Heart Full

We’ve all had first loves, and we’ve probably all been someone’s first love. We remember the dewy rush of discovery, the I-just-can’t-quit-you phase. I remember it distinctly. After my first class at New York Yoga, I was hooked. So hooked, I went every day for about a week — skipping meals so I could afford the $20 drop-in classes. Sounds crazy huh? Someone finally pointed out class packs to me, and my whole world changed.

Three years later, I’m still in love and I hope to continue to be for many more years. In fact I wanted to share the love, leading me to my teacher training program in 2008. I wanted to learn enough about teaching yoga, that I’d be able to impart yoga’s wisdom on close friends and family. But I didn’t quite succeed. The truth is, yoga needs to be practiced regularly, if not daily, and that’s not something anyone will do unless they’re IN LOVE. One of my colleagues at my day job (after discovering I’m into yoga), wanted to learn more about it. He asked me in complete seriousness why the classes he had seen were so long, “an hour and half” he said shaking his head, “who DOES that?”. “Well” I shyly offered, “some classes are longer. And even then it doesn’t feel like enough”. Blank stare.
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I couldn’t wait to try out Anti-Gravity yoga at Om Yoga Factory. After reading the rave reviews from NYMag, Timeout NY I imagined myself dancing through the air, emerging from the cocoon in a butterfly like manner. This was not the case. Not only because I’m not a butterfly but the “hammock” is more like a womb that you have to push yourself out from. But once you manage, oh boy! There’s nothing like hanging upside down. And we did let it all hang out, upside down. I could actually feel my spine decompress, after a few more minutes the blood rushing to my face felt more soothing than uncomfortable. It was as if I could feel my neck elongating, and my lungs enlarging with every breath. It’s not the same kind upside down feeling as in head stand, or other inversions, half the time I’m concentrating fully on balancing, and in headstand the neck isn’t fully liberated. Inversion with no effort, is like a dream that I didn’t realize I wanted to come true.

Still, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Perhaps because there were so many first timers in today’s open class, it was pretty slow almost restorative, and there wasn’t much of a “workout” despite what all the reviews say. The pace did allow for very detailed instruction which I appreciated. Still, I missed the flow and  I would’ve liked more “swing”.  The hammocks mainly serve as giant straps when you’re not inverting, and even when you are you’re hovering only an inch or two from the floor, so it doesn’t quite have the impact of height, as say an Aerial Silks class. In fact in a lot of ways it’s like an Aerial Silks class lite. Fair, given there were ~ 20 people in class, and an Aerial Silks class is often limited to 8 or less. There’s too much potential for injury.

I did enjoy the class, it has undeniable benefits, and now that I’m on the $30 unlimited for a week diet, I’ll come for seconds possibly thirds or .. just leave all of you hanging.

Om Yoga Center one of the great studios of New York City. It’s celebrity is perhaps only surpassed by its’ founder, the yoga guru / mogul, Cyndi Lee. At a sprawling 11,500+ sq feet, over 5,000 student base, retreats, 200hr and 500hr teacher training program, it is an epic yoga school and brand. I’d been itching to try this yoga studio. Not only because its’ so well known, but because it’d been reputed to seamlessly combine Buddhism and yoga.

For the first class, my friend Carolyn and I took the 60-minute “Sweaty Express” open class. The studio was small, but the pillars about the room gave it character, and the fanciful Buddhist insights painted along the walls gave it warmth. The teacher seemed experienced and soothing. Given the name, Carolyn and I were ready to sweat. But I noticed that each time she or I tried to take it further, the teacher reigned us in. Which truth be told, I liked, yoga in my mind shouldn’t be “sweaty”, nonetheless I did want to move.
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