I can't think of a better way to start my Saturday evening than to attend one of Sahaj's Kundalini…read moreYoga classes at the Breathing Room, right above Life Alive. Kundalini Yoga is a well rounded practice with postures, pranayama, mantras, mudras, etc. & Sahaj is a very patient & knowledgable teacher. Definitely recommended for both beginners & advanced practitioners!

Kundalini yoga is quite different than other styles of yoga, but Sahaj always makes it accessible…read moreto every student. She has an easygoing style and is extremely knowledgeable. Her classes are a delight, and you always feel better afterwards. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Five Doors Studio, upstairs from Life Alive in Central Square.

I've been taking classes with Karin Stephan for over three years. She is a fantastic instructor; I…read morelove her gentleness and attention to detail. When I started, I had a chronic knee injury. Karin has been great in helping me work through it. Although my knee problem is largely resolved, Karin will often suggest posture modifications so I don't exacerbate my condition. Unlike other yoga classes I've attended, Karin's sessions are small with a focus on personal attention. She comes around to each of us, making subtle corrections with her gentle touch. And with 40+ years of experience in the Iyengar method, Karin is a complete pro. She is also really smart (alludes to philosophy and film) and has a great sense of humor. Thanks to Karin, I'm in better shape than I've ever been, and feel more centered when I leave class. Can't ask for more than that.

Great and attentive teacher who creates a friendly and relaxed atmosphere in the class.read more

Compared to other spin studios, Charlestown Cycling Club lets you breathe. I've done 2 or 3 classes…read morehere. + The bikes seem less cramped in the room, the ceilings are high, the music is loud but I never felt the need to have earplugs in. + The instructors are all athletic, energetic and nice. - If you're early, you'll have to wait outside since they usually don't open up until about 10 minutes before class. - Other studios provide cycling shoes as part of the class price, but these are $3 extra, so I typically just use my running shoes and not clip in. - They don't have lockers but just cubbies, I believe. Depends if you're comfortable with that while you're in a 45-60 min class. - I love everything about this place except the location. It's a little hard to get to for those who don't own cars but the area itself is in beautiful Charlestown, by a park.

The studio is really nice. I went on a Saturday AM ride and was greeted by 3 people at the front…read moredesk. It was my first time there, so I was pretty excited. What I really liked is I overheard them asking about the new person that was coming to the studio. It's great that they're always ready to greet new folks to make sure they feel comfortable. As soon as I let them know it was me, they were super helpful in letting me know where everything was. I've read a previous review that compared this place to other studios like SoulCycle, Turnstyle, B/Spoke, etc. I don't think it's a fair comparison because this place is very different. I didn't think I'd like the bright space, but I actually didn't mind it. That alone made me know that this was going to be different. The group was also a bit different than the other studios, and that's ok! The music wasn't really my forte, but I really liked the community that was there. I was told that most folks are from the Charlestown area, so it was fun to be invited into that community. There were folks that were new to cycling there. I wouldn't have noticed because the environment was so friendly and welcoming. I do plan to be back. It was exactly what I needed for a low-key Saturday AM.

If you like it hot--check out Vibe!…read more I attended a few "community" classes leading up to the grand opening of the location in Littleton, MA on 5/8. They were all great so I've now purchased a monthly membership that gives me unlimited access to classes in the hot yoga studios in Littleton, Westford, and Chelmsford. Vibe offers a variety of hot classes including yoga, mat pilates, and fusion classes that combine disciplines--for example Yoga Sculpt combines cardio with yoga. The rooms are great with a flooring that has just enough padding to it, hot, and they have blocks, weights (which you can use for Yoga Sculpt), etc. They also offer Lagree classes, and have the new Megaformers at the location in Littleton. So far, I've taken classes from 4 different instructors--all very good!

