Discover Yoga

I discovered Naam Yoga after talking to the staff at Communal Table downstairs. The two businesses are a partnership, thanks to the Beyond Restaurants Group founder, Cristina Castaneda. Cristina is a "Naami, " as they refer to themselves, and gave the yoga studio the space above her restaurant. In return, the yoga studio provides the recipes for many of Communal's juices and cleanses. I was introduced to Dallas, a Naami who was sipping a juice on Communal's couch. She explained Naam's ability to heal and cleanse to me in greater detail while noting that Naam means "the name, " referring to the name of God, or at least some higher power. By repeating the name, Dallas says, "you can feel the vibration in every one of your cells. " This vibration is meant to rid the body of bad energy. Dallas further explained that when she was going through a tough time in her life, a friend introduced her to Naam through a collection of CDs. By playing the CDs, Dallas felt that she cleansed her apartment of bad energy. "Yoga works similarly to the juices, " she said with a smile, pointing to Communal's juice menu. "Each one is meant to help fix or heal something. "Naam Yoga began in New York in the year 2000 on 23rd Street in what was then a slightly unpleasant neighborhood. Dallas believes that Naam helped to heal the neighborhood by resonating sound through the surrounding area. Though there is no longer a studio downtown, there are now centers around the world. The international community gets together one week each year to sing the name together while practicing yoga. I went upstairs to look at the studio. After removing my shoes, I stepped into an enormous room that was flooded with natural light. The smell of sandalwood and oranges filled the space. The relaxing haven, seemingly far from the big city bustle, is reason enough to want to give Naam a try.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center functions as a community center rather than simply a yoga studio, making for a very special experience. It is run entirely by volunteers, some of whom reside upstairs. Aside from regular yoga and meditation classes, there are often workshops, talks, vegetarian cooking classes and group meals. The aim is to teach the ways of yoga as a healthy lifestyle, not just an exercise routine. The followers of Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center live by five simple guidelines: proper exercise, breathing, relaxation, a vegetarian diet, meditation and positive thinking. Sivananda Yoga is a global movement with centers all over the United States and the world. We talked to a woman who had recently completed a certification program in California and returned home to New York to volunteer at the Sivananda Center. She went by the name Jayanti – a name given to her at the yoga school. Jayanti shared the history of the Sivananda Yoga movement, which began in India under Swami (meaning master) Sivananda, who then sent Swami Vishnu-Devananda to the United States to spread the knowledge of Yoga with the words “The West is waiting for us. ” The Center has been in New York since 1959, and in this specific location since 1964. Simply listening to Jayanti calmly tell us the story of this community that she felt so attached to, and this way of life that she found so rewarding, we could not help but be drawn in by her air of content. Getting to know a bit about this niche community in Manhattan was certainly a highlight for us while walking 24th Street.

What began in 1978 as a block association established by single mothers with the goal of providing services and activities to children in the neighborhood, has now become a thriving community center. In this very colorful building, enrichment programs that focus on food, health and the environment are offered on a regular basis. They also run the Organic Soul Cafe and provide rental space for events. Before it became a community center, this building was home to Ahawath Yeshurun Shara Torah Synagogue. In 2015, Sixth Street Yoga Junction opened on the third floor, offering affordable vinyasa-based yoga for all levels.

The street outside Pure Yoga was deafening, filled with construction sites and traffic, but as soon as I stepped inside Pure Yoga, I felt an immediate calm. Any tension fell away as I descended into the subterranean yoga complex, which smelled like a luxurious spa and was decorated with Buddha sculptures and mandalas. I met Jack Cleary, the studio’s yoga advisor, who told me that, according to one Pure Yoga member who followed the teachings of feng shui, the mandalas are the reason why the basement space feels open and healthy, rather than claustrophobic. Either way, I barely noticed that I was underground. Instead, I simply appreciated the relaxed, wide, warmly lit hallways, ornamented with cozy, bench- and pillow-filled enclaves painted in different colors. As we walked through the 19, 000 square foot space, Jack shared the story of Pure Yoga. It began in Hong Kong in 2002 as a studio that offered a wide range of yoga instruction before coming to New York six years later. The studio on the East Side was first to open, followed by the 77th Street location in 2009. The New York locations are owned by Equinox and there are special benefits offered to Equinox gym members. There is also an Equinox spa attached to Pure Yoga on the lowest level. Whereas only yoga that was taught, initially, Figure 4 Barre classes and PXT sessions are now available. There are also meditation classes and workshops specifically devoted to different stages of life, including pregnancy and infancy. Jack, who is now in his forties, got into yoga early on in college after hurting his back playing lacrosse. Yoga helped him significantly, and now he enjoys speaking with others who have been injured or simply those who are unsure of what kind of yoga would be best for their needs. He seems to fully appreciate the opportunity to guide men and women of all ages in the right form of exercise. Jack showed me the schedules for each of the six studios, which included everything from advanced Hot Yoga to gentle beginner classes. “We run the whole gamut, ” Jack stated. He led me around to the different rooms, pointing out the natural anti-bacterial cork floors that designated the Hot Yoga rooms. In every room, mats are already provided and are laid down prior to class. These mats are then immediately put into their washing machines, a practice, Jack informed me, that is not found in many studios. Pure Yoga went above and beyond in many other ways, too, such as providing cool Eucalyptus-infused towels. As we continued to walk, Jack said that occasionally members will take a break from Pure Yoga to try other studios, but they almost always return. Jack noted that very few other places offer the facilities that they do, including the impeccably clean showers and changing rooms (stocked with Kiehl’s products). Pure Yoga is perfect for those who like to mix up their routine and try different schools of yoga. Benefits offered by Pure Yoga include a one-time beginner drop-in fee of $21 as well as access to various workshops and trips. When I visited in 2015, there were signs for a workshop with Diamond Dallas, a pro-wrestler-turned-yogi, as well as advertisements for a group retreat to Nicaragua. At the back of the space, I took note of the private yoga studios for both members and non-members, including a Hot Yoga room. Jack then mentioned that he sees a lot of members, especially those who are free-lancers or moms, using the hallway spaces as a quiet place to work. “It’s a little getaway, ” he said. “Many people think we’re a normal yoga studio when they pass by on the street. ” After exploring the many different facilities, I was convinced that Pure Yoga is far more than a “normal yoga studio. ”“Pure is a place where people who are passionate about yoga can find a place where they can grow, ” Jack said, before introducing me to Alexandra Seijo, the studio's General Manager. She agreed, adding that both members and instructors can find new forms of yoga to experiment with and embrace. With such a wide breadth of scheduling, there is always something for someone to take at any time of the day. Alexandra went on to say that many yogis end up falling in love with a new form of yoga, thanks to Pure: “They may not even know what they’re looking for, but they’ll find it here. ”

