Harmony Yoga Studio

I found this place through Unilocal reviews. It’s only right to reciprocate but I have been «selfish» not wanting people to know about this hidden gem right in the middle of North Berkeley.
I have had many yoga classes either offered by the gym (general membership) or private studio lessons (back in Boston) in the past 10+ years and I can say none compared to Barbara’s class.
Her class size is small (from 3 to 10 max) — which I like. I once signed up for some group class with the yoga teacher because I couldn’t afford her private lesson and found that it was packed from wall to wall. It’s tough not having «personal space» when one is trying to stretch and relax.
Barbara is a wonderful teacher. She is gentle, understanding and her voice is very soothing. The music she plays sometime, is calming rather than distracting (like some other classes I attended). She is very good at varying different routines and poses. She makes sure everyone gets the pose before we move on. She is very patient and attentive to her students. I was struggling through a few poses and she came right next to me to show me how it’s done. I am learning quite a bit in her class.
I emailed her to inquire about her classes before I went the first time, she emailed me back right away wanting to know if I have any special conditions she needed to consider.
Her classes are 1.5 hour long, which I find it’s perfect. The classmates are very nice and supportive. It’s a very nurturing environment. I am very glad I found Barbara’s yoga studio and look forward to study yoga with her for as long as we are in Berkeley.

I’ve tried many, many local yoga studios and teachers, and Barbara Kaplan is a unique and gifted teacher! No where else have I found her combination of technical expertise, gentle guidance, and easy, no-​pressure style. Her small class sizes allow her to give individual attention, which is key for beginning yoga students, and a welcome change from less personal studios. She carefully crafts each class, gently warming us up with different poses which lead to a pose we couldn’t have attempted without the previous 90 minutes of opening. And of course, there’s never any pressure to try or do something that isn’t right for us or our bodies.
She’s been practicing for over 30 years, and teaching for 20 (I’ve been taking her classe for 13 years).
She can lead a high intensity, vinyassa style class one week, and a restorative «blindfold» class, or a yin yoga class (slow, longer held poses), the next week. Her students are all ages, levels, and body types, and her welcoming, non-​judgmental environment creates a strong and friendly class community. Personally, I used to be able to do backbends, but after two pregnancies, I no longer can. My limitations are fine and even welcomed, here at Harmony yoga. If you’ve had mixed feelings at other yoga classes, try Barbara’s. Finally a yoga studio that accepts you and your body, at whatever level you are.

Barbara is a hghly skilled yoga teacher who has a gift for sequencing poses in a way that takes the student easily into gradually more difficult poses. Her classes are a haven of comraderie, warmth, acceptance of where you are in the moment, and inspiration to strive for that next edge.
She is welcoming to all, gives precise individual attention for correct alignment in the poses, and intersperses the specific physical instructions with spiritual concepts and practices so gently that you can take it or leave it (the spiritual part). For me it is worth commuting across three towns to get to her classes. She has a radiant spirit, and I always leave class soothed and restored to wholeness.

Our family LOVES yoga with Barbara! My husband and I first met her in workshop that focused on partner yoga poses, which not only took us to stretches and places we couldn’t achieve on our own, but also helped improved communication between us. It became clear during that workshop that Barbara was the teacher I had been seeking to practice with individually, so I started going to her classes, which have a graceful flow to them with smooth transitions from one pose to the next. As a teacher myself, I relate to her eclectic approach; she draws the best from different traditions to create her own blend of yoga. The result is an individually tailored program in a small group setting; sessions typically focus on a particular area of the body, but always build up slowly with whole body involvement, and wind down with a few restorative and meditative poses, which make you feel like you never want to leave the studio. A couple of partner poses with a class member are also included in the standard fare. I’m always impressed with how she manages to give each class member individual attention and care thanks to her ever watchful eye and verbal encouragement. And her voice! With its soothing and supportive inflections, it alone is worth every penny you’ll spend on a class!
After hearing me rave about Barbara’s classes, my husband and teenage daughter decided to give them a try as well and are now regulars. All three of us have benefited in multiple ways: improved management of chronic pain and insomnia issues, relief for migraine headaches, greater sense of balance, inner peace, and overall well-​being in our lives. As parents, we are grateful to Barbara for providing our daughter stress reduction tools and healthy coping strategies for a lifetime and, even more importantly, for being an inspiring and nurturing role model for her.
Make yoga with Barbara your family affair! It’ll be one of the most rewarding investments you’ll ever make in your life.

I have been doing and learning yoga in Barbara Kaplan’s studio on and off for more than 5 years and she is fantastic. You will be hard pressed to find a yoga teacher who will give you more personal attention and who is supportive and understanding of each student’s individual needs. Barbara is a great teacher for all levels. If you are a total beginner you will feel comfortable and encouraged and if you are advanced you will be challenged in a healthy and stimulating way. If you are looking for a yoga teacher you can’t go wrong with Barbara!
Glenn A

As a physical therapist and, more recently, a certified yoga instructor, I am very aware of the importance of practicing yoga safely. Yoga can be an absolutely magical solution to so many health problems from anxiety to back pain, IF it is practiced mindfully and under the guidance of a wise and knowledgeable instructor. Barbara Kaplan can skillfully adapt yoga poses to any body type, make adjustments to accommodate any injury. Personally, she is inspiring, truly radiating beauty, warmth and acceptance. I recommend her equally to the curious novice, seeking help for their back problem, as to the experienced yogi, seeking depth in their practice. Come and find out why many of her students have worked with her for years (I have known her since 1995! and the universe keeps bringing me back to her!).

My Passport to Prana brought me to her door — a tiny studio (i.e. «Suite B») attached to the Acupressure Institute next door (i.e. «Suite A»). She, the yoga instructor Barbara Kaplan, welcomed me with a bright smile. She is a very warm and happy person, energetic but also gentle and understanding. Most students in her class seem to have known her for a long time, probably have followed her for months (if not years?) of yoga practice. She knows everyone by name — so far, I dare say, she is the warmest and most personable instructor I have met! And she adjusts the students’ postures with great sensitivity and gentleness. She knows that I’m a beginner in yoga and I’m using the «passport» to try out different studios, so she gave me absolutely no pressure to sign up for her classes. In fact, at the end of the class, she gave me a goodie bag with a collection of items like natural food (energy bars, organic cereals, cooking sauces, etc.), biodegradable detergent, some pet food, etc. I thought that was really nice of her.
The studio itself is pretty small though… Students’ ethnicity: Mostly white. Age: mostly middle age. It could be because the studio is located in North Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto area where lots of upper middle class old white people live. Although it’s a world apart from the infamous Yoga to the People just a few streets down the road, it’s far from being pretentious and yuppified. I’d say that most people are friendly, and I’m guessing they’re there to improve their health and wellness. Aren’t we all? Barbara’s class focuses a lot of stretching. But compared to Yoga Man dala, her class is a lot less spiritual — other than «Om» at the end of the class, you probably won’t hear words like Chakra or insights from Hinduism or Buddhism. (She is probably is Buddhist herself though — again I’m just guessing.)
Anyway, I think the class is well-​paced and the vibes are good. About 3.5 stars. I won’t sign up because I still much prefer Yoga Mandala’s integrated approach AND I don’t live in North Berkeley. But if you’re a resident living nearby, and you want to get into yoga practice to decompress, to become more flexible, or for self-​healing purpose, without getting too caught up in the its spirituality aspect, her studio might be a great start for you. Her website says that it’s $ 5 for new students, so go for it and try it out.