Om Factory

I attended a Monday morning open-​level class through ClassPass, and had a great experience. I’d been to a few classes at AIR (which I thought had an NYC location, but now that I’m looking at it, actually doesn’t), so I wasn’t completely new to aerial yoga, but Dana, the instructor, was great about giving me extra guidance because I was the class newbie. The small class size helped, too.
The other aerial classes I’d been to focused more on arm strength, whereas this class required a lot more core strength. I thought I had a pretty strong core, but I struggled a bit!
I didn’t feel that the silks weren’t securely in place or that they were smelly at all. They were a bit less wide and less fabric than the silks at AIR, so easier to grip, but a little harder on the hip area. It’s also nice that they are adjustable.
If I weren’t from out of town, I’d definitely go back!

Their rigging system is dangerous. It’s a weak tracking system with eyelet screws that have been «safe guarded» with zip ties. One day while there a washer randomly fell from the ceiling. After serious consideration, and standing up against my justification of the low price and convent location I decided that I would not trust my life or body on it ever again. It’s just not worth it. It’s too unsafe.

Went to the Thursday night Level I class full of hope and enthusiasm. And I wanted to love the class. Truly. Our instructor could not have been more pleasant, encouraging and relatable. The workout was fun, and challenging both physically (takes some seldom-​used muscles out of hiding) and mentally (you *can* suspend and swing safely!) However, and it makes me so sad to say this, the fabric was so intensely malodorous that I absolutely couldn’t get past the distraction of it. I have a high tolerance and even a reverence for the natural smell of the human body. I don’t fancy artificially sweetened pits or other parts. But this — my goodness. My neighbor could smell it and was bothered by it from the station over — at least 4 feet away. And it didn’t smell as if it had just happened. It smelled like the amalgamated sweat of many users, ripened over much time. If I could be assured that the fabrics would be washed before I returned, I’d go back for another perhaps more advanced class. Please, Om Factory — be mindful of the cleanliness of your equipment. Aside from that, you’ve got a good thing going. x

I did this as a one-​time thing with my friend, and it was a so-​so experience.
First, we wanted to get the student discount because it would’ve been cheaper than the regular rate, which is actually pricey — unfortunately, they don’t have an option for people to sign up online for the student rate, so we came in person to sign up instead.
The girl at the desk told us that she could only take in one of us because the class was full, but we could be on standby depending on any latecomers (they have a really strict lateness policy) Sure enough, there was 1 latecomer who missed the class, and as bad as I felt that she couldn’t get in, it also allowed my friend and I to take the class together.
The class itself was fun, and challenging! Our instructor was very helpful, especially with someone as inexperienced as me, and helped me get into the right position when I was struggling. Needless to say, I came out of that class sweating bullets!
Super fun class to go to with friends on a one-​time basis, but definitely a luxury to incorporate this into your daily routine (it ain’t cheap!)

My experience here is based solely on the Tuesday night aerial dance class. Let me start by saying I truly loved the experience, and this it’s a really fun activity to try!
The teacher was a sub for the week. I liked her enthusiasm and she clearly loves aerial arts. Her passion for dance is evident, as she asks that you do your best, regardless if you’re doing the moves correctly. But, she wasn’t great at … teaching it. The class size wasn’t too big, probably about 12 people max… some obviously beginners and some more advanced. She was kinda jumping everywhere between students and didn’t explain HOW she was going into these positions, but rather kinda just showed it really quickly (along with 3 other steps) and then kinda turned the floor to the students. It’s possible that this was due to the fact that this isn’t her normal class to teach.
This place is also pretty expensive. I’d never do a yoga class here, as their single class rates are $ 20+.I may come back here if they offer a groupon or something.

Great time trying out Aerial yoga (the basics class) with girl friends for the first time! Very friendly, clean place and we had a great instructor who was very clear with instructions and also made it fun. I would definitely go back!

They absolutely rob you with a smile on their face!!! I signed up for the basic aerial yoga class. Being that it’s the weekend and trains are a little slower, we got there 9 minutes late. So naturally, we were not allowed into the class and they gave our spots away to two other walk ins. I was understanding about it, we got there late and the lesson already started. They have a“strict 5 minute policy” meaning that if I’m more than 5 minutes late I can’t go in. OK fine. They also have a no refund policy. FINE, any other place of business in this country will give credit towards the next service. this disgusting place straight out told us no refund, no exchange, no credit towards another class. They took my money and refused to let me use it towrds another class. STUDIO POLICY MY FUCKING ASS, I got robbed! How do you refuse a refund, exchange, everything because I was 9 minutes late??? Of course there is no supervisor to speak to because the crook who ripped us off is the supervisor. So because of that, I will never step foot in om factory again. They took our money and said fuck you, too bad. I understand a no refund policy. But they took our money and gave back nothing. That is just wrong and grimey and absolutely disgusting. I ended up paying a separate fee to take another class just because I didn’t want to waste my day. The fact that they just take your money and refuse to give it back or replace it with another service is just sickening. If she told me over the phone «hey if you are more than 5 minutes late, you will not get a class, or a refund, or any type of exchange» I would have told her to take her policy and shove it deep. I’m disgusted and will never come here again.

Om Factory is the absolute best. The atmosphere, the teachers, the staff… this place was the game changer for me. The Union Square location is conveniently located just blocks away from multiple trains and whole foods as well as shopping and eateries. The classes that I take at this location are aerial yoga and the Monday/​Thursday Acro classess with Lotsie and whichever visiting teacher is teaching the current Thursday series. OF also hosts free seasonal parties at this location with stellar circus performances. I love this place and believe that OF is the jewel of the city.

Aerial yoga isn’t really my cup of tea, but Om Factory clearly does everything right. They have a clean, pleasant space with friendly staff and clear, kind teachers. Their beginner specials are great deals, though the classes otherwise are really pricey. I want more of a workout from my yoga, but that said, depending on your fitness level and which class you take, you might be sore after and will probably sweat during regardless. (Now that it’s summer, even air conditioned yoga studios are on the hot side, so it’s hard to tell when that’s just the heat and when it’s sheer hard work.) The teachers for the most part are really indulgent and will take pictures of you after class, answer your questions, or give you individual focus in class. (My only complaint, actually, would be that the pacing is often slow because the teacher is working with one individual for several minutes while everyone else is waiting. This is true across class types and teachers. Nice if you’re the one being coached one on one, not so nice if you tend to be antsy and just want to keep moving.)
If you’re really into sweaty and aerobic or strict alignment styles of yoga, aerial yoga probably won’t suit you. It’s good for challenging you mentally (working with the fabric, getting over fear) and allows some extra traction to create space in joints, depending on what pose you’re in or how you use it… but I’m probably too much of a yoga purist to really appreciate it. I want my hands and feet on the ground, and my muscles always at work. I’ve done silks classes before and I would prefer to keep my aerial work and my yoga work separate. But that’s just me! And they do offer mat yoga and silks classes here though I haven’t tried them yet…
The short version: nice people with good training and great attitudes :)

My friend and I came in for a walk in class, we got there early at 3:00pm the lady at the desk young maybe about 19,20 anyways asked for our names, and then had us sign a liability slip, she asked if me and my friend had our high school or college ID that was odd but she said that students got a discount so we would have paid $ 18 in total for the two of us both instead of $ 36 we changed in the bathroom and took our shoes off, while we waited for our 4:00pm Aerial level 1 basic class I charged my phone. Our instructor was a guy named Kevin really helpful that class itself was amazing. We finished at 5:20pm and he said he teaches Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays and its smart to take 5 basic level 1 classes before going straight to a level 2 class. My friend pointed out that a 2 month membership was $ 75 not bad.

This is one of my favorite studios in New York for both aerial yoga and aerial arts. All the instructors and classes are great and with each class I became more and more hooked. I ended up purchasing an unlimited pass and I have definitely been using the value of that. The classes are so much fun and really push me in my practice in a safe and fun environment. The studio and staff give a warm, inviting and calm vibe– which one aspect of a yoga studio that I love is how I feel while I am there and the residual feel-​goods from the classes.
I really enjoyed all the aerial yoga ½ classes, Mellow flow after a hard week, and the Aerial Circus Playground. I found the acroyoga classes a bit difficult but the community feel the instructors and other students bring make the experience fun. All the teachers are amazing, but my favorites are Kristina, both Amandas, Jan, and Kevin. Even though the skybox prices are expensive, if you get a package or the unlimited it ends up being cheaper that other studios in New York.

Very unusual yoga studio. They have aerial classes and trapeze training. I went to this partner stretch class and it loosened me up in ways that I could not have done in other classes. Highly recommend for those that are looking for something different.

I showed up early to the 11am Saturday class for my first beginner’s aerial class with Maisah. It was full, so I was wait-​listed, but the receptionist assured me I’d likely be in! So she set me up, and sure enough, I was in.
I was really nervous, but Maisah was encouraging and helpful — exactly the kind of instructor you’d want for your beginner-​self. The hour-​fifteen flew by, and it was pretty easy! Some had a more difficult time than others, but wherever you fell into the spectrum, it was a good time.
In terms of a workout, it was really fun, but I didn’t break a sweat. I can see it as an intense workout later in the more advanced classes. But this beginner’s flight school was a great start. I’d love to go back, but it’s a little too much for my wallet to make the commitment.
1. Definitely worth trying.
2. The fabric smelled a bit.
3. A little expensive.
4. The people were great.
5. Enjoyable beginning to your weekend.

On my first visit to Om Factory Flight School I was honestly really unimpressed and thought about leaving the class several times because of the instructor. I felt like she was talking down to me the whole time which made me feel negative. Because of a mix up on Mind Body, I ended up in a level 2 class instead of a level 1 and I informed the instructor that it was my first time. She did give me extra attention but not necessarily the type I wanted. She went through the poses really quickly and of course I was just confused because I wasn’t sure what to do so I just basically waited for her to come over to walk me through the poses after most of the more advanced people got into position. She said to me something along the lines of «this is the sequence we’re doing so might as well do it instead of just standing there» which was very off putting for me because it made me feel like I wasn’t even trying which was totally not the case. As she was walking me through mid sequence she started correcting one of her more experienced students and because I was mid sequence and I could not hold myself up anymore while waiting for her I ended up as a hot mess on the floor…
I’ve done a beginners aerial yoga class elsewhere before and it was really great, it was a shame that Om factory did not produce that experience. To be fair, I would try the beginners class to see if the experience is better.

