(Photo: Courtesy of Dharma Yoga Center)

• FOR BEGINNERS

• Om Yoga Center

  826 Broadway, 212-254-9642

  Pluses: Big, bright studios; classes that often mix various types of yoga; showers.
  Minuses: A lot of in-class chatting and question-and-answer sessions; teachers tend to talk about their personal lives.
  Star teachers: Christie Clark, founder Cyndi Lee, Frank Mauro, Margi Young.
  Cost per class: $18.

• FOR MEETING PEOPLE

• The Shala

  815 Broadway, 212-979-9988

  Pluses: Minimal chanting and lecturing, morning Mysore-style Ashtanga, a real community feeling (the Shala organizes retreats and trips to tropical destinations), good challenging Vinyasa classes.
  Minuses: Cramped dressing rooms, no showers, two unisex bathrooms.
  Star teachers: Founders Barbara Verrochi and Kristin Leigh, ex-Jivamuktis Kelly Morris and Cliff Schuman.
  Cost per class: $17.

• FOR THE CHALLENGE-HUNGRY

• Dharma Yoga Center

  297 Third Ave., 212-889-8160

  Pluses: Dharma Mittra, a 67-year-old yogi who can stand on his head with no hands, teaches a two-hour advanced class Monday through Thursday. Expect twenty forearm stands in the first hour.
  Minuses: Cramped dressing rooms, one bathroom, scary-looking shower.
  Star teacher: Dharma Mittra.
  Cost per class: from $13.

• FOR HIPSTERS

• Kula Yoga Project

  28 Warren St., 212-945-4460

  Pluses: Excellent Vinyasa classes, minimal lecturing; candlelit evening classes; young vibe.
  Minuses: No shower, and the studio can quickly go from cozy to claustrophobic.
  Star teachers: Studio director Schuyler Grant, David Regelin.
  Cost per class: $17.

• FOR SERIOUS SWEATING

• Bikram Yoga Soho

  150 Spring St., 646-613-1674

  Pluses: The studio is heated to about 105, so you will lose at least a pound of water weight. Simple classes make it good for beginners.
  Minuses: Drink a bottle of water before, during, and after class or you will get a dehydration headache. There’s a mad dash for the three tiny showers in the tiny locker rooms.
  Star teacher: Raffael Pacitti.
  Cost per class: $20.

From the 2007 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine