Ishta Yoga's uptown baby sister studio had been in Yoga Sleuth's sights for some time. When I finally got to visit, I was lucky to catch the Monday night  "ease into the week" class of sunny and playful Sarah Levine.

"We'll begin in Virasana, hero's pose," she grinned at the packed house of the tiny space (i.e., get there early!). "Take a seat on the block between the ankles, hug the inner ankles along the sides of the block." She beckoned us to close our eyes and just be.

“The real connection that comes in a yoga class is those little moments where the thoughts stop,” said Sarah.

“The second Yoga Sutra is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.. We move through asana to prepare for seated meditation, but also we can find those little moments as we move through a physical practice, mostly through those little pauses at the top and bottom of the inhale. Play a little bit in that pause, linger a millisecond longer than usual.”

Sarah's lighthearted style, a smile always in her voice, is a great reminder of how much fun yoga can be. She just exudes the pure joy of being a teacher and this informs the vibe of the class; we were constantly laughing and smiling. Sarah deftly put us through our paces with precise cues that showed her anatomical expertise, always naming poses in both English and Sanskrit.

Moving to Downward Facing Dog: “Find that nice long length in the spine, press evenly, spread your fingers even wider than you used to." She invited us to explore the boundaries of the patterns that we continually follow on the physical level, so when we start to practice altering patterns, realigning the way we do things on the physical level, the mind starts to do the same.

"When you have those top 40 hits you keep playing over and over in the head, 'why am I no good at this?' 'no I can't do that...' here you can start to untangle, let go of those ideas.”

And with that we commenced a series of merry Sun As.  “Everyone's so strong in here!“ marveled Sarah.  “If you're jumping to Chaturanga, make sure you're taking it to bent elbows," she cautioned. After several rounds we “rested” once more in Adho Mukha Svanasana.

After a round of Sun Bs, and a few more preparatory poses, we were ready for the challenge of Bird of Paradise. “Which is super fun!" promised Sarah. She demoed while providing clear verbal instructions as we took mental notes, then gave it a try.

Sarah spotted me reaching for my strap and nodded approval. After playing for a bit, we released it all out in a wide legged forward bend.

As came into a Malasana, Sarah suggested we take a block underneath for support, while also offering a challenging next step. "If you're familiar with Bakasana you can come into it, otherwise, just enjoy the squat. Give yourself permission to stay." Many of us went for crow anyway, yours truly holding it long enough to tumble to the mat with a laugh.

The work done, it was time to relax in Savasana, and Sarah is known for leading a great bliss-out in this area. Having us all prop up with multiple blankets and bolsters, we let our thoughts stop all together, taking a 10 minute pause and lingering there, just has we had been asked throughout class. Sarah came around and gave us terrific adjustments to our heads and shoulders.

And with that, she bade us Namaste, and I glided down to the 60th street and the subway that lies just below the studio. But not before grabbing a schedule to see when I could take Sarah’s class again!

Drop-in classes at Ishta uptown are $22 with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

On a gray spring morning, Yoga Sleuth arrived at Greenhouse Holistic’s Driggs Ave location for Gabrielle Epstein-Casper’s intermediate level class.

I had been to the other two Greenhouse locations several times before, but this was my first time at Driggs. I was impressed with the spaciousness of the lobby (two bathrooms!), which flows nicely into the decent sized studio.  I somewhat groggily settled myself on the opposite side of the room from the mirrors, as is my habit.

Gabrielle walked around the room before class, greeting everyone and introducing herself to new students, inquiring about injuries and such.  I appreciated this approach rather than shouting out a general “any injuries?” which I’m sure prevents some shy students from speaking up. Gabrielle made sure each student felt comfortable and welcomed.

We began class on a high, well-supported seat.  Gabrielle asked us to sit on two folded blankets, our knees supported by blocks. She said that often times we get caught up with the idea that we need to “achieve” several poses in order to have a good yoga practice, and that in this class we would be focusing on fewer poses, done well.

The recurring theme throughout class was “slow down.”  Indeed, I felt very present in my seat, Gabrielle’s lovely soothing voice reminding me to pay attention to my breath and what was happening in my body.  

Our second pose of the class was a lovely restorative posture, a supported Fish with a rolled up blanket and a strap around the legs.  Gabrielle was very attentive to each student, making sure everyone was set up properly. I, for one, had a faulty strap, so she used a blanket to “tuck me in.” Very cozy! And very easy to focus on the Pranayama practice she led us through.  

After this wonderfully simple and beautiful introduction to class, we began our asana practice.  Gabrielle led us from a long, well-aligned Down Dog through basic Sun Salutations.  Though this was a basic flow that I had done many times, I felt inspired by Gabrielle’s prompts to “do it like it’s the first time.”  We were encouraged to take the Sun Salutations with our own breath, meeting in Tadasana after five.  

As we moved into standing poses and the flow became more challenging, Gabrielle’s voice, so soothing in the beginning, became very animated as she led us through the sequence.  She was so thrilled and excited about the class, and her enthusiasm was contagious.  She seemed so present with her instruction that I was inspired to stay present as well.  

I was also impressed with Gabrielle’s attention to everyone’s alignment.  She was constantly adjusting students, and she led us into the poses in a very aligned and centered way.  For example, when rising into Warrior I from Down Dog, we placed our feet and then stayed low until we felt centered and grounded.  In an intermediate class, people have often been practicing Warrior I for years, rising up into it without a thought.  But coming from this instruction, we were aligned and focused in a new way.

Throughout the class, Gabrielle reminded us to slow down and not rush through the poses.  At one point she said, “Slow down!  Where are you going?” A student in the back wisecracked: “Savasana!” which got a laugh out of everyone.  At least he was being truthful.  And after back bends and twists on the floor, we did indeed make it to Savasana. 

We finished class in the same comfortable seat where we began.  Gabrielle asked us to join her, feeling “alive, vibrant, and aware of that which you came from and of where you are now.”  As the class closed, that’s exactly how I felt.

Single drop-in class is $17.

--Abby Payne for Yoga Sleuth

Sleuthing is fortunate work - and when your mission is to visit Jivamukti Yoga School, you are really in luck. Jivamukti, meaning “liberation while living,” shines like a jewel in the heart of the city. According to their web site this living liberation is a “state of enlightenment available to all beings.”

While this Sleuth seems to be many lifetimes away from that penultimate promise of yoga, Narayani’s sumptuous voice, timeless teachings, and challenging asana sequences surely moved me a step in the right direction on this Tuesday afternoon.

Photos of a luminescent lineage of teachers grace the altar at the front of the spacious ‘Goddess’ studio, where we began class chanting call and response style along with the harmonium. Jivamukti magically creates a space where people with entirely different backgrounds and belief systems come together.

Sleuth marveled at this diverse group of people offering sincere devotion to a cow-herding god that most of us probably did not grow up with – yet in whose presence we all seem to find healing and inspiration.

Narayani’s dharma talk delved into the Bhagavad Gita passage admonishing aspirants to say OM at the time of death to speed them into a more advantageous incarnation (chapter 8, verse 13). Narayani, whose name means ‘Earth Mother,’ skillfully grounded these esoteric concepts into the reality of our yoga practice.

“The yoga practice helps us untie the physical and psychic knots in the heart center,” she explained. “The poses and the breathing also stimulate a release of energy from the side channels so it can move up the central toward the crown of the head, spinning the chakras.” Her subsequent sequence of poses took us through this process, opening our bodies from the lower to the upper energy centers.

Once we started moving, she kept the talking to a minimum so we could focus on the poses, the elevating music, and on our breathing. Our Sun Salutations gradually built heat and vigor, preparing us for a variety of fun balancing poses, inversions, backbends, and seated forward bends, culminating in a deeply restful Savasana, and concluding with the chanting of OM.

A highlight was bird of paradise, one of Sleuth’s personal favorites for its sheer beauty and challenge. I sensed it coming excitedly, like a thunderstorm on a hot summer day as we moved from a deep squat into half bound Uttanasana. Contending with tight hips, my bird displayed some ruffled feathers – but I enjoyed reaching my own fullest expression of this pose, and taking surreptitious glances at some of the more elegant versions around the room with long legs extended.

Mid-way through class a long balancing sequence on one foot had my calf muscles trembling for mercy. Narayani followed this with a welcome seated hip opening series: Baddha Konasana, Janu Sirsasana, and Ardha Matsyendrasana. Her timing was just right. We held the poses long enough to enjoy the sweet relief, but not so long as to allow our energy to drop. Then we continued on with our energetic flow of standing poses.

After this we slid briefly into Supta Virasana, followed by a series of full wheels with the option to lift alternating arms and legs. “Most of us have stories from our childhood that we hold onto, and then we live the same patterns repeatedly,” Narayani mused.

“The yoga practice leads us toward freedom.” She enthusiastically described some highlights of a recent Yoga Journal Conference workshop with Seane Corn on letting go of personal dramas. “We can move from fear to faith, saying ‘yes’ to the mystery of life,” she encouraged us.

Nearing the end of class, we opened the higher chakras with poses like shoulderstand, headstand and fish. “Coming to class is practice in transcending our fears,” Narayani reminded us.

“You’re not just staying home practicing the same few poses you know. We’re working toward liberation from the ultimate fear, the fear of death.” With this, we moved into the aptly named ‘corpse’ pose, where Narayani’s assistant Linda led us into a deep relaxation, hypnotically intoning suggestions for body parts to release. We ended class seated, and Narayani offered us a mantra: “Inhale - LET; Exhale - GO.”

Single class $20; discounted class cards available.

--Lauren Tepper

Sleuth used to wonder why New York City yogi(ni)s used to trek all the way to Bedford Hills every week to get a slice of Nevine Michaan’s teachings. But after Nevine moved to NYC and opened a studio here Sleuth got to take her class on a regular basis and understands now why she was worth the trip.

I wish I could record every nugget Nevine says in class because she enthusiastically imparts fascinating information throughout. But then this would be a ten page review.

Today Nevine was very early, as is her regular routine, and began by observing the class, especially new students, in Baddha Konasana. “You are cake,” she was telling one student when I walked in. “One bite and I’ll know everything about you.”

Nevine read the student’s foot and from there could tell where she was overusing certain parts of her body. She then brought out an abundance of props—straps, blocks, blankets—and began aligning the student into a more centered and taller version of herself. (She would repeatedly come back to this student in class to reveal how in each pose she was overusing her upper body and underusing her hips and legs.)

It was time for class to start and Nevine asked us to begin in a standing forward bend showing us how to double check that our legs were hip width apart by turning one foot in a horizontal position against the arch of the other foot and then taking it back to vertical again.

Nevine then had us do the same action of rolling up and down, but with bent elbows framing the head. She told us the hands should be able to cup each elbow and the head should fit in inside. “Our bodies are designed to fit,” she told us.

Asking us to move into Downward Dog, Nevine invited us to “walk the dog” pedaling the feet up and down. “The hardest thing I teach my students is how to not be static. The person who breaks is usually the one who is rigid, but if a person is fluid they don’t break.”

She then had us take one hand off the floor and place it on our sacrum and then switch to the other hand. She asked us to lift one leg up in the air and then the other. She told us to come into plank and flip the wrists showing us how it was easier to do the pose if the arms were stacked directly under the collar bones.

“From here you can also work in an arm balance,” she noted coming back to the theme that the elbows “fit” into the armpits. “Beautiful forms,” she called out to the various practitioners in the room. Although Nevine is precise in her alignment information she is more enthusiastic than fanatic.

Moving into hip openers we had a brief hold in Pigeon in which Nevine encouraged us to take the open hip over to its own side. In Crescent Lunge she noted that the pinkie toe should press into the floor so that there would be safety and stability in the knee.

In Gomukhasana she encouraged us line up the foot with the knee and to ensure our feet were flexed with no wrinkles in the ankle. For those comfortable with the position we could fold forward, then cross our arms taking hold of the big toe of each foot so we could “fit.” “You’re going to get very heated in this pose because of all these folds so in order to let air in you should back bend.”

Getting us even more heated, Nevine took us through her own unique version of Sun Salutations to the sound of Sat Kirin’s “Gobinday Mukanday” which is an eight beat Kundalini mantra. (To view Nevine’s variation on Sun Salutations see this video clip)

After at least twenty rounds of Sun Salutations and much sweat, Nevine brought us into Upavistha Konasana. In her variation we crossed arms at the shins and moving the torso towards the arm on top came into a twist.

“Yoga is not a performance; you’re not getting paid to do this. Yoga is an esoteric practice, a mystery. You go into the rooms where you feel uncomfortable to uncover the mysteries in you.”

Nevine came over to where I was sitting and adjusted me into a much deeper version of the pose than I thought I was capable of doing. “That way you’ll get into the kidneys,” she told me.

For the final pose we took a seated spinal twist (Nevine does not end class with Savasana) and Nevine went back to the same new student she started with, demonstrating in meticulous detail how she could be more the archetype of the pose rather than, as Nevine gently and jokingly put it, “suffer as herself” with old habits. Everything seemed to fit.

Drop-in classes are $20.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

On a rainy and cold April night, Yoga Sleuth traveled out to Plaza Wellness to enjoy an evening of back care with Frank Ricci.  The studio is in the ground floor of a classic Brooklyn pre-war building right off of Flatbush Avenue on Grand Army Plaza.  With a happy creamsicle color painted on the walls, the studio welcomes you immediately with its peaceful waiting area, warm lights and comfortable feel.

As people trickled in a few minutes early, Frank set us up in a supported Savasana with our legs resting on chairs and our backs flat on the floor. While making his way around the room giving adjustments and helping people settle in, Frank checked in with each student about what injury or condition had brought them to a back care class that evening.  This Sleuth does not have a specific back injury, but figured it's never a bad idea to take preventative care for your back.

As we lay resting in our restorative pose, Frank led us through a brief guided relaxation: “Imagine that the floor beneath you is made of sand.  As you release the weight of your body down, imagine that the floor is also raising up around to cushion and support your weight.”  After a few moments in this pose, Frank began to move us back up to a seated position in Sukhasana to begin the class officially.

The sequence then moved on to more active postures including a Down Dog, a version of Supta Padangusthasana at the wall, a Triangle pose using our chairs and a restorative Prasarita Padottanasana with a chair and bolster.  Each pose skillfully relied on the use of available props to encourage both ease in the postures and meet each student's needs.  

Every step along the way Frank gave specific instructions on how to create stability in each pose.  He did demonstrations of many poses so that we could see precisely the actions he wanted us to find once we arrived.  All the while he also helped us to find a position in the posture that was optimal for easing pain or discomfort in spinal conditions.  

Time and again Frank reminded us that length and making room for the vertebrae are the trick to easing many types of back pain.  Allowing us to stay for some time in each pose, while we were comfortably exploring the posture, he moved his way around the room making individual adjustments to ease any strain.

Finally, after the standing poses, we came to rest in a restorative Bridge pose supported on blankets with our legs belted and feet against the wall. As we made our way into the posture, Frank explained that though this was a little bit of a backbend, it was safe even for those who had injuries because it was heavily supported.  

During our repose in this asana, Frank once again led us through a guided relaxation exercise.  As we completely surrendered our bodies to the props and the floor,  this time he encouraged us to notice and explore our breath.  

This sleuth could have stayed there all night long, but after some time Frank gently guided us back: “begin to bring your awareness back to the surface.” We arose, ready to return to the world, standing tall and our bodies at ease.

Single Drop-in is $15. 10 class card is $130 *cash only*

--Alex Phelan for Yoga Sleuth

Hot and Cold. Movement and Stillness. Jedi and Sith. We live in a world of opposites that define each other. The Yoga world recognizes this in the form of classes that push us to soar to our edges before settling us down to the earth. Yoga Vida’s  Hump Day Yin Yang evening class is one of these, and our guide on this multi-layered adventure is David “Chocolate Dave, Yeah-Dave” Romanelli.

We settled down in Yoga Vida’s sister studio in Noho—which is, without exaggeration, a Yoga palace. Very similar in appearance to the University Place location, it features huge studios, a vast lobby, pristine white corridors and even a lounge with couches and books.

I set my mat in the center of the Asana room as David greeted us, explaining that we would build heat with an hour of Flow, followed by a series of juicy stretches. Just what the doctor ordered for this busy Yoga Sleuth!

"Really give yourself a chance to let go of whatever happened today," said David, encouraging us to take a deep breath and ground down. "Yoga is not about what you can accomplish, but what you can let go of." We held a long forward fold, letting everything go as if it were literally pouring out of our heads and arms.

"Gratitude is moral and intellectually demanding, " said David, quoting Robert Emmons. "The ability to look at all that's good in your life instead of what's not working out."

David is the very definition of a wise, motivating teacher, complete with a dynamic, but calming presence. He flies across the room, giving both verbal and physical adjustments, calling out to familiar students by name to bend a knee further or twist a little deeper, and quoting a staggering number of notables to add deeper meaning and motivation to our Asana journeys.

We built the promised heat quickly in Sun As and Bs. After that we pumped up the volume with every standing pose in the book: Crescent pose, Parsvottanasana, Warriors One to Three, standing splits, extended side angles with optional binds, half moons and triangles both regular and revolved.

Coming to the Yin portion of the fun, we played a little "thread the needle," opening our shoulders, then did a very mild camel with hands on the hips, and stretched across the mat for a yummy Pigeon (doesn't sound appetizing, but trust me, it is!).

David then had us set up our bolster vertically on the mat, with a blanket at the top. We laid back on it, knees bent, for an intense but extremely relaxing Supta Virasana.

“Are you comfortable?" asked David. “That’s important."

He read to us a great poem of his called "Can Stoners Save the World?" dedicated to "Stoner Bob." (You can read it on his blog at www.yeahdave.com.)

And no, the point of the poem is not that we should be smoking pot. "I don't," admitted David. "It makes me neurotic. " Rather, the point is that "the inner journey is something we tend to miss in our ambitious and increasingly high tech pursuit for efficiency, speed, and convenience. As Confucius said, 'What the undeveloped man seeks is outside, what the advanced man seeks is within himself.'"

As the strains of that Adele song about the air being "thick and opaque" filled the room, we luxuriated in deep supine twists, pondering the gift of wisdom we had just received.

David, famously a lover of the Grateful Dead (he recently did an all-Grateful Dead music class), then played "It Must Have Been the Roses" by the legends to lead us into a restorative bridge, with the cork block on its highest setting beneath the sacrum.

"If you wanna make your legs straight like a rainbow," said David, "go for it!"

We then brought our legs to the air as an alternative to shoulder stand (with the regular version being an option for anyone who wanted it). Then there was the welcome encore of Savasana, with one hand on the belly and the other on our hearts. Then we rose to sit with hands in prayer.

"Yoga teachers traditionally end class by saying the sanskrit word Namaste--or as they say in the midwest, Nah-maste!" said David as we laughed. "And according to Gandhi--or as they say in the midwest, 'Gandy' (pronounced like candy), it means to honor that place inside. That place of light, love, peace and warmth. If you are in that place and I am in that place, then all is  one."

Drop-ins at Yoga Vida are $12 with a $2 mat rental. Students new to the studio can get $10 for one week of Unlimited Yoga, with one free mat & towel rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

On the second floor of Golden Bridge Yoga, a townhouse building in the Chinatown area, a group of women were making malas in a workshop—a good activity for the long rainy Sunday we were experiencing. On the third floor we were participating in the weekly healing circle with Joe Young.

As Joe entered the room he announced that the prior evening had welcomed a new moon. When there’s a new moon it’s a good time to let go, plant new seeds and allow one’s gifts and talents to emerge he told us. For example, “If you’re a good cook you should nurture that gift,” he said.

Joe Young doesn’t often say much in class, but when he does it’s delivered with a calm confidence. To begin, he had us take three long inhales and exhales before tuning in with the Adi mantra, “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo.”

There was a short warm-up to prepare us for the three-part healing meditation that was to come. First, we took our hands to our knees and undulated through spinal flexes which brought openness into the middle back. And then we did rapid rounds shoulder shrugs to further open the upper back and loosen up.

This healing circle is not done in a literal circle. Rather, the mats are sporadically placed as they would be in any class, and it’s the healing-focused Kundalini meditation that creates the circle of support and healing.

For the new moon, Joe had us work on a synchronicity meditation. To begin he had us hold out our left palm, fingers together, as though we were “receiving the rain.” Our right hand was to face out to the front, elbow tucked by the side. We were asked to inhale through pursed lips and exhale through the nose. We could hear the rain pelting down on the skylight above relentlessly.

“Allow the sound of the rain to nourish you,” Joe told us. “Make the sound of your breath loud.”

After about eleven minutes of this we moved onto the second part of the meditation. We put our hands to our hearts, right palm over left and focused on slow breathing. There was very little music in Joe’s class, which allowed us to tune into the other surrounding sounds. There was something more soothing and nurturing in listening to the sound of the rain in harmony with the breath of other students in the room.

Moving onto the third part of the meditation, we brought our hands into prayer pose and then placed thumbs on our third eye, elbows out to the side while chanting the Adi Mantra. At this point Joe played the music to help us along.

The meditation took a little over thirty minutes and then we were allowed to relax in a long and luxurious Savasana.

To end we chanted, ironically, “Long Time Sun” and “Sat Nam” to finish up this nourishing class. With many thanks to Joe for his steady and encouraging instruction we each were able to find our own level of healing.

Drop-in classes are $20; Community Classes are $12.

--Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

There’s something special about studying at Integral Yoga Institute. Maybe it’s the legacy: the organization has served the NYC yoga community with – well, integrity - since 1966, way before yoga’s rise to trendiness.

They also have the city’s sunniest south-facing bench, upon which Sleuth slurped a smoothie from their savory organic market before entering the yoga haven. Fueled by banana mango delight, I cheerfully ascended the six flights of stairs leading to the room labeled “Heaven.”

Molly Heron entered the room with deep eyes, kind smile. Her class included all the hallmarks of the Integral Yoga approach with her own personal twist (pun intended!). We began class with eye exercises: first circling, then rubbing palms together and cupping them with warmth and energy.

“As you set an intention for today’s practice, keep in mind the aim of yoga: to help us attain true awareness in the moment,” Molly said as we sat up to chant.

New to Integral’s advanced class, Sleuth discovered it was the perfect mix of physical challenge with the meditative qualities that characterize the style. We began with supine abdominal work and a series of dynamic bridge poses in breath rhythm. “Now that we’ve built some heat in the solar plexus, let’s come to even standing pose and and feel the inner pranic movement. Sense the energy that you are,” Molly said serenely.

As she demonstrated poses like Akasha Bhujangasana (flowing from a hovering Child’s Pose into a ‘flying’ Cobra with hips off the ground and toes tucked) I admired her bird-like physicality - strong yet delicate. Her teaching style was generous, observant, and caring. We were a mixed level group, and Molly stopped the class as needed to show us how to move with greater precision and ensure our safety.

“I question whether there is a ‘full expression’ of each pose,” she commented as we practiced challenging poses like Headstand and Side Crow to our varying abilities. “Each step along the journey is important,” she reminded us as she demonstrated options to make the poses accessible to everyone.

“Be in the process rather than getting caught up with the end result. Simply pressing your hands down to create a base might be most beneficial for you right now,” she asserted.

Molly was very present with the class, responding compassionately to our energetic and physical needs. “Don’t forget to smile,” she jostled us as we became too intent. “This is fun, remember? Look what we’re doing!” Her infectious grin made even Chair Pose feel like a treat.

My solar plexus was humming with buoyant energy as a series of Plank and Side Plank variations transitioned into an orderly series of twists, progressing from Revolved Lunge to nNoose, crescendoing with Side Crow, and un-winding with Supine Garudasana legs. In Noose pose she directed our attention to our inner organs, helping me to stay focused on the benefits of this pose that I often find torturous.

After a few minutes upside down, Molly encouraged me to try Niralamba Sarvangasana – look, ma – no hands! I gave it my all, but as her supportive hands gently retreated from my lifted legs I flopped onto my back. “Maybe next time!” she chuckled. I realized that I have a tendency to avoid poses that feel inaccessible to me, and I appreciated her pushing me out of my comfort zone to try this pose.

Her lighthearted approach bolstered my confidence to push my envelope and her good-natured humor reminded me not to take my mis-steps too seriously.

“Savasana is a pose,” she noted after we cooled down with seated forward bends. “Arrange yourself symmetrically. Now fix your awareness on a point and let it rest there for the next little while.” I floated peacefully on the waves of my breath until she gently roused us for the closing chants. As we prepared to move on into Friday evening, she exhorted us to “start and end your days with love – and don’t forget to include yourself.”

Single class $17. New student special: three classes for $30.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

Lisa Zaloga is high up on this sleuth’s list of rock star yoga teachers. With the sparkle of a firecracker and the grounding of an oak tree, it can’t be mere coincidence that the last name of this dynamic teacher rhymes with ‘yoga.’ Her class offers balance: you work hard, yet she knows when to back off a little and leave space so you don’t feel stressed or over-tired.

“It’s going to be a very breath-y class,” she announced as we reclined in a Supported Fish. After a juicy few minutes here, she guided us into our opening seat with a reminder that “the heart center is three-dimensional.” Fleshing out this theme, Lisa offered a smorgasbord of poses to open us in all directions. A lucid explanation of scapular protraction and retraction led into Kapalabhati breathing in Virasana with Eagle arms.

“Let’s work on refining,” she suggested as we moved into our initial flow. She offered a clear demo and breakdown of the knees/chest/chin transition into Cobra, reminding us to “lower down with a strong back, all the while working the shoulder muscles and feeling like you’re dragging the floor backward.”

One of many “Lisa-isms,” she reminded us to “let your inner knee win the race” as we shifted into Extended Side Angle Pose. From there she cued us into Triangle “from the ground up.” As the pace heated up, we moved into bound versions of these poses. Winter’s chill faded into a distant memory as I rooted down through my feet and rotated my rib cage skyward.

Lisa set up a non-competitive environment where daredevils practiced Handstand in the center of the room while others investigated bunny jumps.

In Urdvha Dhanurasana she offered the options to dabble with coming just to the top of your head, or to play with one-legged variations and lifting up to standing. Other fun treats included Side Plank with a bound hand to ankle variation similar to Ardha Chandrasana Chapasana (which was also on the menu today), and a variation of  Fish with the tops of our heads down and Navasana legs.

Lisa reminded us that “sometimes going deeper in the practice means doing less. Grace is the most important part. It’s not about how advanced you can make it muscularly. It’s about streaming breath throughout the body.”

I am grateful to Lisa for offering us some “under-taught poses” including Chin Stand and Rabbit. This sleuth had an ‘a-ha!’ moment, thanks to the reassuring presence of Lisa’s assistant Melissa spotting me lightly, as I floated up into Chin Stand for the first time in my life! Admittedly, I was using blocks under my shoulders and the wall to guide me up – but we all have to start somewhere, right?!

“That was a lot to digest!” she remarked as my feet found the ground. “Now here, do a little less. This practice is about shedding layers, decompressing. Practice being,” she suggested as we stretched into Pigeon. “Your teacher trained you well,” she joked as the class let out a cathartic sigh.

This sleuth is not always partial to music with lyrics during yoga practice, but Lisa managed to pull together a fun playlist, including some nostalgic personal favorites like the Indigo Girls and Stevie Nicks, that complemented the heart-opening theme without distracting from her insightful comments.

She and Melissa had the magic touch for giving adjustments that were neither heavy-handed nor wimpy. Her just-right hands-on guidance helped me relax into my hip crease in a Downward Dog split at the wall. “Don’t overwork it,” she sagely commented.

“Create a slight shadow of a backbend,” she requested as we cooled down in Paschimottanasana. I breathed into a growing inner space as my sacrum glided gently forward. As we bowed our heads in our final seated position, Lisa thanked us for “playing” with her today, and reminded us to “honor the truest of all teachers, the God within.”

Free trial class for new NYC-based students; monthly membership rates available.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

On a bright and sunny spring day, Yoga Sleuth headed to New York Health & Racquet Club in Midtown for Debra Blum’s yoga class. It’s not your typical yoga setting, but I had heard great things about her teaching. A little wary of practicing in a gym, I checked in at the front desk and headed upstairs to a small dimly lit room. Spanish guitar music was streaming from the stereo and a few students were resting on their mats.  I set up and waited for class to start.

Debra had us begin on our backs in Savasana, listening to our breath and connecting to the earth.  From there, each movement from squeezing our knees into our chest to gently opening our hamstrings, felt like a nice calm stretch, nothing aggressive, nothing gym-like here.

After warming up our bodies with Child’s Pose, Down Dog and Cat/Cow, Debra had us flow from pose to pose.  There was a rhythm to our movement and our breath.  I didn’t feel rushed nor pushed to move faster.  She had us hold poses like Warrior II just long enough to build strength, but not go over our edge.

Debra also offered variations with each posture. In Prasarita Padottanasana A, we could bend one knee and then the other in a side lunge for a different, more dynamic stretch or just stay where we were.  In standing ankle to knee, we could stay up right, fold forward or move into the arm balance, Flying Crow.  Debra found ways for each of us to discover the pose in our own personal way and move into the variation that felt most comfortable in the moment.  

Circulating the room, Debra checked in with each student and continued to offer options and variations on the familiar poses, adding an extra squat or lunge, and support, encouraging us to use blocks if we needed them.  We were to go to our edge, without pushing through it, she instructed. And although practicing in a non-yoga studio setting,  I never felt a competitive gym vibe or an aggressive student in my presence the whole class.

What helped as well, is that Debra has an air about her that makes everything feel all right and that it didn’t really matter where we were because she helped us stay present. We finished the class the same way we began, in Savasana.  Debra again discussed the idea of rooting down into the earth. “In silence we are able to receive and therefore give back.  Like a tree that is rooted down and receives nourishment from the earth it is able to provide fresh air and fruit.  Enjoy this silence now.”

The class left me feeling rooted down, yet light and calm.  The flowing poses felt good, but it was the nature of Debra’s voice, the acceptance of variations and working with my own body that really meant something and stayed with me as I continued through the rest of my day.

Single Drop-in Class $25.

--Margie Suvalle Fischel for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth was very excited recently to take his first class at the West Village’s Moksha Yoga. The newly opened NYC branch of the Hot Asana specialists is the latest of over 55 locations worldwide. There were 25 of us in class on this Saturday afternoon, reclining on towels or no-slip mats, and already perspiring as 4 heaters pumped steam into the spacious white Studio A.

Vikram Jeet Singh, who had been manning the front desk before class (and had greeted me warmly, pun intended as always), entered the studio. He roused us from our premature Yoga Nidra and beckoned us to stand at the front of our mats.  

He asked us to inhale through our noses, but exhale out our mouths, as we raised our interlaced fingers to the air and brought them slowly down in Anjali Mudra (prayer). Vikram then had us activate our Ujjayi breath. 

Soon the sound of the ocean wafting through the room, coupled with the hot air on our skin, gave the feeling of a summer day at the beach as we closed our eyes and turned inward. The class was music-less, the only sounds being Vikram’s words, and the “whoosh” of the heaters joining with that of our collective breath.

The studio is indeed kept very hot, and performing the lengthy holds of the Moksha sequence in it is challenging—but I never once had an “OMG, I’ve got to get out of this room” moment. I kept my motivation at a high level throughout, and Vikram was an encouraging and inspiring guide. I faced the mirror at all times, using my own eyes as my drishti.

This came in handy in Tree Pose, before Vikram suggested we challenge ourselves by raising our gaze to the ceiling. Later, returning my eyes to the mirror after a long-held Warrior 3, I smiled in amusement at how red my cheeks were below my plastered hair.

Vikram, who is also certified in Ashtanga, stuck to the Moksha playbook throughout, leading us through the studio’s traditional sequence, albeit altered slightly to fit the 75-minute format. But in between the deft and clear cues was room for the occasional joke bomb.

“And now, everybody come into Sirsasana—just kidding!”  He’d “punk’d” us, as the soaked and spent Yogis, some of whom had already begun to assume the headstand position, erupted in laughter. Instead, we folded into a reverent Baddha Konasana.

Coming to lie supine, we raised our legs to the air and lifted our heads, shoulders and arms repeatedly, firing up the core. After several rounds we collapsed to the earth and let out a collective sigh. “Can I intereste you in another round of ab work?” said Vikram sweetly, to laughter and assorted “yes-es”.

After a second core set, we switched to a prone position and I melted into my Pigeon Pose, pretty literally. I was pleasantly shocked at how deep I folded, the heat and the work having done wonders; imagining myself as a still pool of water wasn’t hard to do!

Towards the end of class, it occurred to me that despite all the work we’d done, we had yet to do a single Down Dog, Plank or Chaturanga! As if in answer, Vikram finally cued us to bring our hips up and back, and took us through a few Vinyasas, using them as a climactic sequence.

Our ultimate backbend was a deep Ustrasana—often a tricky pose to hold long in a heated class—but we were willing and able, and I was able to grab my heels and just about see out the windows behind me. And as class began to wind down, we entered into a round of the cleansing Kapalabhati breath, performed slower than we were used to at Vikram’s urging.

Finally, the thoroughly melted yogis settled into Savasana, and Vikram expressed a heartfelt “thank you” to us all for sharing class with him. We whispered “Namaste” in response from our supine positions, and our teacher tiptoed from the room to let us rest as long as we needed.

After class my now-liquefied body made its way back to the spacious men’s locker room and into one of its 4 showers, thrilled with the work I’d done with Vikram, and eager to come back to Moksha—as soon as my Yoga clothes were washed and dried!

Drop-in classes at Moksha are $20 with a $2 mat rental; note that teachers rotate frequently, so check ahead if you want to catch Vikram or another specific instructor. 

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Few people are as aptly named as Jennifer Brilliant. The beautiful basement of her Park Slope brownstone is the Cheers bar of yoga where everybody knows your name. And not only are you glad you came, you always come away with something.

Jennifer’s new offering, ‘Yoga Teachers: Shine & Refine’ is a class for deeply inquisitive practitioners. In this 75-minute class Jennifer provides nuanced and detailed information with workshop-level sophistication. Sleuth has been a devoted follower for years, and has found that Jennifer’s sage guidance enhances not only my personal practice, but also my teaching, and my daily life.

Each week Jennifer expounds on a theme that she clearly lays out in the beginning. With the wit and skill of a novelist she gently unfolds the plot throughout the class. Creatively choreographed warm-up sequences foreshadow the peak poses to come, and colorful imagery and metaphors engage the imagination.

Today Jennifer happened to start class with one of Sleuth’s most-loved poems by the Sufi mystic Rumi. In ‘Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,’ Rumi describes a field where all duality collapses into one-ness. Jennifer adeptly related this poem to our practice of forward bends in today’s class. “Sounding OM together brings us to that field,” she smiled as we rose for Sun Salutations.  

This week, inspired by her recent study with Rodney and Colleen Saidman Yee (the former, she playfully noted, once slept on her couch – ‘back in the day!’), we explored forward bends in a new way. “Create space in ‘the field’ by moving the sit bones, tailbone, and pubic bone away from the head,” Jennifer advised. “Now we’ll isolate the rib cage into four segments to deepen our breathing.” 

As she guided us to pour the breath into the lower rib ‘ring’ by the floating ribs, and then sequentially into the horizontal cross sections above, I could feel greater awareness and opening in my thoracic cavity. My organs seemed to expand and sigh in relief.

A kind of magic happens in Jennifer’s studio: we cover a lot of ground, yet never feel rushed or out of breath. Today we traversed a course from gentle supine and seated movements to Sun Salutations, through standing poses like Warrior 2, Pyramid, and Revolved Triangle, into inversions, arm balances, and hip openers, ending with time to tend to our bodies’ individual needs before a soothing Savasana with a dreamy Arabian-inspired music backdrop.

Jennifer’s eagle eyes would not allow any of us to slip into unconscious patterns. She’s always on top of the game, sensing what’s needed and offering tactile and verbal guidance to elevate our practice and help us transcend habitual ways of moving or thinking that no longer apply. Today Sleuth learned to apply a little more pelvic tuck to forward bends to prevent over-stretching in the hamstrings and to promote greater abdominal support.

Even with her realms of knowledge, Jennifer has a beautifully humble way of inviting dialogue and exploration. “What is the promise of yoga?” she asked as we began class. This was not a rhetorical question, and we responded with answers including ‘possibilities;’ ‘freedom;’ ‘investigation;’ and ‘evolution.’ She welcomed our questions as well, and reminded us to engage our own inner teacher. “Let your hips tell your feet where to be,” she characteristically responded to a student’s question about foot placement in Uttanasana.

We practiced the external rotation of the shoulders that leads to greater stability in Pincha Mayurasana. Standing with elbows touching in front of our shoulders, we squeezed a block, long end parallel to the floor, between our palms. With this simple and effective preparation, Sleuth triumphantly breezed up into peacock feather pose, and stayed longer than usual without the support of the wall.

Our journey climaxed in the peak pose of Astavakrasana, the contorted arm balance named for the feisty ancient sage who talked back to his elders. Jennifer methodically prepared us for this pose, and coaxed us into it from a seated hip-opening stretch that demonstrated how to create access for practitioners of varying levels.

I left class invigorated and energized as I always do, with new ideas that will water my practice and grow my teaching over the coming months.

Single class $20; discounted class cards available.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
There is a field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase 'each other'
Don't make any sense."
--Rumi

On a beautiful spring day, Yoga Sleuth headed to Yogaworks on the Upper East Side to stretch and flow in John Ford’s vinyasa class.  To start the class, John had us sit in Virasana.  He carefully instructed the pose, so that I could feel my chest lifting and my shoulder blades pressing on my back. We closed our eyes as John asked us to scan and take inventory of ourselves.  

While we sat in Hero’s pose, John talked about how we are often affected by the weather, work or our home life and that in sitting still in this posture, we simply needed to just feel where we were at the moment. Taking this time to center, I felt relaxed, peaceful and present. There was no rush as we sat still for several minutes.  

When we opened our eyes, we started easy movements, twisting from side to side and opening our shoulders with Garudasana and Gomukhasana arms before making our way to hands and knees. As we transitioned in and out of poses like Cat/Cow, Child’s Pose and Downward Facing Dog, John asked us to focus on opening our shoulders.  This changed the way I approached the poses, and brought more awareness to my shoulders while helping to relieve some of the long held tension in that region.

It’s hard to believe in taking his yoga class that in his former career John was a part of the NYPD.  He has such a kind and gentle nature to him and there is nothing rough or tough around the edges when he carefully explains how to get into a pose like Ardha Chandrasana or Triangle. 

As John gives me a gentle assist in Down Dog, he says to the class, “Instead of thinking about Down Dog as just a pose you come back to, think of it as a repose and a place you can go, to reconnect with yourself and your breath.”

Every single instruction John gave was done with encouragement and care. As we moved in and out of poses like Warrior I or Warrior II, John took the time to circle the room and check in with each student, making simple verbal and physical adjustments.

When we took our mats to the wall for L Shaped Handstand, John carefully demonstrated the pose and encouraged us to play by lifting one leg and then the other. He also reminded us to focus on keeping our shoulders open and strong.

After a few attempts lifting up with both legs, we moved on to kicking up into handstand.  Anyone that knows me is aware that I have a lot of trouble with the kick!  Once again John demonstrated the transition in and out of the pose.  He then asked everyone to stop and listen.  

“We need to be in the present moment and it doesn’t matter if your leg reaches the wall, it’s more important to remember each moment in the process.”  His words made sense and I didn’t feel the pressure for an “end” result as I tried to kick up.

While we all gave it a go, I spotted John speaking to a student who was scared to go upside down.  His encouraging words to just practice kicking up and getting stronger and more confident, visibly relieved and relaxed the student.

We finished class with Bridge and several versions of Wheel with blocks at the wall, our shoulders strong, open and prepared to support us.   

John gave constant modifications and options to those newer to the poses and he steadily and intently talked students through the transitions, making everyone comfortable with where they were in the moment.  

John is an intelligent, creative and thoughtful teacher who leads a strong class, but in a gentle and caring way.  His classes are well-sequenced, challenging and fun!

Drop-in Classes at YogaWorks are $22 with a $2 mat rental.

--Margie Suvalle Fischel for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth bobbed his head to the strains of "Shining Star" by the Manhattans as the stylin' Dance Hall room of Laughing Lotus filled up with over 50 yogis. I took in the painting of Ganesh holding a boom box at the front of the room, and the purple graffiti adorning the walls with words like Om and Peace. And then, Alison Cramer bounded into the studio, and it was time to play.

"Let's get it started!" she boomed.
"Whoo!" replied one eager Yogi.

"I like that," said Alison. "Let's ALL do that!"
"Whoo!" erupted the whole room.
"It's fun that we can say so much without actually using language," grinned Alison.

Speaking of which, I do not exaggerate in stating that the ensuing class was one of the most fun, most inspiring, and most exhilarating I have taken in many a half-moon, and that Alison is a teacher not to be missed on anyone's Asana odyssey. Her class has everything, from chanting, to yoga anecdotes and ideas, both serious and silly, to butt-kicking Vinyasa, to partner workshops, to the powerful meditation that all the above were done to prepare us for.

There were many other Laughing Lotus teachers in the room, whom Alison knew by name; one of them, Brima, was visiting from the sister studio in San Francisco. During our call and response chant, she had her take a turn leading while the rest of us responded, getting the room into a highly joyous, communal and energized state.

Alison started with a shout-out to the Laughing Lotus community as a whole ("community is what it's all about," she reminded us), and the Renaissance-like bursts of creativity present in and around it.

"To me, art is the evidence that we're doing something right," said Alison."We're doing something right if creativity can be expressed. If there's freedom and room for that, and appreciation for that. So in honor of creativity explored, and as New Yorkers, who all live our lives in creative expression, we're going to climb up through the chakras today. Let's do ALL of them. Because we need all of them!"

Alison gave us a crash course reminder of what those chakras stand for. "We need to have our feet on the ground (through Muladhara); the creativity of Svasdhisthana, the strength and determination of Manipura, that fire in the belly; the heart, the circulation, connection, compassion (Anahata); speaking our truth (Vishuddha), and operating from our intuition (Ajna); and then connecting to the divine (Sahasrara). So we're going to snake our way up the ladder, from the very bottom to the very top."

The subsequent Asana was the physical embodiment of this. The Surya Namaskar As were an exercise in heat building as we went faster and faster. When we found ourselves on our bellies, arms stretched out in prostration, Alison suggest we tickle the feet of the Yogi in front of us! "I'm serious!" she smiled. "The place IS called 'Laughing Lotus!'"

After the Surya Bs we got more creative, coming to Warrior 2 to the front and then switching feet to face the back of the room. We bent our knees into Kali pose, and at Alison's prompting, jumped to face the back of the room in the same posture. "Now greet your neighbor!" I jumped in my Kali and made eye contact with the Yogini to my left, both of us letting out a lion's roar with a grin. The heat kept building through Side Plank, Eagle, Triangle, Half-Moon, and then the revolved versions of the last two.

I was so energized and supple that I was able to straighten my leg as I grabbed my big toe in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, and I didn't waver as I turned my gaze and my other arm to the back of the room. We held Tree pose and Dancer for several breaths. Then, sinking into a Malasana squat, we played in Crow pose before jumping back to a fierce Chaturanga.

Alison kept tossing words of great wisdom as she put us through our paces.
My favorite: "Make all your choices in life as if you were 100 years old, looking back on everything. That's what gets me out the door on many days!"

Finally, sinking gratefully into a restorative Down Dog, we heard those two words that every yogi yearns to hear:

"Partner up!" called Alison, as every eye in the room popped open.

"I always love that look people give when I say that!" she laughed.

Alison had us sit and chat with the Yogi or Yogini nearest to us. (My partner, who I had earlier met in my Kali pose, was from Pittsburgh and had been practicing for 8 months.) We were asked to spot each other in Headstand, or something else on the inversion menu. "Remember, if you need help, those people who led the chant at the beginning of class are all teachers!" said Alison. Soon we were in workshop mode; my partner and I chose to work on our Headstand preps together.

Alison next had us all stand against the wall for something special. "We're going to make a Yoga Pyramid!" she announced. Starting with the teachers and students she knew, Alison had each Yogi do any pose they liked in the center of the room, so long as they were touching another Yogi, creating a link.

Soon we all jumped in; I went into Half-Moon pose, and the lumbar spine of a  fellow student in down dog provided the support for my standing hand. Someone suggested we take a picture. "I will!" said Alison, and soon we were Oming for the camera.

We went back to our mats and relaxed. "Come into Down Dog! I didn't say class was over!" said Alison. "No, we're going to be here till 4 pm!" she joked.  And so we pressed on, coming into Navasana, then Ardha Navasana three times. The third time in Ardha, we performed a re-awakening Breath of Fire.

Then came a round of bridges and wheels, Bow pose (the last time with ankles free), folded Pigeons, and finally a supine twist. Alison gave me a welcome adjustment, giving my bent knees a little room to melt further.

Seated meditation completed the long adventure. "Come into Savasana whenever you're ready." We did, and the room was quiet and still. And then, suddenly, a man downstairs on 19th street screamed out a popular expletive, and the room of resting Yogis exploded in laughter.

"That's New York City!" laughed Alison."Let's all send our love to that guy!" Fourth Chakra open along with all the others, we did.

Drop-in classes at Laughing Lotus are $18 with a $1 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Sleuth was feeling sorry for herself: spring break came and went this year with no tropical escapes. The perfect antidote: All You Need Is Love Yoga with Kenzie Pause!

Dare I say this was the most fun I’ve ever had in a yoga class? It’s a perfect marriage – yoga sequences inspired by the music of the Beatles, and the common underlying message of peace, faith, and unity really came through in Kenzie’s interpretations.

Yoga can get so silent and serious at times. That wasn’t a problem in this class. Boisterous singing was not only allowed but encouraged. We wiggled our hips in chair pose, snapped our fingers in triangle, and did the ‘swim’ in Tadasana. Need I say more? And, though the mood of the class was lighthearted, it was also a true journey that elevated my mood and changed my perspective on the practice and teaching of yoga.

Before cranking up the tunes, Kenzie made the disclaimer that she gives minimal alignment directions in this class so that we can focus on the music. “Protect your body, and don’t do anything that hurts you or feels wrong,” she cautioned. “Maybe you want to set an intention for the class now: peace, love, contentment…?” she suggested.

In silence she guided us into deeper breathing using an even count for inhales and exhales. Then the music took over. My spirits soared as one great song flowed into another, and I rode the waves of Kenzie’s rhythmic choreography -- combining classic poses with dance-like gyrations.

The music seemed to cushion my movements, and it all felt effortless and joyful. By the time we finished Sun Salutations (to the beat of ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ naturally!) I was desperately struggling to restrain myself from dancing around the room hugging people. Even the poses I normally can’t wait to get over with were a blast in this class.

Swaying hips and arms to the bass line of “Oh! Darling” gave an entirely new twist to Chair pose. And only Kenzie could make an extended series of Boat poses feel like a night out at the club!

All inhibitions melting, I was shamelessly belting out “Love is All You Need” as we moved into a high lunge sequence and then into Supported Shoulderstand with hips on a block, followed by Supported Fish.

Ever trying to solve mysteries, the Sleuth in me enjoyed trying to figure out how the poses connected to each song. Some were more obvious, such as the coupling of “Free as a Bird” with an extended pigeon pose. We shot our steepled forefingers toward the ceiling in Warrior 1 along with ‘Happiness is a Warm Gun,’ then moved into gentle backbends to the heart-opening lyrics of “And I Love Her.”

Kenzie admirably kept the class interesting for more advanced practitioners and accessible to beginners as well. I could tell she was scouting the room to ensure that beginners didn’t over-extend their reach in poses that may have been new for them.

She offered us the option to do more advanced variations, but I was content to follow her simple and well-choreographed sequences and to just relax and let the music float me downstream. She also gave some juicy hands-on gifts, Thai-massage-style. I melted into child’s pose as her warm hands cascaded across the sides of my spine.

We cooled down with an alternate nostril breathing practice, serenaded by “Let It Be.” Savasana was a total sensory experience, with Kenzie circulating to offer lavender oil and head massages to a backdrop of “In My Life” and “Imagine.” As the final chords faded into silence, Kenzie rang a gentle bell and reminded us of our intention.

She concluded with an anecdote from John’s childhood. “In an essay for a school assignment on what he wanted to be when he grew up, he wrote: ‘Happy.’ The teacher told him he misunderstood the assignment. He told the teacher she misunderstood life.”

Classes are offered periodically at various studios. Check the website for the full schedule www.allyouneedisloveyoga.com.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

When this Sleuth was introduced to yoga, she knew nothing of the spiritual benefits of the practice and only that she needed to slow down. Still, I found myself struggling to embrace the sweetness of each pose, my mind 1,000 miles ahead of my body.

Sophie Herbert’s breath-centered and alignment-focused Open Vinyasa class at Sangha House was the embodiment of all I’ve come to learn about the practice—both its invitation to unwind as well as its miraculous ability to make you more attuned to yourself, your own specific needs, and everything around you.

When I entered the lobby of the new studio—whose boarded exterior is still under construction and can be easy to miss—I was immediately soothed by the dim lighting and deep purple and crimson-red color scheme. A chandelier hangs in the middle of the ceiling, creating a kaleidoscope of light that spills onto the lobby floor and gives the whole room a warm, incandescent glow that I could’ve sat in happily for hours.

After I filled out the new student registration form, I was delighted to see a large unit of cubbyholes for student usage—a relief for me since I don’t carry a lock and prefer not to lug my bags into the room with me, cluttering floor space.

As we yogis gathered into the studio, Sophie began greeting each student by name and introducing herself to new faces. Her calming, melodious voice immediately softened the energy in the room and lulled us into a state of relaxed attentiveness.

Before leading the class in three sweet-sounding ohms, Sophie invited us to disconnect from the day and any planning or past events we were holding.

“With each breath, acknowledge your ability to create a sense of security within, to develop personal trust,” Sophie encouraged. “And observe the breath as one of the active tools to bringing that relationship to fruition.”

The synergy of breath and movement would indeed be at the core of this hour and a half flow, with Sophie’s light-hearted yet precise instruction guiding us into each posture and every breath.

From an opening Downward Dog in which she urged us to open up in any way we needed, we bent our knees and drew our bellies to our thighs to lengthen our backs fully. Sophie suggested we look backwards as we do this to create more space in the neck—and this would be her first of many small reminders about the ever-so-slight physical adjustments that make the practice infinitely more rewarding.

From there, we rolled out into a plank and knees-chest-chin Chaturanga Dandasana, and then went into a couple of hip-openers in one-legged Down Dog. Taking great care to keep us in the flow, we were told to “inhale” our right legs up and “exhale” our hips open to the side, while keeping our armpits spacious.

Sleuth, being pretty bendy in the extremities, was hyper-extending her left knee, and Sophie drifted over to gently soften it into a micro-bend—reminding me not to push my body just because I can.

We then pressed back into a dynamic downward facing dog for two delicious, deep exhales, our vigorous, collective “Ahhh!” releasing through sound any remaining pent up stress on anyone’s mind.

Upon giving us time to do three vinyasas independently, Sophie aptly urged us to notice when we move out of mindful attention versus out of habit, helping us to listen to our own bodies and modify poses accordingly.

“Find that balance of structure and also soul, freedom, intuition. Listen and be receptive and at the same time, creative,” she resounded.

Sophie’s thoughtful transitions guaranteed we were prepared for arm balances like Crow and Side Plank, having just done a few knee-to-nose plank exercises. After an informative demonstration of Pigeon—Sophie had us lift up on our hands to get our hips square, reminding us that balance in the hips is what matters in this pose rather making our front shins perfectly parallel—we entered a long, savory Pachimottanasana.

To end, Sophie gave us the freedom to choose between supported restorative poses and inversions, gliding across the room to hand out more props. Equally excited to assist me into a cushier Supta Baddha Konasana with added blankets and another student into Headstand, Sophie creates an atmosphere in which honoring your body is fun and enlightening.

I highly recommend this class for anyone who wants to work on more effective alignment to find fuller and more joyful expressions in their practice.

Regular 1-hour drop in: $15; 90-minute drop-in: $20 New Students: $5 off or one week unlimited for $30.

-- Diana Castaldini for Yoga Sleuth

Hari NYC is close to it's one year anniversary and senior teacher Hari Kaur Khalsa affectionately refers to the studio as “the tree house.” Perched on the third floor, the studio is a place of warmth where students flock to train with this knowledgeable, generous and good-humored teacher. Located in the Flower District, there’s often a large bunch of flowers up front, and this night it was dark pink roses.

“Spring is officially here. It’s going to stay warm from now on, not that it got very cold this winter, and when the spring is here we cleanse,” Hari said. This meant that our evening we’d be working on a kriya called “Let the Liver Live.”

“What emotion is the liver associated with?” Hari asked as we did some basic warm-up poses of breath of fire, Kundalini twists and forward folds.

“Anger,” some people called out. There were some poses to come later that would stir a bit of anger.

Starting lying on our left sides with the right leg in the air and taking hold of the big toe with our thumb and index finger we began a round of Breath of Fire for three and a half minutes. I noticed that this movement automatically shifted the emphasis of the breath to the right side of my body where the liver resides. “Yogi Bhajan’s name for the liver was Mr. Liver,” Hari shared with us.

The second pose of the kriya was Urdhva Dhanurasana while alternating breathing in and out the mouth with in and out through the nose. This pose was to be held for five minutes which was pretty intense so Hari offered the alternative of holding Bridge pose.

For the second side we lay on our left with right leg in the air, but this time doing breath of fire with an open mouth for two minutes. Standing back up we took our legs a little wider than mat width, bent forward and stretched our hands back between our legs as far back as we could. We held this position for one minute and again then for three and a half minutes, with Breath of Fire through a curled tongue.

Once again we had to lie on our left side with the right leg in the air making our mouths into an “O” shape and doing a powerful Breath of Fire. “Who feels a nasty taste on their tongue?” Hari asked. “That’s your body getting rid of toxins.

Coming up to standing we had to stand up and sit down in a cross legged position without using our hands 52 times. If the liver is associated with anger this exercise is possibly one of the fastest ways for me to get angry but that’s part of the beauty of Kundalini: to allow these feelings to surface and then transform them into something positive. Yogi Bhajan had once said, “Either anger can cook for you or it can burn your house down.”

Remaining standing, we placed our hands on our hips and rolled our upper torsos in counter-clockwise circles for two minutes. Hari told us, “Yogi Bhajan says ‘Anyone who shall do this exercise for eleven minutes in the morning and eleven minutes at night will have no problem with Mr. Liver.’”

After completing the kriya we rested in Savasana for ten minutes before getting back up to complete a liver associated meditation. In a seated position, we were to hold our arms out to the side, parallel to the ground while inhaling through the teeth and exhaling through the nose. The meditation lasted eleven minutes and holding up my arms was intense but Hari played the gong for the last few minutes which took away some of the tension and negativity I was feeling.

To undo some of the tension from the meditation, and so we’d be less spaced out, Hari led us into some Bhangra dancing for a few minutes.

To end we chanted “Long Time Sun” and Hari invited us to stay for the Qi Gong class that recently started with Chris Chen, which Hari feels is a natural complement to Kundalini. Students still had half an hour to mill around, chat, drink Yogi tea and ask Hari questions before the next class started.

$15 for a single class.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Beneath the unassuming storefront, still sporting the previous occupant's title of "Barber Shop", the new Makara STudio in Brooklyn provides a smorgasbord of creative offerings that integrate yoga with daily life.the studio also regularly offers benefit classes for non-profit organizations like Odanadi, dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating people who have been affected by human trafficking.

Inside, the studio reminded me of an urban womb - a hip yet nurturing space for artistic city-dwellers to incubate their own potential. Sleuthing being the most freelance of occupations, I felt right at home in the small sangha of women unfolding mats for this not-too-early, not-too-late morning class.

The Ashtanga-based flow was expertly led by studio co-founder Hannah Harpole, a bright-eyed earth goddess in yoga clothes. ‘Hatha’ can be translated as ‘sun-moon’ yoga, as it balances these opposing energies in our bodies. Hannah’s class lived up to this promise with a harmonious ratio of heating sun salutations and backbends to cooling forward bends, twists, and restorative poses.

“It’s hard to teach just an hour class,” Hannah grinned as we all cheerfully agreed up-front to a flexible ending time. She then began class with an anecdote about one of her youngest students, who was “wiggly like a worm,” and invited us to “let yourself be wiggly and playful in the poses; it’s not about being perfect.”

After seated Ujjayi breathing we moved into Sun Salutations A & B. Hannah offered keen hands-on guidance to refine my hip alignment in Warrior poses and later on in a seated spinal twist.

Unaccustomed to the Ashtanga practice, I was sweating it out – and to top it off, two of my breaths seemed to equate to one of Hannah’s. As I battled muscular fatigue and a restless mind, Hannah bolstered my endurance with her calm, quiet breath count. The pacing was challenging yet invigorating, and I found that my energy renewed rather than petering out as class progressed.

When we arrived at Ustrasana and Urdvha Dhanurasana, I was ready to go for it – although I was glad that Hannah offered a variety of options to suit everybody. “Keep your tailbone anchoring forward so you don’t overwork your lower back muscles,” Hannah demonstrated as she guided us into camel pose. In full wheel she steered my feet into symmetry, relieving my lower back and helping me more fully extend my thoracic spine.

After backbending we took a welcome rest, lying prone with our toes turned inward. “It can be more difficult to let go than to work hard,” Hannah observed. With a strong hand on my sacrum, she rocked me gently side to side, cajoling my tight muscles to release.

She then directed us to sit in Virasana, reminding us of the benefits of this often under-taught pose. “Our femurs angle inward when we stand due to the width of our hips. Virasana brings the femurs into an alignment that relieves strain on the knees,” she informed us.

Options include Yoga For Foodies, Lunchbox Yoga, Freelancer Yoga, Friday Night Yoga, and full moon women’s circles. Reaching beyond Brooklyn’s borders,

“Our energy naturally decreases as the moon energy wanes,” Hannah commented as we neared the end of class. She suggested reclining over a bolster in Supta Baddha Konasana rather than headstand, and Sleuth eagerly complied. “This pose means goddess, so let yourself be that,” Hannah whispered. This segued into Savasana with slow snake-charmer music, the only time music was played during the class.

Hannah’s class was a breath of fresh air, helping me feel more connected with nature than I usually do in my harried NYC existence. Inspired by her reverence for life and grounded spirituality, I paid more attention throughout my day to the details of life that can easily go unnoticed, like the sounds of birds, and shoots just beginning to unfold – and in the end, isn’t that really what the yoga practice is all about?

Single class $13; discounted class cards available.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

A yoga class based on Deepak Chopra’s Leela Wii Game? That was enough to pique Yoga Sleuth’s curiosity about the new Leela class at Equinox Fitness.  The game claims to re-balance and revitalize you using your entire body. It incorporates Chakra meditation to help you focus, relax and find stillness in movement. I headed through the hectic streets of New York to Equinox in Union Square wondering if I could really find the calm in a gym.  

Upon arrival I grabbed a mat, set it up on the wood floor and sat down in the dim light.  The specially trained Leela instructor, Stephanie Cullen entered the space and floated across the room, smiling at everyone.  She set up her mat in the middle of the room and invited all of us to close our eyes. I found Stephanie’s presence pleasantly calming.

To start, Stephanie began to discuss the kleshas - ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion and fear of death - and how we get so caught up in these negatives.  Today, we were going to set an intention for ourselves, to react differently when something negative arises in our minds.  After a moment, we brought our hands to our heart chakra, our third eye and our crown chakra and then we began to chant OM three times. I felt even more relaxed in the space as I listened to Stephanie’s wise words.

Moving into Downward Facing Dog, we stayed there for several breaths, echoing our mantra: “stillness.” Stephanie invited us to find stillness even when we were moving.  She said it helps to have a drishti, a focal point in each pose.  She explained that our drishti should help keep our minds from wandering.

With each transition and Stephanie’s balanced instruction, I felt no rush to get my foot in place or move to the next pose. The movements felt calm as I took my time and focused on my breath.  With each new pose, we were reminded of our drishti and finding stillness.

In Down Dog, Stephanie gave me a nice physical adjustment.  She applied just enough pressure on my back to let it lengthen, and I could feel my breath expand. When we moved into a lunge, I could see Stephanie circulating the room, adjusting students only when necessary and encouraging everyone. Our Sun Salutations felt extremely full of breath and intention.  I kept focusing on finding the stillness and being in the moment.

Stephanie instructed us to stretch over to the right to release anger from that channel and then stretch over to the left to create fulfillment.  As we moved on, the sequence was interesting, heat building, but never fast.  I could really find my breath in each pose, like when we moved from high lunge to Warrior II to high lunge to Warrior III several times. When we came into Baby Cobra, we lifted our hands and feet off the floor finding a new variation of Locust.  Stephanie continued to remind us to breathe and focus!

We worked our way down to the floor for Pigeon pose and forward bends, all the while coming back to the stillness mantra…I had completely forgotten I was in a gym!

Finally, we finished with a few restorative poses. Stephanie, in her calm tone, intelligently guided us into relaxation for Savasana. She once again reminded us of our focus and the stillness.

Stephanie is a warm, intelligent and caring instructor.  She creates a slow flowing class sprinkled with yogic philosophy that’s easy to absorb. And the class itself definitely delivers live what the Wii Game wanted virtually and more! It’s fun, energizing and relaxing.

Classes at Equinox are members only. Stop in to speak with a membership advisor about getting a pass or call 212-780-9300.

--Margie Suvalle Fischel for Yoga Sleuth

“Each of our classes will be led by a compassionate and gifted instructor whose main concern is making YOU, the student, feel safe, comfortable and challenged.” 

Sleuth came across those inviting words on Yoga Sole’s web site. Studio founder and teacher Evalena Leedy came through on her promise with flying colors in this Therapeutics class. She immediately created a sense of community with a ‘roundtable-style’ check-in that went deeper than the usual terse run-down of name and pertinent injuries that begins most yoga classes. Evalena set the tone with a heartfelt sharing of her state of body and being that morning, encouraging us to do the same.

She intently listened to our responses and tailored the class to our needs. Prolonged hip openers soothed aching knees; palms facing downward in our opening meditation created grounding; Sleuth even suspected that apanasana (which can be translated as ‘wind-relieving’ pose!) worked its way into the flow in response to her mention of digestive issues.

In our opening Pranayama, Evalena invited us in a singsong voice to take “deep, full, luxurious breaths.” Lulled into tranquility, we silently savored our breathing before chanting OM. We began our movement with juicy undulations of the spine seated in Sukhasana. “Let the breath be what creates the movement,” Evalena instructed.

“Don’t clench the gluteal muscles,” she admonished as we moved in and out of Bridge pose. “Use the inner thighs, and lift from the pelvic floor as you sing your heart open toward the back of the room.”

Evalena gave us persistent and gentle reminders to stay focused on the breath. “Find a way to become interested,” she insisted. “With each breath, let go of what no longer serves you. Let your breath heal you, body and soul.”

Rather than giving complex physical instructions, Evalena helped us use our breath to create alignment in the poses, which was very relaxing. She used a gentle touch, more guidance than adjustment, to keep our energy flowing. I found her tactile hints invigorating and more helpful than stronger adjustments because I was able to lengthen my muscles from within.

“Are you working at your edge?” Evalena asked as we reclined in Padangusthasana with a strap. “Maybe you find it by moving deeper, or maybe you get to it by backing off.” Intentionally decreasing the flexion of my hip, I noticed a subtle and deeper stretch that felt more healing than my usual splayed-out version of this surprisingly challenging pose.

“If you have discomfort simply notice it,” Evalena counseled as we folded forward in Tarasana. “With each breath something changes; you can count on that.” Sleuth appreciated that refreshing reminder as her grouchy hips groaned impatiently.

After a lengthy seated and supine series, we rose for Downward Facing Dog, Warrior 1, and Warrior 3 using a chair back for balance and stability. Evalena coached us to keep a strong, steady focus which Sleuth was reluctant to do in her beautiful sun-drenched studio with so many intriguing details to feast the eyes on.

My gaze wandered guiltily from the trees outside to the marquetry mandala in the center of the hardwood floor, to the river stones, vines, and vases of flowers animating the studio.

We cooled down with Paschmotanasana and Janu Sirsasana, followed by a soothing Sama Vrtti Pranayama (even inhales and exhales with breath retention) and a cushy version of Supta Baddha Konasana supported by a no-fuss arrangement of blocks and blankets. Then came Savasana, where Sleuth was treated to the most fragrant lavender she’s ever smelled, along with a perfect pressure on third eye and temples.

I appreciated Evalena’s concern for our well-being not just on a physical but a soul level. She has created a wonderful community-oriented studio in this homey Brooklyn neighborhood. As I left, several students were lingering on comfy couches, nibbling on ginger candy and sipping tea. Glancing at the class schedule on the front table, Sleuth uncovered one more quote worth sharing: “Light your body with yoga. Life can’t wait.”

Single class $15; new students: buy two, get one free.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

Across the street from the historical and land-marked Jefferson Market Library on 6th Avenue and West 10th Street, stands a new and spacious yoga studio. Yoga Moksha is a hot yoga studio and I must confess that this Yoga Sleuth is not fond of hot yoga. Or, I wasn’t. Rebecca Foon’s flow class changed my mind.

Before I even walked into the actual studio, I was impressed by the genuine kindness and attentiveness from the three ladies at the desk. Warm smiles and excited responses were expressed upon hearing it was my first time practicing at Moksha.  

Equally impressive was the changing room with its many lockers and showers, both a rare commodity in New York City yoga studios. Complimentary tea with glass tea cups sat by chairs just outside the studio and lovely large round lights gave the entry way a warm glow.

As I walked into the yoga room I must admit that a part of me panicked. I silently said to myself, “Oh my God, it’s really hot in here.” But, within a few minutes my body adjusted to the heat and I was grateful for the way it hugged and soothed my body. Placing my mat down I took in the expansive windows pouring light in from 6th avenue and the wall of mirrors. The studio space is a metaphor for what Moksha stands for, “a group of independent hot yoga studios committed to ethical, compassionate and environmentally conscious living” that believe “the benefits of yoga are limitless and accessible to all.”

Rebecca started us in Balasana (child’s pose) and had us breathe in and out of our mouths a few times before asking us to come into our Ujjayi breath. She took ample time to get us connected to our breath which set a beautiful energy for the rest of the class. She kept this theme going, reminding us to breathe during challenging asanas.

After Child’s pose, Rebecca took us through some gentle and modified Surya Namaskar A’s to start the flow. She had us lower our knees into Baby Cobra several times before extending the invitation to go into the more advanced Chaturanga into Upward Facing Dog variation.  It was a lovely and safe suggestion to allow people to work with where they were at in their practice. In a hot and sweaty room filled with zealous and striving New Yorkers, she was like a gentle breeze.

Several Sun Salutes later and after various challenging standing poses, I felt energized. Sweat dripped off my body and my heart was beating fast when I heard her soft voice say, “Drink in your breath.”  Her words came at the perfect moment and allowed me to go deeper into my breath and deeper into the pose. She also encouraged us to literally drink water a few times throughout the class.

After Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Triangle pose, Extended Side Angle, Reverse Warrior, wide forward bend and some twisting and balancing poses I knew I would feel sore the next day, and I did!

Rebecca danced the delicate balance that not all yoga teachers are able to do successfully: she taught to different levels in the room. She encouraged the long-time yogis to challenge themselves, for example, by binding in Extended Side Angle, and offered helpful modifications for less-seasoned students, such as keeping the leg bent and holding the outside of knee for standing big tree pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana). She offered a block under the hand for Ardha Chandrasana and gave modifications for Supta Virasana as well.

Standing on one foot in Vriksasana (tree pose) Rebecca said, “Let this tree be a place to find some stillness and quiet.” Her grounding voice in tandem with the heat releasing toxins from our bodies was a lovely combination and I felt balanced, awake and energized.

After class I asked her what motivates her as a yoga teacher and she responded, “ I really want to get people connected to their breath. I feel a connection when I’m teaching and I find it very powerful when there is one wave of breath in the room. That inspires me.”

I also inquired as to what she does besides teaching yoga. She told me, “I’m a musician, I play the cello and I sing. I also do sustainability work for the environment. To me, they are a triangle. They all help me try to make positive change in the world: reduce green house emissions, connect people to their breath and connect myself and others through a deeper and visceral experience like music.”


$20 drop in or $40 for unlimited month of classes (if you’re a new student); after that $130 a month for unlimited yoga, mat and towels.

--Rachel D. Bennett for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth had a day all to himself, and decided to do it up right, with a full schedule of physical (and spiritual) exercise. And it all started at the downtown haven of Ishta Yoga with an Alan Finger-trained yoga style rock star, Laura Butler.

Laura spied that I was new and immediately greeted me with questions about my practice and physical health. Then she bade us grab two blankets, two bolsters and two blocks from the well-stocked prop room, signaling that there was going to be a touch of restorative in our practice today.

Laura asked us to fold the blankets into thirds and place them side by side at the head of our mats, with the bolsters at hip level on either side. When some of the yogis in the quickly filling class had trouble getting their blankets “just so,” Laura graciously demoed, until everyone was set up right. “Yes, this is actually a blanket-folding class,” joked Laura as she guided us.

Soon we were in a restorative supine twist, one leg folded over the body, knee bent and resting on the bolster, the opposite arm stretched out on the other bolster.

Though I was pretty comfortable Laura sensed I could probably be even more so, and came by with a third blanket for under my head, after which she adjusted my arms and legs so I was really able to melt into the props.

“Twists allow us to remove toxins in the body,” Laura reminded. “Just as if we’re a sponge, we can wring out the old and welcome the new.” Laura noted that a New Moon was upon us. “It’s a good time to welcome the opportunities presented to us. To let go of the things that are holding us back. As you breathe, you can imagine that you’re inhaling the new, making space for the things we’re ready to welcome, and exhaling the old, things that you’re ready to let go of. “

Coming to the front of the mat, we brought our hands together in Namaste mudra and set an intention. As always throughout class, Laura’s soft and friendly voice was a font of spiritual wisdom:
“Maybe there’s a memory that came up, a feeling, during the twist,” said Laura. “Set an intention of being more aware of what it is you’re holding on to. Feel your connection with the earth…stay grounded.”

After warming up with cat cow we raised our hips up and back.
“Remember, you can always do a little more…or a little less, if you need to! The sign of an advanced practice is not how far you can go, but that you always listen to your body.”

We commenced a flow, beginning in Chair pose, then an option of plank or jumping back into Chaturanga. We played with Warrior 3 and standing splits as we built heat. Laura invited us to experiment with balance in the standing split as well: “Take your right hand to your shin or your ankle…and then, maybe, the left hand as well.” Laura spied me giving it a try. “Nice!” she called out when I didn’t immediately tumble to my mat!

Later we returned to a folding position, but with the intention to “do a little more,” in a foray into flying Crow. Laura cued us in steps and asked us to either stay at a step or go further if we wanted to—from placing our elbows on the knee, to placing our hands on blocks or the mat, and finally, if we were game, letting the back leg fly.

When it was time to rest in Savasana, Laura had us utilize the trusty bolster under our knees. She used the classic progressive relaxation technique, having us focus on each part of our physical beings one at a time, from the top of the head to the littlest toe. We relaxed and let go as Laura came to each of us and gently placed an eye pillow over our resting lids.

Laura sang us out of Savasana in her stunning, angelic soprano, softly chanting as we wiggled our fingers and toes back into action. Then we returned to an unusually warm winter day made warmer by Laura’s gentle, but energizing presence and guidance.

Classes at Ishta are $22 Drop-in with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

On a cold winter day, Yoga Sleuth felt the need for a slow flow to get moving, so I headed over to Earth Yoga for Yanti Amos’ Beginner Class. As I entered the warm studio and set up my mat,  students entered the space and chatted with one another.  I immediately felt a sense of community surrounding me.  Yanti, the owner of Earth Yoga greeted everyone with a big smile and sweet hello.  She waved to people she knew and introduced herself to the new people, really welcoming everyone in.

We began in a comfortable seated position, breathing in and out. Yanti explained the Ujjayi breath step-by-step, cool in and warm out, creating a sound.  She said, “Whatever your story was before you arrived at class let it go.“  With this, I started to relax and listen to my breath and truly arrive in the space.

We continued on starting with very simple movements, circling our hips, reaching our arms from one side to the other, and then a few Cat/Cows to warm up our spine.  Nothing felt rushed.

Yanti welcomed each of us with a smile. And I noticed that she always made eye contact and was constantly encouraging each student, by name.  She gave me a great assist in Down Dog and asked me how I felt as she moved my body.  Her nurturing quality was much appreciated!

Yanti instructed us to come into Child’s Pose. “Let’s try Child’s Pose, so you know you can come into this pose at any time during the practice.  If you feel fatigued or just need a break.” I loved the way Yanti made taking a break a positive thing and gave people a place to go when tired.

Sun Salutations were slow and on the breath, building heat, but giving us plenty of time to find each pose and transition safely.  “Now for our Warrior Series.  Everyone remember from last week?”  The beginner class as a whole was more advanced than most because almost all of the students came to class twice a week.  I could see around me they were really picking up the poses!  

Yet, Yanti kept her alignment points simple, so she wouldn’t overwhelm the new students with too much information.  She made us all look at our front knee in Warrior II and kept reminding us about the 90 degree angle.  She also talked about having a tug of war with your arms in Warrior II, which she exaggerated herself and made it funny as well as helpful!

Yanti circulated the room and continued to check-in with all the students.  She talked about community and how we all have to support each other in the group.  “Only check in with the person next to you to be inspired, not complete.”

The group had been working hard, so we moved on to Bakasana.  Yanti suggested that we place a block under our head, so if we had any fear of falling we could balance our head on the block.  Her idea was to reduce the fear and build confidence.  I got into the pose and she pointed out to someone struggling that I had great discipline and it came from practice.  

At the end of the class we lay on our mats, eyes closed, peaceful in Savasana.  Yanti sweetly sang the Isopanisad Invocation, which in translation means we are all perfect and complete as is, now and in the moment.  It was quite beautiful. We closed class by chanting OM.

Yanti’s energy, encouragement and no rush style  are perfect for any new student to feel safe and begin exploring yoga.  It’s also a great class for more advanced yogis, who want to slow it down.  The studio is full of community spirit and warmth, where everyone feels welcome!

Single drop-in classes are $25. There is an introductory 7 day unlimited for $30 (for first-timers only).

--Margie Suvalle Fischel for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth checked HopStop before she headed to Midtown for Jen Whinnen’s fabulously FREE Wednesday 4:30pm “Happy Hour Flow.”  It said that the trip would take 45 minutes, which Yoga Sleuth unwisely ignored. To make a long story short, I was late to class.

Through the closed door of the studio, I could hear Jen instructing the students to check in with their breath as she led them into a short meditation.  When another student arrived after me, I was emboldened to knock on the door after they had finished their Oms.  Note:  arrive to class on time!

Yoga Collective is a new and unique yoga space on the sixth floor of an office building in Manhattan founded by Jen Whinnen and Katye Stanzak. It is described as a “space for teachers and those specializing in the healing arts to cultivate their talents.” In other words, new (or any) yoga teachers can rent the space and use it to hone their craft and gain experience.  

Jen teaches just two public classes a week there, as the rest of her teaching is reserved for teacher training.  The “Happy Hour Flow” is marketed towards business types who might sneak out of work a little early for class, but on this Wednesday it was full of Jen’s current teacher training class as well as students thinking about doing the training in the future. 

Once I was settled, I joined the rest of the class on my belly.  Jen asked us to lift our knee caps and walk our feet closer to our hips and then try lifting into Chaturanga.  We did this a few times, resting in Down Dog in between.  This was a common theme throughout the class: focus on adjusting the alignment and transition to specific poses and then repeat several times.  

One of Jen’s many strengths as a teacher is her attention to alignment. Her clear, no-nonsense style of instruction is firm, but she urges her students to listen to their bodies.  There were many “optional” moments in the class when one could just rest in Down Dog or Child’s pose, or take a Vinyasa or more challenging pose.  

I also really liked how Jen urged us to make the transitions just as important as the poses themselves.  I think this is often neglected in many classes in favor of just focusing on getting students into poses.  She told us to “shore up the leaks” in our stance before rising up to Warrior I.  I thought this was a great way of getting us to flow into the pose with as much control and awareness as possible.  

She also reminded us to “use our bellies” when lowering to Parsvottanasana and rising to Warrior III.  This use of laymen’s terms makes the body respond quicker, and instantly makes Jen more accessible as a teacher.  

Towards the end of the one hour class, we took an optional Koundinyasana.  I love this arm balance, as it allows me to employ the brute strength of my arms without involving my tight hamstrings, but I am still working on it. Jen told me to lift my gaze and my heart, and it truly opened the pose for me.  She knew exactly what to say to change that pose for me forever.  Her instruction was so simple, yet so helpful.  

One hour goes very quickly to a yogi who is used to 90 minute classes.  But this strong, slow practice left me ready for Savasana.  We were given the option to take any last poses we felt our bodies needed, and were then led into a peaceful Savasana.

This is a free class, which is somewhat unbelievable considering it’s taught by a very good and experienced teacher at an easily accessible location in Manhattan.  Jen’s commitment to making yoga available to all shines through in her class, and in all she does.  The impetus of her work appears to be her desire to share this wonderful practice with as much of the world as possible.

"Happy Hour Flow" is a free class offered weekly. Please refer to the schedule for other classes and costs.

-- Abby Payne for Yoga Sleuth

On a sunny winter afternoon, Sleuth expanded her horizons, entering a therapeutics yoga class for the first time. Not knowing what to expect, I placed my mat in the back of the room - but there was going to be no hiding from the eagle eyes of Laura Staton! She invited the small group of us to move forward, creating an intimate environment in Jennifer Brilliant’s cozy brownstone-basement studio.

The class was an in-depth exploration of a series of simple postures, focusing on shoulder opening. Laura gave us time to settle into each pose and showed us how to arrange the props to bring more ease and balance. Going slowly and de-constructing the poses gave me a chance to analyze the movements and notice their effects, bringing more awareness to my practice.

In our opening pose, we sat on two twice-folded blankets and used a strap around our knees and sacrum in Sukhasana to give support and help us maintain a concave lumbar spine. My lower limbs felt cradled by this arrangement, and my breath began to relax and deepen. “Create length by descending,” Laura told us.

“Feel the energy move up your front body and down your back – like an anti-depressant,” Laura extolled. “Notice the tendency to extend our reach too far in the shoulders and hips. We can move the bones deeper into the joints to create stability.” Laura diligently offered suggestions to bring stability to the hyper-mobile areas of our bodies and mobility for the stuck or tight places.

We moved into Urdvha Hastasana using a strap around our forearms. “Move your shoulder blades down your back; let your neck emerge; lift your pinkie fingers up!” Laura dynamically intoned. Her subtle hands-on adjustments corrected my protruding lower rib cage, giving me a greater sense of integrity in the pose. Lifting my arms against the resistance of the strap while making the effort to plug my humerus bones deeper into my shoulder sockets, I was taken aback by how hard I was working in this therapeutics class!

Sleuth was confirming her suspicion that therapeutics classes are not only for novices or people with injuries – they are a great laboratory for learning. Paying close attention to the fine details of each posture was a refreshing complement to my usual practice of breezing from one pose to another. I savored the highly individualized adjustments tailored to each person’s different body type and tendencies. I was able to refine my alignment in basic but tricky poses like Janu Sirsasana and Ardha Matsyendrasana.

“That’s too much twist,” Laura told me, releasing my rib cage with a strong lift. “Activate the kneecaps and lengthen the hamstrings,” she coached me, to fine-tune my Upavista Konasana.

I could tell that Laura really gets to know her students, and she has a dedicated following of regulars. She was not shy about pointing out our areas for growth. She also enthusiastically celebrated each student’s successes, giving voice to the changes she observed in stamina and range of motion. “You couldn’t do this just a few months ago!” she raved to a consistent student who had made giant leaps in thoracic spinal mobility.

Although no mention was made of yoga philosophy or spirituality other than chanting OM at the beginning and end of class, I found that the attention to the details of the physical body and the slow deliberate placement of each pose helped me focus on my breath and dive more deeply into contact with myself than I sometimes can amidst the hectic pacing of a faster class. Savasana was brief, but my mind felt tranquil as we moved gently to reprise our opening seat and chant a final OM.

Single class $15; discounted class cards available.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

On a dark evening in January, Yoga Sleuth walked up 6th Avenue in Brooklyn to the 2nd floor space of Brooklyn Yoga School.  From the outside, the building is architecturally unique, floating on the corner of a brownstone block with stained-glass windows meeting the eaves of its roof.  It is one of those funky pre-war buildings that makes this sleuth imagine Brooklyn's glamorous past.

I was surprised to find the small one-room space packed wall to wall, but luckily, students in this by-donation studio were kind enough to make room for one more.  

As I settled onto my mat, and took in the view from inside, I was struck by the theater of lights, sounds, and movement on display through the wrap-around floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the room.

Before class even started, I observed the creative maneuverings of a car service driver doing a 3-point turn on narrow 6th Avenue, and the squabble that ensued with passing drivers.  Watching from inside the comfortable safety of the warm, orange walls of the yoga school though, the drama of the city became less stressful and more curious.

Class began shortly thereafter and it was time to draw my attention back in to the room and my body.  Jeremy Frindel began by informing us that “tonight is the night of the week that we get to roll around on the floor and then take a nap”.  

We began by moving through some simple stretches for the neck and shoulders and a longish, slowish series of Cat/Cows.  As we moved slowly and mindfully, Jeremy shared a quote from Mother Teresa, saying “the problem with the world today is that we draw too small circles around our families.  When you start to look at your practice as a way of connecting yourself to more people, you realize that your yoga practice is not just for yourself.” 

So as we continued through a few slow Sun Salutations, focusing on the sensations in our body and drawing awareness inward, the intention to build more and more connection to ourselves and others came with us.

As the moving portion of the class came to a close, we finished with a Bridge pose and a twist.  Jeremy shared a parable about how attaching to the junk that lives in the mind is like keeping chickens and only picking up the sh*t while ignoring the eggs.

As everyone settled themselves into rest in an extended Savasana, he encouraged us to let go the junk in our minds and allow our bodies and minds to completely relax.   After a nice long, guided rest, we emerged back up to a seated posture for a brief visualization meditation on light at the very center of the heart.  And with that, we were off to the rest of our evening, having restored both bodies and minds.

All classes are offered solely by donation, $5 suggested minimum donation per class, cash only. Mats and towels available for rental.

--Alex Phelan for Yoga Sleuth

Yin Yoga is a form of yoga developed by Paulie Zink, which is done mostly sitting or supine. It feels like a close cousin to Restorative Yoga without quite so many props. This Yin Yoga class was held at a bright and clean new space in the West Village, Sacred Sounds Yoga, a studio that embraces a variety of yoga modalities under one roof. The studio is located on the second floor of a busy street, but noise from below didn’t seem to travel into the classroom at all during our session.

Michael Guiou, a quietly welcoming and laid back teacher, started class with legs-up-the-wall and told us that in Yin Yoga the first three postures are the usually the same and afterwards new variations can occur each week. It was a cold January night and Michael suggested we feel free to cover ourselves with as many blankets as we liked so we could completely relax and not have to worry about the chill.

The class began with us relaxing into Viparita Karani while Michael put on some soft Sanskrit chants. From there we took our legs into Baddha Konasana, and for the third pose, coming away from the wall we moved into Tarasana. Each pose was held for roughly five minutes and allowed us time to relax and rejuvenate.

From there we took a variation of Supta Virasana. In this version our knees were wide apart and toes together. From this position we reclined and Michael wandered around the room checking to see if we needed any extra padding for this slightly more intense pose.

Transitioning to more active positions we moved on to Anjaneyasana and held this for several minutes with our arms resting on our thighs first, then bringing our arms into Gomukhasana to give our shoulders a nice stretch. Opening up the hamstrings we then moved our hips back into a supported Ardha Hanumasana holding this position for several minutes, then releasing the hips down gently into a Pigeon pose.

The support of the props and of Michael’s gentle instruction allowed us all to move deeper into this more intense stretch.

Going further into the hip opening theme, Janu Sirsasana was next. This time Michael advised us to take our bent knee out a little wider than normal to get a maximum hip opening. First we folded over the leg, and then we brought our torsos to center in between the bent and straight legs.

Then we straddled both of our legs for Upavistha Konasana. For this pose Michael offered blankets and helped create support for those who were uncomfortable folding all the way forward with a straight spine.

The pose before final relaxation was a Restorative Fish, taking one block at medium height between the shoulder blades and another at the highest height for the head and neck. Opening the heart was a perfect way to allow any extra tension we might have had in our neck and chest to release and melt away.

To end this luxurious and relaxing class Michal led us into Savasana, fully propped and supported once again for the final resting pose. Quietly we put all of props away for the next class and took this calm Michael helped us to find with us outside as we made our way back into the bustle of the city.

Drop-ins are $20 per class.

--Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth was in need of some serious core work, so I headed over to Peace-In Studio (an adult extension of Karma Kids) for ABS-olutely Yoga.  I entered the bright space and the teacher, Cleandra asked me to grab a mat, gliders, blocks and blankets.  The studio is new, so I had the luxury of being in a smaller class, rather than an over packed lunch time express! (Though I suspect the buzz will catch on soon.)

We began by lying on our backs with our eyes closed.  Cleandra instructed us to connect with our breath.  “Know that we will all go from scattered to regroup constantly during class; come back to the self and connect with your breath.”  Her words were calming and inspiring to start our practice. We pressed our backs to the floor and our bellies to our backs, connecting to our core.  

Lifting both legs straight up at a ninety degree angle, on the breath we lifted our arms above our head and then back down to begin our physical connection to the core.  Next,  Cleandra had us drop to our bellies and place our hands on gliders, which are small circular discs that can easily slide on the wood floor.

We lifted our head neck and chest like Salabhasana, but we moved our arms back and forth on the gliders.  It was amazing how such a simple movement can strengthen the core and the back!

After several Sun Salutations, we found ourselves in a lunge with our arms shooting forward.  Cleandra reminded us to engage our abs as we did this, but not to hold our breath!  This is a lot harder than it sounds!  As we transitioned into several standing poses Cleandra reminded us once again to pay attention to our abs.  

When we arrived in Warrior II, she gave me a simple adjustment, moving my hips in line, telling me to think of the way a corset might hug around my middle. I felt a difference in how I was holding myself based on her adjustment, as we moved in and out of the pose on the breath.

Next up,  flying Warrior I!  This was similar to the lunge with the arms forward, but this time we moved our arms out to the side like an airplane. Once again, really using our core for stability and remembering to breathe!

We made our way to our hands and knees, placing our hands on blocks, knees on a blanket and feet on the gliders.  We lifted into Plank by sliding each leg back, then creating small movements, one leg out and in, the other and then both.  We did this several times and then created bigger movements to intensify.  And it was intense!  I had to take breaks in between reps.

I kept thinking of the years I did hundreds of gym crunches and how four reps of moving plank are far more effective!  We did a few more tricky gliding moves and then balanced in Bakasana.  Cleandra wanted us to feel the pose differently with our abdominal muscles on fire.  I really used my abs; couldn’t help but be more aware of them!

The last test of the mighty core, kicking up into Handstand with two legs, and the added challenge of a block between the thighs.  This was really hard and I kept trying to think about the corset around my middle. After a few mighty tries, exhausted and exhilarated, we laid down on the floor. As we moved into Savasana, I could feel the energy in my middle and how it helped me in and out of all the poses.  

I ABS-olutely recommend this class to anyone who wants to change the way they approach their practice, strengthen their abs and enjoy a good conscious workout during the day!

Drop-in classes $25. 10 classes for $200.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Regulars rave that Brooklyn’s Prana Power Yoga has all the fire of its Union Square older sister, with more of a community vibe to boot. Sleuth confirmed this on a sunny January day, warmly greeted at the door by the teacher, Be, with sparkling eyes and smile.

The heat kissed my skin as I entered the dimly lit, cocoon-like studio. Be (as in “be present;” be here now; or, just be) cranked up the harmonium at the front of the room. Its chords set a voluptuous backdrop for Be’s teaching story: “Imagine there is a poisonous tree in your back yard. There are three kinds of people: one who will chop it down; one who will build a fence around it; and one who will learn how to make medicine from it.”

Be related this to the types of things that can stress us out: noisy neighbors, just missing the train, troubles in a relationship – a great reminder that we have many daily opportunities to transform our situation.

With a fiery, vivacious energy admirable for someone who starts off many a teaching day at 6:30 in the morning, this petite yet muscle-bound woman warrior exuded enthusiasm and a grounded spiritual wisdom that she artfully blended in with the physical practice.

“Remember the music for yoga is the sound of your breath,” she intoned as we hung over our legs in Uttanasana. “Notice the energy flow from your third eye to your heart chakra,” Be said as we rolled up to stand at the front of our mats, ready for Sun Salutations.

“Walk, float, or fly up to the front of your mat,” Be called out as the heat built. “Lift up into Handstand, any variations you want as long as you can stay present with them.” This was a theme she kept coming back to: staying in the moment. “Can you focus on just this breath, without going off into thoughts of the next one?” she gently challenged us.

Be had a knack for good pacing; I built up a beautiful sweat, but didn’t get overheated. Bodies glistening warm, we twisted and stretched out toxins with revolved lunges that moved into variations of side plank, Warrior poses, standing balances, hip openers, and backbends. “Pretend you like this pose,” Be chuckled as we breathed fiercely in Utkatasana. “Let your breath and the movement cleanse, nourish, and rinse you.”

Be’s sequences incorporated dramatic weight shifts, i.e. from Star pose to Tree. “Take a leap of faith,” she exclaimed, encouraging us to get there with one big sweep of our lifting leg. She then invited us to glide from figure 4 standing balance to a floating Ardha Chandrasana, landing in Warrior 2. “Be present with the transitions, even if they don’t feel smooth.

The space in between is where the magic happens,” Be mused. “In the places where you’re wobbly or insecure, that’s where your practice grows.”

Be demonstrated how to stay supple in the knees while swaying into a deep sideways lunge, and then to low lunge. “Choose an option that’s right for you; something that won’t make you hate me tomorrow morning!” she jested. In Handstand, she showed how gently bending the elbows can create an energetic circuit from the palm all the way up the arms and along the spine. Though Sleuth was not brave enough to attempt the feat mid-room, she enjoyed surreptitiously admiring those who did.

With minds full of yogic wisdom, and energy humming through our bodies, we cooled down with seated forward bends and moved into a deeply relaxed Savasana, enhanced by Be’s gentle pressure on shoulders, third eye, and temples. “Let’s honor all the teachers everywhere,” Be requested as we sat up to end class.

The only problem with hot yoga in January: you have to come back out. But Prana Power continued to warm my heart on my way home when I noticed the receipt in my hand from today’s class. Under the logistical details were the words, “Until further notice, celebrate everything!”

Single class $18; new student special, $30 one week unlimited.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth woke up early one cold Friday morning for a journey on the G train to Jaya Yoga Center in Park Slope.  It was my first time at the studio, but not my first class with Stacey Sperling.  When I lived in Hells Kitchen, my roommate and I took Stacey’s class religiously.  Here at Jaya Yoga, it was clear that many of the students were neighborhood yogis with the same type of devotion.  

The studio is in an unassuming brick building on the corner. I entered to find a simple but cozy lobby. After checking in, I made my way into the spacious studio space.  It was wonderfully warm (not hot, thankfully), and smelled pleasantly like a sauna thanks to hot stones sitting on the radiator.

The room began to fill with students.  They all seemed to know each other, and Stacey greeted each one with her usual warmth.  I seemed to be the only non-regular in the bunch, but I felt very welcome.  The other students were very friendly, and the energy in the room was very happy and relaxed.

We began with some Pranayama.  With our eyes closed, Stacey asked us to inhale, then pause for a “beat” before exhaling and doing the same. I thought this was a wonderfully simple and unfussy way to teach Pranayama.  The names and elaborate instruction of many breathing exercises can be a bit daunting to many students, and this method had us practicing without making a production out of it.

When we were done with the breathing exercise, Stacey told us that the “focus of the month” at Jaya Yoga was Handstand, so we would be doing a lot of preparation with our arms and hands. As a pianist, I am always weary of wrist and finger exercises, but Stacey led us through wrist stretches and strengtheners in a way that allowed me to take my time and be comfortable.

We continued warming up with easy twists, lunges, and some basic vinyasas. By then, we were warm enough that one of the students requested that the fans be turned on. This was the type of class where that happens when it’s asked for!

After the warm-up, Stacey led us through an interesting exercise using a strap around our forearms. Holding our arms overhead, Stacey asked us to reach the strap higher while still keeping the shoulders in their sockets.

This was challenging, but as I experimented with it, I found myself using muscles in my shoulders, back and arms that I forgot existed.  When we got into Vrksasana (Tree) a few poses later, she asked us to recall that reach in the strap a moment ago.  With this in mind, I felt myself immediately grow taller in my tree. After a sequence with more standing balance poses, we came to sit.

At this point, Stacey began a short discussion about fear.  She said that this had been inspired by a discussion with one of the students before class.  The student had told her of her love for snowboarding and winter sports, something she had previously feared.  Stacey said this struck a chord with her because she has always been frightened of this herself, and that this fear bothered her.  She went on to say that this concept seemed apt with January’s theme being Handstand, which many people are afraid to try.  

Then she asked who was a little afraid of inversions in general, and seven or eight students in the class raised their hands.  Stacey said that maybe we don’t need to go around conquering every fear in life as if it’s a battle.  “But,” she asked, “is this fear something that gets under your skin?” If so, she said, how many thoughts and stories and possibly imaginary obstacles rise up out of that fear? She cited students insisting that they would fall forward if they straightened their arms in an L-shaped Handstand…something that would be physically quite difficult to do.  


At this point, some students spoke up about their own struggles with fear. Stacey listened with great interest and empathy to each student’s input. She made it clear that she is still learning about this stuff as well.  Those students who were scared to try the inversion didn’t have to feel silly or cowardly, because even their teacher admitted to having fears that are difficult to deal with. The message was that there will always be things we’re afraid of, and there is no need to make them bigger by beating ourselves up about being afraid in the first place.  

I really loved this class for several reasons.  Firstly, Stacey Sperling’s energy and instruction is very warm and sincere.  Though she surely has a large number of students every week, she makes each student feel special.  It is clear that she cares about your experience and about what you have to say even if she has just met you. 

Second of all, rarely do you find a basics level class that is truly well thought out and planned.  In many studios, the basics class is either more advanced than expected, or it is glazed over and seen as a brief stepping stone to intermediate classes.

Stacey understands that the basic level is actually quite difficult for a lot of students, and that many people who have a regular practice will stay in that level for the rest of their lives.  She managed to make the practice interesting and fun while keeping the difficulty at an entirely appropriate level. 

Lastly, after seeing the headline “Is Yoga for Narcissists?” in the New York Times that morning, the friendly community vibe of the class was very heartening.  No one was showing off.  We were just getting together to learn and to enjoy a beautiful practice with the ever genuine and heartfelt Stacey Sperling.

Single Drop-in classes are $15.

--Abby Payne for Yoga Sleuth

I walked into Greenhouse Holistic just as class began. Alanna Kaivalya sat in the center of the room, poised behind the harmonium. She began by asking us to go around and say our names, responding with “Hi Shira” and “Hi Jason” and “Hi Amanda” as we each take our turn. I felt instantly at home, even in Williamsburg, which is not a neighborhood I frequent, even for yoga. But for Alanna, whose classes I’ve taken at a variety of Manhattan locations, it was worth a venture into Brooklyn.

At the beginning and end of class, we chanted a Sutra. Chanting with Alanna is not just chanting - not just repeating - it is singing, it is using our voices to connect, and to connect deeply. As we sit and sang, she asked us to place our right hands over our hearts and close our eyes.

Alanna is not just a yoga teacher, but also a musical artist with two albums out on iTunes. The second she started out with her gorgeous voice and harmonium, I broke into a subconscious smile. I could not help it. Because I was not just a student, but also a sleuth, and when I opened my eyes to see if the other students are reacting the same way, they were. The devotional energy was palpable.

After chanting, Alanna explained the Sutra, "The only thing we are asked to do is to let go, to surrender. This is great news because it takes all the trying out of things, suggests that there is nothing to do, but to let go."

The asanas were woven around this theme of surrender, turning our palms up in Child’s pose “in a gesture of receptivity.” Alanna also integrated some of the recent hubbub about yoga in popular culture, not shying away from discussing a wide range of topics. As we flowed through an abundance of Sun Salutations and Chaturangas, she reminded us that yoga does not ask us to be a certain kind of person; it just asks us to practice.

Alanna is clearly a master teacher. This is evident in her practical use of anatomical knowledge (through challenging poses she makes me never doubt where my psoas is) and her vast knowledge of the Yoga Sutras and Sanskrit pronunciation. However, she does not conflate mastery with seriousness. She constantly reminds us to lighten up. She references Woody Allen ("90 percent of life is showing up") right after referencing Pattabhi Jois ("Practice and all is coming").

The playlist this evening included mostly devotional Sanskrit songs - I recognized the music of Krishna Das and MC Yogi - and was also peppered by club beats we dynamically flowed to in sequencing, that seemed to never end, but always get us deeper.

Alanna herself worked with each individual to get them deeper into the poses. Her hands-on adjustments were opening as well as demanding and not a single student was left out. She started at the front of the room and made her way back. Alanna even lifted the woman in front of me off the ground in Bow!

Alanna acknowledges that many of her students are also yoga teachers so she makes the material appropriate for them while also making it appropriate for the fashion designer doing Ashtavakrasana in the front row. She has a connection and rapport with her students no matter where they’re coming from.

At the end of class, Alanna approached the new student – the fashion designer who was changing into glitter slacks after class – and suggested that she start a line of glitter yoga clothes.

Drop-in classes at Greenhouse Holistic are $17 and the New Student Special is 3 for $30.

--Shira Engel for Yoga Sleuth

For Yoga Sleuth’s final class of 2011, I decided to choose a bit of a Wild Card. As yoga can often be found in unusual or unexpected places, I thought outside the mat, choosing a session not at a studio or a gym, but at a Ballet School! Yorkville’s Ballet Academy East, to be precise; and a lunchtime class with BAE Faculty Member Rebecca South-Woods.

I went to the front desk a little nervous, wondering if this yoga would be tailored to dancers, and if I’d feel out of place in a class of ballet students. But not to worry, as soon after, the spacious studio filled up to a healthy midday total of 8 yogis who, along with Rebecca, welcomed me warmly; and any remaining fears were soon assuaged by a class that was every bit the Asana I’ve always known and loved.

Rebecca inquired about my practice as the students picked from a box of yoga “toys.” I told her about my pesky Sacroiliac joint pain, and she assured me she would bear it in mind throughout our class, keeping an eye out for anything that might compromise me.

“Anybody itching for something in particular?” Rebecca asked the class. One student asked if we could work with blocks between the thighs (to work on our leg strength, alignment and rotation), and I threw in a request for my beloved twists. “Sounds good!” said Rebecca, plotting a course for our class as we all grabbed for the soft blocks.

“Make sure that your fingers are spread apart from one another, and each knuckle gets a chance to press into the ground,” said Rebecca as we warmed up our spines in cat/cow. “Notice your own rhythm here, starting to tune in to what your own breath is doing today. Instead of listening to what your mind wants you to do, or even what I want you to do, see what your breath is saying this afternoon.” We melted back into a wide-legged Child’s pose as soft eastern music began to reverberate through the studio.

After a lunge twist, we grabbed our blocks, squeezing them between our thighs as we came to stand in Tadasana. “Keep thinking about that block, drawing in towards the thighs.”  For a real challenge, we kept the block between our thighs for the entire subsequent Vinyasa. “Press those feet into the ground, draw your arms back just a little bit more so your chest expands,” cued Rebecca as we readied for Cobra.

“And then push into those arms a bit as you squeeze the block. Then lift your hands up. Keep squeezing that block as you lift your hips up and back.” We kept hugging into the block during a long Down Dog, and even played with trying to keep the block in place as we jumped forward. (Mine flew several feet, to everyone’s amusement!)

Next we stepped the right foot to the outside of the right hand for a wide legged lunge. “Take a moment to stretch out all that beautiful work you did with your inner thighs,” said Rebecca. “And if you’d like, roll the back toes under and extend that back leg off the ground.” Finally we lowered the forearms to the ground for a lengthy foray into Lizard pose.

“Start to think about the places you fall into that are your habits,” suggested Rebecca. “And see if you can try a little bit of a change today. Do you always have that back leg slightly bent? Maybe straighten it a little more. Do you always allow that right knee to open up? Maybe you can draw it in just a little bit more towards your body. Don’t judge, just be aware.”  From there we took the knee back down to the ground and brought the right hand to the inner thigh, taking a gentle twist to open the hip flexor and the psoas muscle.

“We did all that closing up at the beginning, and now we’re opening it up,” said Rebecca as our outstretched arms took us into Virabhadrasana 2. “Allow the external  rotation to happen at the thighs. Give that feeling of space so that you can drop the tailbone down and lift the pubic bone up.” From there we reached back into a reverse warrior. “Open up through your ribcage, all of those intercostal muscles, give them that extra breath and space.”

Rebecca did indeed have our talk about my SI joint in mind throughout class, as she stopped by frequently to recommend adjustments and modifications to protect my lower back and sacral area. “Is this ok for you?” she asked me in my seated spinal twist, recommending that I stretch my bottom leg out rather than tuck it under. After a blissful respite in pigeon (“We’re just so ready for it!” smiled Rebecca), it came time for backbends, and Rebecca suggested that I kick my ego to the curb and substitute supported bridges for half or full wheels.

And this wasn’t reserved for yours truly; all the students got tremendous attention. Rebecca came around to each of us frequently to make adjustments and suggestions, based on her observations of our individual practices, while deftly continuing to lead the class as a whole.
For our penultimate posture of the class we lowered to the mat for supine twists, one ankle on the other knee to intensify the stretch.

Finally we came to Shoulderstands, counting down 8 breaths to Savasana, and the end of our last practice of the year.

“There may be a place in your body that may need a little more awareness, a little forgiveness. Bring peace and calmness to that space,” said Rebecca. And with that we rested, grateful to see 2011 out with a great teacher.

A single yoga class at BAE is $17, mat included; Note that Rebecca South-Woods alternates the Friday noon class with Angel Vasquez.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

This sleuth started her movement career as a dancer, so it was wonderfully nostalgic to re-visit an old haunt, a bastion of the downtown dance scene called Dance New Amsterdam (DNA for short). I treated myself to a class with Hunt Parr intriguingly titled “Mind Body Dancer® Yoga.” Don’t be intimidated by the title; this class is accessible even to those with two left feet. Hunt’s warm and calm demeanor could put anyone at ease.

On this blustery January night, the wiry, muscular Hunt invited us to notice how we respond to the cold. “It makes some sad, and others happy,” he observed. “Pay attention to what’s going on for you. If you have ‘monkey-mind,’ thoughts flinging all over the place, just observe that.” I was glad that he allowed us a generous few minutes to focus inward before moving us into a well-choreographed warmup sequence of twists and gentle lateral, forward, and backward bends.

“My concept for today is the idea of moving deliberately,” he announced. In accordance with this theme, Hunt allowed us plenty of time to savor the transitions as we progressed through a slow standing flow with all the usual culprits, plus bound versions of Extended Side Angle, Triangle, and Half Moon.

His cuing got me focused on the process of moving, rather than the arrivals. From Downward Dog, he invited us to “take a journey up to the front of the mat, connecting each step with a figure eight motion of the hips,” and then to “wind your way up to standing.”

“Deepen your breath to build tapas,” he crooned in a challenging sequence that moved us from “skier’s pose,” a version of chair with hands clasped behind backs, into an ever-deepening series of forward and backward bends.

“Imagine your many layers of coats and sweaters falling down your back,” he suggested as we lifted our chest in a standing backbend. I enjoyed his way of interspersing gentle backbends like locust and cobra throughout class rather than feeding them to us all in a lump as some teachers do.

Hunt has a great sense of timing and rhythm, leading us through repetitive sequences at first more static, and then building to a faster flow with each breath. I was impressed with how well his class adhered to the essence of yoga, to calm and unite mind and body. I felt like he made the practice and the philosophy behind it very accessible to dancers who aren’t necessarily drawn to the practice for the spiritual benefits.

I appreciated Hunt’s non-aggressive approach to the movement. As a dancer, his instincts to complement his students’ busy performance and rehearsal schedules with rest and rejuvenation along with strength and stretching were right on. Though I never broke a sweat in this class, I felt completely warmed up inside by the breath-centered flow. He encouraged us to take “breaths to explore” in many poses which gave me the time to connect to my own body.

DNA has an ample supply of clean yoga props, so our class included supported versions of bridge and Shoulderstand with sacrum resting on a block. Hunt shared an enchanting trance-notic playlist that he told me later was accumulated in part from spotify.

We cooled down with a series of seated forward bends resting our heads on blocks - which is surprisingly comfortable! Hunt gave me a nice grounding pressure on my shoulders and palms that brought me deeper into relaxation during Savasana. We finished with a reprise of our opening seat, a welcome chance to re-connect body and mind before re-emerging into NYC’s hustle.

$16.50/class; discount cards available. For more information about Mind Body Dancer® programs click here.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

In contrast to the brisk January cold that was outside, Katonah Yoga is a place of warmth. Sleuth has only visited the new studio a handful of times, but is always greeted each time in a familiar and friendly manner when entering the studio. Today, Abbie Galvin, who has studied very closely with Katonah owner Nevine Michaan for years, would be leading our practice. Like Nevine, Abbie also peppers her class with metaphors, exuding enthusiasm and providing excellent information for good alignment and “sacred geometry.”

Katonah Yoga is unique in that it combines traditional Hatha yoga postures and meditation with classical Taoist Chinese theory, and focuses on clear instructions on the structure ane mechanics of the body.

Starting us off in a Down Dog Abbie encouraged us to “walk the dog” and move around until we became centered in the posture. She walked around the room adjusting each student, paying attention to the slightest detail from one yogi putting too much weight into their left palm to another not opening up their armpits enough. “The armpits are also an expression of our lungs,” she told us.

From Downward Dog we glided into Pigeon, but Abbie asked us to stay upright, to bring our hands onto blocks and get our hips to 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, and to make sure our we were breathing fully in the left and right lung, “looking ahead to the future” before folding forward. Coming back up from Pigeon we swung our back leg around for an Ankle to Knee.

Once again, Abbie had us put our hands on to blocks and stay upright before folding forward. She encouraged us to feel a backbend in the pose and to move forward from the crease of the hips so we could bend in half like a piece of origami.

As we held these poses Abbie moved around the room pointing out various habits and how each student would try to compensate in the pose. “Beautiful! Beautiful!” she called out enthusiastically as each student came into a fuller expression of the posture.

As we came into Plank pose, Abbie encouraged us to ensure that the wrists were at a ninety degree angle. She held a block against a student’s wrist to demonstrate the correct and precise alignment. Then we turned each wrist around one at a time so they were facing the back of the room, and went a few times turning the wrists forward and back.

Coming into a shorter Dog we then moved back and forward from Down Dog to Upward Facing Dog with the wrists in reverse position. This is one of the most intense wrist stretches I’ve ever experienced (and I study trapeze).

For Extended Side Angle Abbie asked us to keep our hips at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock once again and to turn the torso as though it was on a spit. Again she watched several students closely and advised them on more effective alignment of the pose.

Sleuth had made a New Year’s Resolution to work on opening up her tight thighs and psoas muscles. Dear reader, be careful what you wish for! Because in Abbie’s class we got to hold lunges for quite some time, again centering the hips, straightening the back leg all the way with a slight backbend in the chest. Sleuth felt the burn, resolution surely intact.

Going to the wall we then worked on what Abbie termed “squares.” Squares are similar to L-shaped Handstand at the wall, but Abbie requested we use blocks for our hands to get height. She assisted us by putting her feet between our shoulderblades so we had something to resist against, to help create beautifully lengthened and even-sided backs.

The second version of this was Forearm “Squares” in which we took an L-shaped Handstand, but had our forearms on the floor - similar to a headstand shape, but with our heads off the floor. Abbie encouraged us to take our personality out of pose and to be the archetype of the pose instead.

For Sleuth, the most delicious moment of the class was the assisted Wheel at the wall. Abbie had me grab her ankles, come up into a wheel, walk my hands to shoulder height while an assistant held a belt around my upper thighs and a second assistant person lay back underneath my wheel and put her feet between my shoulder blades.

Abbie told us the Wheel should look like the arch of the foot. This was the most luxurious stretch and my breathing felt full and deep. Sleuth would have stayed there until dinner time, but unfortunately the trio had to assist other people.

As each person completed their assisted Wheel Abbie instructed us to sit in Virasana with hands in reverse Namaste. As she assisted various Wheels she kept her hawk eyes on those in Virasana. “Don’t let your left lung collapse,” she told me at one point.

To finish up we were to take a Paschimottanasana, folding into our relaxation. As I left (fifteen minutes after end time) Abbie was still diligently teaching and providing individual information to various students in the room.

Drop-in classes are $20. New Student Special: 3 for $30 (good for 1 month).

--Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth had just seen the newest Sherlock Holmes movie.  As she sat in Alison West's Thursday Level 2/3 class she recalled the scenes where Holmes envisions how a whole sequence will play out, move by move in high def 3-D.  And, how at the end, Holmes will be as relaxed as a Zen Master for several minutes or at least until the next adventure begins.

Sleuth decided that’s just how West must think. She’s got a restless intellect and investigates an idea fully until the case, or in this instance the class, is closed.

We begin by sitting in Sukhasana with our legs crossed at mid-shin. We chant Om and then start the Gayatri Mantra. West begins to lead the chant in a lively pace then stops after the first verse and tells us in her staccato-like English accent (I think she must have been a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fan as a child) to get on the same beat. Already she’s attentive to the precision of our output.

This week she is focusing on doing strong abdominal work to lead us into backbending.

Like any good investigator, West starts with deceptively simple clues. They are the poses that set her plot. Bridge variations to sensitize and stabilize the lower back muscles and simple leg extensions to begin alerting the abdomen to the task at hand.

We roll back and forth on our mats from Paschimottanasana to Halasana with our arms overhead to add difficulty and then move on to full legs lifts with wide legged variations.

Each time West gives us a variation she invites us to think about the differences that those variations bring about. In Jathara Parivartanasana we proceed with bent knees and then straight legs to our palms and then straight legs out to the side. Each pose works the abdominal muscles in different ways. The leg to palm variation taxes our hamstrings more than the others.

Throughout our work, West offers cheery information about muscle lengths, gravity, difficulty and alignment. She’s looked at all the angles as we take Navasana straight up and then with twisting variations.  As the class goes on we take Lolasana with leg variations and Vasithasana and Plank with arm and weight distribution variations. While she joins us in many poses, her keen eyes still see my derriere hiked up in a forearm plank.

The plot now changes pace and we stand to take Parsvottonasana and Virabhadrasana III. Once again, we go in and out of the poses in different ways. My mind is completely absorbed as I face these difficult personal explorations. West watches each student deep in his or her own mystery and then calls for Handstand to lighten the room, give a pause to her students and start a new chapter.  

We’ve been working on abs, lengthening them and strengthening them. Now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The climax happens in rapid succession…Standing Bhujangasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana, Standing Dropbacks, Setu Bandha in Sarvangasana and then Parsva Sarvangasana.

Then a rest in Savasana to absorb the story.

Yoga Sleuth has been a regular student of West’s for many years now. While her themes remain constant, her classes are never the same. There is always a new way to look at a pose, a mudra, a muscle, an Om. Each moment brings a new clue, each day brings a new case to be solved. I realize that West is not only a genuine educator she’s a damn good Sleuth herself, one that all of us can learn something from.

--B. Erica Spraos for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Union is located at 37 West 28th Street on the 4th Floor. The studio has been named by Well+Good as one of the city’s most beautiful. Drop in price for West’s 2 hour class is $22. Mats and props are provided by the studio. 

While strolling through Union Square market on a cool day, Yoga Sleuth had asana on the brain, as usual, rather than organic veggies. Since I was in the vicinity of the new Bija Yoga, I decided to tune up my practice with the Ashtanga and Iyengar-influenced vinyasa of Jennilyn Carson who has 500+ hours of training and 10 years of yogi experience under her belt, and and has studied under Paula Lynch, Marco Rojas and Tzahi Moskovitz.  I knew I was in for a great class.
   
I gathered all my "toys" as Jennilyn calls them...blankets, blocks, and strap...and laid my mat up front by the white-light adorned altar, next to the purple wall covered in colorful sari drapes.
   
We started class on our backs, stretching out on the mat, listening to and deepening our breathing while Jennilyn's soothing voice and words got our bodies, minds and spirits yoga-fied.  After a traditional round of three Oms, we came into an extended Child's pose, which would form the bedrock of a special flow sequence.

Once warmed up, we reached our hips up and back to our first Downward Dog. "Get ready for walking through snow pretty soon!" We half-laughed, half-groaned at the thought. "Luckily in New York we don't have to shovel too much..." Jennilyn added to make us feel better as Bruce Springsteen's "Missing" came on the iPod, heralding the high energy part of our practice.

We walked our hands back to our feet and melted our torsos down in Uttanasana, grabbing opposite elbows as Jennilyn cued perfectly our every move, while still keeping us in a relaxed state. "Bring length to the back of your neck, shaking your head yes and no, side to side," said Jennilyn. "Release the tension in your neck. Spread your toes. Lift the lower belly so your hips, your sitting bones lift up, move the elbows forward to lengthen the side waist."

Then we moved back into Tadasena.  "We spend these colder months with our feet all bundled up, our bodies all bundled up..." she said, reminding us how yoga can be a great way to combat the effects of that confinement. "Look at your toes, reach your toes forward....lift a heel at a time and stretch it back. Make us much space as you can."

And we flowed, from plank, to knees, our bellies to the ground, to Cobra, and then a Down Dog, repeating each with building intensity. Then pressing the left arm down, we took the right up into a twist. "Spread your toes...good!" Jennilyn said to me as I obliged (my toe scrunching habit is becoming legendary in the community).

After flowing again, Jennilyn asked us to bring our mats to the wall, toys and all, to do our standing poses there.  "We have a layer of connective tissue, the fascia," said Jennilyn as a mellow version of the song "Melt with You" fittingly began playing. "So the stretch in the outer hip translates to the side of the shoulder, even the side of your neck, through your fingers...stretching the entire side body."
   
Facing the wall on our bellies, we played with a posture that Jennilyn calls "Superman." "My teacher calls it 'Dying Martyr!'" laughed Jennilyn. The tops of our feet stayed down as we walked our hands up the wall. "Pull the wall down as you lift your heart up." It was a brand new stretch for me, and a welcomed one.
   
After a rinsing twist, we were on those backs, bringing our trusty straps to the sole of our right foot, and we raised that leg to the sky, the other foot pressing into the wall.

Jennilyn helped me straighten the lifted leg as much as possible, even though I was, in her observation, “Mr. Tight Hamstrings!” "Even in this pose see if you can find both sides of your torso lengthening evenly," said Jennilyn, "all the way up to the armpits the side waist. And lengthen through both legs, the other heel pressing into the wall."
   
Our work complete, we yogi toe-locked as very Happy Babies, cuddled ourselves into balls, and then released it all into Savasana. "Let go of all of the effort, let go of your thoughts about your practice," Jennilyn whispered as she gave gentle and bliss-inducing adjustments to our necks, shoulders and arms. "Right now your only job is to simply let go and allow the body to do what it does, on its own."
   
Lifting ourselves up to sit and crossing our shins, we placed our palms together at our hearts. "Let your inhale fill you up, and your exhale free you," said Jennilyn softly. And then we were back into the crisp fall air, freed and energized by Jennilyn's fun, centering class.

Drop-in classes at Bija are $20 with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

The last fierce wind and rain storm of 2011 couldn't stop Yoga Sleuth from visiting the reopened and revitalized Earth Yoga, in its new home on East 61st Street. I smiled at the newness of the small but pristine space, bathed in golden candlelight and already pleasantly heated. I and 13 other students were ready for a workout via the hot vinyasa of the dynamic Matt Giordano.

Matt bade us good evening and asked us to raise our hands if we were new to his class. "First time doing yoga?" he continued. "First time in a hot room? First time doing anything?" he joked, then announced that in this post-Christmas pre-New Year's period, it was high time for a detox..."before you retox."

"Yoga is a natural cleanse for the body," he explained. "You start engaging all the stomach muscles and all the surrounding core muscles. Cleansing is a form of letting go. People who have the hardest time of letting go of things, such as job changes, relationships...those people have a hard time moving on, and it's the same with their physical body. Holding on to more than you need. So we're going to work on surrender, on just being ok with who we are in this moment."

Matt's style is known to be creative, and this evening's flow was no exception. Detox means twists, and tonight that had a double meaning, as there were a lot of interesting "twists" on traditional twists. Matt proceeded to cue us into these in a specific, action-by-action way that made us understand exactly what we were trying to achieve physically as well as energetically.

We started in Down Dog as the room began to get steamier. "It's a certain type of joy, which is called Ananda," said Matt. "Realizing how beautiful it is to be here, in this moment, right now." We paused for a breath in plank. Matt instructed us to draw a leg up and straight back in a three legged dog, "like you're stomping on the back wall," and then we bent it in twice to our noses, pulling the ribs in and up, and once to the opposite tricep for a first twist. Matt complimented us on our resonant, heat-aided collective Ujjayi breathing.

We took a lunge twist as Matt encouraged us to "soften to surrender." Taking our fingertips wider than the mat to touch the new laminate floor, we did a wide-elbowed variant of Cobra.

Beckoning us to stop for a moment to sit and watch, Matt demonstrated the difference between completely letting go and surrendering. Essentially, letting go was dropping the shoulders and collapsing, where surrendering was an energetic softening while still being fully engaged, shoulders staying active, and expanding through the heart.

We came to stand in Samasthiti and closed our eyes. "Remind yourself why you're here," said Matt as our Oms began to echo through the room. Sun As and Bs commenced and rendered us bathed in sweat. We kept moving with vigor, doing one sequence facing the mirrors at front and then turning to the back wall for the next, our only respite the five breaths in Down Dog that connected each sequence. "Enjoy your breath," said Matt. "Drink in the breath like you're thirsty for it."

We did a variation of Parsvottanasana where the front leg landed on the opposite side of the mat, adding a twist on a classic posture of surrender. "Let go of whatever you walked in with, bowing with a clean slate," said Matt as we took turns bending and straightening the front leg.

Now it was time for a mini-backbend workshop that would really open our eyes as well as our chests. Matt explained that people often think that they've got it right if they simply keep, well, bending back.

"But eventually, you crush your lower back." Instead, he continued, "you start by bowing towards yourself. The back ribs move back and up."  Matt demoed this as he spoke.

We tried it, step by step, in a lunge with the back knee down and arms to the sky. "Pull the back waistline up and start to lift the chest up," called Matt, growing louder and more enthusiastic with each cue. And now we were all in beautifully well-executed (and safe!) backbends, grinning like we'd all hit a Grand Slam.

As we continued to flow, Matt encouraged throughout the practice acceptance for the way we approached our Asanas. '"Be grateful for where you are in a pose and don't worry about not being where you wanted to go," he said.  "Because as soon as you get there, you're still not there, because now you have yet another place you want to go! You're never there, so why let it stress you out?"

Seated twists followed, featuring a wide-legged Janu Sirsasana where we yearned over to grab the outer edge of the extended foot. Then we tried bending the other knee, planting that foot and wrapping the arm around the knee in a bind, as in Ashtanga Marichyasana B, except with the other leg still stretched across the mat. A traditional supine twist completed the cycle, bringing us down to the mat while honoring out themes of detox and surrender.

Having melted (pretty literally) into Savasana, Matt sang us to our bliss with a glorious chant of "Om Namah Shivaya." As we rose, Matt invited us to inhale "all the gratitude of the world, all the joy of life and the sensation of what it means to be here," and then exhale, "letting go of everything you no longer need." Matt thanked us for our trust in him. "And most of all," he added, "thank you all for being here tonight, helping to create exactly what we all need."

Drop-in Classes at Earth Yoga are $25 with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

On the Tuesday before Christmas, amidst a flurry of shopping and packing, Yoga Sleuth wandered into the cozy one-room space at East Yoga in the East Village for an open-level vinyasa class with Phil Lynch.

After signing in and tucking my belongings away in the cubbies that divide the foyer from the practice area, this sleuth was eager to lay down my mat and grab some blocks for a pre-class restorative fish pose.  As the class slowly filled in, not reaching capacity but with a comfortable crowd, I continued to let the calm quiet bustle of people shuffling in wash over me.

A few minutes later, while still reclining, Phil Lynch encouraged us all to remain as we were, or shift to a more comfortable position, as we began the class with five full minutes of stillness.  As we settled into our chosen postures he talked us into a deeper sense of relaxation and focus.

He encouraged us to resist the urge to fall asleep and instead to begin to feel the body without the stimulus of movement.  Although, as he told us, if we did fall asleep it was OK because sometimes even that can help to heighten awareness.  

Phil challenged us to stay completely still for the full five minutes.  After everyone was settled he set a timer and we were off, adrift in the sensations of our own unmoving form.  

In what seemed like the shortest 5 minutes on record, he slowly began to bring us out of our relaxation and back into the world.  With the depth of our awareness and sensitivity increased, we began the physical practice slowly with some stretches for the wrists.

As we continued through a round of Cat and Cow and on into our first Downward-Facing Dog, Phil asked if anyone had seen the movie ‘Jackass’.  A surprising question, with very little affirmative response from the class.

He then went on to describe its basic premise, and after a brief pause said “Don't do that with your body...locate a sense of grace as you move and don't throw yourself around.”  The class laughed, the message sent - to treat our bodies kindly - as we began to warm up in earnest.

We moved through a series of standing poses that became increasingly more challenging on each round.  By the time we reached Bird of Paradise and bound Ardha Chandrasana, I realized that we'd been slowly preparing for these deep opening and strength building poses for some time.  But my focus had been so deeply inward on each pose along the way that I was surprised when we finally reached the challenging peak.  

In between standing sequences we came down for arm balances and core strengthening.  We did a number of rounds of moving between Navasana and Ardha Navasana as Phil gave us the freedom to explore which pattern of inhales and exhales worked best for us.  Once we figured it out he said, “Now keep going and do five more with that knowledge of what works for you.”  

After talking us through at least 10 more rounds, we were off again to more standing poses, Crow poses and two versions of Frog pose.  The whole time Phil gave us verbal cues to align and energize us and continued to emphasize that we move with freedom and also control.  Even as we moved rather quickly he asked us to observe the subtle sensations in our body without having the need to create them.

As the class wound down Phil once again let us determine which poses would be most useful to us to finish our practice.  He provided a range of suggestions from challenging to restorative and continued to work through the room helping people as he went.  Finally, we came down into Savasana, returning from our vigorous flow to stillness, once again.

Drop-in classes are $18; 3-class card for new students $30.

--Alex Phelan for Yoga Sleuth

Eddie Stern teaches a primary led Ashtanga class on Saturdays at his Ashtanga Yoga New York studio, doubling as a Hindu temple. When a new student arrives, a helpful regular offers a form to fill out. There is a gold painted wooden box in which class money can be dropped, and a large tray of Prasad sits on a stool by the open double door to the loft where the class is to take place.

The regular studio space is under construction, and we are in a loft one floor above,  filled to capacity with twenty nine mats, and as many students. The light flowing in through the long row of tall windows brings out the amazing colors of dresses and flower garlands draped around the Hindu statues, lined up on kitchen counters for the time being. The atmosphere is quiet and peaceful, like the faces of the Indian Gods.

Eddie Stern walks in and makes sure all students have enough room. There is plenty of space on the other side of the open double doors, and one student puts her mat there. We bring our thumbs to our sternum and close our eyes. Eddie repeats the Sanskrit prayer preceding every Ashtanga yoga class, with intonations and nuances impossible to repeat exactly for anyone who has not immersed him or herself in the study of the Sanskrit language as our teacher has for the past ten years.

We begin the practice. From the start, it seems easier than usual. Eddie’s energy is light and playful, even though he is very serious about yoga in general, and the practice in particular.

As the first New York teacher to open a yoga studio fully devoted to Ashtanga yoga, Eddie must have taught this particular sequence of poses many thousands of times.  All Ashtanga students have to complete the primary series before moving on to other poses in the intermediate and advanced series, which means that, between Mysore and led classes, Eddie sees dozens of students through this same sequence daily.

He gives some precise and helpful instructions, like to keep the legs very straight and relax the neck in Padahastansana, while keeping the steady rhythm of the Sanskrit counts intact.

In Marichyasana D, his count slows to a halt as he helps a student. After we’ve been in this reverse sitting twist with half lotus for what seems like a long time, Eddie calls out: “One!” And laughter erupts!

I seem to be jumping into Chaturanga Dandasana too fast, before I notice (and remember) that one is meant to lift up out of every pose, and pause on the inhale before jumping back, on the exhale. My mulabanda/rootlock doesn’t allow for graceful floating in midair yet! But no matter: Eddie’s joy of teaching helps me get through the series with relative ease.

All poses have five counts, until we reach the finishing sequence, with counts to eight, ten, fifteen, or twenty.  The frequency of collective brainwave activity drops well into the Alpha range, as a sense of deep peacefulness settles in the room. The sweet spell can’t be broken, not even by some unusual decibel levels.

“Relax into the pose, “ Eddie says calmly, “while the circular saw downstairs is cutting metal pipes out of the building.” Laughter all around, once again, before we dissolve into Savasana.

On the way out students help themselves to Prasad. The soothing, steady counting and reminders for inhaling and exhaling have cleared my mind, and a bit of the light energy of Ashtanga Yoga New York carries me home.

12 classes in one month, $210. Drop-in for out of town students and led classes $20.

--Anneke Lucas for Yoga Sleuth

Although Yoga Sleuth is not currently pregnant, I heard such great things about Mary Barnes that I headed to Pure Yoga West to explore her prenatal class.  Entering the warm room I set up my mat along the wall with the other women.  I grabbed a blanket, blocks and bolster, everything that was necessary for practice.  

Mary entered the room smiling and introduced herself.  She asked us to go around the room and say our names, due date and doctor or midwife.  We closed our eyes, placed one hand on our heart and one hand on our baby.  We breathed in and out for a few breaths and then brought our hands to a prayer and chanted OM three times.  

After cracking our eyes open, Mary asked us to place our hands on our sides or transverse abdominals and breathe into the area for thirty counts, never holding our breath.  We then lifted our pelvic floor muscles and Mary said that we would be coming back to these practices as we moved through the practice.

We made our way to our hands and knees and began Cat/Cow, slowly warming up our bodies. We placed one foot forward and came into a lunge, keeping our balance and stretching out our calf muscles.  We transitioned into our first Downward Facing Dog.  Mary encouraged us to bend one knee and then the other to further open our calves and hamstrings.  After hanging in Uttanasana and releasing our lower backs we came to Tadasana at the front of our mats.  

Mary slowly and clearly instructed us in a prenatal Sun Salutation.  We moved on the breath from Tadasana to Malasana, paused for a breath to lift the pelvic floor, as we transitioned to Down Dog or hands and knees, then plank. Mary brought our awareness back to our transverse abdominals as we lowered our knees and took four sets of Chaturanga or “yoga push-ups” as she called them.  She reminded us how heavy a new baby can be and how strong we needed our arms to carry one!  

We continued to flow from Side Angle pose to Warrior II dynamically and then Reverse Warrior. We held each pose for several breaths, while Mary circulated the room and made a few physical adjustments.  The woman next to me had never taken yoga before, so Mary helped her align her feet in Warrior II, so her pose would be stronger.  Next we flowed from Side Angle to Warrior II to Reverse Warrior several times and then moved on to Triangle pose and Prasarita Padottanasana A.

As we flowed and moved, Mary would encourage us to use sounds like Ahhh, Haaa and Ssss.  She said that many students have reported back to her that ta helpful sound they used in labor was Ssss or a deep Ha to help them push!

We moved over to the wall for more push-ups.  We spread our arms wide, placed the tips of our fingers  on the wall and began to breathe in and out on the movement.  Mary said a lot of women experience wrist issues during pregnancy and after, so it’s good to strengthen the fingers.  Next we did Parsvottanasana in the middle of the room.  Mary gently, physically adjusted my hips, while telling me exactly why she was doing it.  Her voice was soothing, so I felt well taken care of.

We found our way to the floor for Pigeon Pose. Mary came around to make sure everyone’s legs were properly aligned.  She had the woman who could deliver any second take a seated version of the pose because it would be more comfortable with her belly.  I lowered my head to the mat and started to unwind.

As a group we chanted AAA-OOO-MMM.  This long Om was soothing and resonated throughout the group.  We slowly transitioned to Child’s Pose and began kegel exercises to once again strengthen our pelvic floor.  After a few minutes we came back to sit and we breathed in and out of our abs in a pulsing motion.

The last part of the class let me melt into my mat with a gentle Bridge and then legs up the wall.  Once again Mary came around to make sure everyone was set up correctly and suggested Supta Baddha Konasana for those not comfortable with their legs up the wall.  After several minutes, we transitioned to our left side for Savasana.  I hugged a blanket between my knees and closed my eyes.  

I felt that the practice was challenging enough for someone who had practiced yoga before, but was clear enough for newer students.  All of the suggestions, modifications and references to how the poses helped while pregnant and in labor were great.  The added benefit for anyone attending is a sense of community. 

Drop-in class $30.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Kusala yoga is a small but lovely gem of a studio located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  Regulars are generally neighborhood folks and their friends, though some make the journey on the mysterious G train from outlying areas once they have heard of the excellent teachers and the warm, unpretentious atmosphere at Kusala.  

The studio recently moved from India Street, where it had opened in 2004, to a shared space on Green St.  Kusala’s founder, Melissa McKay has teamed up with Maha Rose, to create an “urban temple” in the shared loft space that also holds kirtans and special spiritual workshops. 

The area where classes are held is currently undergoing an expansion, so the room is somewhat in a transitional state.  But in Melissa McKay’s intermediate/advanced level class where Yoga Sleuth found herself on a Friday at 10am, the mood was peaceful and calm.

It was an intimate class size, and all the students in attendance were familiar to me.  Melissa sat at the front of the sunlit room wearing a soft green blanket, and as class began she asked us to join her in a comfortable Siddhasana. Melissa then invited us to close our eyes.  She encouraged us to listen to our bodies as the class progressed, and to “connect with the heart’s intention” as a way to stay present throughout our practice.  She then asked us to begin ujjayi breathing.

After three Ohms, we opened our eyes and warmed up by raising our arms over head, clasping our fingers out in front of our bodies and then inverting our hands to form a sort of seated cat pose.  We then took a side stretch to an easy twist before entwining our forearms in Garudasana.

Moving on to Down Dog Melissa reminded us that practice can be very difficult, or it can be very joyful if we listen to our bodies and our heart’s intention.  She said, “let your practice be joyful.” A good reminder at all times, but especially helpful in the more challenging poses.  

The next sequence began with a Revolved Side Angle Pose.  Melissa told us to take it into deeper variations if we felt our bodies were calling for it.  I took my hand to the floor outside of my foot, as I usually like a deeper twist in this pose. From here, we flipped all the way up to a Reverse Warrior, taking a slow and deliberate transition to Triangle.  We then reached forward to a Half Moon, closed the hip to standing split, and stepped into Uttanasana with yogi toe lock.

Yoga Sleuth really enjoys good traditional yoga poses that are woven into an interesting flow, and this sequence felt great.  The combinations called for graceful (or as graceful as possible) and sweeping transitions, which was useful in illustrating Melissa’s joyful theme. She also offered up different options in several of the poses, which helped to remind us to listen to our bodies rather then automatically taking whatever pose was called out.

Soothing, ambient music was played throughout the class. I found it perfectly suited to the flow as well as the theme.  At one point, a commercial played over the speakers, revealing that we had been listening to Pandora. Melissa laughed at herself, and ran to turn the volume down, vowing to pay for a subscription.  It was a funny moment in the class, and it illustrated how natural and genuine Melissa is as a teacher.

Our last flow began with Camatkarasana (also known as rock star pose), into Pigeon.  We began folded forward, and were given the option to stay that way if we were “working in our hips,” or rise into a full Pigeon.  As I will probably be “working with my hips” for my whole life, I decided to stay folded forward.  It takes me several breaths to locate all the unnecessary holding I do in any intense hip openers, so I was glad to have the extra time there.

Eventually, we all rose from our Pigeons to meet in Gomukhasana.  We started here with a side stretch, handily combining requests from the beginning of class, and then bound our hands behind our backs. We then transitioned into a relaxing Baddha Konasana.  After the other side, Melissa led us into a seated wide leg stretch, a wonderful pose that always requires some negotiation with nearby students.

After this flow, we were given the option to take a “regular” vinyasa, or start in Crow Pose and jump back to Chaturanga. I find the latter to be extremely fun (and it can be a bit noisy to practice at home, where my landlord lives below me), so I took that.

For the final backbend of the practice, Melissa taught a different and challenging way of getting into Wheel pose.  We started sitting with our knees bent, soles of the feet on the mat, and one hand about six inches out behind our backs (fingers facing the back of the room).  We then lifted the hips and swung the opposite arm overhead into full Wheel. This can be very disorienting at first, but it’s fun!  

In between both sides, we took Happy Baby and then Supta Baddha Konasana. From here, we took the “queen of all poses,” shoulder stand.  We were given the option for variations here (I stuck with the classic: legs lifted straight and high), and then we took Plow straight into Paschimottanasana.  From here, she had us sit on the backs of our hands and bend the elbows to get into Fish.  We were allowed to stay there for as long as we liked, eventually releasing into Savasana.  

After a few minutes of peaceful rest, Melissa told us to come out of Savasana as slowly as we liked, meeting in a seated position.  Here, she reminded us of the intention to connect with the heart.  As a personal example, she said that she was going to have to spend her day that day in an office dealing with insurance papers and such.  This could be a dreadful and stressful task, but she hoped to remember that the intention behind it was to care for herself and for her family.  In that way, the task could become joyful.

I found this to be a deeply helpful reminder, especially with the approaching holidays and new year.  It is easy to complain about traveling or tasks that we have to complete, but if we remember the intention behind the unpleasant task it can, as Melissa McKay said, “bring a lightness to the heart,” and lessen the burden immensely.  

Drop-ins are $15.

--Abby Payne for Yoga Sleuth

“Time for a Hump-Day tune-up,” said Yoga Sleuth to himself (yes I do both talk to myself AND refer to myself in the third person, but hey, we’re all One). I floated down to Union Square and into the beckoning arms of YogaWorks, to re-align and restore with one of its fine instructors, Nebraska native Caitlin Casella.

Caitlin’s warm presence was felt immediately as she greeted us cheerfully and made a promise of juicy backbending and hip-opening yet to come. She asked us to grab two blocks, a blanket and a strap, and had us lie on our backs with our feet on the floor.

“Start to pinpoint a particular place where you feel the breath expand initially,” said Caitlin. "Move your hands to that place. It might be your belly, the chest, the low ribs. See if you can begin to elongate your inhalation so that the breath begins to spill over into the neighboring areas, creating a little more space inside."

We reached our legs across the mat and raised our arms overhead into a full-bodied stretch, palms facing each other. Inhaling we hugged both knees close to the chest, and with the exhale let them out again. “You're almost like a Bellows, those little things that puff up fireplaces," said Caitlin, guiding our deep breaths.

We got our feet involved in our Cat and Cow, tucking our toes in the latter to give the soles a sorely needed (pun intended) stretch. Then it was time for the crucial first Down Dog of the day. Rather than just leaving us to it, Caitlin proceeded to break down the pose bit by bit, giving us a renewed understanding and appreciation that is so often lost through habit and repetition:

"Bend your knees a little, a tiny bend, and then pull your hips straight back to the wall behind you, as if you're trying to sit on that wall. Press the floor away with your hands and move your upper body towards your legs. Let your head hang,  your neck relax. Fingers wide, even pressure on your palms.

Notice the weight ratio in your arms versus the legs...often when we first come into down dog, it's more challenging to get the weight into the legs. Take a mental note of this feeling...when we revisit the pose later it should be a very different experience."

Coming to stand with feet hip width, we stretched our arms skyward. "Lift your gaze up until you can almost see your palms, and then pull your chest up towards that space between your hands. Imagine you're at the bottom of a swimming pool and you're trying to swim your way to the top." This imagery did indeed make my arms work harder and the pose more heat-building, as Caitlin predicted it would.

Our chair poses were similarly deconstructed. "Let your hips go back and down, stretching your arms forward and up to counterbalance," Caitlin cued. We lifted our gaze, but took the weight back into our heels as if sitting into a chair a foot behind us, as Caitlin suggested. “There's a feeling of ascension, of lightness in the upper body. Sit an inch lower, but lift your arms an inch higher."

From there we moved into a mini-lunge workshop with hands pressed into blocks. "Imagine a long line from your right heel to the center of your chest," said Caitlin. "And then make it longer by moving your chest forward but simultaneously pressing your heel back. So it's just a tug-of-war between the chest and the right heel."

After carefully cued deconstructions of warrior two and extended side angle, we returned to our down dogs to see how they'd evolved. "Just notice if you're a little bit more 'leggy,'" said Caitlin, and indeed I was.

Bringing our mats to the wall, we placed the outer heel of one foot against it, toes turned in, while spreading the other leg wide.  We pushed into the place where our floor met the wall as we bent our knee, "creating a little opposition in two directions." Putting the block on its highest height, we tipped to the side and brought our hands to the block.

"The game is to move the knee into the arm, turning the leg open, keeping the knee moving toward the arm, lifting the chest, and working to straighten the leg." We played with that several times, coming from extended side angle to triangle with Caitlin's (and the trusty wall's) deft guidance. And soon I was taller and twistier than I'd been for some time.

Then Caitlin asked if she could use my props and mat to demo, and I readily agreed (happy that I’d be set up perfectly for the next pose!). We were to place the blanket completely over the mat for comfort and sliding purposes. Then we put the block on the lowest setting against the wall, and tied a strap around our hips. "Knees a little wider than hips as you press out into the support of the strap. It helps you lift the hips a lot."

Hips duly lifted, we put a second block under the sacrum on its highest height.  Finally we straightened our legs, and placed our heels on the block abutting the wall. Voila! "A big, mild, but long backbend for the whole body," which we held for several blissful breaths.

Our encore was a supine twist and a long Savasana. "Go to your exhalation as a way to soften down into gravity," whispered Caitlin.

"Seeking the support of the floor." She brought blankets to those who needed support under their knees. "Find a little more ease and softness inside. Any frenetic energy at the front of your face, let it recede back into the place where your head is in contact with the floor."

As we let go of the weight of our heads and the thoughts within, the rest of our bodies followed suit, content at the end of a great class with an exceptional teacher.

Drop-in Classes at YogaWorks are $22 with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

You know you’re in the heart of Brooklyn when the yoga instructor directs you to “turn your right toes toward Coney Island Avenue – our conduit to the Atlantic Ocean,” or to “open your heart toward Brooklyn College.” Framed between these landmarks, Midwood Martial Arts, as its name implies, is smack in the middle of this glorious borough.

An unlikely venue for yoga with padded floor, gym-like exterior, and a secretive entrance on a sleepy side street, you’d never guess that here you’ll find some of the most insightful and experienced yoga teachers the city has to offer.

Ramit Kreitner teaches a soothing vinyasa class on Friday mornings, with a perfect balance of the anatomical, spiritual, and energetic aspects of the practice. Her teaching has the complex texture of a fine wine, with many layers and subtleties. Her classroom feels like the kitchen of a wise, witty Jewish grandmother: the ambiance is compassion, humor, and a sense of being well cared-for and nourished.

This morning she focused on using the breath as “your own personal detergent,” cleansing our every nook and cranny with a progressively challenging sequence of twists interspersed with alternating lateral, backward, and forward bends. Her physical focus was on opening the feet, encouraging us to find “samasthiti in your feet, balanced front to back and with the medial arches lifted.”

That was no small order, as we moved from an arduous revolved lunge to a challenging version of Gate Pose. “If you can feel the separation between your fourth and fifth toes, big mazel tov’s to you!” she quipped playfully.

On a more mystical level, she directed our awareness to some of the meanings of the sound of OM, reminding us that “the sun and the ocean floor vibrate to this frequency, as do our internal organs.”

Ramit led today’s class at a relaxed yet consistent pace with long (but not interminable) holds in poses that built heat. Her class was like a perfectly spiced curry – satisfying and warming but not overdone. The flow of poses never stopped once we left our opening seat.

Ramit’s welcoming presence created a non-competitive classroom environment that seemed to allow everyone to work at their own level. Her emphasis on finding inner flow and balance invited me to challenge myself without attachment to results. Wobbling, falling down, getting back up to try again were all warmly encouraged.

One of the peak poses today was a revolved version of Ardha Chandrasana, adding in the Chapasana variation (holding the lifted ankle and extending the spine) – and then, without releasing the ankle, sinking (gracefully – or not!) into a deeply satisfying Ardha Matsyendrasana. From there we migrated into Gomukhasana.

Once she got us situated here with crossed legs, clasped hands, and the forward bend, she reminded us to attend to that final detail, the “curling of the upper lip also known as a smile.” Refreshed and invigorated after the deep hip opening, and inspired by Ramit’s words of wisdom, I took that one home with me.

First class $10; free with same-day purchase of a class card

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

If upon hearing about Pure Yoga’s new barre-based Figure 4 class you thought you were going to relive your childhood ballet days, you were sorely (pun intended) mistaken. No, there aren’t any pirouettes involved here, but instructor and Figure 4 creator Kate Albarelli makes sure to mash up a few ballet and yoga poses to satiate--and tone--you during her hour-long class.

Donning a headset microphone to be heard over the energetic stylings of Katy Perry and Rihanna, Kate had 20 eager students take to the double barre (two different heights) that lined each wall of the square room to start things off. Finding First Position, we came to our toes, bent our knees, and brought our heels together, taking rounds of demi-plies. With our hands gripping the taller barre, Kate encouraged us to keep our shoulders down and in line with our hips as our legs pumped.

Once we were plie’d out, we came into a low lunge, our back leg bent. Hands still at the barre, we played with pulsing a bit before we lifted the front heel off the floor, making sure to tone the underside of our quads.

Then we stepped back so that we were arms-length away from the barre (but still holding it!) and bent our knees so that our thighs were parallel to the floor, taking a playground ball between our thighs (close to the knees) and squeezing the ball with the strength of our inner quads.

With our thighs sufficiently burning, Kate surrendered her headset to her class assistant Jamie, who lead us through an upper-body workout using dumbbells. Instructed to pick up two sets of varying weights before class, we used the heavier ones first.

Finding a wide Second Position (which was so wide it seemed more like Warrior Goddess), we began to lift and lower our arms, bending at the elbows so that our palms curled up to our shoulders. Next we straightened them out to the side, kissing our gripped hands to our shoulders as we bent our elbows for some bicep curling action. Finding Warrior Goddess arms (still in our Warrior Goddess stance), we then drew our forearms together--elbows still bent.

Then it was time to switch to our lighter weights. Stepping back with our right foot, we came into a Parsvokonasana stance with our left elbow on our left knee. A weight in our right hand, we began to pump our arm straight back behind us, finding a new beautiful long line usually found in the Perfect Angle pose, pumping and pulsing our way to stronger arms.

Jamie evened us out before handing the headset back to Kate who brought us down onto mats for some serious core work. In an effort to make this stretch a tad bit easier, Kate had us reach for a pillow to place on the floor, taking the tops of our padding to meet to the tops of our waist.

This was to help to keep our torsos up, encouraging our abs to engage as she took us through myriad Navasana variations, tricked out to tone up droopy abdominal muscles. Realizing that some people in the class were more advanced than others, she made a few variations optional, asking us all to honor our bodies and really listen to where our edges were.

Removing the pillow and releasing our backs onto the floor, we took a supine twist, dropping our legs to the right, then the left. Staying here, our knees in line with our belly buttons and abs drawing in, we began to lift the top leg--knee still bent--targeting the hips here.

Rounding out the other side, Kate then passed the mic back to Jamie, who brought us back to the barre for a variation on Rond de jambe en l'air. With our left forearm resting on the top barre, our right hand holding onto the lower barre, we stood on our left foot, extending the right leg behind us. Our hips in line, abs engaged, and tailbone tucked (the theme of the class), again the focus was on the strength of the thigh as we bent the right knee to take our foot closer to the sits bones.

All class Kate and Jamie came around to adjust wonky hips and droopy abs, but it wasn’t until our final meet at the barre did we understand just how the squareness of the hips, the engagement of the abs, and the tucking of the tailbone aids in helping to focus the movement and strengthening in one spot. It wasn’t until this section on the class that this yogi realized she had been letting her lower back do all the work.

Our lower backs, though, found sweet release in the familiar territory of a few twists (Ardha Matsyendrasana) and forward bends (Janu Sirsasana, Paschimottanasana) to wind down. This class was a test of endurance for sure, but we all left there feeling stronger in our bodies and ready to face the day ahead.

Membership only or call Pure Advisor for Guest Pass to one class.

--Jessica Mahler for Yoga Sleuth

On a rainy Wednesday Yoga Sleuth wanted to get her flow on, so I headed over to Sonic Yoga for Lauren Hanna’s class.  As I entered the room, I could hear laughter and feel the warmth of the packed class.  Lauren is the founder and director of Sonic, so students flock to her class to move, sweat and learn.

We began in a comfortable seated position with our hands resting on our thighs and our eyes closed.  Lauren asked us to breath and settle in.  She said that each of us has a light inside of us, but as we come into the darkest days of the year it’s easy to doubt that.  She imbued her words with a passion when she encouraged us to “believe the light is there. You all have light!”

Lauren then began to play the harmonium and asked us to chant three Oms together.  The vibration in the room was already filling igniting the energy.  We cracked our eyes open and moved to our hands and knees, pushed back into Downward Dog and took a few easy breaths in the pose.  

We started to build heat by moving through a few slow vinyasas. Coming to our belly we did a wide armed baby cobra.  Lauren asked us to roll around in our shoulders from side to side.  This was new to me, so it felt awkward at first, but then my shoulders started to open up and it felt great!  We vinyasa’d through Upward Dog, Down Dog and Uttanasana.  

When we came to the front of our mat in Tadasana, Lauren asked us to feel the earth under our feet and to root down. We moved our hands forward and then out to the side to open our chest.  Lauren said we were shining our light and serving our heart on a platter for the holidays!  

Next we flowed through Warrior I and Devotional Warrior a few times and then down to the floor for plank, knee to nose using our core and then Anjaneyasana.  We inhaled our arms up and exhaled them out, opening our shoulders.

Even though we were building heat and balancing we were not moving at too fast a pace, and  I felt like I had time to breath and transition from pose to pose. We continued to flow to Radha Krishna, a version of lizard pose and the studio’s pose of the month.

As we stretched our arms out, Lauren came back to the idea of light inside of us.  “We needed to surrender as the year comes to a close.”  She mentioned the kleshas several times during the class referring to the different disturbances that take us out of our practice and reduce the light inside us.

Lauren said that we would be going through six cycles during the practice, opening the shoulders and moving through several backbends.  As we continued to move, we slowly built off of the first cycle, adding shoulder openers to Anjaneyasana like Garudasana and Gomukhasana, and taking it further with Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II.  

We also took Vasisthasana with the top leg forward at 90%, then behind, and top leg raised or in tree.  When I was working on the first version Lauren came over to me and gave me a gentle verbal adjustment, “Love, move your leg forward to 90%.  Good!  More balanced right?”  Her encouragement and simple adjustment was very supportive. I liked how she challenged us to move and sweat, but also had us take multiple breaks for Puppy Dog or Child’s Pose.  I didn’t feel like I was pushing myself too far, but I was definitely challenged!

Lauren continued to weave philosophy through the class, reminding us to honor ourselves where we were in that moment.  She moved around the room well giving simple adjustments and also acknowledging students and telling them when they were doing a great job.  

I was sweating and breathing by the time we moved on to cycle five. There were lots of widespread arm movements that opened our shoulders even more and let our heart shine.  In Salabhasana, we swam our arms forward and back; in lunges we had our chests high and our arms in cactus.  I felt like a widespread bird with expansive wings, sweeping and flowing through the class.  

In the last cycle, we partnered up and did Urdvha Dhanurasana drop backs.  The class had a friendly and open community feel, so I didn’t have an issue trusting my partner Sarah, whom I had never met before.  Going down was easy for me, but coming back up was a bit scary!  

We came back to the flow and moved into a cool down of a few forward bends like Paschimottanasana and then a supine twist on our back.  We finished with a nice long Savasana. As I lay down with my eyes closed, I could feel the energy moving through my body.  To finish the class, Lauren played the harmonium once again and we chanted OM together.

Challenging, flowing, sweeping, floating, balancing and diving back are all things that come to my mind when I look back on the class.  With Lauren’s encouragement, I was able to surrender in the moment with each pose and get the most out of the practice. 

Drop-in classes $18.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

"This class is called Hatha Basic--at least that's how it's listed on the schedule," said April Martucci to the full house of yogis packed into the sunlight-streamed studio of Life in Motion. Yoga Sleuth pricked up his ears at this disclaimer, sensing he was in for something dynamic.

I had arrived fairly early, when there were just three others setting up mats. Thinking I was in a for a small, intimate class, I was soon proved wrong, as within minutes the studio was teeming with students, a testament to Om Yoga-trained April's reputation as a community Rock Star (she was named "most in-demand" Yoga instructor in one of New York Magazine's "Best of New York" issues).


"Hatha is really just a physical form of Yoga. There are many kinds of Yogas that don't involve physical postures, believe it or not," April reminded us Asana-obsessed Westerners. "So when you see the word Hatha, it can be many different styles of Yoga. It's an umbrella term...Vinyasa, Ashtanga, even Bikram is considered a form of Hatha. This class is a kind of slow-flow, Vinyasa style. Don't push yourself too hard, but push yourself enough that you feel that you're getting something out of the class."

April conceded that many find even her basic classes very challenging. "I do that not because I feel like torturing you, but because I feel like you have a lot more inside of you than you think you can do." In other words, if we thought we weren't going to work today, we were mistaken!

We heralded the start of class with a chant of "Lokha Samastha Sukino Bhavantu," then laid down on our backs for an early supine twist before coming to our knees for a little "thread the needle" to open our shoulders. And then we were in our first down dog.

"The best, most basic way to check your alignment in Down Dog, is to come forward to Plank," said April. "See that your shoulders are directly on top of the wrists. And from there, don't move your feet or hands, but just press back."

And then, as foreshadowed, we were on a fairly vigorous Vinyasa journey that had us soaked before Sun A was done. The brightness and warmth of the sunlight coming in from the Broadway windows gave a feeling of summer to the proceedings (in a very good way).

April's cues are extremely clear, and given in a matter-of-fact way, with no flippant asides or off-topic anecdotes--her attention is fully on the matter at hand, as she makes sure everyone is on her page or close to it in every pose. And while we held a posture and breathed, she found time to slip in some words of wisdom that every Yogi would do well to heed.

"No one is going to make you do things," she advised at one point. "It's just a matter of showing up. It's very experiential, repetitive...it's more about moving your body and just experiencing what's going on...breathing, watching your mind, noticing things and letting them go."

We took Gomukhasana arms and then came down to our forearms for Lizard, continuing to open the shoulders and chest. Then we proceeded with a standing sequence where we traveled from Warrior One, to Two, to Triangle, to Extended Side Angle, holding each for several breaths. After completion April announced we were to repeat the sequence, but this time holding each posture for one breath only, challenging us as promised and putting us squarely into Flow territory.

In Revolved Triangle many of us used our blocks to "bring the floor up to us," as April suggested, allowing us to keep our chests open while our arms yearned for the earth.

"Notice how Down Dog, this ubiquitous pose, is so healing and opening to the whole body," said April as we lifted our hips to breathe deep in said posture. "Eventually with time, it will come to be your resting pose, even though now it may seem like hard work." We continued that hard work, examining our edges--our flexibility in Prasarita Padottonasana, where we grabbed the opposite ankle with one hand and stretched the other skywards, and our balance was similarly put to the test in Tree pose, our eyes and prayer up in the air.

Then it was back down to the mat for Locust pose, Bow pose, and Reclining Big Toe pose, many of us utilizing our trusty straps in the latter at April's encouragement. We brought the strapped leg to the right, then over the other hip to the left, giving a great stretch to its hamstring and calf.

After 3 Bridges it was time for forward folds--Paschimottanasana and Janu Sirsasana. Of the former, April suggested that we with tight hammies utilize the strap once more. "Another way to do this is to bend your legs, bring your chest over your thighs and hold your feet," she added. "Try that to get into your back so you're not just sitting upright." This cue helped me to indeed get much deeper.

Following a climactic Shoulder Stand, April invited us to relax by propping ourselves on a block and stretching our legs to the sky. "Is anyone hating this?' inquired April. "Too hard!" kidded one student (no doubt a regular) to much good-natured laughter. To the strains of Israel Kamakawiwo ole's Ukelele version of  "Over The Rainbow" (a Yoga class staple), we took our legs to the side and put one ankle on top of the other knee for one more active twist, and then made our way into Savasana.

April suggested we use our blankets under our knees to protect the back, and then we melted for a long rest to soak in everything we'd accomplished.

And then it was back to to Broadway, blissed and emboldened from a great class and April's words of encouragement still on my mind:

"You'll learn a few things from me here, and then you go to another class and learn a few things from that teacher, and so on. And before you know, it, you have built a practice for yourself. And it's all because you showed up."

Classes at Life in Motion are $18 with a $1 mat rental.

Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Sleuth had been sitting for 4 hours in a workshop with Professor Bryant on the Upanishads one recent Sunday and needed to get out of her head and into her body. So right after her study, she went to a Level 2 class with Lara Brunn.

35 ardent students planted their mats. Many had favorite places. Some by the rope wall, some next to the trestle, some in the middle of the room and some up in front. It’s a bit of a challenge for a new student to find the right spot but Sleuth finally settled in and watched in awe as Brunn commanded the room like a warrior princess.

She is an amazing physical specimen…long sinewy arms and legs that highlight the most intricate of movements when she’s demonstrating. 

At the beginning of class, we began with a pitch perfect call and response Om then a vibrant invocation to Patanjali. Our first poses, Adho Muka Virasana (all poses are called in Sanskrit), Adho Muka Svanasana and Adho Muka Vrkshasana help us lengthen the spine and separate the ribs. About this time Sleuth noticed that Brunn begins to single out, for individual work, those who have alerted her to injuries before class began. Despite these specific instructions, she still kept the majority of students moving at a big vigorous pace.

It was standing pose week at the Iyengar Institute so we moved into a highly leg activated Trikonasana. After watching Brunn demonstrate, Sleuth tried to imagine herself in Amazonian proportions as she extended her arms and legs to their fullest capabilities and then carefully rotated her torso. While calling Parsvokonasana, Brunn gave clear, precise and curt instructions. “Pull the right heel down”, “lift from right inner leg”, “make your square,” and “hand to the outside of the left ankle”.

The two poses we spent the most time on Pavritta Trikonasana and Prasarita Padhottonasana were taught with variations. For revolved triangle we put our hands inside our front foot and opened the back foot a little more than usual. This enabled us to understand Brunn’s metaphor of threading a needle…taking our frayed ribs and sucking them together in order to put the thread through the eye and rotate to the fullest extent.  In our convex wide-legged standing forward bend, we used blocks at different heights to understand the principle of “pulling the mid-buttocks in” so we didn’t compromise the lower back. Brunn emphasized our need to find our own physical reaction to the different block heights and for our utilization of this pose in self practice.

Next came Sirsansana, Sarvanghasana, Halasana and some twists and forward bends all in the standard Iyengar Level 2 canon. A well instructed process of getting into Savasana ended the class.

Brunn teaches with obvious passion and drive. One could find her style somewhat militaristic but Sleuth looked around her eager and attentive army and thought that, like a well-trained, fierce tribe, her students were getting what they needed out of the class so that they could battle all the challenges life put in their way.

The Iyengar Institute has two well lit, clean, professionally run and fully equipped studios with mats, blankets, blocks, straps, rope walls and an assortment of specific props that are used regularly in classes

Drop in for Members is $18 and for Non-members it’s $25. Class card, senior, and student discounts are available.

--B. Erica Spraos for Yoga Sleuth

Entering the “barn” studio of Kula’s Williamsburg digs, Schuyler Grant, Kula’s director, instructed the room full of yogis to “grab two blankets and, for those of us with tight hamstrings, two blocks. We’ll be starting in Uttanasana today.”

Seventeen yogis dutifully did as we were told. In our forward fold, Schuyler had us press our palms to our calves, our calves pressing into our palms. She had us find a similar energetic movement as we next took our palms to the side of our shins, opposing forces at work, getting really intense once we took our arms behind us so that we were able to take hold of the tops of our inner thighs, trying to pull them apart with our upper limbs as our lower limbs tried to resist the action.

Slowly we rolled to stand, taking a few half Sun Salutations before finding Tadasana, feet hip’s width apart. Guiding one arm, then the other, we stretched into the familiar Gomukhasana shape before taking a variation on Utkatasana. Our feet still hip’s width, Schuyler had us clasp our hands behind our backs, folding forward as we straightened our legs, brightening our hearts as we bent our legs and sent our arms down our backs.

Soon we were pitching forward into Warrior 3, taking one hand to the ground to open up into Ardha Chandrasana, then releasing into Warrior 2. Tipping back into a reverse Triangle with front the front leg straight, we then lengthened forward into a long Trikonasana, followed by Parsvokonasana with our hand outside the front foot to make sure that we were continuously externally rotating the front thigh. Stepping our front foot back to plank, we held the pose, gathering strength; then we lowered to Chaturanga, holding once again as we hovered over the floor before coming up into Bhujangasana, then pushing back to Child’s Pose.

Next we were led through our first Surya Namaskar A. As we settled into our first Downward Dog of the class, she reminded us of previous movements as she floating through the room giving loving yet firm adjustments: “Your arms are doing the same movements here as they were in Uttanasana at the beginning of class.” She led us through the first one, and then left it up to us to repeat the sequence four times on our own, and our own breath.

Meeting up in Uttanasana, we repeated the sun salutation that took us on a detour through Warrior 3. This time when we came into Child’s Pose, we were instructed to lower down onto our forearms, shoulder-width apart. Schuyler asked us to simultaneously flip our palms to the floor, with forearms still in place, while straightening our legs into a Dolphin Dog variation. We stepped our left foot forward, squared our hips, and pumped our right leg toward the sky, making sure not to lift the left foot from the floor, in a skillful preparation for Forearm Stand.

After a few pumps, we lifted our forearms from the floor then stepped our right foot in halfway, taking Handstand prep with our hips squared, raising the left leg up as high we could while maintaining contact with the floor with our right foot.

Then it was back to Uttanasana, and Utkatasana with Gomukhasana arms. Warrior 1 came next, taking it into a twist for Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, releasing back into Uttansana. We found our Utkatasana/Gomukhasana variation, then took our hands to prayer behind the ribcage, pitching forward once again into Warrior 3 and opening up into Ardha Chandrasana, rounding out the familiar sequence we took at the beginning of class.

Our bodies warmed, stretched, and strengthend, Schuyler then gave us two minutes to come into an inversion of our choice, offering options for headstan or forearm stand. Once we were right side up again, Schuyler adjusted the music to find something with less tempo to match the cooling effect of the last few poses of class. Finally, it was time to put those blankets to use; she demonstrated how to set them up properly for Shoulderstand--our shoulders at the top of the blanket, our head resting on the floor.

But before we were to come up into the cooling inversion, we used the props to help us find the appropriate actions in Full Wheel. “If you came down and your shoulders weren’t at the top of the blanket like they were before you went up, then you aren’t leading with your heart enough. You really need to press down through the hands and up through the pelvis to send your heart forward,” Schuyler encouraged.

Still using the blankets, we came into Halasana, taking a twist as we tippy-toed our feet off to the left. We bent our right knee first, then our left, taking our right fingertips to the right hip crease to help keep our hips steady and square. After walking our feet and legs over to the right, finally we came up into Shoulderstand, holding the pose for a few focused breaths. Coming down we opened our hearts into a counter Fish pose to release in the neck.  Finally, and with a deep letting go, we sank into a delicious Savasana.

Schuyler's reputation may preceed her as Kula's director and the co-founder of Wanderlust Festival, but when she's teaching she is at home, and leads her students to a new level with poise and confidence, no matter where you are in your practice.

Drop-in classes are $18. Mat and towel rental $2.

--Jessica Mahler for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth set up her mat in the downtown ISHTA studio, a welcomed refuge from the bustle of Union Square, for Kelly Eudailey’s class.  Students piled into the room and placed their mats close together.  It wasn’t your typical twenty-something vinyasa crowd, but rather a wide range of ages from late twenties to late sixties!  Several students gave Kelly a warm welcome when she walked to the front of the room.  It was apparent that she has quite a following of devoted students.  

We began lying on our backs with our knees bent and our hands lightly pressed on our bellies.  With her relaxing presence, Kelly encouraged us to breathe deeply and calmly and begin to arrive in the room for practice. We hugged one knee in and circled our ankle, then switched sides.  We rocked up to hands and knees, stretching out into child’s pose, then back to hands and knees, repeating this several times breathing into our backs.  

Making our way into down dog and then plank to hold, Kelly suggested that I move my chest slightly forward without lifting my hips.  This simple adjustment made everything feel sturdier in my body and I could hold the pose.  After a few baby cobras we made our way to stand.  Kelly smiled and in her soft, soothing voice instructed us to stretch our arms up and move from side to side to find length.

Surya Namaskar A for three rounds was next, while Kelly called out the breath. At one point, we paused so that Kelly could demonstrate stepping forward from down dog.  She instructed us to resist with our back leg and foot, look forward and step the other foot to the front of the mat.  Again, her simple instruction made a big difference. Kelly isn’t the kind of teacher afraid to stop the class; she wanted us to understand our movement and alignment, which would make a difference in our practice that day and beyond.

We took Utkatasana several times to build heat and strength, and after one more vinyasa, we moved in and out of Warrior II dynamically on the breath, then from Warrior II to Reverse Warrior to Triangle pose. We didn’t rush through Chatarunga in between poses, instead we just came in and out of down dog.  Back in Triangle we transitioned step-by-step into Ardha Chandrasana (half moon pose).  Kelly gave careful instructions to get into the pose and feel balanced, like keeping our top hand on our hip and pressing into the big toe of the standing foot.

Returning from our trip to the (half) moon, we found our way back to Tadasana at the front of our mats, eyes closed.  Opening our eyes after a few breaths, Kelly announced we were going to be doing Parivrtta Utkatasana.  “Keep your knees in line, twist from the middle part of your backs and sit low,” she called out. Kelly approached a student in the pose and helped them by gently placing one hand on his back and one on his shoulder to rotate him even further.   

Returning to Tadasana we were ready for another twist, which we had been preparing for: Parivrtta Trikonasana (revolved triangle). Kelly suggested that we use a block on whichever level felt most comfortable to us.  Again, she stopped us to demonstrate how to keep our hips neutral and in line.  The pause helped us all take a moment to really consider our alignment in the pose and allowed me to move even deeper into the twist.

To lengthen out after all the spinal twisting we stretched in down dog and then came to lie on our backs.  After a few bridge poses, we placed a block under our sacrums for the restorative version.  Kelly helped a few students who weren’t sure set up their blocks in the right position, and encouraged everyone to breath as we relaxed into the support.

Ankle to knee was next to open our hips.  We then grabbed our straps and placed them around one foot for several versions of Supta Padanghustasana.  Kelly gave me a slight, but precise adjustment and was sure to ask me how it felt.  She spoke to the whole class about keeping our hips in neutral and reviewed all the poses we did during class and how everything we did was related to the same postures we were now doing on our back.

Giving our knees one more hug to our chest, we let go and sunk into our mats for Savasana.  Kelly spoke quietly and guided us through breathing deeply into our right nostril and exhaling all the air out, and vice versa. Softening our breath we melted into our mats.

Kelly is a compassionate and gentle person with a strong teaching ability.  Her classes are wonderful for all levels and ages, where you will move and breath, but also learn a great deal and your body! Prepare to improve your practice.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

The word Bija means ‘seed’ in the Sanskrit language, a beginning point of potential and awareness, which is a perfect description of pregnancy.  Sanskrit and its sounds are a focus at Bija Yoga, a beautiful new studio located in Union Square.  Shining low on the chocolate-purple walls, strings of white lights line the practice space and altar, while the high ceilings beg for some deep chanting.  Babies seem to love chanting and baritone voices so Lisa invited us to prepare the ground with three low-pitched OM’s.

Sitting in our comfy seats breathing with sound, we deepened our awareness as breath moved from root to crown Chakra with micro retentions at top and bottom.  Then Lisa had us recall that soft-spot at the crown of the head we all had at birth.  Borders became porous as we drew the breath in through this remembered opening and extended it out beyond pelvic floor, everything fluid.

As we transitioned onto hands and knees, Lisa pressed play on her ‘goddess’ mix, which included traditional yogic music and to my delight one passionate Mexican Ranchera.  Clearly this is a space where sound is enjoyed as much as movement.  Lisa encouraged us to let our bodies, ‘get a little moon’ as we moved with the hips and spiraled the spine.  We flipped the script leaving sun salutes for another day, opting instead for a very intuitive stretch I call the pinwheel series.

Taking a wide straddle we bent one leg in towards us, heel close to pubic bone, and the other behind us, heel towards seat.  Lisa had us gently rock forward over the front bent leg and then back, bringing the hands to the floor behind us.  We moved for a few breaths getting the back leg involved by gently lifting the knee away from the mat as we tipped back.  Then keeping the legs fixed, a chest opening was added by sweeping the arm up and opening it behind us as our other palm supported the lean.  

After that we brought our palms to the floor behind us or came down on forearms and leaned away from the legs letting the breath audibly flow out of an open mouth.  There is nothing like the intense and satisfying stretch in the hip flexor and the groin, which we altered by walking the torso to different positions.  This series felt incredible and hit all of the muscles in the legs that become tight from the body shifting and fixed sleeping positions.

After we were loose we took small Vinyasa’s starting on hands and knees. Moving forward to a half push-up, we then walked hands back to stand on shins for a small Camel pose with hands at the lower back.  Careful not to over encourage the stretching of ab muscles, Lisa responsibly reminded me to make sure I wasn’t overdoing the back-bend in the upper ribs.

By this time we were really warm and feeling comfortable so we got a little more ‘moon’ with our movements.  From hands and knees we brought the top of our bodies to Chaturanga arms and inched forward.  Then we fluidly rounded our backs moving the body towards a child’s pose with the hips really lifted.  Staying low, we started the movement forward once again. Lather, rinse, repeat, then reverse the cycle.  

Lisa had us imagine that the baby is like the cork in a wine bottle that needs to be eased out, a metaphor she uses while assisting mothers in labor as a Doula.  Thankfully all corks managed to stay put, but the primacy of the movements conjured our inner animal which is also helpful in labor.  

To stretch the muscle of the pelvic floor that attaches across the sitting bones, we came to a wide Anjaneyasana (Crescent lunge) with blocks and traced a circle on the wall behind us with the sit bone of the bent knee. This one felt as good as the pinwheel series, leaving me with the sensation that I had breathed a little more space into the hip sockets.  After all of that juicy and rhythmic stretching Lisa gave us a standing sequence that contained as much creativity as seated.

In Warrior I we interlaced fingers, palms pressed overhead, and brought chin to chest.  Lisa deepened the neck and shoulder stretch by gently drawing our arms back away from our ears.  We then found comfort in a Warrior II, Peaceful Warrior flow, ending in a full Parsvakonasana where we circled the top arm in both directions to release the shoulder and open the chest.  With the palm at the sacrum, we straightened the front leg to a half-bound Trikonasana, which focused the opening at the shoulder.

We ended the class with a Parvritta Janu Sirsasana, which we didn’t take too deep.  Instead, with hand behind the head we focused on opening the chest as the elbow reached for the ceiling and then released the upper back by letting the elbow hang towards the floor.  By this time the goddess mix had slowed and the breath became quiet as the overhead lights dimmed.

The string of lights were left on, illuminating the floor on which we were to lie in a half-moon surrender.  We took a side lying Savasana with one leg supported from ankle to knee, resting on two blankets stacked on top of two blocks.  Lisa nudged a blanket under my full belly, a place often neglected.  

After a sufficient rest we once again found our easy seat where Lisa’s soft voice prompted us to make wide spirals with the torso, moving from the ribs to draw the spine long and the breath upwards.  The movements became smaller and slower and finally imperceptible to the outside eye.

We eventually found stillness feeling extremely centered and soothed.  We chanted three ground hugging OM’s, then sat in the glowing space together to share a few more sounds.

$20 dollar drop-ins, mats provided.

--Sara Hubbs for Yoga Sleuth

The 4 and 7 trains yoke the Yankees to the Mets, and form a celebrated route of transport for New York City’s baseball fans. For the City’s yoga community, a winding section of R track that joins Park Slope’s Union Street with City Hall in Tribeca plays a similarly crucial connective role. In eight short stops, one can travel easily between two very good studios: Bend & Bloom, on Brooklyn’s Sackett Street, and the Manhattan headquarters of Kula Yoga Project, on Warren between Church and Broadway.

In addition to their vinyasa-focused practices, clean and well-maintained spaces, and lovely staffs, B&B and Kula have another thing in common: the 31 year-old, Pittsburgh-born Summer Shirey.

Yoga Sleuth had taken a few of Summer’s flow classes at B&B over the summer, but had been away from practice for several weeks and wanted to try something new. So I dropped in on Summer’s 4:30pm class on Friday afternoon. According to Kula’s website, it’s “a one-hour serving of sticky, sweaty Kula Flow, lathered with 20 minutes of yin yoga (deep, intense stretching) and a 15 minute restorative asana topping. YUM.”

In Kula’s mood-lit Studio Three, Yoga Sleuth captured a sliver of floor space between an exposed brick wall and a rather striking yogi whose fully-developed practice boasted many exotic contortions, including scorpion pose in forearm stand (Vrschikasana) and its handstand variation (Vrschikasana in Adho Mukha Vrksasana). Sleuth would later learn that this yogi was herself a teacher, having traveled the same R-train route to study at Summer’s knee.

Summer jumped right in, pre-chant, with a restorative, block-assisted, heart-opening pose that demonstrated the dependent relationship between the chest and thoracic spine.  By placing a block behind our back, where a bra strap would be, and lying down, we found a little more space in the upper spine and massaged open the trapezius muscles.

By focusing on the extension of the back body, Summer encouraged both the broadening of the heart and the integration of the front ribs toward the back. Hooking the thumbs overhead and resisting them away from one another, while energetically lengthening upwards and out, we splayed the armpit-chest and integrated the shoulders into the sockets, drawing the scapula down the back.

Like many instructors, Summer came to yoga from acting; and in her no-nonsense approach one detects the kind of carefully constructed confidence that can only be built from the ground up, through years of the audition room’s unrelenting critique and hardening rejection.

Coded in her movement is a kind of stage swagger: shoulders back, lead with the hip-points. Summer diverges from the typical instructor mold, however. For one thing, Summer doesn’t try too hard to be sunny.  A stern reproach during a Dharma talk (“I’ll be the only one speaking today”) is followed later with a tempering remark (“I meant that in a loving way”). A warm distance is maintained. Yet a militant approach is never used to conceal a lack of artfulness or knowledge.

Throughout the class of heart-opening, Summer encouraged a lengthy and spacious backbend, focusing on integration to the midline and hugging the muscle toward the bone to find proper support. Lesser instructors might lead a class through advanced poses without addressing muscular engagement to support the flexibility.

But Summer’s style, which emphasizes safe alignment, winds up being more challenging than a flow that might be faster but less detailed. This is her Anusara influence: Summer’s sequencing never sacrifices elegance for difficulty.

The class worked toward a unique vinyasa sequence that moved from Downward Dog, high on the balls of the feet, into dolphin pose and back into child’s. This was a preparation for forearm stand with the legs up (Pincha Mayurasana). As the pace quickened to a vinyasa fever-pitch, Summer transitioned us into hip-opening poses, including warrior variations. For those yogis so inclined, Summer invited the class into handstand and forearm inversions. As a parting gift, she moved us into pigeon (Eka Pada Kopatasana) with invitation to king pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakopatasana).

If instructors design classes like novelists craft prose, the subjective experience of Summer feels like unflinching honesty, muscular drive, and a commitment to clarity. Notably, in a profession rife with Ganesh tattoos and patchouli-doused beads, Summer’s figure is free of ink and New Age costume jewelry. By refusing the mask of eccentricity, she ensures that yoga remains about yoga. The yogi does not realize how hard he’s worked, how far into his Practice he’s gone, until it’s nearly over. Hari Om. Namaste.

Drop-in classes are $18. Mat and towel rental $2.

--Dan Slater for Yoga Sleuth

On a busy afternoon Yoga Sleuth needed to escape the chaos of the city, so I went over to Exhale on Central Park South for a lunchtime flow class with Goldie Karpel. 

I walked into the spa and immediately felt calm and relaxed. The space is serene, peaceful and full of warm energy, from the friendly front desk staff to the little Buddha’s sold in the gift shop (I bought two!)  One of the staff led me to the studio where class would take place.  I picked up a free mat on my way into the space and opened my eyes in awe.  Dim lights, high ceilings and again, a warm energy that could relax anyone’s nerves.  However, I was here to move!

Goldie entered the room and while she was cuing up the music, she asked us to lie on our backs and begin in Supta Badha Konasana with one hand on our hearts and the other on our bellies. Breathing into our hands and connecting with the breath we arrived in the space. 

After a few minutes, we did a simple twist to each side and then rocked our way up to sit and hands and knees.  We stretched out into Downward Facing Dog, peddling out our feet and opening the backs of our legs.  Goldie gave me a simple, but firm assist that lengthened my spine.  Goldie then instructed us to drop our knees just above our mats and tuck our bellies to really work our core. Although Goldie is young and sweet, she has a commanding voice full of authority.  It’s a nice balance!

Next we did several core moves while on our hands and knees: we brought one leg straight out and then brought our knee to our nose.  We also lifted a straight leg and pulsed for several breaths, returning to down dog and then plank for several breaths.  We moved into lunges with our hands behind our head and tucked our bellies in as we bent and straightened the back leg. All a very intense wake up for the legs and the core!

After a view slow vinyasas with knees, chest, chin, we came into side plank on both sides and then a full vinyasa.  Goldie said that we could do double Chaturangas if we wanted - down, up, down - though I passed, and that was fine, too.  After another vinyasa, we squatted down and came into Crow pose. Goldie encouraged us to give it a try, even if it was new or scary to us.  We could also take it a step farther and jump back from Crow into chaturunga.   

We found our way into chair pose for several breaths, again tucking in our belly and using our core.  We took a vinyasa and then came into high lunge on both sides.  We continued with the standing poses with Warrior I, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior, Side Angle Pose, Triangle and Half Moon.  Flowing from pose to pose on the breath built a great deal of heat in my body and I could feel the sweat on my temples. We continued moving from Parsvottanasana to Standing split to twisted half moon.  

Goldie made her way around the room giving several people assists.  They were always simple, firm and there were nurturing words of encouragement attached to each one!  I observed her with an older student, telling her she was doing a great job and to take her time with each transition.

Goldie brought the practice back down to the floor with several rounds of bridge and wheel.  She suggested that everyone take the variation that works best for their practice.  After a few moments of rest, Goldie brought us back to the core work.  We placed our hands behind our heads, lifted our chest and both legs, then lowered one leg at time and switched.  The action was slow, but the effect was intense.  She added a gentle twist from side to side and then had us come back down to our backs with an option to finish off our practice with happy baby or shoulder stand.  I chose happy baby and then melted into my mat for Savasana.

Goldie Karpel is an excellent teacher that utilizes her experience with dance, core fusion and vinyasa into her classes, which keeps her sequences creative, challenging and fun.  Exhale is also a beautiful place to practice.

Single classes $25.  New students get a week of unlimited yoga for $40!

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

When the first snowstorm of winter decided to arrive in October, Yoga Sleuth refused to let it get in the way of his practice. So I pulled my winter coat out of storage and braved the elements, and was rewarded with a memorable and unique Vinyasa Flow with Yoga Union’s Steven Cheng.

After an expectedly rough journey I arrived, soaked but motivated, at the inviting new studio. It lies on 28th street across from its older sibling, Yoga Union Center for Backcare and Scoliosis. I was greeted by my soon-to-be teacher Steven and shown to the spacious Asana room with the other eager students, some of whom, I learned, had come all the way from San Francisco!  

Dharma Mittra-trained Steven had us all sit on the studio’s sturdy cork blocks, and then we had a quick chat about our experiences and injuries. Steven chiefly wanted to check if we were back care students at the original studio and had any spinal issues. With all of us good to go, Steven welcomed us formally to his Vinyasa 2 Flow.

Steven promised a very fluid practice, explaining that his style was “a lot of verbal instructions and demonstrations as well.” Our mats facing the mirror, Steven suggesting we take advantage of the opportunity to see ourselves practicing, and thus become more aware of our alignment and what our bodies were really doing. Steven faced the mirror as well while he demoed, so that we would always be on the same page, doing what he was doing on the side he was doing it on; using the visual cue to enhance our experience of our own postures.

“Start to visualize the breath,” said Steven. “See the breath originate behind the navel; Inhales up the front of the spine, exhales down the back of the spine.”

After three Oms Steven suggested we devote our practice “to someone or something, or to yourself.” With that we chanted a mantra for purification, call and response style. Then we embarked on an extended series of seated warm-ups, rolling our necks and ankles until pronounced snaps, crackles, and yes pops were heard around the studio. Coming in to Down Dog, we pedaled our feet, and squeezed into the midline, preparing for the intense flow to follow.

“Let the navel draw towards the spine and breathe into your core,” reminded Steven.  We took the “knees chest chin and baby cobra” variation of the Vinyasa to start, then Steven invited us to subsequently choose any variation our bodies called for. Returning to Adho Mukha Svanasana, we raised a leg and opened its hip in a sideways-scorpion.

“Always check in with your alignment to see if where you’re supposed to be,” said Steven as we commenced on a fast-paced flow. Steven continued to counsel us with rapid-fire verbal cues and suggestions while joining us in many postures. “Use blocks if you need to,” said Steven as we bowed over our legs in a Parsvottanasana. “In every yoga pose it’s possible to modify according to your body and your needs…what you’re looking for is symmetry, so always make an effort to try the same pose on both sides, even if you have to modify.”

And before we could say Utkatasana, it was time for Sun Salutation B. “Bend the knees, sweep the hands far up for chair pose,” said Steven. Steven explained that although having the toes touching in standing postures may be deemed the traditional method, he advocates the more modern variation of hip distance due to the stability it brings.

Then our imaginary chairs disappeared as we lowered the right knee to the mat for a low lunge. “This is a Dharma Mittra thing,” said Steven, clapping his hands together to form Venus Mudra and leading us into a deep backbend. After another round of Vinyasas, Steven instructed us to interlace our fingers behind our backs. “Open up the heart to the left side of the room for a triangle variation without using the arms—just using the legs and the core. Keep the crown of the head reaching forward, and keep grounding the back heel.”

Next we came to a posture variation that was (to my delight) brand-new to me: Accordion Side Planks. As Steven explains: “Bend your knees as you reach your left arm back. On the inhale lengthen (the knees), left arm up and overhead. Exhale bend, reach back, inhale the left arm up and overhead.” We repeated this three times on each side, giving a classic pose a new and welcome spin.

After a quick flight in Warrior 3 (later fittingly balanced with “fallen warrior”) we played in Prasarita Padottonasana, where Steven suggested we intensify the hamstring stretch by shifting the hips forward to line up the seat with the heels. And after challenging our balance on one leg in our trees, our arms in side crows, and one leg once more in standing split, the time had come for doing the Pigeon.

We practiced reaching for our back legs, and then folded forward. In keeping with the active spirit of our flow, rather than rest passively Steven had us reach an elbow to press into the sole of the foot of the bent forward leg as we twisted to clasp our palms in prayer.

Coming down to earth to do a reclined twist, I was surprised to find another twist added on: we were to perform the posture in a prone position, rather than the traditional supine. This provided an incredible stretch to the IT band. Our inversion was a Shoulderstand with another active variation, as we reached one straight leg towards the wall behind us, then the other. In our Fish Pose we experimented with lifting the thighs off the mat with a last burst of energy before melting into the embrace of Savasana.

After class I was a happy yogi as I thanked Steven for giving me a respite from the wintry weather in the form of a wonderfully intense flow, and expressed my gratitude in learning so many new things from him.

“It’s different ways of upping the ante,” nodded Steven. “Bringing movement and flow into something very basic like Vasisthasana or “fallen warrior”; helping you twist in a way where it’s getting into your spine, and getting a different stretch out of your outer thighs and outer hips.” Ones that I will incorporate into my practice regularly thanks to this inspiring teacher.

Drop-in classes at Yoga Union are $20.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Every cell that Yoga Sleuth is conscious of in her body was grateful to take Nagmeh Ahi’s level II class at the Iyengar Institute.  Sleuth studied religiously with this Junoir Intermediate II teacher every Friday at 4:00 for months at another studio until a saddening clash in scheduling occurred.  After a break of at least 6 months, the reunion was hugely appreciated.

Though I have frequented the Iyengar Institute, it was the first time attending Nagmeh’s class here.  For those new to the Institute - it’s a grand space with high ceilings on the 11th floor of a classic New York building.  Finding the proper entrance can be a little confusing for a first-timer, as there are 3 doors marked with the address “150”.  The correct entrance is the eastern most one.  

Inside, there are 2 large studios, divided by a collapsible wall.  Each has a beautiful rope wall and shelves housing plenty of blankets, bolsters, blocks, and straps.  If you are unfamiliar with the Iyengar method, props are regularly used to carefully refine alignment and maximize the benefits of the asana.

Nagmeh almost always has students begin class in a patiently acquired Sukhasana with the support of two blankets.  Before closing our eyes, we detailed the pose by spreading and balancing out across the sitting bones, adjusting the feet perfectly so the toes don’t stick out from under the shins, lengthening up through the trunk by integrating the back ribs in and front ribs back, broadening across the chest, and lengthening upwards through the crown of the head.  

Once all this space (that can otherwise go so easily forsaken) is found, we close our eyes and chant three Om’s and the invocation to Patanjali in call and response.  Nagmeh has a resonant, soft, yet deep chanting voice.  Her Sanskrit is crisp and beautifully pronounced, most likely aided by the fact that her native language is Farsi, a Persian language and distant relative to Sanskrit. Each word is always backed with meaning and intention.

After breaking our meditative seat, the ten or so students in the room assumed Adho Mukha Virasana, or wide-knee child’s pose.  Nagmeh often uses this pose as a preparation for Downward Dog.  We were asked to focus on rooting down the finger pads and integrating of the shoulders into their sockets as we elongated and opened up the armpit chest.

Eventually, we found our way into a very dynamic, wider legged Downward Dog in which the heels were lifted, the weight consciously distributed through the balls of the feet, and quadriceps strong.  In time, we journeyed forward into a very spacious, wide footed Uttansana, and eventually Tadasana.  

It was the first week of the month, which means the Iyengar method focuses on standing postures.  Regardless of theme, Nagmeh almost always warms level II+ students up with dynamic Surya Namaskara variations.  She’ll play by quickly calling the postures and sometimes switching the sequence up without warning to make sure we were listening and test our understanding of what’s what.  

Something I love about Nagmeh is her sense of humor.  She has one of the most unique abilities to weave a balance of, at times irreverent amusement and highly pertinent, associable philosophical material throughout class.  Such is only possible because she’s well studied in yogic philosophy.  She is also incredibly humble and often quotes her main teacher, James Murphy, as well as Iyengar Institute founder, the late Mary Dunn.

Over the course of 10 minutes, Nagmeh led us through a highly refined construction of Tadasana, during which so much space open up within my body.  We carried this information - firmly rooted corners of the feet, relaxed and grounded toes, spacious arches, expressed inner ankle muscles, appropriate integration of the quadriceps and buttocks, knitting in of the front and back ribs, broadening of the collarbones – through all subsequent postures.

Prior to tackling side plane postures such as Utthita Trikonasana and Parsvakonasana, we performed a dynamic heart opening upward dog to Uttasana vinyasa on the ropes and also handstand at the wall.  The side plane postures, repeated twice on each side, were followed by conscious executions of Virabhadrasana I and II.  Nagmeh emphasized the lift of the sternum into the heart opening, something that can transform all poses requiring an upper backbend.

Another thing I admire about Nagmeh is her incredible vigilance.  She works ceaselessly to understand every student’s physique.  Under her guidance, I’ve learned so much about my body, lifting my practice (of all major asana disciplines) to a new level.  As a hyper mobile individual, she has taught me to contain and back my flexibility with strength like no other teacher ever has.  

Nagmeh’s descriptions are so detailed, yet not overwhelming.  Whenever I am lucky enough to practice with her, her teachings spill over into mine for weeks.  Like many Iyengar teachers, she is direct in her communication and never beats around the bush.  Her words, however, are always backed with love and good reason.  For those newer to the method, this can be a bit unfamiliar and humbling at first.  In time, however, you might find it to be one of the biggest developmental gifts possible.

Nagmeh also teaches regular level I classes at the Iyengar Institute, in addition to I-II classes at her house in Fort Greene, Prospect Height’s Shambalah Center, and David Barton Gym on the Upper East Side.

Drop-ins are $22, mats provided.

--SMK for Yoga Sleuth

Sleuth felt a sense of relief entering the calm of Go Yoga. Outside, Williamsburg hipsters were celebrating Friday night, lining up outside clubs and filling bars making it as chaotic outside as midtown at rush hour.

Several weary looking yogis were already in restorative positions when I entered the studio. As Lilia Mead prepared for class she asked us to get two bolsters, two blankets, two blocks and a strap. Lilia is the owner of this local Williamsburg haven which has been in a Brooklyn establishment since 2000. Her extensive training and dedication to yoga makes her a steady and authoritative presence in class.

To begin, Lilia asked us all to lie down and bend our knees. We held this simple position for several minutes to neutralize the spine before taking a restorative Supta Baddha Konasana with a bolster supporting the spine and neck and rolling up a blanket the long way to wind around our ankles and support the knees. While in this position Lilia asked us to find a single point of focus, perhaps our breath or a mantra that we’re working with.

Lilia talked often throughout class which reminded us that restorative yoga is supposed to relax the body but the mind should stay alert throughout the experience.

Coming out of Supta Baddha Konasana we moved all the props out of the way with the exception of one bolster which we used for a side stretch on both sides. We then took a restorative Downward Dog using a block for the forehead to rest on. “Some of you are using Ujjayi breath and if you know what that is I encourage you to maintain a steady Ujjayi breath here,” Lilia said.

From here we came into Adho Mukha Virasana or an active Child’s Pose. Lilia always used the Sanskrit terms for the poses in class but made sure no one in the room was confused. Lilia seemed to have a familiarity with almost all the students in the room and would check on each person and suggest modifications based on body type and our level of comfort in the pose.

Following Adho Mukha Virasana we took a restorative twist on each side followed by the counter pose Uptha Vista Konasana utilizing the bolster or bolsters for our torsos to rest on and a block for the forehead.

Coming into Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, Lilia gave us the option of using one block on the lowest level or two blocks stacked up on the lowest level to give the sacrum the widest surface of support. While in Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Lilia asked us to use Sama Vritti Pranayama (equal breathing), counting to four on the inhale and four on the exhale.

For the second to last pose of the class, Lilia had us go to the walls for Viparita Karani. We placed our bolsters horizontally by the wall moving them about half a foot away and then took our legs up the wall. Lilia noticed one of her students yawning in the pose and told her that sometimes people yawn because they’re tired and other times it means they need to take in more breath so she asked that student to bring her attention to her breath and see if she could deepen her inhale and exhale.

For Savasana, Lilia offered options to make ourselves comfortable from covering ourselves in a blanket to putting some light padding under the neck.

Upon leaving the studio, I tried to maintain the composure I’d gained from such a calming and focused class, to bravely re-enter the hectic Williamsburg streets.

$20 per class, $2 mat rental

—Marie Carter

Yoga Sleuth learned that a new studio had risen in Union Square, and just had to get over there post-haste. So I plunged into a Wednesday evening Vinyasa class with the owner of Bija, Veronica Perretti.

Arriving early in my eagerness, I was instantly blown away by the beauty of the vast space. I sat in a large waiting area filled with ornate meditation pillows and cushions, chatting with Veronica—a student of Shri Manorama-ji, director of the NYC School of Sanskrit Studies—about my practice. At class time, she showed me to the huge glorious Asana room, which can hold upwards of 45 students.

It is done up in autumnal shades, with beautiful Saris of different colors adorning the right side wall. Gold Christmas-style lights surround the three rectangular windows at the altar, and continue along the sides of the room, giving an added feeling of warmth and comfort. As I sat on my double-stacked pink blankets, I admired the shine of the pale laminate floor and began to bliss out to the eastern music.

Veronica gave us a warm welcome and suggested we begin class in the comfortable position of our choice, doing whatever we felt our bodies needed. (I chose a supine Baddha Konasana with my knees perched on blocks.) “Notice the quality of your breath,” Veronica suggested, “and if the inhales and the exhales are even.” Then we brought our knees in, pulling them close to our chests.

“Give yourself a nice loving hug, stretching out the back. Beginning that process of nurturing the relationship with the one within.” And we let the left leg fall while the right heel kicked up to the sky, hands interlaced around the leg, pulling in to wake up the hamstring. “…you’re going to create your own resistance, and start to know yourself, as opposed to moving toward the outside world and letting the outside world tell you who you are.”

We moved on to warm up with some supine twists. “Sometimes one side is tighter or looser than other,” said Veronica. “Without judgment just notice what your body needs on this side tonight. Maybe it’s different from every other night that we practice, and that’s ok.”

After waking up the spine by inhaling to Plank and exhaling to Down Dog several times, we launched the Sun Salutation As to generate heat.  “Step, jump, hop or dance to the front of your mat,” coaxed Veronica playfully as we began each sequence anew. Finally we came to Adho Mukha Svanasana for five cleansing breaths.

Veronica is a calming presence while still providing us with an intense flow, guiding us with a soothing voice, giving detailed verbal cues and ready with hands-on adjustments at every opportunity. (She was there whenever I needed her, providing me with a block to facilitate my triangle and assisting my fold in Paschimottanasana.)

She is also very encouraging; calling out “beautiful, guys!” when we really hit “the sweet spot” in a posture. And there were options aplenty: “If bending the elbows gives you a little something more in the deltoids, then go for it!” she grinned as we played with our forward folds.

“Let those toes yearn for the front door…and find a new area of that inner hip to open up,” she instructed. (I think she may have noticed my habitual scrunching!)

After some hard work in our Surya Namaskar Bs, Veronica invited us to luxuriate in Child’s Pose. “Feel heavy in the hips and light in the heart. Letting the shoulders surrender toward the floor, find more space to breathe into the back of the heart. Filling up the back of the body with breath.”

But we weren’t done playing: “Bring your hands to the floor and jump your feet mat distance apart,” called Veronica. “Toes out, heels in, sit down into Malasana. Bringing your hands to heart center, use your elbows to press your knees apart.” After our fifth exhale Veronica deftly cued us into Crow pose. “Separate your knees, bring your hands in front of you, and then paste your triceps to your shins...lift one foot, then the other…bring your toes together and hug in, hug in!”

We came back to earth for Janu Sirsasana with a literal twist. “Bring the left hand back by the right knee, bring the right hand behind your sacrum, and then twist to the right side. Inhale, find more space, grow tall, and exhale, spin to the right side. Inhale length, exhale twist.”

Then we went into traditional Janu, Veronica cuing us to square to the left leg. “Find as much length as you can on the right side and stretch the right hand outside of the left foot. If that’s not happening for you tonight, use a strap.” Veronica gave me an approving nod as she spied my strap already in my hand.

We rolled down for Bridge and Wheel practice as the music symbolically shifted to a mellow Adele tune, then we brought our knees to the right. “Bring the right outer ankle to the outside of the left thigh,” said Veronica. “You should feel it in your IT band. Keep those shoulders surrendering towards the earth.” And after the left side, we surrendered the rest of our bodies to Savasana.

Veronica closed our practice with these crucial words to live by, from her teacher Manorama: “You are the only one going all the way with you in this life. So it’s best to get to know your Self.”

After class I just had to express my appreciation to Veronica directly. I thanked her for accomplishing the tricky feat of providing me with an intense Asana flow while keeping me in a remarkable state of bliss all the while!

Drop-in classes at Bija are $20 with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

The Prenatal Yoga Center, a one-roomed, prenatal powerhouse, is located on the Upper West Side with satellite classes taught around Manhattan and Brooklyn.  I journeyed uptown expecting the center’s Director, Doula, and new Mom, Deb.  Instead, I was happily surprised with the new Thursday night teacher, Angela Botta.  Angela was warm, welcoming, thorough, and well-trained in the prenatal / postnatal arts by Deb herself.  

Based in a neighborhood where there are a lot of expectant Mom’s, and focused on all things related to Motherhood, I found the Prenatal Yoga Center was a change of pace.  I came to class wanting to work out some excess Vata, but was immediately hit by the slow pulse of Kapha energy in the room. Grounded, I sat and listened as each woman shared names, gestational age, and the physical challenges they were experiencing.  

Much to my surprise I was flooded with a feeling of community, remembering that each of us is not stranded on mommy island.  Angela also joined in giving us a brief bio then reading Deb’s blog entry on Postpartum depression.  

The class was crowded, and as it progressed, the range in age, fitness level, and Yoga experience became apparent.  This is where I became impressed with Angela’s ability to safely and effectively teach to a room of pregnant women all 20 weeks and over.  She addressed individual issues including SI Joint discomfort and Placenta previa, while balancing the needs and engagement of the group.  

I couldn’t help but notice how the students had so neatly arranged their mats and props bringing a sense of symmetry to the room.  A testament to the powers of nesting.  I was the only newbie that didn’t know the class always began with Supta Baddha Konasana, but Angela made sure I set-up with two mats layered for padding, a bolster, two blocks in an L formation, and a blanket wrapped around my ankles. 

The blocks came in handy during the flowing section of class that followed the seated warm-up, including neck stretches and a twisting series where she instructed us to twist “above the baby.”  There was extensive work on hands and knees, performing exercises to strengthen the transverse abdominals, the key muscles used during labor and central to postpartum recovery.

The flow was steady and simple beginning with Anjaneyasana (Crescent lunge), progressing to low lunge then high lunge.  In high lunge we straightened our front leg brought one hand to the front of the belly and the other to the sacrum to self-adjust the pelvis.  Angela cued us to “lift the baby up while encouraging the tail bone down.” 

Then we came back to high lunge with better alignment repeating the adjustment in subsequent postures.  In between sequences we utilized the blocks on their highest level for Uttanasana, flat back, to campers pose then up to Tadasana. The second series was comprised of Warrior I, Warrior II, and a held Trikonasana.  We transitioned into Parsvakonasana where we lifted the ribs closest to the bent leg, rotating them towards the ceiling for more opening.

Before standing poses we came to a supported squat where Angela talked us through two different ways of doing Kegels, explaining that the mysterious pelvic floor is comprised of 16 different muscles.  For the standing poses she called for a classic tree and then got creative with something she called “Seaweed-asana,”  a pose I couldn’t find in the Dharma Mittra Asana book. 

For this underwater ballet we held Utkatasana with a block between the thighs, brought the arms to Eagle, and free-styled.  We were encouraged to move intuitively, making s-curves and arching and rounding the back.  It all felt really good on the spine, mid-back, and shoulders and I even heard my bones spontaneously adjust themselves.

Angela wound down the class with a seated Janu to Parvritta Janu Sirsasana series to prepare us for either a side lying Savasana or for another supported Supta Baddha Konasana.  After a few minutes, she lowered the soft yogic music that played throughout class and asked us to come back to Sukhasana.

Closing the eyes she guided us to breathe up and down along the spine from root to crown Chakra, pit stopping along the way to briefly describe the seven energy centers.  After a moment of silence, we collectively brought our practice to a close with one resounding OM.

$25 dollar drop-ins, mats provided.

--Sara Hubbs for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth has been to many great yoga classes over the years, but it is always refreshing to meet a teacher with real personality. That was my experience on a bright fall day at Yoga Vida.  I entered the beautiful sun filled studio and set up my mat for the lunch time class, as several students trickled in and set up as well. 

Hilaria Thomas walked to the front of the room and said hello to everyone. She shared with us how every week she follows a different theme and this week was going to be the shoulders and spine.  I was already curious about where the sequence would go and what poses she would choose for the theme.

We began in Downward Facing Dog peddling out our feet and then sat back into Child’s Pose, stretching our spines and breathing in and out.  We moved a bit more coming in and out of Plank, Downward Facing Dog and a few Cat/Cows. Hilaria took her time adding on poses as we moved.  We came into a three legged Dog, opening up our hip and then knee to nose, low lunge and twisting to the side. I was building heat, but I did not feel rushed.

Hilaria walked around the room and commented on students' poses: “nice, Julie”, “breathe, Melissa”.  You could tell there were more than a few regulars in this class, though I could still see her helping out newer students, giving them really strong adjustments and encouraging them as she did it with a “Beautiful” or “you have it!”  Hilaria was clear with her instructions, but kept a soft tone of voice.

We continued with several rounds of Surya Namaskar A and then Surya B. Hilaria kept it creative and added a standing backbend and a forward fold to the mix.  We transitioned into several standing poses, including Warrior I, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior, Side Angle and Triangle.  Again, I didn’t feel rushed because Hilaria called the inhales and exhales in each pose.  

She let us find the pose and ground down into them and breathe.  We continued with Warrior III to Standing Split to Twisted Half Moon back to lunge and then down to the floor for seated twists.  Hilaria made sure to describe what we were doing in our shoulders and spine as we came into these poses.  

We stood back up for Twisted Chair and she came behind me to assist.  Wrapping her arms around my shoulders, she had me breathe in and out as I twisted deeper.  When we finished one side, she had everyone pause, ensuring us we’d keep moving after this important message.

Hilaria went on to describe the way we create tension in our shoulders and what muscles are used to do this.  She asked one of her regular students to come to the front to help point out where the trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles are located and how if we used the latissimus dorsi to pull down the trapezius we would have better posture and less pain in our shoulders. 

She did an excellent job of both explaining the muscles and keeping everyone interested, explaining that it’s all about awareness and we just have to be more aware to change the behavior in our backs.

We came back to the front of our mats and began to move into Twisted Chair on the other side.  Hilaria assisted me on this side too, and let me know she could feel me coming into the pose differently than the first side and that I was doing great!

We took Puppy Dog and Dolphin to work our forearms and then Hilaria demonstrated Pinchamayurasana (forearm stand) in the middle of the room. She asked us all to just try kicking up, using all the muscles we had been warming up throughout class*.  After a few tries we rested in Child’s Pose, and then opened up into a few backbends and then Wheel Pose several times.

Students were encouraged to do Bridge if they were tired or not ready to go all the way up.  We rested for a few breaths and then came to our knees for Camel pose fully prepared. We really lengthened, stretched and expanded our spines in this class!  

Switching gears to slow things down for forward bends, we moved onto Dandasana and Paschimottanasana. Coming onto our backs I thought the class was over, but Hilaria informed us that she always finishes with abs. She added that if we didn’t think it was part of our yogic practice it was totally cool and we didn’t have to participate. 

Her attitude was very open and encouraging. I began to do the abdominal work, but it was less “yoga core” and more fast gym class crunches, so I let go and rested. We closed our practice with a deeply satisfying Savasana and Namaste.

Hilaria is a smart and fun teacher and Yoga Vida is a beautiful studio to practice in.  Plus, they offer new students $10 for a whole week!  A deal you don’t want to miss!

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth likes nothing better than a late-night Thursday flow to transition into weekend mode. And this time it brought me to seek the cheery playfulness and calming spirituality of a long-time favorite, Laughing Lotus, but with a teacher new to me, the ebullient Luke Simon.

After setting up my mat in the back row, I met Luke, who with a smile gently, coaxed me to the center instead. "If your knees are higher than your hips, sit on a folded blanket," Luke advised the 14 of us, "or take two, or a block, and just prop yourself up. It will make the next few minutes so much better."

He then began to tell us a story of a time that he missed an important Yoga engagement and was in danger of spending the next class thinking about that and regretting. "There was a moment where I was thinking, 'I wonder what happened there, if only I hadn't...' and I stopped myself and thought, 'Wow, what a crappy way to live life. To keep going there."

And he let the regret go and brought himself back into the present moment.  "For some reason, things are just more clear in the container of this room (the yoga space)," Luke explained. "There's just something about your presence, your awareness of where you are and what you're actually doing, and getting to see your thoughts in a more objective way."

Luke suggested we set an intention of letting go of those "if-onlys" in our lives. "For example, 'If only I met the right person, I would feel love; if only I met the right guru, I would be enlightened and I would feel whole'. We can't look to another person for wholeness. We have to do it, right here, right now."

And to start on that path, we were to chant to the Goddess Lakshmi. "And she's right here in this very room!" said Luke, pointing to the rather striking painting on the right wall. "The Goddess of love and abundance." And we laughed as Luke reminded us that a Yogi's concept of abundance is probably very different to that of the people who work on Wall Street! Then, turning inward as the sound of Luke's harmonium wafted through the room, we began to chant: "Om Shrim Maha Lakshmiyei Swaha."

Minds clear and spiritually ready for the movement portion of class, we warmed up in a upwards table top, engaging our kapalabhati breath to ignite the spark. The flow was fast and fierce, and we were all bathed in sweat in minutes despite the fans. We moved from Warriors 1 to 2, to “reverent,” to Triangle, to Pyramid and Extended Side Angle in a handful of heartbeats. And all the while, Luke reminded us where to focus our minds as our bodies worked: "Think of the breath as the most precious thing in the world."

When we repeated the standing sequence, we added binds, pausing in "goddess" pose to shimmy left and right with Garudasana (eagle) arms. We even added Gomukhasana arms to our standing sequence, reaching behind our backs for our fingers to really bring the shoulders into it. We practiced our balance in Tree, Dancer, Warrior 3 and Half Moon, challenging ourselves in the latter by grabbing the raised leg and trying to maintain the open chest and straight standing leg. And this dovetailed into something unexpected...

"This is the daredevil pose of our class," said Luke as he instructed us to try coming into Side Plank with one hand grabbing the ankle of the raised knee almost behind our backs. Some of us (okay, ME) stumbled to the mat with a laugh, and then we all rose to triumphant rock stars.

Coming down to the mat, we had a choice of an energetic Wheel, a Bridge with a block, or anything in between (i.e., half-wheel). "Use your intelligence to choose," advised Luke---meaning, if you need a restorative version, take it. Luke then showed me the perfect way to fold my blanket, in thirds, to prop myself up for a supine Pigeon.

Finally we took that same blanket and opened it up to hold our backs and shoulders as we reversed the flow of blood and prana in Shoulder Stand. After a few minutes of meditation where my mind remained astonishingly clear, Savasana was our reward.

I thanked Luke for a wonderful Lotus Hour, which had actually gone on for just over 75 minutes (bonus!). And then I listened with a smile as he stayed behind with another student, helping her find abundance by practicing the chant "Om Shrim Maha Lakshmiyei Swaha" once more.

Lotus Hour is $12 with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

It was a cozy group of eight on a Tuesday at Meg Carlough’s class at Namaste Yoga Center on the Upper West Side. Everyone in the room seemed to know each other including one student who said she’d been coming to Namaste Yoga for eight years.

Meg asked the group if we had any requests, with eager responses ranging from hip openers to shoulders to lower back.

With these varied requests in mind Meg settled us in with some Nadi Sodhana (alternate nostril breathing) then made sure we were all supplied with straps.

We began by taking the straps a little more than shoulder width apart and lifted the strap over our heads and around towards the lower back, then back over again. Meg invited us to hold in the place that felt uncomfortable for a couple of seconds to make the most of the stretch.

Still seated, we then took Gomukhasana arms, and for those having trouble catching their fingers, the straps were readily available. Anahatasana was next, but in this variation we placed our elbows onto the blocks and bringing our hands overhead into Anjali mudra we placed our thumbs between our shoulder blades and breathed into this deep shoulder stretch.

Coming onto all fours next we began rounds of Cat and Cow, tucking our toes under for Cow and lengthening them on the floor for Cat. Meg began playing some gentle chanting music while she lead us through a couple of gentle Sun Salutations starting with a knees, chest, chin variation, but then adding a couple more vigorous rounds with the option of Chaturanga and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana.

Moving onto standing poses, Warrior I, Warrior II and Peaceful Warrior were added into the mix. Meg advised us to get low especially in Warrior II and encouraged us to take a longer stance so we could get our thighs parallel with the ground. “Whatever your level try to find Satya [truth] in the pose. Find the challenge, but at the same time don’t hurt yourself.”

Parsvottanasana and Prasarita Paddottansana with a twist variation became part of our repertoire, as well as balancing in Vrksasana for a minute on each side. At one point, Meg also had us hold Dolphin in preparation for the Forearm Stands to come later.

Coming back down to the floor and focusing simultaneously on hips and shoulders as requested Meg had us hold full Gomukhasana with the arms. To transition from right leg on top to left leg on top Meg had us do a fancy spin-around move. “This never fails to delight me,” she said as we maneuvered to the other side, and some of us had to agree!

Bringing us all to the wall, Meg demonstrated L-shaped Forearm Stand, for which, after all the shoulder opening and stretching, Sleuth felt thoroughly warmed.  After holding the L-shaped Forearm Stand with feet on the wall for about a minute, Meg encouraged those of us who felt ready to turn around, our backs to the wall, and come into Forearm Stand. We could still use the wall but Meg encouraged us to move beyond the edge and our fear to try balancing in it.

Class finished up with Tarasana and Bridge pose. “Take the last minute to do whatever pose you’d like to do to finish up,” Meg said. As we settled into Savasana Meg gently chanted a pitch-perfect rendition of “Om Namah Shivaya.”

$20 per class drop-in.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

With the aroma of delicious vegan delights wafting from the café, Yoga Sleuth settled in at the spacious Krishna room of Jivamukti downtown, piano music playing softly as it heralded the arrival of Tamar Samir.

The presence of this experienced and highly regarded instructor immediately gave an added air of calm to the room of 14 yogis. Tamar thanked us for starting our day with her, and we immediately jumped into action with a set of rolling Vinyasas. But this was just a warm-up. We quickly returned to a seated position, legs in Baddha Konasana and sit bones propped on our blankets, for a little Dharma talk.

Tamar revealed to us Jivamukti’s Focus of the Month, from Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: "Heyam Dukham Anagatam", which means that “future suffering is to be avoided.”

“We’re not in control of the present,” said Tamar. “Because everything happening in the present has already been determined by our past actions. We can’t really change it, we can only change the way that we deal with it. But we can change our future, shape our future to be what we want it to be, through the actions of the present.”

With this in mind we embarked on an extended session of the Jivamukti staple: devotional chanting. “Through this mantra, through this chant, the intention is to spread peace, love, joy, auspiciousness, tranquility, harmony, to all aspects of the universe through everyone and everything, including ourselves.”

We came to stand in Tadasana at the front of our mats. “Feel yourself extending in two directions,” said Tamar. “Pressing down through the feet and up through the spine. Breathe deeply and make that sound audible.”  Soon the room was awash with the sound of Ujjayi breath as we reached our prayers to the heavens and then folded into Uttanasana.

“We go very fast in this class,” said Tamar, “so take a break whenever you feel the need.” And this was not hyperbole; the Sun Salution A and B portions of class were the quickest paced sequences I’ve experienced for some time. In Surya Namaskar A we stayed one breath in plank, one breath in Chaturanga, one breath in Up Dog, alternating the latter with “knees chest and chin” and Cobra.

We only slowed it down for five breaths roughly every third Down Dog. In Surya B we stayed for a nanosecond in Virabhadrasana I before opening into Warrior II, then going immediately into a reverent warrior and Parsvakonasa. 

In the latter Tamar was not shy about pulling my torso and pressing on my bent knee to get me into my best expression of the pose. She did the same later as we went into Flying Crow prep; as I crossed my right ankle over my bent knee, she stood behind me and had me literally use her knees as a seat, releasing me finally so I could soar into my Eka Pada Galavasana.

In Ardha Matsyendrasana she was with me as well, assisting me to make sure I was keeping my spine straight and distributing the twist evenly, and that my front foot was properly grounded. In Paschimottanasana, Tamar suggested that we put blocks against our heels and grab on to them if we could, which kept our fleet flexing and allowed for maximum stretch of the hamstring.

From here we dipped into the Ashtanga playbook, challenging our soaked but energized bodies in Marichyasana A. Though not generally a “binder,” I found after the work we had done I was coming very close to joining my fingers behind my wrapped leg and thigh. Then we came down to the mat for 3 intense wheels. Tamar suggested we turn our heels outwards to keep our knees and toes from splaying out, thus bringing our feet into a parallel position.

Shoulderstand was followed by a foray into fish, and a climactic headstand spilled right into a lengthy Savasana, where we well lulled into yogic sleep by the strains of the poignant Jack Johnson version of “Imagine.” Rising once more we sat in Sukhasana for meditation before sealing our practice with a reprise of our chanting.

As I was putting my props away, I spied Tamar staying “after school” to give an eager student some help with her headstand practice. I smiled at the thought that Tamar was giving of herself by bringing her auspiciousness and wisdom to one who needed it.

1 hr 35-minute classes at Jivamukti are $20 drop-in with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

With one day left in the work week, Yoga Sleuth had only one thing on his mind: Proper Alignment! So I headed up to NY Loves Yoga on the Upper West Side for a challenging and enlightening late night tutorial with a true expert, Alexa Klein.

NY Loves Yoga can boast one of the cheeriest and prettiest spaces in the Yoga community. A disco ball hangs from its sun-colored welcome sign, and steps surrounded by greenery take you down to a warm orange-colored studio filled with elegant pillars, abutted by a backyard garden. And when I ask for a rental mat, the karmi (volunteer karma yogi) asks me my choice of thickness and even color!  

I was greeted by an enthusiastic Alexa, who asked me about my injuries and concerns. I mentioned my recent pulled hamstring and Alexa made sure I was careful in every pose that might effect it, from Triangle to Down Dog. Alexa would be putting us through our paces in classic Asanas, but in this Iyengar-influenced class the catch-word would be focus.

We would be in each posture for a lengthy stay, exploring what each of our limbs was doing and how they felt with every movement. What makes our calves quiver? What side of the foot is holding the weight? What happens to the standing leg when we lift the other in a balance posture? "When you're in the pose, be interested in those things," urged Alexa.

After sitting for a spell in Sukhasana on two blankets, we pressed our palms into the floor behind us to part our shoulders and open our chests. Then it was right to the wall, mats in tow, for what would prove to be an unexpectedly intense child's pose. We placed our hands flat on the blocks; first on the low setting, then the middle, then the highest. The muscles in our arms and shoulders burned as they worked to stay straight with each successive increase of challenge.  

"Thank goodness there isn't a fourth block height," quipped one student.

"We do have chairs!" laughed Alexa. "But we won't go there!"

We progressed from there to Down Dog, our heels pressed into the wall behind us. Alexa had us experiment with positioning our palms outward and our legs the width of the mat. We followed with a Tree Pose against the wall, examining the actions of the standing foot. Mine tried to lean inward.

"Open your inner knee to the outer knee," said Alexa, "and zip it up!" We practiced for long stints on both sides, really feeling the difference when we truly concentrated on what our lower bodies were doing.

We continued the workshopping through Warrior II, Extended Side Angle, Half Moon Pose and Warrior III. Alexa demoed each and every Asana in entirety, and if we had trouble remembering, came over and put us right where we needed to be. In Ardha Chandrasana I pressed my back foot against the wall so I could worry less about balance and more about what my standing leg was doing, and found strength and stability I didn't know I had.

Our climactic pose was a heavily propped shoulder stand. Alexa had us take three blankets and fold our mat over them (a "blanket burrito" as I like to call them). Then we placed the invention against the wall with two blocks for our hands to grab onto.

We pulled ourselves up with our shoulders on the burrito, heads on the floor and soles against the wall. We experimented with one leg, then the other, then blossomed into fully straight, but fully restorative Salamba Sarvangasanas.

And with that we slid off our blanket burritos and slipped into Savasana, our legs in Sukhasana to mirror the way we began. "You're gonna feel it tomorrow!" Alexa promised, and I thanked her for taking my practice, and my understanding of it, to a whole new level.

Classes at NyLovesYoga are $20 drop-in with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

On a muggy Saturday afternoon, Yoga Sleuth headed east to Dharma Mittra Yoga Center.  I walked up the stairs to the bright and cheerful studio and signed up for an hour of practice with Chie Yamanaka, a beautiful and kind teacher.  She didn’t want us to waste anytime because there was a lot to fit into an hour! Chie immediately welcomed everyone into the space, so we could begin.

We took a comfortable seated position with our eyes closed to start. Chie instructed us to connect with our breath, by inhaling up and exhaling down, feeling each breath move through us.  After a few minutes of this meditative breathing, we brought our hands into prayer in front of our hearts and chanted OM three times to begin our practice.  

Cracking open our eyes we rose to stand at the front of our mats. Chie encouraged us to "find our Tadasana," to ground down into the earth and close our eyes once again, reminding us to feel the earth and breath. After another moment we opened our eyes.  The sun was shining into the room and there was a brightness, a feeling of community and warmth as we began to move into a variation of Surya Namaskar A.  

Chie had us reach our prayer to the sky and create a slight backbend, then dive forward and down. We stepped our right foot back and dropped our knee, once again reaching our prayer up and finding a slight backbend, moving next to Plank, dropping our knees and came forward into a Baby Cobra.  We switched to the other side and then repeated the sequence once more.  

Chie was careful to walk around the room and help students really find the full expression of the pose by moving their shoulders back and reminding them of their breath.  Her adjustments were subtle, yet effective.

Next, we folded over into Uttanasana and reached behind to our calves to get a deeper stretch.  Chie encouraged me to bend my knees and lay my chest down onto my thighs.  She then placed her hand on my back to move me deeper into the forward bend.  I felt very connected to my breath and the simple adjustment.  

We continued on with another variation of Surya A, this time taking a twist as we knelt down. Chie showed us several variations, demonstrating how the pose could work with anyone’s body.  When she came to me and helped line up my arms,  I had an “ah ha” moment feeling the difference her adjustment made.  I didn’t need to push myself to twist so hard.  

After a few rounds of this variation we moved from Warrior I to Warrrior II to Parsvakonasana down to Lizard Pose and back up to Warrior II.  We had the option of taking a vinyasa or stepping into Down Dog between sides.  We were building a lot of heat, but the class was not centered around Chaturangas; it was more about flowing with smooth transitions on the breath.  

Soon enough we found ourselves back at the front of our mats for Vrksasana (tree pose).  Again, Chie gave us several options for the pose.

After balancing on each side, we came into a squatting position in the middle of our mats.  Chie cheered everyone on as we played in Bakasana (crow pose) and gave us pointers on how to hug our legs in toward our arms for support.  Taking a break, we came to child’s pose and re-connected with our breath.  

Once again we came back to Tadasana at the front of our mat, sitting into Utkatasana (chair pose) several times.  Chie asked us to think about our imaginary chair - “sit down, but lift your heart up!” she encouraged.  

We made it back to the floor and did several rounds of Dhanurasana and then came to sit on our heels.  We prepared for Sirsasana, opening our shoulders with Gomukhasana arms. Chie demonstrated headstand in the middle of the room and told us we could use the wall if we felt more secure there or she would be happy to assist us getting up.  Chie’s voice was kind and playful as we came into our poses.  

After resting for a few breaths, we found ourselves in Tadasana once again.  We slowly squatted down and then rolled back into Shoulder Stand!  It was a fun and definitely different way to come into the pose.  Chie continued to walk around the room and make slight adjustments to everyone’s poses to help us get more from them.  

We finished with one last twist and then melted into our mats for Savasana.  After just a few minutes, we came back up to sit with our eyes closed and continued on with several minutes of opposite nostril breathing.

Chie gave step by step instructions for the pranayama.  My breath felt long and deep and I felt calm and focused after the challenging asana sequences.  We closed the practice with OM shanti, shanti, shanti, Namaste.  

It was a beautiful hour, lead by a sweet and bright teacher.  To top it off, the class only cost $12.  You really can’t beat that!

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Amanda Zapanta asked us to grab a bolster, two blocks and a blanket before we got settled into her Monday morning class. Yoga Sleuth was preparing for a playful, yet rigorous and alignment-focused vinyasa class at Greenhouse Holistic’s Driggs Avenue location in Brooklyn.

We began class lying down in Supta Padangusthasana, holding the big toe or our shins. Amanda had us take our toe down toward the floor, but encouraged us at the same time to take the foot up toward our head. Bringing the foot back to center we switched hands and took the leg across the body into a releasing spinal twist.

Amanda reminded us we could stay here, while offering a deeper version of bending the bottom leg and taking hold of the foot while holding onto the top outstretched leg.

Letting go of the twist, we then rolled onto our bellies and came up into a backbending Salabhasana, which Amanda also jokingly referred to as “Superman.” We then brought our hands to the floor and pushed into a Down Dog Split. The sequence continued with opening up our hips, flipping over into “Rock Star”, lowering into Marichyasana B, then bending our knees and scooping up our shins with our arms and laying down into a supine Pigeon shape before switching sides.

And that was just the warm-up to Amanda’s creative and demanding class.

In the next sequence we moved from a low lunge twist up to balancing in Ardha Chandrasana. Following that we glided from Warrior I to folding forward into Devotional Warrior, then shifting our torsos half way up we turned our torsos into a Revolved Triangle with hands still interlaced. We came back into Warrior II, to Peaceful Warrior and then Amanda gave the option of doing a core-engaging one-legged Vinyasa.

Amanda’s experience as a professional dancer and Thai Bodyworker helped inform her challenging sequencing and attention to body alignment as we flowed through.

Progressively building on her standing sequence, Amanda added Parsvottanasana, Prasarita Padottanasana (with options to twist or take Sirsasana B) into Goddess pose with Gomukhasana arms.

Moving onto balancing poses from Utkatasana we brought our right ankle above our left knee, bending our upper bodies forward and, for those who were capable, scooped up our shins we came into a standing Pigeon shape. From the stretch in our outer hip we had the option to move into Vrksasana or a standing Baddha Ardha Padmasana. For those bound, we let go of the bind and bent our knees into our chest, then extended the leg out for a short, but endurance-building hold before we were allowed to release into Tadasana.

Amanda brought the energy of the class down to a cooling pace with a Pigeon, Crescent Lunge, Trianga Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana (a half Hanumanasana shape) and Janu Sirsasana.

In closing we utilized all of our props for a restorative Supta Sukhasana. Putting two blankets horizontally under the vertical bolster we used the blocks to support our crossed knees in reclined Sukhasana.  This was a dreamy end to a stimulating class.

Bringing the bolster out from under us we rested in Savasana. Continuing the restorative theme, Amanda had us reuse our bolsters as we twisted to our right placing the bolster under the left leg and rested for a few moments.

“Imagine a time when you were a lot younger when you felt free to be yourself,” Amanda suggested, which threw me back in time. Returning to the present I was reminded how taking yoga classes such as Amanda’s are the moments during which I’ve felt the most free, the most connected to myself.

$18 per drop-in class, mat rental $1.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

“Happy holidays,” Yoga Sleuth was greeted at the front door of the Upper East Side location of Pure Yoga, where practice takes place in below-ground, low-lit, womb-like spaces. In Studio 1, fifty Manduka mats awaited the students, each topped with a Hugger Mugger block. Within moments, each and every space was filled.

“These are the most traumatic of holidays,” Marco greeted the class jovially. The antidote to the family stress on tap? Alignment. Finding it would help transcend reality.

Marco played soft chants in the background, as his vibrant personality came to the fore. Students moved through the warm-up—a seated heart-opener supported by hands grounded on the mat, followed by a flowy cat/cow into downward dog sequence—paying rapt attention to his message: “Listen to your heart.” It is forgiveness, he explained, that allows one to move forward.

To cross that metaphorical bridge, there is literally the breath, long, strong and smooth. Building rhythm by stretching from small cobra to full cobra to upward dog—the pose Marco called a combination of the two—hearts began to open toward the intention of the lesson. Inverting downward dog (first into a three-limbed chest opener, then later into optional Urdhva Dhanurasanas) accentuated the feeling.

Moving into Surya Namaskara B, a sequence that encompasses 17 poses, as Marco informed the class, the connection between the heart and the hips became clear. Winding down a long hold of devotional warrior, Marco urged the class onward: only three more breaths, only one more. Next came a combination of eagle legs and gomukhasana arms, in which Sleuth benefitted from a subtle yet enlightening adjustment of the distance from chest to forearm.

In the midst of the full Utthita Hasta Padagusthasana series, Marco’s presence in the room was intensely felt. Students, tired from a long stretch of standing poses, made a concerted effort to hold legs aloft in Utthita 4, moving chin toward shin.

Backbending, from Salabhasana into Dhanurasana (plus a crossed-shin variation on each side) into three Urdhva Dhanurasanas, wound into a repeat of the Padagusthasana series on the back. For those still wary of the day to come, Marco advised a “not very happy baby” pose, on the way into gentle twisting toward Savasana.

When the lights came up, students lingered, content to pause before heading, open hearted, into the waiting day.

Classes at Pure Yoga are by membership, or a $30 drop in.

-Denise Roy for Yoga Sleuth

One lovely fall Sunday I spent 90 minutes at the Iyengar Institute in Chelsea with Bobby Clennell, a highly respected teacher in the lineage.

Inspired by Geeta Iyengar, Bobby is best known for her classes geared towards women.  Her regular schedule includes a Women’s Yoga class, Yoga for Breast Health (for patients and survivors of breast cancer), and Prenatal Yoga.  This was my first experience at the Institute, which you’ll note isn’t your cozy neighborhood studio, but a contemporary space fit for both practice and study.  

If you’ve never taken an Iyengar class the infinite amount of props, and what can be done with them will astound you.  So when Bobby asked the four of us to come into Supta Virasana right after the Oms, my knees and swollen legs were glad when she started talking props.

Turns out this week's class was all restorative so this Supta Virasana was supported by bolsters, blocks and blankets à la the Iyengar way.  Of course, the positioning of the props was quite sophisticated and were adjusted to accommodate for body-type, experience level, and trimester.

The majority of the six restorative postures opened and lifted the heart and were punctuated by Dandasana.  For this third trimester Yogi, the postures spread the ribs and created more space in the torso that can feel crowded and pulled.   

In one such pose, Bobby cued us to “drop your consciousness down from your head and into your heart.”  To help with the transition, she introduced a guided Pranyama exercise as we held our position for a few minutes.

She used the image of the goddess to help us extend our breathing capacity (insert light, divinity, whatever makes you comfortable).

“Inhale the goddess moves towards you, at the top of the breath the goddess holds you, as you exhale you follow the goddess, and at the bottom of the exhale you become one with the goddess.”

She encouraged us throughout class to bring our consciousness inward and down into the chest.  She even spoke about the Bhagavad Gita explaining that the battle Arjuna faces is “ultimately a battle between the head and the heart.”  

The Iyengar prenatal class was quite a different experience to other classes I’ve taken.  Bobby focused on the alignment and anatomy as Iyengar’s do, infusing the class with philosophical elements and poetic language (which sound even better in her native British accent).

She reminded us how important restorative postures are to pregnancy and how it’s a wonderful time to cultivate the sixth limb of Yoga; Dharana, or concentration and focus. It’s the place where we can draw inward and look inside for the answers and she assured us, “they are all there.”  

There was no music or massage-like adjustments.  The creativity was in the sequence of poses and in the use of props to help the body and mind sink deeper.  I left the class feeling extremely oxygenated and went to bed dreaming of quarter-rounds and bolsters, imagining what an Iyengar designed delivery room would look like.

I also thought of something Bobby said in class, that pregnancy is a deeply creative act and an ongoing work of art.  I found comfort in those words reminded that just like a yoga practice, motherhood doesn’t happen in the short term.  I actually awoke the next day a bit sore, but ready to see what she does next Sunday with standing poses.  

$22 dollar drop-ins, mats provided.

--Sara Hubbs for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth was itching to move and get inspired in the middle of the day, so I headed over to Jivamukti Yoga Center for a Spiritual Warrior one-hour class.

Mimi Adelsbach is a bright and cheerful woman, with a welcoming tone of voice, who created an instant level of comfort upon entering the room. She smiled at everyone and began by asking us to come into Downward Facing Dog. We held the pose for fifteen breaths as Mimi counted each inhalation and exhalation.  

Slowly we moved to Uttanasana for another fifteen breaths, opening our hamstrings and relaxing our necks and then we squatted down to sit. We stretched our legs out and then twisted from side to side while Mimi counted our breaths: “inhale, exhale one, inhale, exhale two...” she guided us.

Finding our way to Tadasana, we stretched our arms over our heads and moved from side to side. I could feel my body slowly opening up with each breath. We gently brought our hands into a prayer in front of our hearts and closed our eyes.  After a few silent breaths, we chanted OM.  

As soon as we opened our eyes Mimi sent us to the wall for handstand practice!

My body wasn’t quite ready for an inversion, so I went for L Shaped Handstand Mimi gave as an option.  After a few tries flying upside down we found Tadasana at the front of our mats once again and began to really move: three rounds of Surya Namaskar A, two variations that included a slight back bend, Baby Cobra and an extra Down Dog.

We were moving very quickly on the breath, so my body was rapidly heating up.  We continued to go go go onto Surya Namaskar B and Warrior I to Warrior II to Trikonasana to Warrior II to Parsvakonasana.

There was just enough time to find the pose before moving on to the next. Mimi continued to count every breath and make her way around the room to give lots of hands on adjustments.  In Warrior II, she gently pressed her hands down on my shoulders to relax them and then literally got on her knees to press my thighs back and open my hips more, bringing me even deeper into the pose.

As our final standing pose we made our way into Parsvottanasana and then to the floor for Ardha Matsyendrasana.  Again, Mimi helped students by physically moving them deeper into the pose.  As she was working with the student next to me, she had him breathe with her, as he twisted more and more.

We didn’t sit for too long though. Crossing our ankles, we lifted our legs into Lolasana and jumped back (or stepped!) into Chaturanga. Recommitting to the floor, we flipped onto our stomachs for the back bending portion of class, which included Salabhasana, Dhanurasana and three rounds of bridge or wheel.  Sweating, I hugged my knees into my chest for five full breaths.

Next Mimi had us rock up to sit for forward bends. Pachimottanasana, Janu Sirsasana, Baddha Konasana and ankle to knee, folded and stretched us. Again, with her calm voice Mimi called out each breath and made sure to help anyone in need of assistance.

Seated bends were followed by shoulder stand.  We could use any props that we desired and if the pose was new to us, Mimi offered to help get us into the it.  She turned off the lights and lit a candle in the center of the room as we set up into the pose. The soft glow slowed the pace of the class as I closed my eyes in shoulder stand, feeling calm and centered.

After waves of breath we slowly came down into Halasana and then Matsyasana.  The last inversion was Sirasana, headstand.  We were welcome to use the wall for balance or stay and practice in the middle of the room.  Again I closed my eyes and absorbed the benefits of the pose.

We stayed upside down for at least five minutes before taking a child’s pose, preparing for Savasana. The class ended with the unified chanting of OM and a bow of Namaste.

In the hour, the class moved quickly from pose to pose, perfect for the intermediate student who has a strong practice. Mimi made a point of counting each breath and physically adjusting all of the students around the room.  Everyone got LOTS of attention.  Mimi leads a fun class and it’s definitely worth checking out during your lunch break!

One-hour Spiritual Warrior classes are $13, mat rental $2.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Though it was the first week of fall, summer was back with a vengeance. Yoga Sleuth decided to make use of the hot afternoon to fire up his practice at Carroll Gardens’ Area Yoga, where Merav Ben Horin was ready to bring the power.

Area Yoga had moved into its new home at 389 Court Street only days before. I took in the fresh newness of the white lobby, which is filled with books and Yogi wear for sale. The helpful Karmi directed me to the brown wooden spiral staircase that led to the sun-filled and high-ceilinged studio, which was nearly at capacity.

Merav welcomed us all, and miraculously “parted the mats” to make plenty of space for the newcomers. When everyone was settled she asked us to sit in Virasana, suggesting we sit on a block for ease at this earliest stage of our practice. “Take a moment to arrive, to ground,” said Merav. “Start sending the breath to every single part of your being.” We came to our hands and knees for Cat and Cow to warm up the spine, flexing our feet to stretch them after that lengthy stint in Hero’s pose.

Merav is very diligent as a teacher, making sure that every move we make is dictated by the breath, and that the breath is always the focus.

“Let the breath initiate and inspire the movement,” coached Merav. “Take the whole inhalation to arch, and the whole exhalation to round.” Coming back to neutral we took the right arm to the ceiling for a twist, then threaded it underneath as we pressed its shoulder to the mat, our muscles already getting loose in the afternoon heat as we transitioned to our first Down Dog.

“From fingertips to heels, find the sense of lifting up and back. Let the breath be the only thing that moves now.” After three breaths we began alternating between Plank, Chaturanga and Down Dog. “Squeeze the upper arms towards one another in the transition,” reminded Merav. “Super-slowly move back into Down Dog—take the whole exhalation to get there.”

Upon completion of this sequence Merav asked us to walk our hands towards our feet. She had to repeat the direction three times, with a good-natured laugh, as half the class was instinctively doing the opposite. But, as always, a mistake makes for a good lesson.

“It’s so hard to break old habits,” she acknowledged as we held onto our elbows in Uttanasana. “Part of bringing our full awareness to the moment, to what’s going on right now in our body and our breath, is opening the ears and the eyes to whatever might come. So we don’t just do what we’re used to doing, simply because it’s our regular pattern.”

Merav is an energetic, upbeat presence. Her cues come fast and detailed in every pose, guiding every minute movement of our bodies. She kept a watchful eye on our transitions at all times. “In the transition from Chaturanga to Up Dog to Down Dog, you don’t want to let your thighs touch the mat,” she instructed.

We did nearly every pose in the playbook in our standing sequence. From Parsvotanasana, to all variations of warrior; from extended side angle to Ardha Chandrasana (both regular and revolved). In a “twist,” we were challenged with Revolved Triangle before we did the normal version, making the latter almost feel like a resting pose!  

After forays into Lizard and Tree, we brought the strength and balance learned from those poses to an adventure in Eka Pada Koundiyanasana. “Start extending your right leg forward and to the side until your left leg comes off the mat,” said Merav. “Think ‘Chaturanga’ in your arms and in your chest.” Merav suggested we place a block under the back leg for support: “That will take care of that back leg so you can focus on the front.” And sure enough, soon I was “flying”!

Invigorated, we came to Malasana in preparation for a workshop on Bakasana, Crow pose, Merav offering us plenty of time to play with the transition to a Tripod Headstand. Next we came to the wall to try out our Handstands and Forearm Stands. Merav suggested utilizing that trusty block in the latter to get the position of our shoulders and elbows just right.

The air began to get breezier at this point, just in time for our closing cool down. We topped things off with a Bridge that blossomed into a full Wheel, after which we rewarded ourselves with a healing Pigeon followed by Janu Sirsasana, Paschimottanasa and juicy supine twists.

Our Savasana was one of the most well-earned I’ve experienced in a while, and with “namastes” all around we bounded blissfully into the extra day of summer revitalized in body, mind and spirit.

Classes at Area Yoga are $10 with a $1 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

After rushing through Friday crowds on an especially sticky day, and completely sweating through my maternity pants, I arrived to the cool, dimly lit Ishta Yoga downtown studio for their prenatal class. I descended the staircase to the Shakti Studio where I sat silently in the hallway to gather my thoughts and dry out.  

The studio door opened and out of the darkened space an older gentleman emerged, stared straight at me, and let out a “WHEEEW”!  Gina Menza glanced at my belly and said, “Well, that’s your first birthing class, pushed out into the bright lights!” I laughed at her quick wit and also at a related Benjamin Button joke that had popped into my head.

No doubt Gina’s sense of humor and engaging personality hooks you from the moment you step into her class, but her appeal as a teacher runs deep. Drawing from her understanding of anatomy and personal experience of pregnancy and motherhood, Gina shares it all in order to customize the experience for each Mama, regardless of trimester.

On this particular Friday, the class was very personalized –just Gina, myself, and a 200-hour teacher trainee observing a pregnant body in motion. Gina began with the essentials: how many weeks, how was the pregnancy going, any injuries or concerns? Confessing my SI Joint issues and the nightly bonfire I feel in my hips, she used the full-sized skeleton to explain how the bones shift during pregnancy and how the extra weight fans the fire.

Starting from that point, I came to hands and knees with a wide stance, and circled the hips to loosen the area. We then moved into a series of push-ups, executed on the breath, performing three variations including one rounding the lower back to a Child’s Pose and then adding a small heart opener from Vajrasana.  

Gina was down on hands and knees to peer under my belly and watch the working abs, checking for the bulge (diastasis) and making sure I was leaving plenty of room for the baby.

After a little more warm-up, we moved into a heating sequence starting with Warrior II, moving between modified Extended Side Angle and Peaceful Warrior, and holding each pose at the end for a few breaths. Transitioning into Prasarita Padottanasana, I twisted with one hand to the mat and the other reaching out to the side and up to the ceiling, while Gina skillfully adjusted the pose to deepen the opening in the chest and shoulders that most Mamas need.

Then came the squatting, a mainstay of all pre-natal classes. To my delight, instead of saying the ‘K’ word (which, when I haven’t done them, reminds me of that guilty feeling I get when I haven’t flossed between dental visits) she referenced the pelvic floor and the energetic lift of Mula Bandha and the role of the breath in that engagement.   

In pregnant women, the center of gravity shifts with the seasons, so the balancing poses were performed against the wall with props for stability. Trikonasana was stabilized with the forearm resting on a block at the shin, while Ardha Chandrasana and Warrior III challenged my muscles.

Gina gave me options and adjustments to account for any discomfort in that SI Joint. For further strengthening of the legs, she timed me as I sat with my back against the wall in Utkatasana, focusing on the breath and the physical sensations to prepare me to stay with whatever feelings arise in labor. Talk about mind-body connection!

The cool down felt great, and included more stretching and a round of Sitale breath, rolling the tongue like a taco to cool the air from the mouth down deep into the lungs.  Then sitting quietly for a few minutes in Sukhasana, Gina said, “It’s never too early to teach your child that it’s ok to sit and do nothing.”   

I moved back to my mat where she had already arranged bolsters and blocks for a Supta Baddha Konasana with the back raised. With only a flicker of the candles, I lay back in the darkened room and let the silence inspire me to do nothing, a lesson not limited to the pre-natal yogi.

Drop-ins are $22, regular class cards can be used for pre-natal classes.

--Sara Hubbs for Yoga Sleuth

Holly began telling us a story, in her exuberant way, that she remembered a time when she was living in Boulder, Colorado during the summer. She would watch the leaves start to change color as fall approached and would feel a certain angst and sadness that summer was coming to an end.  But what our practice teaches us, she continued, is to have a trust and a reassurance that it’s going to work out.

Holly pointed to the Shiva statue at the front of Vira Yoga’s spacious loft. “That’s why Shiva has this tranquil look on his face. Even when it gets dark he has a trust that things will change again. Just like I can understand that summer will become fall then winter but then it will be spring summer again.”

Holly invited to have that kind of trust with our practice.

After taking note of all the names in the room she took us to the wall for some intense shoulder stretches beginning with Anahatasana. Then putting our wrists a little above shoulder height we turned our bodies to the front of the room.

Then we did a little dance.

Keeping our wrists at the wall we turned under our arms around to the other side and then back the other way. Sleuth has pretty open shoulders but was starting to feel the intensity of the stretch already. We then came into Tadasana a little less than leg’s distance away from the wall and put our arms into an Urdhva Dhanurasana position against the wall.

Coming back to the center of the room we took some standing poses such as Trikonasana and Baddha Parsva Konasana and a Lunge Twist. As Holly offered astute and careful alignment suggestions for each person she noted how much more accessible these poses seemed after all the work we’d done at the wall.

Practicing Dolphin and Pincha Mayurasana prepared us for a more unusual version of Forearm Stand. Inviting us to partner up for this variation, Holly had us frame our hands around a block with our palms facing up and have our partners on hand to spot us. As well as finding this a refreshing version of Forearm Stand, it also seemed to Sleuth’s surprise an easier version once I got into the pose as my forearms seemed more locked in.

We then began a deliciously difficult and effective exercise for the rotator cuffs. Coming onto all fours and holding a block between our hands and keeping our elbows together we propped them on top of another block then tucked our head between our arms while trying to keep our elbows together. Then we let go of the block that we were holding but the key component was to keep our hands apart in the same position and not let them clap together as we let the block go.

Easier said than done. The whole room burst into amazed laughter as we all realized our hands immediately clapped together when we let the block go.

“I have seen people who are so strong they can keep their hands just where they are,” Holly said to our astonishment.

To finish off this intense shoulder strengthening and stretching class, Holly took us to the wall again for variations of Urdhva Dhanurasana. With blocks against the wall we tried to keep the chest as close to the wall as possible as we came up into the pose. We also took a variation of Dwi Pada Viparita Dhandasana again trying to keep the chest as closely aligned to the wall as possible.

To end, Holly gave us hard-worked athletic types the option of winding down in Viparita Karani to rest, meditating there or coming up to meditate, sitting tall. shoulders back, in Sukhasana.

Drop-ins are $20; $2 mat rental.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

After a summer that was more "Ow" than "Om," Yoga Sleuth decided it was time for a showdown with his unstable SI joint and his pesky piriformis. I would do battle at the effervescent OmFactory studio under the expert instruction of Yoga Tune-Up practitioner and Reiki Master Kyoko Jasper.  

Yoga Tune-Up is a trademarked series of movements and self-massage techniques created by Jill Miller, and has practitioners like Kyoko to spread the word that pain has a remedy right on your mat.  And sure enough, amid the usual blocks, blankets and straps, I spied a set of custom tune-up massage balls waiting for each of us.

"We're working on our hips today!" announced Kyoko upon my greeting. This was kirtan music to my ears, and to the other students who all professed to flexor, IT band, sacro-ilial and piriformis issues. After the traditional Om, we eschewed Sun Salutations and Chaturangas, and instead placed a tune-up ball on either side of our sacrums as we laid down in a supine position with our knees bent.

"Turn your left knee out as you would in tree pose," said Kyoko. "So you have external rotation in that leg. Keep the right leg bent. Roll over the ball side by side and up and down, and locate the muscle called the piriformis."

I of course was "painfully" aware of its whereabouts, and sure enough, we all found this hot spot extremely tender.

As this was exactly the spot I was looking to conquer, I was amazed as intense pain gave way to a sense of release as I worked up and down deeply, allowing the ball to take the weight. "This is so deep, it's difficult for even massage therapists to get to," said Kyoko. I nodded (and "aahed") in agreement.

"This is what you need after a week of a thousand Warrior ones," added Kyoko as we rolled along, bicycling our legs as we worked the ball deeper into our gluteus maximus, minumus, and everything in between.

"And remember, no part of the body is in isolation." Kyoko reminded us that just as there is a mind-body connection, so are all the muscles in the body connected, by way of the fascia (or "fuzz!" as Kyoko affectionately refers to it). So even though we were working specifically on the hip area, she explained, after doing these exercises regularly we might begin to feel a difference in other parts of the body, for example our necks and shoulders.  

"Come onto the side body and locate the top of the femur bone," said Kyoko. We positioned the ball at the greater trochanter and kneaded the entire thigh, down the IT band towards the patella (yes--in addition to a great yogic massage, Kyoko was providing a crash course in anatomy as well!). I was amazed at just how much soreness was melting away, all thanks to a simple ball I used to smack with a stick in the street as a kid.

Finally we completed the blissful cycle by resting prone, with the ball at the muscle that helps stabilize the hip and knee joints--our tensor fascia lata. "Sounds like a Starbucks drink!" quipped Kyoko. As I worked the ball into this most tender spot Kyoko advised us to breathe deep, and I felt an array of emotions pour out along with the physical tightness.

Rising to our feet, we stood in Tadasana as Kyoko advised us to breathe and feel the benefits of the work we had done. I felt very loose and relaxed, and ready to try the next movement--one that would make John Cleese of Monty Python proud.

"We are going to do a Monk walk," announced Kyoko. This would essentially be a moving lunge---we put one leg straight out, then bent the knee and planted it while the other bent behind it---a silly walk, but a therapeutic one as well. We "raced" each other to the windows in our Monk walks, and then turned and headed back to the other side of the studio.  

We were rewarded for our hard work when we came to a supine position once more and looped our feet into straps, preparing for a series of incredibly juicy triangles on the floor. Kyoko came to each and every one of us, already knowing all of us by name, asking if we were ok, and giving suggestions and hands-on adjustments to afford us maximum expression and, indeed, enjoyment in every pose.  

As I stretched in my supine twisted triangle, she suggested I avail myself of a nearby column to press my raised foot into, while pressing my back foot into the far wall. With an exhale, I relaxed into my deepest expression.

After forward folding in a reverent Gomukasana, we brought our legs up the wall to reverse the direction of the blood and prana cycling through our body. At Kyoko's invite I stayed in this position for my very blissful savasana.

Packing up after class, I felt amazing. I thanked Kyoko for singlehandedly taking down my SI/Pirifomis dynamic duo, and set out in search of a pair of tune-up balls to keep pain at bay in the future. Kyoko and the Tune-Up sequence are both highly recommended as the perfect supplement to a week of hard work both on and off the mat.

Classes at OmFactory are $18, 75 minutes and over; $15 for 60-minute classes.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

The studio at Hari NYC is intimate space, painted a snug shade of blue with a white tree of life mural painted on the west side of the room. White curtains line the windows and plenty of plants make it an inviting space to relax in.