I just had my first aerial yoga class today, and it was great!
I took the 4 PM Level 1 Foundations class with Kevin. The assistant instructor was very helpful. I’m not a flexible person and I have below-​average upper body strength, so I struggled a bit, but they both helped me out a lot. I was surprised to be sweating a bit throughout the class. I was able to do most of the poses and I did, at one point, feel I was «one with the hammock,» haha.
The reason this gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because of their lateness policy. Even though my friend paid for the class beforehand, she was not allowed to enter the class because she was 20 minutes late.
I understand lateness might be disruptive, but I told one of the instructors beforehand that my friend will be coming in late. She set up a mat next to me so my friend would be able to come in and just join. It would not have been disruptive and we were not so advanced into the poses that she could not catch up. I thought it was unfair. When I asked if she can just come to a class next week since we already paid, they refused. She also said it is unfair to come late because another student could have signed up for the class but missed the opportunity because of my friend.
I honestly think that’s a bad reason because every time someone signs up for a class, they are giving other people less of an opportunity to sign up. It’s not unique to lateness. That’s life. If you buy an apple at a grocery shop, you are taking the opportunity away from someone to purchase that apple. If I don’t eat the apple, that’s no one’s business. When you get hired for a job, you just took that opportunity away from someone who could have been hired. This is just a method of thinking that is not practical.
Whether or not another student can sign up is not my concern. If I paid for the class, I should be allowed to participate, even if I am late, or issued a voucher. For this reason, I give Om Factory 4 stars instead of 5.

OMG I love this place so much! It really takes my yoga practice another level up.
I went to the fundamental class and learned so much new things about yoga. Now, my abs is super sore!

Aerial yoga should really be called monkey yoga and after your session you will be ready to swing for the trees! I have wrist, back and knee injury and this type yoga is the friendliest on all those joints.
This would have been 5 stars if it wasn’t so crowded otherwise this has been great.

Went for an Aerial Yoga class. A unique and fun experience!
I wasn’t the only guy there, but the other guy who was there was wearing sparkly pink yoga pants and was REALLY GOOD (he’s def been here many times) so… … …
I went for Beginner’s class, but it definitely helps if you’ve done other types of yoga before so you can recognize words like the WARRIOR.
The teacher was kind and takes you through the steps at a good pace.
Some of the moves are a bit hard though. It was funny watching some people in front of me struggle. But then when I tried it, I failed too. Yeahhhh so everyone (except the pros) looked pretty funny.
The inversions (hanging upside down) were super fun. especially spinning around.
Afterwards, they let you hang around (LITERALLY) for a lil bit if you want to take pictures to show your friends that you have a life and do some cool things. We took an inverted selfie!
Dress: t shirt with yoga pants or tights. I borrowed my friend’s tights (let’s just assume it was underarmor) and wore shorts over it.
get there like 10 to 15 minutes before so you can sign your waiver and get comfy in your hammocks.
It was $ 22 which isn’t too bad. I probably won’t go regularly, but i wouldn’t mind going back some time to try it again!

Here’s the thing. I actually did enjoy the beginner Aerial Yoga class I took last night. Instructor was great, the positions were fun. It was very basic, however, and I’d probably move forward with more advanced classes. That said, and I hate to say this, but the hammocks smelled so BAD I am completely turned off. Having to gag through the class because all I could smell were armpits and feet (sorry but true) made it really unpleasant.
Please give those hammocks a wash on the regular and I’ll assume you’ll continue to have a great customer base!

I love yoga. I live and breathe it. It is one of the things that keeps me sane in this chaotic city.
A few friends organized an Aerial yoga outing, so I decided to give it a try. I did try out Aerial yoga at Sacred Sounds and was hesitant to try it again. I’ll explain why.
For one, I think it is extremely difficult to teach an aerial class and have your students follow you without injuring themselves. If you haven’t tried Aerial Yoga, it is basically a hammock hanging from the ceiling and you have to somehow get yourself into it in all different ways.
I am a seasoned yogi and I know most of the basic postures, but I found the class difficult. I mean perhaps I have a learning disorder, but I had a hard time keeping up with the instructor. I also noticed that I constantly was looking around and also had my eyes peeled on the instructor. That makes it really hard to focus on my posture and poses. I am not really into following the crowd and trying to get into poses quickly, that is how you injure yourself.
I prefer to slowly get into poses and to have proper alignment. After all, it is not a competition. Yoga is for your soul and mind. A time for you to relax and unwind.
Our instructor was good and she was patient and really tried to help us, so no complaints there.
I think perhaps I need to come more often and then maybe my brain will just get into the poses naturally, but for the first class, I was really struggling. I want to come back and try again. It is a challenge for me, so that’s a plus. And besides, when I went home, parts of my body that never ached were throbbing. That’s got to be a good thing right?