Himalayan Institute of Buffalo Yoga

One of the jewels of Buffalo.
The Himalayan Institute is housed in a beautiful old mini mansion on Delaware Avenue.
I have attended a number of their lectures and events over the years and always felt enriched by the experience.
In addition, they have a unique gift and book shop offering a wide assortment of yoga props, jewelry, homeopathic remedies, and great presents for everyone, not just yogis.

I finally found a wonderful meditative yoga practice in Buffalo… and it turned out to be only a few blocks away from my apartment!
I’ve heard about the Himalayan Institute for a while, but finally took the plunge and signed up for a 6-​week long class series of their «Level II» yoga classes last night. The Himalayan Institute is a wonderful 501(3)c non-​profit that offers yoga classes, workshops, lectures, etc inside their elegant mansion on Delaware Ave.
When you stop in, you feel like you’re inside a cozy home. There’s a place to take off your shoes and an immediate bookstore to your left. Further down, there’s the main living room where classes take place. It helps to take a class that has 10 – 12 people and not too much more as the room can get pretty crowded with 16+ people or so I hear.
Here’s what stands out about the Himalayan Institute: their yoga classes generally center around a meditation-​practice. As a result, I feel incredibly relaxed and focused afterward. As opposed to some classes (such as Evolation), where I sweat like I’m inside some Finnish bathhouse and leave the class with more of an exercise high.
With most classes, you have to sign up for a full 6-​week commitment (usually $ 80), although they do offer drop-​in classes on Thursdays from 5:30 — 6:30pm for beginners ($ 5) and on Saturdays (9:30−11am) for a more intermediate ($ 10) practice.
In summary, I adore their meditative approach, yoga teachers as well as the novelty of practicing yoga inside a cozy old mansion. Unfortunately, there are no accessible showers in the facility, but there is a bathroom where you can change.

A recent knee injury has knocked me out of my running routine and brought me back to the HI, as their $ 5 gentle basics class is about as safe as a bubble bath when it comes to exercising. And I’m happy to report it’s still a lovely experience, especially during these warm summer months.
Inside this stately mansion, they’ve got the AC pumping — no Bikram-​style sweating for us! — but it’s not so cold that you’re unable to bend like you gotta. The carpets seemed freshly cleaned. And the staff were very helpful in recommending classes and books to help me find the right poses to heal my body and get my knee back into running condition. (I have to say, I did appreciate the instructor telling me that I might still prefer the Saturday intermediate class or an ongoing restorative class over the Thursday basics class, which truly is for beginners — though it’s not a bad thing!)
One note I didn’t mention in my last review, however: you must bring cash for the drop-​in class, or be prepared to run up a $ 20 tab in order to make their (rather high) credit card minimum. Not that it’s hard to do – their bookstore is excellent, and features a lot of fun mass-​market titles like «Eat Pray Love» and «The Alchemist» in addition to a wide variety of Buddhist and Ayurvedic reference books. But still. The thing I like about HI is how affordable and low-​key it is in comparison to other studios. So be sure to hit the ATM before you head over!

If you are looking for more traditional, meditation-​based yoga, the Himalayan Institute is the real deal. Their focus is on meditation and relaxation, with less of an emphasis on asana, the practice of postures. The Institute is not-​for profit, and the teachers are all volunteers.
If you are looking for true yoga, without the bells and whistles of the modern world, then give the Institute a try.