Green Tara Yoga & Healing Arts

I went to Green Tara Yoga tonight after having lower back pain that has persisted over the course of many months. I have been to other yoga places, most recently the place on W. 25^th St. in Ohio City. Green Tara Yoga is the best experience I have had by far.
If you are a teenager or a cheerleader, or want to listen to calming nature sounds and smell incense, you should not come here. But if you honestly want and need to feel better – if you have body aches and want a place that takes these issues seriously, Green Tara is your place.
Karen took me and my issues seriously and she knew what she was doing. This woman is an expert. I thought I’d try it for one night, and ended up signing up for eight classes this evening. I am pleased.

I guess one’s experience of yoga classes is very subjective for every student.
But having said that, I found Karen’s teaching to be helpful and attentive — and in the end transformative. I think that some yoga students misperceive the Iyengar «method» as being too strict, which might account for some people’s reactions. My own take is that through learning certain very specific actions and awareness, one can develop «less» constriction in one’s body and mind.
I loved it — the facility is nice in a simple way. The real deal, not McYoga.

I’ve been going to Green Tara for over a year and while all the teachers at the studio are very good, Karen is by far the best. She is an excellent instructor who is disciplined and emphasizes form, teaching you to be thoughtful and aware of your body. What really sets her apart is that she is both yoga teacher and life coach in one, without being too self-​help or corny or inaccessible. I’m not at all new-​age-​y, but her classes really transcend your traditional pose/​stretch/​downward-​facing dog, and leave you with both a refreshed mind and body.
The studio is small but cozy, and you get a feel for a sense of community as the classes are a good mix of long-​time veterans and first-​time drop-​ins. I’ve also taken some classes at the Yoga Room which is an amazing facility in one of the converted Little Italy school-​houses, but the quality and the level of detail of teaching at Green Tara in one of Karen’s classes is unmatched.
I’ve only ever done Iyengar yoga (minus the yoga class I went to at a 24hr Fitness once, which was so UNNATURAL and weird), so I can’t compare it to any of the other yogas, but the perfectionist in me loves the slower pace and an almost cerebral emphasis on form. Check this place out!

Green Tara Yoga was the second stop on my Cleveland Yoga Quest (See Review for Atma Yoga, the first stop)… Green Tara Yoga is in the Iyengar Style, very, very different from Atma. For yoga novices, you should know that Iyengar involves the use of props, most namely some scary looking belts, which you (and possibly a partner) wrap around your body and pull to help contort yourself farther.
The class I went to was a very, very, basic beginner’s class (mostly Sun Salutations), which was well taught, with much instructor attention. Didn’t like that I was cold. Would consider trying again a more advanced class, but am not sure this is the place for me!