Body & Brain – Brookline

My last day at the Brookline Dahn Center was when the manager yelled, insulted and called me names because I didn’t want to sign a two year membership contract. At the beginning there are many hugs and smiles (hypocrites), but when the subject of money or workshops comes up, you must be careful because they put a lot of pressure on the members to accept their terms. Better take your belongings and run away. Practice yoga somewhere else but if you want a brain wash its a good place to attend.

This type of yoga is really not my style. There’s less downward facing dog or pigeon posture, and a lot more swinging your arms, thumping yourself, and moving around. It’s interesting.
If I just want to try to center myself, breathe deeply, and feel more spiritual, this is not a bad place to go, since I still have about 5 visits left on my 30 visit Meta Body Groupon. I will most likely attend a couple more classes before it ends. But I don’t really feel «worked out» when it’s done (unless I walk there and back, for a total of just over 4 miles). There is some stretching, and there is some cool visualization and stuff. I really like this «ball of energy» trick they show you (don’t want to ruin it by explaining it badly). But I wouldn’t be likely to attend if I had to pay for the classes. The good news is, no one has actually tried to get me to sign up yet, so it’s not horribly awkward each time I go there.
The guy who runs the place is really nice. After the class (which is L-​O-​N-​G — 75 minutes, and, apparently, you’re supposed to start 15 minutes early) (don’t ask me — I’m lost on that one, too), they offer tea, where you sit around and talk about the class. That’s nice, although I don’t necessarily enjoy the «share with the group» mentality. I’m more of an introvert. I have a few more free visits, but I don’t really think I want to go back.

Not just yoga, but mental energy workout.
They work a lot on energy, rather than just stretching and holding…
very nice, and all good, but if you are just looking for the stretching and holding, and girls in small spandex, not this spot.
Come here to bring your yoga to a new level, as well as your mind/​body connection

I thought I wrote a review for the Brookline Dahn Yoga Center a while ago but it seems to have disappeared. Maybe there is a time limit for reviews?
I’ve been practicing and teaching Dahn Yoga for almost 7 years now, but I started at the center in Brookline, so it tends to be my favorite. Like any other Dahn Yoga center I’ve been to, the interior is clean and bright, the classroom floor is padded, they have their own mats, and the people are really friendly and accepting. I was never someone who would just learn exercises from a book so I really appreciated being a part of the supportive community there.
A couple of disadvantages is that there’s mostly street parking available and the sign on the green awnings was a little hard for me to see. The parking was never a problem for me because I took the T there; it’s right near the Coolidge Corner stop on the Green C line. I walked right past the door when I was looking for it the first time, but once you know it’s there that’s not a problem.
I had only taken one other yoga class before taking Dahn Yoga so I didn’t have a lot of preconceptions about what yoga should be like. One thing that was weird but that I really liked were the vibration exercises. Those exercises include tapping your body or simply shaking it, whether standing, sitting, or even lying down. The shaking wasn’t too weird for me because I had taken belly dance classes before and did a lot of shimmying and shaking there, which I also liked. It was really great to just move and shake in any way my body wanted and release all the stress and tension from my day. The intestine exercises were also different, but once I learned them I was doing them everywhere I went – walking, on the bus or T, at work …
Even though the tapping was different from my previous experience, when I later went to Korea (where Dahn Yoga is from) to visit my in-​laws, I joined my 84-​year-​old father-​in-​law in his early morning exercises at the park. He didn’t know Dahn Yoga at all but there he was tapping his lower belly with his fists at the end of every exercise session. As we were leaving my in-​laws gave us these patented bamboo sticks they were using on themselves and told us to tap each other for fifteen minutes every night :-) So it seems like tapping is not so strange there.
I hope this review is helpful.

I was drawn in by the free yoga class, and I have to say up front: this isn’t really my style of yoga. I normally go for vinyasa, but decided to give Dahn Yoga a try.
For my personal taste, there was a little too much bouncing and jumping, and not quite enough stretching. I really did enjoy the enthusiasm of the instructor and the atmosphere of the class. I felt very comfortable with the other people in class, completely accepted. It is a wonderful feeling when you know you won’t be judged by just getting what you need out of the class.
The bouncing and dancing was a bit too intense, and my neck and back ended up being a different type of sore at the end of the day. I didn’t have a negative enough experience to not go back, but I think I prefer a more relaxing version of yoga.
Overall, though, it was a very positive experience. If a more active yoga class is what you want, then this would probably be the place to go.

Went here seeking relief from my back pain. Probably should have read the Unilocal reviews before going, as I’m about to write the exact same thing, but was sucked in by the «free 10 minute massage» sign out front. Who could resist?
Vladimir, who gave the massage, was actually pretty good. Showed me some great stretches, unknotted/​cracked my back, and told me I should attend a free class tomorrow. Sure, why not.
The class was 1.5 hours. A little stretching, some meditation, LOTS of bouncing and thumping and yelling and hitting yourself. Knew very quickly this wasn’t for me. Then came the sales pitch.
I’ve bought used cars, I’ve joined gyms, I’ve haggled at markets in China, but those were nothing compared to this. Honestly the only time I’ve ever been pitched something this hard was when I took that Scientology personality test in college (they had promised us starving students a free lunch — never happened), and the lady at the end lectured me that I was extremely depressed and needed to buy Dianetics by L Ron Hubbard immediately. Same exact feeling, only this time it was to pay lots of money for three months of classes.
After about a half hour of being guilt tripped and explaining I cant afford to spend that kind of money (that didn’t make a difference at all) I finally managed to get outta there. But like an idiot I had put my address and phone number on the paper so I’m sure I’ll be getting harassed very soon. (UPDATE: Been Unilocal messaged twice already).
Maybe I got the one guy that was way too pushy and ruined it, but based on these others reviews and the research I’ve done since (check out the Rolling Stone article and CNN piece), I’d say stay AWAY from this place. But that’s just my (and, well, 90% of Unilocal)‘s opinion. Do some research on your own first and decide for yourself.
Yoga is a wonderful thing, but this felt less like yoga and more like a cult.
Also I need to stop going into places for free massages and food.

SO freaked out that I let them take the money I prepaid for classes. Not yoga. It’s thumping and chanting.
They just pump and pump you for money too … I went to the free consultation and enjoyed that … then came the money part. As I was desperate for something to help with the pain I was experiencing, I gave in and purchased way expensive classes without taking one. BIG MISTAKE. I never saw the yoga part … just freaky!
Run, don’t walk away!