Mickey Barr

I would add another star if I could. I just had my first massage with Mickey based on all the great feedback here and the information on his web site. He is truly magnificent — intuitive, creative, sensitive, and deeply kind. Mickey, if you read these reviews, thank you so much again for a magical session. It was exactly what I needed. I’ll schedule with you again soon! kk

Maya G’s review basically says what I would have said, so let me try a different approach. I moved to New York recently, and I’m still in mourning over the loss of Mickey as a yoga instructor. I never understood how people got «into yoga» until I began taking his classes. His style is direct and personal, conversational and playful, challenging and athletic. This is not a mellow «feelings» yoga class. You will do much more than lay on the ground, breathing. You’ll feel stronger, have more curiosity about what your body could do next time, and develop camaraderie with your classmates, even if you only attend a few times. He’s also a total inspiration.

I’ve been taking Mickey’s yoga class consistently for three years (at least). I’m not a very talented yoga student, I have very little flexibility (I’m a cyclist) and a back injury. Through Mickey’s class I’ve mostly tamed my back injury and gained some more flexibility. But more than that through the class I’ve come to understand and feel how my body is structured and how it is strengthened. Mickey is a master at giving students verbal and physical corrections that let you get into the depth of the poses over time, to really feel and understand what yoga does to your body and how it draws out the natural ways your muscles and skeleton are connected. He’s also searching in the best sense, he is always trying to better understand poses and the practice. Downward dog, for example, involves the feet, the legs, the thighs, the torso, the trunk, the shoulders, the arms, the hands, the neck, and the head. And it involves them all balanced together. You can’t really take in all the different things that go into the posture at one time — it seems impossible when you think of everything that goes into such an apparently simple pose. But gradually as you take Mickey’s class you get to feel how the different elements connect via his corrections and time spent, you work on different aspects of this posture, and this allows you to feel and understand the deeper natural connections in your muscles and skeleton. I strongly recommend that anyone who wants deep strength and wants a sense of how their body is connected to take Mickey’s class. He’s also a very friendly and funny guy who makes everyone feel warm and welcome.

Mickey is an excellent yoga teacher who will help you improve your yoga practice with excellent instructions, effective hands-​on adjustments, a deep knowledge of yoga and anatomy, and a great sense of humor. His classes are definitely ashtanga-​inspired, but he draws on many different disciplines to help students get the most out of poses, breath, and movement. He is a somewhat demanding teacher; he will not let you lazily flop though poses. Rather, he challenges you to put the effort in to get the most out of every pose. That being said, if you say you are having rough day, he totally respects that and invites you to take child’s pose (or in some cases, helps you to get into an awesome restorative pose). I am so happy that I found his classes and he has helped me immensely on my yoga journey.
I have never had a massage from Mickey, but given how great his adjustments are in class, I am pretty confident that his massages would be stellar. I will probably treat myself to one on my next special occasion!

If you want to deepen your yoga practice in the company of others who share a positive spirit, then Mickey’s class is something you should experience. I’ve attended his class off-​and-​on for a few years at Karma Yoga in Harvard Square (as well as occasionally at other local studios). When I attend more often, I recognize familiar faces and know that many in the room are «regulars».
Disclaimer: I’m not the most dedicated in my own yoga practice (though I’m trying to improve!) Sometimes I do practice pretty well at home… and sometimes weeks or months go by and it feels like a victory just to find my mat — my point being that wherever I might be in a given week, I know that if I can Just. Get. To. Karma. then everything will be fine. In Mickey’s class, I will be met exactly in the place that I am, and the day will be transformed for the better.
Expect personalized adjustments and suggestions with careful attention to anatomical detail and explanation of all the finer points of a pose. Mickey can demonstrate micro-​articulations of the body that you might not know are possible. He also provides useful commentary on origins and historical background, all with warmth and wit.
Mickey is great, and you will learn and grow if you attend his class with an open spirit.

Mickey is by far the best yoga teacher I have ever had and I have taken yoga classes in numerous states and at Kripalu over the past 10 years. Hands down, he is amazing and if it were not for him, I may have quit yoga a few years ago when I was really, really struggling with the practice of yoga! Not only does he know yoga better than anyone I have ever practiced with, he provides the perfect balance between knowledge, assistance, motivation, support, and humor. And his classes are never boring. In fact, my husband and I rearrange our schedules as much as possible to ensure that we get to his Tues & Thurs morning classes each week in Harvard Square. If he had morning classes every day, I would go to EVERY one of them. If I didn’t love Mickey and his classes so much, and want to give him the ranking he deserves here, I wouldn’t say a word to keep his classes all to myself!

Mickey is one of the most therapeutic and energetically intuitive massage therapists I’ve met. He gives the best massage I’ve had in the Boston area, and I have been trying folks out here for years. His knowledge of anatomy and his experience watching and adjusting bodies in his yoga classes definitely feels like it informs his bodywork.

Mickey is a wonderful yoga teacher. As a massage therapist, he is incredibly perceptive of students’ individual bodies and postures, and will reposition them accordingly. I have learned 100 times faster with him than with any other teacher. His classes at Karma yoga studio in Harvard square are fun, rigorous and empowering. He has many regulars and there is great camaraderie within the class. He will help regulars and new students alike. I cannot recommend his classes enough.

Very intuitive massage therapist.

