Heart Full

In the spirit of tightening my belt after last year’s abysmal economic showing, I decided to reexamine my expenses, one of which was my yoga membership. I was sitting pretty at less than $100/month membership at a studio I LOVED, but looking to get an even better deal.

I had heard from a reliable source that Pure Yoga was actually Equinox undercover. Armed with that knowledge, I decided to take a second look at gym yoga, and maybe take a class? I can hear the sirens already, those two little words and my intention will have me hiding from the yogettes longer than Rushdie.

I rationalized, how bad could it be? I had my own practice to rely on, and I could always supplement my gym yoga with the occasional class packs. Also, I’d been working out with my old stale friend, stairmaster in an effort to max out cardio and finally ditch the stubborn 10. Most compellingly of all, some teachers who I particularly liked, taught at various Equinox locations, so theoretically I could still take their class, only MUCH cheaper. My gym membership was mostly funded by my employer making my monthly fees EVEN LESS than my plush less than $100 deal. Plus, Equinox had lots of locations, I could find a yoga class at just about any neighborhood in NYC.

The deal was too good to be true. And yes, like everyone before me, I’ve discovered the reasons behind this saying. I took 2 classes at the locations I figured I’d be visiting the most often. I found the classes to be better than expected, and signed up . But just as the new year rolled around, the teachers who I admired inexplicably left, newly abandoned I floundered for replacements. I was disappointed each time. Only one of the locations (I tried) had a studio that felt like a real yoga studio and not a pit stop between kick-boxing dojos. None of the locations spare you the embarrassment of wading through the uber-fit, and worst of all the classes were sadly unimpressive. A couple of the teachers, were pushy about how the pose should be executed, constantly recommending I open a certain way, even from across the room. Other classes had strong teachers but opted for to instruct a gentle class that relaxed us to near-sleep. Certainly, I am a fan of restorative yoga, but this didn’t quite match the “vigorous” found in its’ description. Another teacher, spent so much time explaining each pose and demoing, I think SHE got a better practice than we did. Yet another took a whole class to do one full (beginner modified) sun salutation, though interestingly enough the majority of the class was clearly experienced.

This leaves me with my annual membership that I’m unable to get out of — thanks to it being subsidized, AND still purchasing my studio packages because, I can’t bring myself to try out another class. I suppose I will be compelled to venture into the sticky floored gym space, out of a sense of wastefulness and I don’t want to reach 2010 poorer and STILL chasing my tail. But, I’ve resolved that even if I do, I’ll try to be an upward facing dog, looking forward to the lessons 2011 will bring.