This review is for Dina's classes at Yoga Tree Valencia (she also does privates and retreats, but I haven't tried those yet). I love her Yin Yoga and Inner Yoga classes. After years of active yoga (Bikram, vinyasa, power yoga, and the like) it was a huge switch to try a passive approach. But it's absolutely luxurious and the slow pace lets me really go deep and listen to my body. Her Friday night class is a great transition out of a busy week, and into the weekend. It leaves me feeling relaxed, and fully enjoying my life. Which is why I'm signing up for a 6-month immersion with her :) read more

Dina Amsterdam - Yoga Near Me

I have been taking Dina's classes for 10 years and felt compelled to write a review as Dina is one of the best yoga teachers I have experienced. Dina is the founder of InnerYoga which is an all encompassing modality that's deeply healing and grounding. It focuses on breath, awareness, kindness and ease and layers on other modalities like Yin Yoga, Jin Shin Jyutsu and psychology, neuroscience and Buddhist. Over the years, Dina's teachings have helped me get in touch with my true essence which was deeply buried for a long time. Classes with Dina are like little mini-therapy sessions where I get to explore my inner landscape: I get acquainted with the workings of mind and how I react to pleasant and unpleasant. This type of insight has immeasurable benefit on how I live my life. Thank you Dina!! read more

If your shoulders are holding your earlobes up and you spend your time in your mind running through all of the things you need to do - or haven't done --- get yourself to Dina's class. My wife and I have been practicing yoga with Dina for years. When my wife first dragged me to class, I thought I would endure it and be done. Was I in for a surprise! Practicing with Dina has helped me manage stress and be more flexible - mentally and physically. If you don't think you would ever like yoga - just try it. You will be amazing to see what can happen when you practice with a teacher as skilled and wise as Dina Amsterdam. It will take your life up a few notches. Seriously. read more

Are you looking for a style of yoga that fills you up rather than depleting your energy? A class that addresses what's going on inside your mind and body on a given day rather than glossing over that to get to the "workout"? A teacher that really sees you there in her class, giving you full permission to be where you are while also inspiring you to try your best? Sounds good, right? I used to go to yoga. Sort of. When I eventually stopped going, my chronically weak back went out for real and this time the chiropractor couldn't fix it. For many months, it was scary to think about bending or stretching at all, never mind committing to a regular strengthening routine, though I was told repeatedly that this was the only way it could truly get better. Somehow, as I was getting up the nerve to try yoga again, I came across Dina's Yin and InnerYoga classes at Yoga Tree, and I am so very grateful. I thought it would be a good place to start but then I realized that I wanted to stay. Dina is the soothing voice of experience. If you have too much discomfort (even if you almost didn't realize it yet) she knows exactly what to advise you to do. She checks in to let folks know how the pose should be feeling physically, and is curious about how everyone in the group is feeling on other levels, planning accordingly to address those issues. She is confident yet humble, both sunny and serious, funny and wise and just generally delightful to be around. I had the privilege of attending one of her daylong retreats in her beautiful home studio and I can't recommend that experience highly enough. I am discovering over time that her broad open smile and joyous energy are consistent and contagious, which is a very good thing. read more

I started practicing with Dina's at Yoga Tree Valencia two years ago and was hooked. What I love about her approach, in contrast to the kinds of yoga I had been practicing (mostly Bikram and Hatha), is the relatively fewer asanas that are held relatively longer duration. This, along with Dina's gentle guidance, has helped me get into my body in a way that even surprises me at times. It doesn't matter how stressed out I feel when I enter, I always leave in a relaxed- and sometimes even blissed-out state. Dina's instructions are meditative and she embodies what she teaches in how she how she teaches. This year I returned to her class after a year-long absence due to reconstructive knee surgery. Largely due to the work I've done with Dina, I've recovered all but 100% of the range of motion my right knee. Her Friday class is the only thing I do as a weekly routine in my life. It's also, as the previous review mentions, a great way to segue into the weekend after a chaotic week. I've taken many of the practices and techniques from Dina's class into my daily life. This has benefited me enormously in helping me be present and not overwhelmed with the noise in my mind. If you're looking for an original form of yoga with benefits that extend beyond the physical realm, taught by a wise practitioner who lives said teachings, then I highly recommend Dina's classes and retreats. read more

Dina is a lifelong student and practitioner of yoga and an excellent teacher. She provides skillful guidance and support to come into deeper contact with the inner body/ mind/ emotions. If you're looking to really drop in to yourself more deeply, and find some peace and restoration, Dina is an excellent choice. read more

Dina has been a saving grace in my life. Before I started working with her privately I was high strung, too serious, angry, stressed and had poor coping skills. She has taught me to slow down, my energy level is more balanced, I communicate better and am more honest within myself about how I am feeling. This allows be to be more vulnerable, softer with less of a hard edge. This has helped me have a closer relationship with my daughter and husband. Working with her had changed me, I am a better person, a healthier person. I am enjoying my journey with her and look forward to every session. read more

I attended several retreats with Dina and attended many, many of her classes over the years. Her Inner Yoga teachings, and her Yin Yoga tools, have helped me to stay in the moment and not create a story about everything. She taught me how to feel inside of my body, how to use breath to release anxiety and pain--and how to observe myself with compassion--and without judgement. Her classes are wonderful. I think she is the guru of gurus for Inner Yoga. If you want to get rid of anxiety and pain--her classes are the starting point. read more

Dina teaches a clear and precise, penetrating and wise Yoga. Be it her Yin class, or her own crafted InnerYoga class, Diana is a master at skillfully leading one deeply into mind, body, and breath. Dina is so needed in this modern urban world of "faster and harder" Yoga. Her Fri night classes at Valencia Street Yoga Tree calms a mind harried from a work week, and her Sunday class invites a settled intention for the coming week - not to be missed. read more

Dina, I didn't feel a huge amount of release just after your class, but DUDE, I FEEL LIKE I'M DRUGGED ALL OF A SUDDEN I'M SO RELAXED!!!! So very interesting, really. I find your classes so incredible. You're SUCH a great teacher. I wish you lived in NYC. THANK YOU for today. XO D read more

Dina is a wonderful teacher. Her inner yoga classes and retreats are like alchemy, always enabling a transformation of dis-ease into groundedness and hope. A student of Dina's for years, I feel more at home in myself whenever I practice with her. Recently I attended her Inner Yoga Weekend Retreat at Yoga Tree Mission. It was very healing. She created the space for us to truly unwind and offered many techniques enabling a reconnection to one's own inner wisdom. I am grateful to Dina for her expertise and commitment to providing a reliable wise path to unwind, ground and come home to one's self. read more

I recently attended one of Dina's Inner Yoga day long retreats at her home in San Rafael. As a yoga teacher myself, I don't often treat myself to full day of receiving the teachings of yoga from others, but when the opportunity for an intimate retreat in Dina's home came along, I knew it was a unique offering to take advantage of. I found Dina's inner yoga retreat at her home invaluable as both a yoga student and a teacher. When I allowed myself a full day to relax, renew and receive, I came home full with new energy, knowledge and creativity. I arrived at the retreat feeling depleted after waking up early and having a headache, but left fully rested and pain free after giving my body the space to rest and soften with the yin postures and for my mind to quiet with meditation. As the day began, I was greeted with ginger tea and an intimate group of yogis. Dina paid careful attention to detail, making sure the floors were warm, the mugs were laid out, and the space was clean. Dina's home was beautiful, modern and spacious; the perfect place to reflect and create inner clarity. I would describe Dina as a master at her craft: a teacher who carries her intention with ease and grace. read more

I love the effect that Dina Amsterdam's InnerYoga workshops have on my life - mind, body and spirit. She masterfully integrates yoga, mediation, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Qigong and other disciplines into a remarkable experience. The crinkle in my brow from the stress of deadlines and long hours of editing at the computer melts away and I'm filled with a lasting sense of inner calm and physical well being for many weeks afterwards. I plan to continue to weave her different workshops into my life and highly recommend them to all! read more

I've only been able to attend Dina's classes remotely, using her yoga videos on GaiamTV. Her InnerYoga approach has ben instrumental in my health management, as I deal with chronic pain and illness. Her compassionate and gentle approach to yoga, and really connecting with your inner self has been an amazing tool for me to regain a better quality of life! When I am feeling better (due to the variable nature of my illness), I'm quite certain that the gentle InnerYoga work I do while less well actually makes my overall physical practice that much stronger - both physically and mentally. I highly recommend you try her classes and/or videos - and can only envy those of you who get to attend Dina's classes in person!!! read more

Dina's classes, retreats and general approach are unlike any I have ever experienced. I come away feeling cleansed, more relaxed and with greater mental clarity. What's different though is how I got there. She transports me to new places, feelings and poses and helps me understand how my inner landscape responds to the subtlest stimuli all the way through. It's really amazing how subtle and yet how deeply impactful her teaching is. She is also an incredibly warm, thoughtful and knowledgeable teacher as well as a beautiful, kind person. I highly recommend Dina and I'm so happy I've encountered her teaching along my journey. read more