Mickey Barr is by far the best yoga instructor I’ve had in town. I’ve been to pretty much every yoga studio within a 90 minute commute from Harvard sq. and attended classes with many famous teachers, Mickey at karma yoga definitely stands out and in my opinion is really the best yoga instructor in the area. He combines both Ashtanga and Iyengar methods and is extremely knowledgeable about the inner workings of the bandhas, and body anatomy. He focuses on proper alignment and knows every person in class by name and hence gives individual adjustments accordingly. He is also very approachable and does lots of reading and his own research on yoga/​meditation and anatomy and is willing to take time to share this knowledge if you ask him after class. I’m always blown away by how Mickey keeps classes interesting and challenging to both newbies and seasoned practitioners alike. We’ve even had pregnant practitioners come and join and Mickey was very aware of what poses to give those yoginis. Some of Mickeys’ adjustments in class provide really great spinal traction and release. My favorite is his amazing adjustment in paschimottanasana after a deep back bend he puts enough pressure on the outer hips and spine that feels like you can stay in that squished position forever at peace. I wish more of the mysore teachers take note and adopt this deep full body squishing action in paschimottanasana.
In short if you want a great yoga teacher and a chance to meet a super nice individual then find Mickey!

Mickey is an outstanding massage therapist. He understands the human anatomy better than most from his intensive yoga practice, which makes his massages comparable to physio therapy. Mickey uses natural creams when massaging, but his is not an oily massage and goes very deep into the hidden recesses of knotted tissues. He also practices active release and fascial manipulation among other techniques.
Mickey has made it possible for me to continue working at a computer, when I might otherwise be flat on the floor with back pain. He has also adopted his massage practice to side massage, since I became pregnant.
Beyond his unquestionnable skill, Mickey is also a personable young man with a deep curiosity about how our bodies work. He is constantly exploring new techniques and offering different exercises to complement his massages, with the view of providing sustainable improvements to his clients.
I also highly recommend Mickey’s yoga classes at Karma studio in Harvard Square. He knows all his students by name and brings a welcome sense of humor to the twists and contortions of yoga.

I can’t recommend Mickey enough. I so wish that every yoga teacher out there would go to his class to learn how to be a better teacher.
He watches his students. He doesn’t do the poses along with you so that he can explain how to move your body; he knows how to describe the inner workings of each posture and he makes sure his students are understanding the instruction. He moves around the room, talking, making adjustments, and often making people laugh.
He is a total yoga nerd. He is more knowledgable than any teacher you’ve had. He practices (at a very high level) both ashtanga and Iyengar styles of yoga, as well as massage therapy. AND he’s hilarious. This combination — along with his type-​A-​ish attention to proper form and his penchant for quickly gaining the trust and admiration of each and every student — make class with Mickey a fantastic combination of entertainment, yogic elevation, and a feeling of community. His adjustments are amazing. He’s warm and welcoming. You can come in at any level and he will take you higher and make you better.
Just go, you’ll see.

Mickey is the absolute best. His classes are smart, thoughtful, challenging and educational on both a physical and mental level. He blends Ashtanga with Iyengar and truly teaches, rather than just lead, both styles. He gives each student individual attention, critique and adjustments while creating a fun space in the classroom with lots of laughs. He is incredibly disciplined and well educated and his passion for the practice is infectious. I highly, highly, highly recommend Mickey!

Mickey is an excellent yoga teacher. His approach is well grounded in theory, his teaching style is supportive and thorough, and his classes are a welcome combination of enjoyment and challenge. My husband and I have been to a range of yoga studios through the 10+ years we’ve been practicing — Mickey is precisely the kind of teacher you want, someone who can explain basics to newcomers without being condescending, can help the experienced find new challenges within their practice, and can do it all while keeping the class grounded in a meditative approach.
One of the best teachers we’ve met! Only wish he had more classes through the week!

I’ve gone to 3 different yoga studios since returning to yoga 4 years ago, experiencing several different teachers and styles. I attended classes with Mickey for around a year of that time consistently once a week and can say the following after comparisons: Mickey is extremely technically adept at poses, cognizant of biology, makes adjustments with the utmost safety in mind and suggests corrections to postures clearly. He is very proficient at ensuring you are not pushing well beyond your limits as a result of your ego, while also finding enough balance to challenge you in your practice. Having damaged my knee recently at a studio where transitions between poses were confusing and unclear, and assists were few and far between, I can honestly say I know a quality teacher when I’ve had one, and Mickey is one. Aside from Yoga, Mickey is also a massage therapist and reiki master, who keeps a holistic approach to each of his professions.

Mickey is an awesome yoga teacher! His classes are stimulating and educational. He always takes time for each student and wants our practice to be the best it can be. Very funny, very kind, and very rooted in the practice.

I have been working with Mickey for almost 3 years and I would highly recommend him to anyone who wants to learn and practice yoga. He is an amazing teacher — extremely knowledgeable about yoga (not only how to do it, and how to teach it, but the history of the practice and why it is important), the body, and has a unique hands on style. I agree with Barbara that he pays attention to all students as individuals in the class and knows everyones names to boot. Be prepared to work hard and access muscles in your body that you never knew existed! As an added bonus, and not surprising given his knowledge about anatomy, Mickey is an excellent massage therapist.

If you are looking for a yoga teacher who is passionate about his job then Mickey is the one for you, hands down! I have tried several yoga studios with various teachers and nothing is like Mickey! I finally get what the physically part of yoga is all about. Mickey focuses on everyone in class and gives plenty of assists. He also demonstrates postures and is quite impressive! He really is an amazing individual! Try him out and see for yourself :-)