Barbara is a gifted teacher who puts energy and thought into each class. In the many years I've…read morebeen her student I've been impressed with the way she structures classes to both challenge and rest. She has never stopped learning for her own practice and always includes her discoveries in classes. She continually incorporates new approaches to poses. Its a particularly good class for older practitioners who may need to make adaptations for injuries or arthritis but who are still healthy and active. Losing access to her teaching was my biggest disappointment when I moved from Cambridge so I was delighted when she started teaching by Zoom. Even though the practice space at Art and Soul is perfect, I'm thrilled that I can now get my weekly yoga fix at home in Western Mass.

I've taken yoga lessons with Barbara on-line. As a senior , I appreciate her patience and…read moreunderstanding in terms of her designing a yoga practice for my age group. She's extremely dedicated to providing answers to our questions and will design yoga activities based on the needs of her students. I highly recommend her as a yoga teacher for students of all ages. Ralph Tufo

The Salty Buddha is this little warm slice of yoga heaven in downtown Salem. It was a little hard…read morefor me to find my first time -- it's in the "Hawthorne Building" (not to be confused with the Hawthorne Hotel across town). It's the building with Bank of America on one end and Starbucks on the other (Walgreens is on the back side). It has a large parking lot with metered and 4-hr spots available. You enter through the main door in the very middle of the building, next door to Beijing Herbal Foot spa. Stairs are on the left, elevator on the right. On the second floor, it's an adorable little one-room boho chic zen escape, perfectly warmed and big enough for plenty of yogis to have a comfortable practice. Toni and Jacqueline are amazing... truly yin and yang! But they both are SO welcoming and have made the Salty Buddha feel really well-established even though it's pretty new. You can book everything online -- the MindBody app is a dream -- and I have yet to have any issues with the logistics of signing up/attending a class. Classes are at great times; I especially like the later evening ones because I work in Boston and getting to a 5:30pm just isn't a reality for me most days. Having an 7pm some nights, and an 8pm option is perfect! They are running a new student deal for $25 for two weeks, which is literally impossible to beat, so if you like yoga/haven't done it before/need to up your flexibility or fitness or self care -- come down and check it out! You will LOVE it!

I had the pleasure of taking a few different classes here and even checked out their Mills 58…read morelocation. I'm super grateful for connecting with Nikki, Kelli, and Mona. All beautiful Goddesses! The Zen Buddha with Mona was lovely. I definitely recommend taking a class at either one of their locations. The vibes are everything! We even got a tarot card at the end with a massage of essential oils at the Salem spot. They have super cute merch too!! When I come back to the east coast, I will def take more classes. Wonderful way to reset and connect to the breath and body. Absolutely love the Salty Buddha!!

I have never taken yoga before, having said that, I have had plenty of lousy teachers in other…read morefields, and I can spot a good instructor when I see one. Roni Brissette is a certified Iyengar Yoga instructor. I feel that Roni is a very patient teacher who has the knowledge and experience to help you take your Yoga to the next level, if you wish, or to gently introduce you to the art. Her classes are very friendly and welcoming, and her studio is cozy and feels like a safe retreat after a tense day, as it should. She also offers 'Yoga to Go' individual instruction at your home or workplace.

Roni Brisette's teaches Iyengar style yoga. I attended a lot of yoga classes in many different…read morestyles (Ashtanga, Iyengar, Hatha to name a few) and I think Roni is very good. She gives individual attention to her students, demonstrates the poses and gives clear instructions. Her classes are playful, fun and different. I don't agree with a previous reviewer (Des. L) that her classes are only for novices. I have been practicing yoga for about 20 years and I still enjoyed the pace of the classes, their substance and the level of difficulty. Her studio is based in the basement of her home and because of that, there is limited natural light. Also, the space is not that big and although Roni tries very hard to make sure all of the students see her demoing the poses, the view is obstructed by several large columns in the middle of the basement. While I truly enjoyed Roni's classes, they are on the pricey side. The drop in rate is $25 and 8 and 16 class passes must be used within 2 months. 8-class pass is $170 or $21.25 per class and 16-class path is $300 or $18.75. In comparison, "yoga in the village" just down the road charges drop in rate of $15 per class and 10 class pass is only $130 ($13/class).

I recently had the pleasure of completing the First Degree Reiki certification course at A Higher…read moreBalance with proprietor, Reiki Master, and massage therapist Judy Copp. I had long been interested in the concept of Reiki, and this year, with the help of my very kind sister, who provided me with a very generous gift certificate for the course, I was finally able to register for and complete the course. Copp's A Higher Balance method was everything I had hoped for - and more. Copp herself is a kind, gentle, and comprehensive hands-on teacher - with about one-third of the one-day, $150 First Degree course spent in reading and instruction, and about two-thirds spent in actual, hands-on instruction and practice with other students. If you are in or near Salem and want to experience this course - which is equally geared toward those who are interested in Reiki for self-healing, and to those who might wish to eventually practice Reiki in a professional capacity for payment - you will first and foremost want to find out exactly where A Higher Balance is located. In downtown Salem, directly across the street from very prominent Salem Post Office building - across the divided segment of Washington Street - is the Salem landmark, Hawthorne Building. The Hawthorne Building hosts several prominent, retail businesses among its ground-floor, glass-paneled storefronts, including Bank of America's downtown branch, the UPS Store, the locally-owned and operated Living Well massage center, and last but certainly not least, the very-popular and always busy Starbucks. In the center of the Hawthorne Building - between Bank of America to the left and the UPS Store to the right - is a large set of double doors, and just beyond these a slate-floored, plate glass-paneled atrium of sorts. Inside the small atrium, to the right, is an elevator, and to the left, a set of stairs located behind a closed door. For those wishing some quick exercise, you can take the single fight of stairs up the long, cavernous second-floor hallway. If stairs are not your thing, the elevator one-flight up serves nicely. Whether via stairs or elevator, one inside the second-floor hallway, the A Higher Balance offices and meditation space will be to your right, at the far end of the hallway. A Higher Balance occupies the corner office of the building, directly above Starbucks. As you enter the modest, yet strikingly beautiful main meditation room, you notice a profound change in the atmosphere - the aura, according to New Age practitioners in-the-know. Natural sunlight streams through the large, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Washington and Canal streets, and beyond those, the train tracks that run along Canal. On the walls and on various pedestals are are collections of gold and wooden Buddha statues, and accenting these are various altars decorated with candles, statues, images, and small, mostly Oriental-themed objects of devotion. In the center of the room are chairs used for meditation, tables for meetings, and depending upon the time you arrive, one or more Reiki/'massage tables used by Reiki Master Copp to teach the First, Second, and Master-level courses. While in meditation - Sunday nights - you can even request a tufted, silk pillow to rest your feet on. (Socks - not shoes - are de rigeur once you step foot inside Copp's healing space.) Reiki Master Judy Copp is certified in several healing modalities - that's techniques to you newbies - and uses a combination of physical and mental healing techniques. She also incorporates her unique insights as an intuitive, empathic healer to further enhance what is now developing into the best in cutting-edge, hybrid energy healing in Salem, and on the North Shore. Copp, at A Higher Balance, offers a wide range of healing and massage services, which include: polarity therapy, which, according to the A Higher Balance website, is " a type of energy healing that encompasses gentle pressure on specific points or pathways on the body, as well as massage, foot reflexology, craniosacral, stretching and rocking; traditional therapeutic massage; vibrational energy healing; and of course, Reiki healing, which a gentle, hands-on healing technique developed by a Japanese monk in the 1920's. A Higher Balance review - to be continued....

Judy is one of the most kind, sweet, loving, gentle, and humble beings that I've ever met. Her…read moreconnection to God and the spiritual wisdom that she embodies is astounding. She sees who I am in my essence with clarity and helps me connect with who I truly am. Her energy work is potent and profound. Polarity/Reiki/RYSE has opened my heart, fortified my strength, risen my vibration, deepened my connection to myself and spirit, and cleared out energy that was not serving me. I believe, with confidence, that Judy is the real deal.