Yoga in the City

I just returned from an amazing week in Manhattan.  I loved NYC and met so many amazing people working hard at their dreams.  It totally motivated me to work harder at my own dreams, but I think that might be material for a separate post.  Today I want to tell you about my experiences with Yoga. This trip was a business trip for my husband, so that left me free to explore the yoga scene while he went to his own New York power meetings.  I went to three studios, Jivamukti, Dharma Yoga and my lineage, Sivananda Vedanta Center.

I had asked for suggestions on Facebook as to where I should go, and the overwhelming response was Jivamukti.  Now honestly I spent a week in Costa Rica a year and a half ago with the founders of Jivamukti, Sharon and David, and I didn't connect with them, so I was sure I wouldn't go to Jivamukti.  But something happened, maybe it was all the recommendations from friends, that found me walking to the studio.  Like most yoga studios in New York Jivamukti is located on an upper floor and has a small bronze sign at the street level entrance, sharing the entrance with a Bikram's studio located on another floor.  Jivamukti has the whole floor and consists of several classrooms, a beautiful boutique and a fabulous vegan cafe.  I took class at noon from Jules Febre who was also part of my Costa Rica retreat.  He grew up in New York and is a soulful young yogi full of wisdom.  He themed is class on omnidirectional expansion, one of my favorite aspects of yoga thanks to my time with local teacher, Bradlee Frierott.  Standing in Tadasana he gave us a powerful visualization.  First we imagined a mirror reflection of ourselves beginning at the soles of our feet and descending downwards into the earth.  Then we added a mirror reflection at our crown moving up into the heavens and folding outwards from our sides in horizontal space.  Our mirror reflections began to blend with those of our neighbors!  And in our postures we would again bring to mind these reflections of ourselves touching at key points and replicating into infinity (Jules must have known I'd be standing alone in a room of mirrors a few days later at the Whitney Museum installation Fireflies On The Water).  I loved this visualization, and must remember to use it often in my practice.  When the class was over, he left us in Savasana and encouraged us to stay awhile, the next class wasn't for half an hour.  As usual at this opportunity, I found myself alone in the room and practiced japa meditation until I heard the students beginning to arrive for the next class.  I took a shower (a luxury I'm mentioning because not all studios provide such facilities) and found Jules eating some amazing quinoa dish in the cafe where I was able to buy a delicious Kombucha. We talked awhile about Costa Rica, the East Village and other yoga topics.  All in all it was an amazing experience, I'd give it five gold stars!  And by the way, the class was free since it was my first time there (even though I was from out of town) and the use of a mat was free as well!

Feeling radiant and joyful after yoga with Jules

The next day I was again free at mid-day and I travelled to the Flatiron district for the Master Class with the founder of Dharma Yoga Center, Dharma Mittra.  Again taking up a large space in an upper floor of a big building.  They didn't give me a tour and I observed one large classroom, offices and a computer lounge, a small boutique and the changing area curtained off in the reception area.  I arrived about ten minutes early and was doing some basic stretches (a little sore from my 90 minute class the day before and many miles of walking) while other students also arrived and warmed up.  I began to witness some extreme feats of yoga from the front-row and throughout the room, balance, strength, control and flexibility...and I'm sitting there thinking, why do such strenuous poses before class? what, the two-hour master class won't be enough for you? don't you want to hold a little back for later?  Finally the master arrived, stern, direct, and with a voice that is not so easy to understand...he had his dog, a small, white dog who moved about the room as he saw fit.  We did some chanting with Dharma on the harmonium, Om and then chant to Sita Ram.  He practices on a small platform in the front of the room, beginning with a few Classical Sun Salutations like we practice in the Sivanada series, but with funny little bounces like 1950s calisthenics.  After only a few salutations he began walking us from pose to pose, and they were immediately very difficult and strenuous.  The room wasn't very warm and I could begin to understand why people had been moving through such dramatic poses in there warm-ups, I should have taken a gentler hour class beforehand to be prepared for these poses.  I breathed and focused my way through the asanas, achieving them in my own way while observing around me feats of mastery with the body, the skill level in e room was amazing.  Dharma Mittra reminded me of my father as he led us through the poses demonstrating each with his 75 year old body.  Verbal instruction was minimal, no breath, no inspiration or philosophy, just where to put your hand, your foot, your head and do it then break do another then break do another.  At one point his instruction of a pose was to demonstrate with his body and say "Do this, and if you can't, go to Jivamukti."  At the end for Savasana, final relaxation, his practice was like Sivananda style with the teacher guiding you through an incremental relaxing of the self.  When class was over I asked a fellow student to take a photo for me and then I walked up to the teacher and introduced myself.  He responded as dryly as possible, but stood by me for my photo.  I changed into my city clothes and descended to a street filled with police carrying machin guns.  President Obama, in town for the debate, had just arrived at the building next to me!  The next day I as very sore, especially in my lower rib age for deep twisting and strong arm binds.  The class cost $20 and the mat rental was $2, but they gave me a orange rubber bracelet with Om Namah Shivaya on it and a stick of sandalwood incense. I'd give the experience four silver stars.

I made it to the end of Master Class with Dharma Mittra!

There were many other yoga studions I wanted to attend such as Integral Yoga, Ishta Yoga,  Bikram Yoga and Yoga to the People.  But I was pretty tired and sore from my week in New York and the class with Dharma so for my final class I went where I knew exactly how the yoga would be and it was mostly the facilities that I was curious about.  I went to the Sivananda Vedanta Center for a 4:30 class, getting there by walking across Central Park from the Metropolitan Museum of Art where I had been looking at Andy Warhol, Egyptian artifacts and Degas balerinas. The Sivananda Center was located on a more residential street and had a low street entrance to an old narrow building.  The ground floor had a small boutique of mostly books, a small dining area and in the rear a kitchen, up a old crooked staircase the second floor had a tiny changing room with curtained of toilet.  There were two small classrooms on that floor.  The third floor had the main classroom talking up most of the floor with a long skinny room with windows to the street and windows to the garden in back.  I assume upper floors contained apartments for staff and residents.  The class was as I expected and the experience had its quirky Sivananda stamp that comes from a non-profit organization of volunteers and renunciates.  I'd give it three bronze stars.

The Sivananda Yoga Center is a community with residents, kitchen and classrooms.

I had a dream-like trip to New York, meeting wonderful people, experiencing great weather and filling my mind with inspiration.  I love my beachy world in California, but if the stars lined up to bring me to New York, I know I could've happy there if for no other reason than the plenitude of amazing yoga teachers and facilities.  I can't wait to return to these studios and try those I couldn't make.  Please post a comment of your experiences with yoga in New York.