By Lorie Parch
Beyond California's borders, yoga's tremendous rise in popularity is surging in New York City, making the yoga scene an especially vibrant one, with diverse classes, passionate teachers (and students), and workshops to deepen a practice at every level.
Though you'll have no trouble finding studios affiliated with most major styles, as well as centers that teach a number of techniques, New York is about nothing so much as expanding one's horizons.The city may be the place to partake of classes and schools that may not be readily available in your own backyard, like the celebrity-anointed Jivamukti Yoga Center, arguably the best-known yoga spot in New York—and at 9,000 square feet, certainly the largest.This vast space holds not only Jivamukti yoga classes, but also Mysore-style and Ashtanga classes, satsang, and Sanskrit teachings.
Almost all New York yoga centers incorporate some of the spiritual elements of yogic teaching, but some more than others. Jivamukti is definitely in the "more" category. Adrienne Burke, director of teaching programs, calls Jivamukti "an integrated method," meaning one that combines a vigorous physical practice with a strong foundation in ancient yogic texts. "This is a lot more than a good stretch," she says. Indeed, students tend to embrace the yogic lifestyle in a holistic way, using the center as a resource for information and support beyond their physical practice.
Responding to the immense popularity of Bikram Yoga, two New York studios offer classes in this hot, purifying style—Yoga Connection in TriBeCa, and in the theater district, a newcomer on the scene, the Bikram Yoga College of India.
Less hip but just as community-oriented are veterans Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) and the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, both established in New York more than 30 years ago. The two have in common a style that focuses on asanas, as well as pranayama and deep relaxation. Anyone who comes can take yoga's spiritual elements—or leave them. "The spiritual foundation is obvious—every asana room has an altar," says Ramananda, president of IYI of New York. "But we're not trying to push the spiritual on anyone." The feeling at both centers is down-to-earth, welcoming, even homey.
Many centers strive for a friendly feel and a somewhat subtler approach to things philosophical. Says Cyndi Lee, director of Om Yoga, "We have a reputation for being really warm." Beryl Bender Birch, codirector of The Hard & the Soft Astanga Institute, echoes that sentiment: "We really go out of our way to make people feel comfortable and welcome." Who knows? With so many Manhattanites becoming devoted yogis, the clich้ of the rude, harried New Yorker may soon be a thing of the past.
To find a studio in New York, search our Directories
Beyond California's borders, yoga's tremendous rise in popularity is surging in New York City, making the yoga scene an especially vibrant one, with diverse classes, passionate teachers (and students), and workshops to deepen a practice at every level.
Though you'll have no trouble finding studios affiliated with most major styles, as well as centers that teach a number of techniques, New York is about nothing so much as expanding one's horizons.The city may be the place to partake of classes and schools that may not be readily available in your own backyard, like the celebrity-anointed Jivamukti Yoga Center, arguably the best-known yoga spot in New York—and at 9,000 square feet, certainly the largest.This vast space holds not only Jivamukti yoga classes, but also Mysore-style and Ashtanga classes, satsang, and Sanskrit teachings.
Almost all New York yoga centers incorporate some of the spiritual elements of yogic teaching, but some more than others. Jivamukti is definitely in the "more" category. Adrienne Burke, director of teaching programs, calls Jivamukti "an integrated method," meaning one that combines a vigorous physical practice with a strong foundation in ancient yogic texts. "This is a lot more than a good stretch," she says. Indeed, students tend to embrace the yogic lifestyle in a holistic way, using the center as a resource for information and support beyond their physical practice.
Responding to the immense popularity of Bikram Yoga, two New York studios offer classes in this hot, purifying style—Yoga Connection in TriBeCa, and in the theater district, a newcomer on the scene, the Bikram Yoga College of India.
Less hip but just as community-oriented are veterans Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) and the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, both established in New York more than 30 years ago. The two have in common a style that focuses on asanas, as well as pranayama and deep relaxation. Anyone who comes can take yoga's spiritual elements—or leave them. "The spiritual foundation is obvious—every asana room has an altar," says Ramananda, president of IYI of New York. "But we're not trying to push the spiritual on anyone." The feeling at both centers is down-to-earth, welcoming, even homey.
Many centers strive for a friendly feel and a somewhat subtler approach to things philosophical. Says Cyndi Lee, director of Om Yoga, "We have a reputation for being really warm." Beryl Bender Birch, codirector of The Hard & the Soft Astanga Institute, echoes that sentiment: "We really go out of our way to make people feel comfortable and welcome." Who knows? With so many Manhattanites becoming devoted yogis, the clich้ of the rude, harried New Yorker may soon be a thing of the past.
To find a studio in New York, search our Directories
English to Chinese BETA
English to French
English to German
English to Italian
English to Japanese BETA
English to Korean BETA
English to Russian BETA 
English to Spanish
