With New Year's resolutions just around the corner, I thought I would spill the beans on my favorite hidden gem yoga studio, Yoga to the People on St. Marks Place. Part of me squirms at the thought of letting out my little secret, but it has been featured in Vogue and NY Magazine
It is completely disgusting that most yoga studios in NYC can get away with charging $20-25 for a 1-hour class. Hello--we are in a recession, and I can sit on my butt at the movies for 2 hours for an equally repulsive $12. That is a lot of coin to drop for a few hours of downward dog and corpse pose a week. Yoga to the People is a donation based studio. Notice I said donation...not free. Don't be a cheap ass and decide this is your gravy train to becoming a yogi on everyone else's dime. That's pretty shitty, but not very chic. Donation based means pay what you can, whether that is $5 or $25.
The classes are power vinyasa flow (whatever that means) and will kick your ass. There will be no doubt in your mind that you had an amazing workout by the time your hour is up. Also, calling all ladies and gay gentlemen--the shirtless NYU males are quite a site for sore eyes. I love that they leave the trippy dippy new age "yoga" music and waterfalls in the lobby to other more refined establishments. The soundtrack at YTTP ranges from The Beatles to John Mayer to Hotel Costes and each class finishes with these hypnotizing Tibetan singing bowls. I swear I had an out of body experience listening to them.
Sure, the neighborhood is a little on the grungy side, the studios are in an old townhouse type thing, and the classes are packed, but I love that they have a 9pm class for those of us chained to our desks. There is no reason not to add a little zen to your life in '09 AND a hot yoga body (hello Jennifer Aniston in Vogue).
Yoga to the People is located in NYC and Berkely, but just Google "donation based yoga" for studios across the country. YTTP also has audio podcasts available to download which are perfect for traveling...or if you are counting the days until your next paycheck.
Yoga to the People (how I originally found it) so at least I can't be driven out with pitch forks and torches if the classes are mobbed following my posting.
It is completely disgusting that most yoga studios in NYC can get away with charging $20-25 for a 1-hour class. Hello--we are in a recession, and I can sit on my butt at the movies for 2 hours for an equally repulsive $12. That is a lot of coin to drop for a few hours of downward dog and corpse pose a week. Yoga to the People is a donation based studio. Notice I said donation...not free. Don't be a cheap ass and decide this is your gravy train to becoming a yogi on everyone else's dime. That's pretty shitty, but not very chic. Donation based means pay what you can, whether that is $5 or $25.
The classes are power vinyasa flow (whatever that means) and will kick your ass. There will be no doubt in your mind that you had an amazing workout by the time your hour is up. Also, calling all ladies and gay gentlemen--the shirtless NYU males are quite a site for sore eyes. I love that they leave the trippy dippy new age "yoga" music and waterfalls in the lobby to other more refined establishments. The soundtrack at YTTP ranges from The Beatles to John Mayer to Hotel Costes and each class finishes with these hypnotizing Tibetan singing bowls. I swear I had an out of body experience listening to them.
Sure, the neighborhood is a little on the grungy side, the studios are in an old townhouse type thing, and the classes are packed, but I love that they have a 9pm class for those of us chained to our desks. There is no reason not to add a little zen to your life in '09 AND a hot yoga body (hello Jennifer Aniston in Vogue).
Yoga to the People is located in NYC and Berkely, but just Google "donation based yoga" for studios across the country. YTTP also has audio podcasts available to download which are perfect for traveling...or if you are counting the days until your next paycheck.
Yoga to the People (how I originally found it) so at least I can't be driven out with pitch forks and torches if the classes are mobbed following my posting.
Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteToy