’m just not one of them.

I saw that there are gentler options on the schedule. In hindsight, I would have opted for...

I first discovered Dharma Yoga through my teacher Christian at Hot Yoga Malmö, where I immediately connected with the depth and transformative power of the practice. After a month-long Dharma Yoga workshop, I realized I wanted to immerse myself further in this path, which led me to the teacher training in New York City. I went with an open heart but limited experience, not knowing fully what to expect. Though I had heard much about Dharma Yoga, I hadn't watched videos or taken classes with the NYC studio beforehand. Stepping into that training opened up an entirely new world for me—one filled with profound wisdom and kindness. The teacher training was so much more than learning Asana or memorizing texts. It was about life experiences, testimonies, and understanding how to live as a Yogi in every sense of the word. Sri Dharma Mittra, the founder, is a humble, compassionate being whose wisdom and Asana practice is unmatched. I was privileged to learn not just from him but from incredible teachers like Pam, Lyn, Andrew, Jonathan, Britney, and others. Each brought their unique experiences and voices, yet all carried forward Dharma’s message of compassion and selflessness. Their ability to connect with us on a personal level made the teachings deeply meaningful. Through them, I felt the true essence of Dharma’s teachings, enriched with their own perspectives. Throughout the training, I found myself in a continuous state of learning—from Asana, philosophy, and anatomy to pranayama, Ayurvedic cooking, and the philosophy of living compassionately. It was both challenging and rewarding, pushing me to grow not only as a practitioner but as a person. The Dharma Yoga Center itself was a source of immense support, allowing me to focus fully on the training, for which I am eternally grateful. Dharma Yoga is not merely about physical poses; it’s a way of life. It instils resilience, kindness, and purpose, enabling one to better serve themselves and humanity. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of this transformative training and to have experienced firsthand the profound teachings of Sri Dharma and his wonderful team of teachers. My journey has only begun, and I look forward to continuing to walk this path with a deep sense of gratitude...

This is a very late review, but I can’t seem to get any sort of response from Dharma Mittra or anyone on his team. I teach yoga now, so I’ve often reflected on my experience at his studio. After reaching out multiple times since the event, I have yet to receive any sort of acknowledgement of the harm he and his assistant caused.

I traveled to NYC in part to practice with Dharma Mittra. I had a steady practice, but was not a former gymnast, dancer, or contortionist - I realized quickly that I chose the wrong class as it seemed the room was full of the above. We were guided through a series of physically demanding postures. I was the only one in the room who couldn’t go to the extreme that he was looking for, so he singled me out. Dharma and his assistant manually adjusted me MANY times without permission. Yes, I realize I should have said no or got up and left. But I think this is an unfortunate example of what many students experience in ego-driven, ableist classes. At one point I was in lotus pose trying to come to headstand. It was physically impossible for my bone structure. Dharma knelt down next to me and in a voice loud enough for all to hear said, “Your body is like a Cadillac and you don’t know how to drive it”. Students laughed, and this seemed to only spur him on. This is the only comment I can remember clearly. Others were made at my expense and it was totally humiliating. Aside from the embarrassment I experienced, I left physically injured. The harsh adjustments caused permanent damage to my left hip.

The class itself was a total show. Students made a circle at the end and took turns showing off their abilities. It was cult-like.

Now that I lead teacher trainings, I can’t help but come back to this experience. Not to dwell or be a victim, but to play a small role in reshaping western yoga. Ahimsa is the first Yama, and one that all others should abide by. If you’re doing harm, it’s not yoga.

A response from you or your team would be...