The greatest treasures on the side streets often take the form of art studios, theaters, non-profits, innovative exercise spaces, and specialty lodging. I was delighted, therefore, to find all of these facilities inside the West Side YMCA. According to Wyndy Wilder Sloan, the senior director of the Y, I was not unlike numerous others who admitted to having had no idea that this extraordinary building existed on West 63rd. Sharing the fascinating history of the Y with me one morning while touring the building, Wyndy simply stated that not many people stroll down their street and those that do rarely notice what has been here since 1930. Wyndy was crowed that they have at least 5, 700 active members, 397 guest rooms, an off-Broadway theater, and an art space in addition to its vast array of fitness facilities. At the start, the Y even owned the McBurney School next door, which is still marked with a sign for "BOYS. " Wyndy informed me that the West Side Y is the largest YMCA in the country. My first stop on the tour was on the newly renovated tenth and eleventh floors to see the selection of guest rooms, which Wyndy described as "a hostel that is not a real hostel. " Wyndy shared with me that guests are frequently European travelers, mostly form the UK, with the average age between eighteen and twenty-four, but national youth groups, like the boy scouts, also take advantage of the facilities. Traipsing down the white walls marked with shapes in cheery bright colors and the names of countries from around the world, I peeked into a room and found a spotlessly clean bunk bed that had a view of Central Park. Descending down some flights, I went to the fitness floors, which were astonishing. There, I found enormous studios that offered classes from Aerobics to Zumba and everything in between. Learning that the YMCA "invented" basketball and volleyball, I gazed upon the spacious court encircled one floor up by an elevated track. When I commented on the spectacular racquetball courts, squash courts, and, particularly the original machinery still decorating the walls in the boxing room, Wyndy proudly admitted that they were available for promotional shoots. In the gym, I was met with one of the most enormous collection of ellipticals and treadmills I have ever seen. "You never have to wait for a machine, " Wyndy said. "We have every piece of equipment you can imagine, " and she went on to tell me that all Y's in the country lease their machines for three years so that they can easily update to new models. Through the clean, flower-filled women's locker room, I arrived at the magnificent pool. The space is a palace, decorated with red and yellow tiles in a stunning mosaic pattern. Wyndy explained that King Alfonso of Spain donated all the tiles to the Y as the building was being erected. Slipping inside to view the smaller pool - used more for classes and therapy sessions than for laps - was possibly even more extraordinary, with dazzling white and blue designs covering all four corners. Tearing myself away from the pools, I walked into the art annex to see a painting class in progress. Down the hall, students filled a ceramics studio that boasted two kilns. I now understood from where the cases full of colorful mugs for sale in the lobby hallway came. On my way to the "Little Theater, " which sported sloping bannisters and comfortable audience seating, I caught a glimpse of rounded traditional Spanish doors and more of the magnificent tiles in an event space named the "King Alfonso" room. After a whirlwind tour, where I saw so much original architecture, artistic craftsmanship, first-class facilities, and happy members, I was shocked that I had not heard more about the building as a lifelong New Yorker. Though I knew of its existence, I had no idea of all the valuable resources and facilities inside. Wyndy conceded that is a challenge that the West Side Y is trying to overcome: "When you're a landmark building on a side street, it's hard to maintain visibility. " It is, however, definitely worth seeking out. As Wyndy noted, "We are unique among other gyms because we are non-profit. When you sign up as a member, you know your money is going to a good cause. "

Sassi is a non-profit organization that offers karate, yoga, tai chi and reiki on a donation basis. For thirty years, they have been helping children with ADD, autism and disabilities. Owner Sassi, a former international champion, told us "no one wants to teach them sports, so I teach them. I won't refuse them as they are, and there are many of them. " Please call the Center to find out the class schedules for both children and adults.