It has such a warm, welcoming vibe that when it was time to start class we were reluctant to leave the space at the front desk where we’d been hanging out and chatting with our genial teacher, Sarah Bernier. But we had to get to work on a kriya to create a disease free body.

After tuning us in with the Adi Mantra and leading us through some Sitali Pranayama to cool down on the stuffy September day and a few warmup exercises, Sarah, (also an actress and co-founder of Relax Already, a business that takes Kundalini into the corporate world) talked a little about fear.

Sarah observed that as yogis, while it was good to be aware of what was going on, it was also important not to be so gripped by fear that we couldn’t go about our daily lives. She encouraged us to think about that in our practice.

Beginning by lying on our backs with our hands under our necks we jumped our hips around to the left and right and up and down. After a short period of time we added breath of fire into the mix. We then did double leg lifts (single leg lifts for those on their cycle) with our hands over our heart center while inhaling through our noses and exhaling through our mouths.

Remaining on our backs we kept our legs up at ninety degrees. Sarah offered the option to go to the wall for Viparita Karani if we wanted wall support. While holding this position we chanted along to Sada Sat Kaur’s “Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung” the healing mantra that could be translated to “Sun, Moon, Earth, Infinity. I am the infinity of that infinity.” It made the time pass faster as the positions got more challenging.

Continuing to chant and keeping our legs at ninety degrees we began criss-crossing our legs for several minutes. Still on our backs we did some alternate leg lifts.

Finally getting some reprieve from naval point work and after a short Savasana rest we came back up to sitting and began criss-crossing our arms, this time while chanting along to “Wahe Guru” the mantra of ecstasy. Following this exercise with our hands on our shoulders we twisted left and right, inhaling through our noses and exhaling through our mouths.

Coming onto our backs once again we brought our knees into our chest then lengthened our them onto the floor, repeating this several times before getting our blissful Savasana rest. “Meditate on the heavens, beauty and excellence,” Sarah told us as began our final pose.

The post-Savasana meditation was “Eck Ong Kar Sat Gur Prasad” meaning “There is one creator, truth through Guru’s grace.” With our hands held out in a cupped position, elbows at our sides we chanted for eleven minutes before closing with “Long Time Sun.”

Our cozy community was reunited to drink the spicy yogi tea that is served at the end of class as well snacks of gluten-free ginger snaps, macadamia nuts and pretzels.

Drop-in classes are $15; donation for mat rental.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth heard that Amanda Capobianco knows how to pack in a room of yogis, and was not disappointed the Saturday morning we popped in to check out her class. With 28 students making a mess of the space, our mats set up in disarray, Amanda helped to make room to accommodate everyone who showed up for class.

When we all found some order and Amanda her seat at the front of the room, there was enough space to fit one more, to which she said, “That’s for the spirit.”

Guiding us through meditation to help quiet our bodies and minds after all the disruption with the Tetris game we started out with, Amanda urged us all to “breath in the positive, exhale anything you don’t need, let go of all the negative.” Then she lulled us into a meditative state by leading us through her Durga Jai chant.

Our opening song still ringing in our ears and vibrating through our bodies, we soon were standing, savoring in the half Sun Salutations we took before taking a variation on Classical Surya Namaskar A, letting the breath guide us to bend and straighten the front leg of our Low Lunge before completing the sequence.

At the top of our mats, we took hold of our right wrist and bent gently to our left, delighting in a juicy side stretch and then taking it to the other side. A couple of Surya Namaskar As followed, as well as some Surya Bs that opened out into Warrior 2; here again we toyed with straightening and bending the front knee, our arms lifting up as we straightened, and then coming into the proper position for Warrior 2.

Playing with similar shapes and movements, more Vinyasas made way for Parsvakonasana and Ardha Chandrasana. Another sequence was all about the Warriors: Warrior 1 pitched us forward into Warrior 3, then we found solid ground again in a Warrior 2 before getting ourselves closer to the earth in Parsvakonasana once again.

Amanda wanted us to make a connection with the earth below us, allowing those with sensitive hip points the chance to set up with some padding. She then slowly had us take Shalabhasana, first lifting our legs, then extending back through the arms and finally lifting our chests off the ground to make sure we got into the pose correctly--and safely. Then it was on to Dhanurasana, having us flex our feet to help propel our chests higher, reaching up toward the sky. Sphinx pose and Bhujangasana soon followed, as did a Child’s Pose that all of us yogis delighted in before coming back up to sit in Virasana, and then turning things upside down with Sirsasana.

Making our way right-side up again, Amanda led us through another Vinyasa that opened into a Crescent Lunge. We then found a twist for another side stretch before bringing our hands together in prayer at the heart’s center and straightening the back leg for Parivrtta Parsvakonasana.

Taking both hands to the floor and squaring our hips, we came into a Low Lunge, stepping forward into a Standing Split to help us get into Parsvottonasana. From there, we took our seats to the floor for Ardha Matsyendrasana for another twist, followed by ankle-to-knee pose and Pigeon for some nice, juicy hip openers.

Finally, Amanda brought us into a forward fold by way of Baddha Konasana before having us recline back onto our mats. We took our knees into our chests, massaging the sacrum into the floor, then took Happy Baby. Releasing all our limbs down, we melted into the earth below us for Savasana. By then there was nothing negative left to exhale.

Drop-in classes are $17.

--Jessica Mahler for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth has a regular asana practice and finds the ease and grace of the movement very meditative.  However, I have very little experience with seated meditation, so when I saw the class “Meditate & Stretch” listed on the Zenyasa Yoga & Wellness website, I knew it was the class for me.

I headed to the studio on the Upper West Side for owner Jason Brown’s class. Walking into the studio I instantly felt the warmth of a nurturing and comfortable environment for me to explore meditation further.  Clean mats were set up in rows on the floor and we were to grab props that would allow us to sit for 30 minutes comfortably.  

I placed a meditation cushion on my mat, placed a folded blanket on top, and we all found our way into easy cross-legged position.  Jason introduced himself to everyone, asked our names and our experience with seated meditation. He explained that we would be seated for thirty minutes, as he guided us through the process, and then we would discuss the experience for a few minutes before moving on to gentle stretching. Sounded good to me!

Jason passed out opening mantras for us to chant as a group.  He explained that we could place our hands on our thighs or in Dhayana Mudra, whatever made us feel most relaxed.

After the chant, we began the meditation process.  Again, Jason gave us an option of closing our eyes or finding a point on the floor to stare at.  I tried both and felt most relaxed with my eyes closed.

The first step was to acknowledge our surroundings - the sounds of the street, the room, our bodies - then become aware of how our body feels. Anything uncomfortable?  We continued to be aware of our senses.  Jason gave us options to help us focus, counting our breaths, saying a mantra, etc.  If our mind wanders, we just come back to our breath, inhale and exhale, he reminded us.  

Jason rang a bell, and already it had been thirty minutes. I couldn’t believe how quickly the time passed and also how many thoughts slipped into my brain during that time.

Jason asked each of us individually about our experience.  He took the time to address everyone’s issues with kindness, intelligence and humor. One woman’s distraction lay in her back.  She had back problems that she kept thinking about as she tried to sit up straight.  I said that I felt very calm during the practice, but my mind kept wandering to the future, what I was cooking for dinner, where I had to be after class.  I tried not to judge myself and just kept going back to my breath.

Jason said just because I was meditating doesn’t mean that my mind instantly clears, the thoughts are still there.  You haven’t failed meditation 101 if you have thoughts, he said. Then he asked, “Do you know how to make pancakes?” he asked next. I said yes.

He went onto explain that when you are flipping pancakes your mind wanders and then you come back to flipping the pancakes.  You don’t forget how to do it, even if thoughts interrupt.  Meditation is the same, thoughts come and go.

After the discussion, now was time to move our bodies, stretching our legs out and circling our wrists, ankles and hips. Getting up to stand we went though a slow variation of a Sun Salutation, which included Grass Hopper pose (a half chair with elbows back) and several lunges.

We then moved through Parsvakonasana, and Warrior II to Triangle, all working from the ground up.  We sat down and did several forward bends and then twisted in every direction.  Finally, a short, but relaxing Savasana.  We finished the class with a closing mantra and OM Shanti Shanti Shanti.  

I left feeling open, lighter and focused. I would recommend this class to anyone looking to explore meditation, gently stretch their body and mind or just looking to de-stress overall.

Drop-in classes are $20 ($15 for students, professional dancer and union performers). Mats and hand towels are free to use.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Carlos Rodriguez’s name has been a buzzword among the yoga set for some time now, but when you’re the creator of a new brand of yoga, that’s what tends to happen. Fusing the movements of capoeira with yoga, Rodriguez’s Caponyasa class is unique, exhilarating, and challenging all at once. Yoga Sleuth knew this class would be anything but easy.

Starting us off in a short seated meditation in the heated room (set somewhere between 95 and 100 degrees) at Pure Yoga’s West location, Rodriguez eased the anxious minds of 14 yogis  who were ready to move. “This practice is all about detachment,” he said, bringing us into the first of many Down Dog Splits, having us open up our hips as he turned on some Brazilian beats.

From there we found High Lunge, coming to stand by drawing in our back leg and hugging the knee into our chest. Here we balanced until hearing Rodriguez’s instruction to backstroke our arms and lifted leg back into a High Lunge, turning our feet to the side wall to pause in Prasarita Paddottanasana before pivoting to the back wall into a Low Runner’s Lunge to segue into a Vinyasa. Then lowering our knees to the floor for an Ustrasana variation, outstretching our arms overhead we found a backbend.

Carlos had us take this sequence multiple times in preparation for what was still to come. Bringing us into a squat, he had everyone rise to stand, relying on our core and quads to help take the crown of our heads into the sky then lowering back into a squat.

After squatting to stand eight times, Rodriguez playfully commanded: “Ginga!” Starting in a squat position, we took our left leg back about two to three feet behind our right foot (think Warrior I legs), swinging the left arm across the chest, the right arm back while keeping the front knee bent so that we were still low to the ground.

Then we stepped wide with the left foot, bending the left knee, taking the right leg/foot back while our right arm swung across the body and our left arm went back. Once the rhythm of the movements began to make sense, Rodriguez commanded: “Lose yourself in the motions!”

Next, Carlos took us into Prasarita Padottansana to help release in the lower back. We then made our way to a Low Lunge, pivoting to the side wall to take a wider Ginga this time around. “Keep the spine extended, straight,” he advised.

With our quads aflame from all those low squats, it was time to get creative with some core work. Taking us into reverse Dogs to stretch the side body, Carlos soon had us flying into Ardha Chandrasana, one arm reaching toward the sky, the other reaching for the earth--but without touching it. Using our abs to help us balance and stay lifted, we then shifted into Warrior 3.

After making our way through a Vinyasa, Carlos brought us into a Low Lunge, our back right knee bent, but still lifted. In this stance, we took our left hand outside our left foot, fingertips in line with our toes, and took our right hand to the base of our skull where it hovered--no touching!--for an intense twist and deep backbend.

After evening out the other side, we revisited the High Lunge/Backstroke sequence, finding ourselves at the top of our mats once again. You could intuit that Carlos had another cardio movement or sequence up his sleeve, and the yoga instructor did not disappoint. Zipping up in the abs, we circled one leg up and around, then the other (reminiscent of the Karate Kid’s wax-on, wax-off moves).

Taking things to the floor, our abs were still the focal point as Rodriguez led us through bicycle crunches before having us extend both legs straight up in the air, our arms outstretched and clasped above us too as slowly we lowered our legs down to hover just above our mat, using our core to lift our legs up again to repeat a few more times. Next we scissored our legs back in forth to target our obliques before finally lowering all the way to the ground.

Then it was time to fly again, coming into Bakasana then shooting our legs back to take a Vinyasa, then coming into a side Chaturanga balance, finding sweet release in Paschimottanasana then finally laying back to melt into Savasana.

Ending in a seated meditation, Carlos was no less inspiring as a room full of yogis prepped themselves to go back out onto the streets of Manhattan: “We can only give what we have; we can’t extend what we don’t have to give. What we give and our expression have to be enough because it’s all we have.”

Membership only or call Pure Advisor for Guest Pass to one class.

—Jessica Mahler for Yoga Sleuth

When Yoga Sleuth first visited Asana celeb Tara Stiles’ Strala Studio, it was in its infancy, nestled in an intimate space on 23rd street. Today it resides on Broadway and Bleecker, and has grown exponentially both in community and size.

And quickly becoming a key part of that community is Laughing Lotus-trained Heidi Kristoffer. Heidi describes herself as “a true believer in yogic healing,” after her practice helped her recover from broken vertebrae and herniated discs.

She greets me with a radiant smile as I enter the vast white loft space, for Strala’s high-energy “Strong” class—the other categories being “Basics” and the very tempting “Relax” (I will reward myself with that one soon!). Despite being the opening of a holiday weekend, the place is filled with Yogis ready to sweat.

And we start doing so right away. We begin in a squat, but rather than stay crouched, Heidi has us stand up, crouch again, and repeat, faster and faster…27 times. “Close your eyes and take it inside,” coaches Heidi. “Open up your hips, fire up your core center, fire up your hamstrings.”

All of the above are already open and/or burning as Heidi invites us to double up and go for 54, with a little breath of fire thrown in for good measure. “See what works for you,” says Heidi. “Super fast or super slow, all that matters is that you’re breathing.”

Heidi’s energy is infectious, her deft cues always punctuated with light-hearted quips and laughter to ease us through the work.
“I see a lot of angry faces,” chides Heidi as we emerge in our Upward Dogs to the tune of “Bittersweet Symphony” by the Verve. “It’s Yoga, it’s not serious! Turn the corners of your mouths up!”

And to facilitate this, Heidi adds a lot of humorous imagery to get her charges to grin, rather than grunt through their poses. When we jump forward, she has us make the “butt-kicking” nature of this class literal as we donkey-kick our own behinds. Before stepping forward to a lunge, our knees flirt with our arms, reaching for the armpit, then sliding down to the wrist, and back up again, elevator-style.

Then for an extra challenge we bring that knee to the opposite leg and repeat the process. “For extra credit do the other side again!” calls Heidi, adding with a chuckle that she doesn’t actually know what extra credit would consist of in a Yoga class! “Now before you plant that foot, give the knee a kiss for working hard!” she says, and I can hear several lip-smacks echoing throughout the room.

Though it may sound like a paradox, Heidi gets us to take this spirit of playfulness seriously. While exploring in Warrior II, Heidi has us kick our booties out—“Beyonce style!” Though this is not proper alignment there is a method to this madness; Heidi wants us to vividly grasp the wrong way so we can understand the right way. “Shake it like you mean it, shake a tail-feather!” she shouts, before having us tuck our tailbones under for a proper Warrior II.

Then we twist our torsos (as twists were my request, Heidi gives me a wink), wringing out the toxins from any recent misadventures.  “Give the person behind you a high-five!” shouts Heidi as we go for a slight backbend, yearning our outstretched arms to reach well behind us.

In Warrior III she has us imagine that we are teenagers kicking the bedroom door closed with our outstretched legs. From there Heidi invites us to think back further to when we were kids in the playground, little daredevils with no fear. Soon we are all attempting cartwheels!

“Now sit down into the comfiest chair you’ve ever felt,” says Heidi. “It’s so comfortable it’s like it’s not even there!” We spend a long time holding our chair poses, the sweat stinging our eyes as we breathe into our edges. Finally we sink right from our comfy chairs into boat poses, and again kick playfully at our hard-working glutes. “A fun way to get the blood flowing!” says Heidi.

Drenched, but exhilarated, we settle into our pigeons, each side separated by a foray into cow-faced pose.  After a round of bridge where Heidi has us squeeze a block between our thighs, we take our Savasanas and each get treated to some lemon scented oil at the 3rd eye (maybe that’s our extra credit reward!) “Thank you!” beams Heidi to spontaneous and well-deserved applause from her grateful students.

As I thank Heidi for class, another student comes up to us, with smiling eyes filled with gratitude. She tells Heidi how she is doing things in her Asana practice that she never thought possible, and just wanted to say “thank you.” Heidi, visibly moved, puts a hand to her heart and then envelopes the student in a bear hug. “That’s what it’s all about!” I smile, and Heidi nods in agreement.

All classes at Strala are $15 with a $1 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

The Kula community of teachers has truly elevated the process of teaching yoga to an art form, and Nikki V. is a seasoned pro among them. She enters the class this Tuesday afternoon in a characteristically get-to-the-point way, with none of the frills and formalities you often find at other studios. “Come into Uttanasana at the front of your mat,” is the first thing she says, as she walks to the front of the room.

That’s one thing (among many) that I really appreciate about Kula: direct communication. You won’t hear things like, “open your heart to the sky” (an instruction that would surely be deadly if one could actually do it). At Kula they say what they mean. “Lift your sternum toward your chin from the base to the top, and broaden across your collarbones,” Nikki directs us. Oh, OK – sigh of relief – there’s an instruction I can comprehend. I do it. It feels good. We keep on moving…

Which brings me to another aspect of Kula Flow that really works for me: the movement never stops, until it’s time to unwind in savasana. By then, my body is so juicily warmed up, stretched, and worked that I can feel the energizing flow of prana without needing a teacher to talk to me about it.

Nikki’s recurring theme for today’s class is finding length in the side waist and lower back. As we move into Warrior III, she tells us to “imagine you have little lungs in your lower back, and you can puff your breath out into them as you lift your back leg.” With this image in mind I lift into the pose almost effortlessly, riding my breath rather than gripping muscles in my habitual way.

Nikki gives some of the most insightful alignment instructions around, both to the class as a whole and individually. Her anatomical precision balanced with creative variations on the poses and a seemingly endless repertory of new transitions makes a great recipe. Surprising sequencing helps me stay in the moment, following each direction attentively so I don’t miss a beat.

I love that I never have any idea what’s coming next, and she calls out the transitions so clearly (they rarely demonstrate at Kula) that her class feels more like a dance ritual than a typical yoga class. As I float from Side Crow into Extended Side Angle, on to pigeon variations I never would have dreamed up, followed by Hasta Padangusthasana my mind lets go and I surrender to the movement.

I’m always amazed how Nikki can remember the long sequences from one side to the next and talk us expertly through them, all the while offering incredibly intuitive hands-on adjustments. These are not small classes, but she seems to get around to everyone at least a few times. She roams the room, but manages to show up right on time to make the same adjustment on the second side so I always feel balanced.

Today I got to savor her healing touch grounding my pelvis and elongating my lower back in Parsvottanasana, plus an invigorating head rub in Savasana!

I could go on all day, but let me just tell you one more great thing about Kula: their playlists. Today dreamy electronica building to more rhythmically driving songs perfectly complemented our standing flow. More soulful and emotional vocal selections melted us to the floor for backbends, inversions, and seated forward bends.

Nikki’s perfectly timed playlist trailed off into a whisper of a vibration, just as we inhaled our last breath in savasana. I arose, sweaty and renewed for the rest of my day.

$18/class; new student special, three classes for $30.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

It was raining outside, but that didn’t stop Brooklynites from flocking to Marisa Sako’s sweaty, energetic one-hour 7am yoga wakeup. Eighteen of us were instructed into Vajrasana with Khapalabhati to start our practice.  Moving onto all fours we circled our hips down and around to the right and then down and around to the left.

In our Downward Dogs, we opened our hips by taking one leg into a Tree Pose shape before coming forward with a rounded spine, bringing the lifted leg forward, stepping the foot to outside of our hand and folding down. This was just the beginning. Marisa took care to build the sequence and move around the room giving gentle adjustments and astute alignment information.

From a high lunge we lowered into a twisted high lunge, bending and straightening the front foot before moving into a prayer twist followed by a Peaceful Triangle. Later Trikonasana, Parsvottanasana, Baddha Parsva Konasana and the option to come into Baddha Ardha Chandrasana were built into the mix of this powerful sequence.

Marisa works the class hard, but has a calm, cool energy about her. She also frequently suggests options and alternatives so there’s something for everyone. This sequence with its emphasis on shoulders and hips was building up to the tricky arm balance of Eka Pada Koundinyasana II. Those not wanting to try the arm balance were given the option of staying in a “Collapsed Warrior” shape.

Cooling us down for the end of class Marisa offered us a Headstand or Supta Baddha Konasana, for those not inverting or wishing to take it easy at this point in the class.

Further options were given between a long Halasana (Plough pose), Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) or Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend).

The rain was still pelting down post-Savasana, and my shoes were still soggy, but somehow all still seemed right with the world after that original sequence, and thoroughly refreshing class.

Drop-ins are $14; $1 mat rental.

--Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

On a lovely Thursday morning Yoga Sleuth was feeling like a kid, so I headed over to Karma Kids Yoga for some fun!  Although the class is only for yogis aged four to six, I got special permission to participate in the kids yoga class.  

My teacher, Shari Vilchez-Blatt, is also the founder and owner of the studio.  I could tell immediately that she had a passion for bringing the world of yoga to kids of all ages.  Her voice was patient and excited as she passed feathers and sticks around to all the students.  

We used the sticks to balance on our finger tip, knees, stomach and hand, focusing on the feather on top and making sure it didn’t fall.  All the kids were laughing and moving about the room.  Shari was not afraid to be a part of the fun, and got down into a table-top position balancing her stick on her belly, while encouraging everyone else to try it.

Next we sat in a circle and chanted OM.  Shari followed this with an explanation of OM as being the sound of everything.  We went around the circle and each chose a word that OM was the sound of.  (I chose cat).  

We went around the circle again introducing ourselves, saying our name and our favorite yoga pose, and then the whole group did the pose.  My pose was Child’s Pose, but to the kids it’s “Mouse Pose” because you get really really tiny like a mouse does.

As a group we did a new kind of Sun Salutation where we sang each step and made animal noises for each pose; Shari would call out Dog Pose and everyone would let out a “woof woof.”  It was silly and funny, and got us moving.  Then, to relax, in Dog Pose we took a deep breath by sniffing in and letting all the air out of our noses.

After a few more warming Sun Salutations we moved on to Tree Pose.  Like all the asanas so far, we did the pose in a circle, so we could see all the happy faces in the class.  When we got into the pose, we went around once again and announced what kind of tree we were.  There were lemon, apple, peach and lime trees.  Someone added a smile tree and someone else was a sturdy pine.  

As the class progressed, we broke off into partners and did a series of fun balance poses.  We got into L Shaped Handstand with our feet on our partners back.  We then created “bunk beds” and did a Table Top Pose stacked on top of one another.  

If someone lost their balance they landed on the padded floor in laughter. There was no sign of competitiveness in this class, and everyone seemed to encourage each other.  Even me, the giant five year old!

For our last balance we came into Crow Pose, balancing on our arms.  It was fun to see all the strong little bodies lift up into flight.

We then came back to the feathers we started with at the beginning of class, but this time we blew them all over the room.  We found new partners and blew the feathers back and forth towards each other.  

Next, we had to pick up pom poms with our feet and drop them into a metal can.  It took some real coordination.  One girl was having trouble, so another little girl came over and showed her a few tricks to make it easier. These kids were already learning a sense of community at a young age.

Last, but definitely not least, we all came to relax in Savasana for a few minutes. To close the class we came up to sit and sang a Namaste song to one another.

Shari’s class format encouraged everyone to support each other, communicate and work together.  Everyone had fun, tried something new and made new friends (including this big kid).

Classes begin early September. Drop-in classes are $30. Class packages recommended.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

“You’ll need at least one blanket,” said Elizabeth Neuse as forty-some devoted yogis and yoginis settled into the spacious loft sun-filled room at the YogaWorks Soho. “Take your seat in Siddhasana,” she said as we began to focus on our breath.

“It’s said the average person takes ten breaths per minute, but a yoga practitioner takes six breaths per minute.” Elizabeth then in her matter-of-fact and encouraging way invited us to notice our breath and inhale to the even count of six and exhale to the count of six.

We began to move with some slow flowing Sun Salutes as Elizabeth walked around the room giving adjustments. Moving onto the standing poses we took a wide legged Twisted Lunge, followed by a Parsvottanasana.

In Prasarita Padottanasana we took twists on both sides coming back into high lunge. We twisted even more in Parivrtta Trikonasana and a Twisted lunge. Encouraging us to build our strength, Elizabeth coolly and calmly guided us through five Planks to Chatturangas.

From twisting, the class turned into more of a hip opening theme. Jumping forward into Uttanasana we took our feet mat width apart. As we came into a flat back, Elizabeth instructed us to turn our feet slightly in, fold forward and hold for several breaths. Inhaling to come to a flat back we then turned our feet slightly out and folded forward again with the exhale.

After several breaths folding deeply in this posture we squatted down and and lifted into Bakasana. And, for those who were game, shot the legs back into Chatturanga.

Continuing with our hip opening theme we then set up for Bhujapidasana (shoulder-pressing pose) by taking our arms back in our wide-legged forward fold and then “sitting down” on the arms.

The next progression of course was Tittibasana. “With a name like Firefly, the pose sounds like it should be easy,” Elizabeth said, smiling, as multiple students dropped down like, well, flies.

Taking the intensity of the class down a notch we jumped through to lie down on our backs and came into Bridge pose. Here, Elizabeth invited us to lift the pelvis up and down several times before settling into the pose.
An option was given to either come into Headstand or Shoulder Stand in the middle of the room.

Those coming out of Headstand were asked to rest in Child’s Pose for a moment then take a Vinyasa. Those coming out of Shoulder Stand were told to take Matsyasana, Fish Pose. Happy Baby was a little different in that Elizabeth asked us to do the pose with Tarasana (Star Pose) legs taking the feet towards the forehead.

Finally, we slowly melted into Savasana. As we lie resting, it was a nice surprise; in a class that had been music-less, Elizabeth began chanting “Jai Ma”. Her soothing voice echoed melodically through the room and soothed us into total relaxation.

$22 per class, $2 mat rental.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth had been hearing raves in the community for quite some time about Michael Hewett, founder of the Sarva Yoga Academy (and lead guitarist for the Broadway musical Wicked!). So I headed back to Fort Greene’s go-to studio, the lovely Lucky Lotus, for an invigorating morning flow with the man himself.  

I set up my mat in the back of the class. The terrace doors behind me were open on the small backyard of greenery and birdsong, allowing the morning sun to stream in. 

“Nice to see you!”

Michael suddenly appeared smiling before the 16 of us, dressed all in white and brandishing an iced coffee or possibly chai (I didn’t get to taste it). He was openly impressed that we had all come out to play on such a hot morning—the temperature would soon reach 102, turning the whole city into a virtual Bikram class.  

As we planted our sit bones on blankets and blocks, Michael began with a little Dharma talk to remind us that it’s not just about the physical. 

“You might be able to do a wider split then before, or hold a headstand longer than last month,” said Michael. “But how are you developing as a person? Has the ego or the personality hijacked the spiritual?  You might be unhappy in your situation, and think that just ‘changing hats’ you can become happy. But it doesn’t work that way. You have to change from inside out.” 

To illustrate this, Michael told us a story of his recent trip to Rockaway Beach: a fun day that was followed by a not so fun night. 

“We had five hours of fun there there, but heading back was difficult,” related Michael. “It was hot…someone started blasting really loud ‘action movie music’, like the Transformers soundtrack, and he wouldn’t turn it off. And it took about an hour and a half just to get from 90th street back to our beloved Fort Greene.”

The lesson: “There is a difference between pleasure spikes and true happiness.” i.e., a quick trip to the beach vs. feeling true peace and contentment in your very being, no matter what the circumstances (or the soundtrack). And with that, we were off on an Asana odyssey that deftly melded the spiritual with the physical.  

In the extreme heat Michael reminded us of the importance of moving on the breath and letting the exhales be deep and slow. “Use your lengthened exhales to slow the nervous system down,” he said after several rounds of Vinyasa saw us resting gratefully in a 5-breath Down Dog. But it was a brief respite from the action.

“Inhale and stretch your right leg straight out behind you, exhale and come into a plank pose with your knee at your nose.” We continued the sequence with the knee next coming to the left elbow, then the right, then repeating—quite a challenge on this 2nd hottest day of the summer.

Michael was all over the room during the Asana portion, at any given time making an adjustment or an assist, with one eye (the third, perhaps!) on the class as a whole. He helped me sink into my pigeon, widened my high lunge, helped me fold into my parsvotanasana, and repositioned my arms in eagle so my elbows were raised and my shoulders squeezing into the midline.

Our standing sequence saw us challenging ourselves with constant unbroken movement from posture to posture, and heart-opening add-ons such as a half-bind in triangle.  

Michael continued to invoke the deeper meaning of what we were doing as we worked, and how to handle those who are not as far along on the same spiritual path. “You might meet someone today who has never had teachings of yoga, or self-observation, and they say whatever (negative thing) comes to mind…like a bull in a china shop. And you think, ‘Before Yoga, I was like that.’ It helps to meet them with a sense of humor, especially as they’ve lost theirs. That’s why the court jester is closer to the king and queen than the minister is, he can get away with more and is never going to lose his head!” 

We hit our peak with several wheels. “Try and hold it for eight breaths,” said Michael of the last attempt, and we did, the sweat still stinging our eyes as we countered with a fish pose. Finally, we melted (pretty literally) into Savasana, to the sound of a recorded voice repeating a mantra of “gracias”—a sentiment we all agreed with.

For an encore we sat in easy pose for Pranayama—today consisting of the Sitali cooling breath to help us beat the heat. “Curl your tongue if you can,” said Michael, and those who can’t (like this guy) simply inhaled cooling prana through closed teeth. “When you finish, sit in the afterglow of your efforts.”   

After a moment of silent meditation, Michael imparted a last suggestion that moved me deeply and carried me through the rest of the hot day with a smile: 

“One of the things you have to overcome…is the contraction of the personality.”(i.e., the source of suffering.) “To do that, have a sense of empathy with other beings—feel what they feel—this can go directly against the ego contraction. But we’re scared. We’re afraid we’ll die. And it’s true, the ego can’t go through the eye of that needle."

"So imagine that you can take unto yourself all of the ‘overheated’ beings that ever have been and are now, and that you can relieve them. You can be a conduit, to lower the temperature of Hell. And that will give you the strength to feel more deeply. To lose yourself, and then become more than yourself.” 

Classes at Lucky Lotus are $18 drop-in.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

On a steamy Saturday I rode a heat wave into Jaya Yoga Center in Park Slope for Susan Kraft's intellegent and well crafted (no pun intended!) intermediate class. Mercury rising above 100, she made two disclaimers: first, that Sun Salutations would not be part of today’s class, and second, that she was using music, which generally she doesn’t do. This made me curious to come back and try her class on a cooler day as well, but I was certainly glad I came to this one.

“Just like trees and plants reach down to draw up water from the cool depths, we can use our rootedness in the practice to cool us, rather than rooting down in a fiery, effortful way,” she explained. This recurring image coupled with her gently articulate voice, and a slow pacing that perfectly suited the day, made for a sweet meditative flow. She incorporated an alluring playlist that took us from subtle harmonies through Caribbean-style roots/reggae and back down again into precious stillness.

The class began with a brief restorative Supta Baddhakonasana, to give us “some surface area for evaporation.” From there we commenced into a thorough supine then seated warm-up, interspersed with cooling Sitali Pranayama. A slow standing series then melted  into an expertly sequenced backbend series at the wall, culminating in a creative and restful variation of shoulder stand with hips on a block and feet on the wall.

All throughout I appreciated her responsiveness to the weather and the needs of the class. Noticing that some students were still exploring Supta Virasana variations, she encouraged us to stay in the pose longer. Prompted by a student who expressed lower back discomfort in Urdhva Dhanurasana, she urged us to “integrate the tailbone into the pelvis so there is a bit of pelvic tuck within the spinal extension.” I found this direction useful for creating space in my lower back.

Happy Baby is a pose that’s often thrown in to a Vinyasa class willy-nilly, but Susan took the time to break it down, offering the most articulate explanation I’ve ever heard of how to get the most benefit from this back and hip opener: “With forearms inside your knees and hands on the outer edges of your feet, stack your feet above your knees and move your knees toward your armpits. Now reach the pubic bone toward the floor to get the best lower back and hip release.”

One of the Siddhis (special powers) that yoga bestows according to the Yoga Sutras is mastery over the elements. Not too many yoga instructors could boast that their classes bestow supernatural abilities, but by the time we arrived in Savasana I was no longer aware of the heat. Entering the class soggy and over-stimulated, I left cool and relaxed thanks to her sensitive teaching. As the cooling flow of breath rippled through me, I offered gratitude for this healing practice and for the masterful guidance of this magnanimous teacher.

Drop-ins $15/class; new student special, one week unlimited for $20


--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth’s ears perk up every time we hear of a specialty yoga class, so when we heard about Jon Witt’s Back Care class at Pure, we were super curious to find out how this yogi was going to pay special attention to the spine.

Prior to class, the receptionist warned that it would be slow moving, geared toward those suffering with back pain or injury; with nary a vinyasa to be had on a Saturday afternoon, this yogi still broke a sweat in the hour-long class chock full of standing poses.

Before we took to the top of our mats, though, Jon had us start on our backs hugging our knees into our chests, extending one leg out at a time while we held the bent leg in close.

Then he had us do a hip opener that was brand-new to this yogi: Still lying on our backs, we crossed our legs Indian-style above our torso (think supported Padma Sarvangasana where you bend at the waist so that your folded legs are hovering over your face and hands are holding the knees). Jon had us grab either ankle, pressing our knees up into our elbow crease or forearm depending on the individual’s arm length.

Next he had us come into Setu Bandhasana with a block between our thighs. While squeezing the block with our legs, Jon had us grab for the side of the mat instead of clasping our hands beneath us. “We really want to move our shoulders into the ground to help open the chest,” he said. “I don’t really think clasping the hands underneath you does anything, but that’s just me.”

After moving through Downward Dog and plank a few times, we all met at the top of our mats, stepping back into Warrior 1. Once completed on each side, Jon had us come back to Samasthiti, finding Cactus pose with our arms. Having us take notice of how our shoulders draw toward one another on the back here, he asked us to maintain this action while extending our upper limbs straight up beside our ears, finding a lift in the chest rather than the shoulders. “Lifting through the chest is what helps us to elongate the back,” he said.

It was this lifting through the chest that Jon kept pointing out in Warrior 2, Tree Pose, even in Prasarita Paddottanasana, where folded forward us 14 yogis grew our chests toward the earth below us, releasing our necks so that we gazed to the wall behind us instead of the floor.

Any kind of command given when your head is below your hips can get confusing, but since there were no vinyasas in sight with this class, Jon gave his students ample opportunity to figure out how one lifts their chest while upside down. And he brought us to this pose multiple times throughout class as a way to release the spine.

Right side up again, Jon had us find Parsvokonasana and Triangle, giving variations of the poses so that all levels could participate. “A pose isn’t going to service you if all you’re concerned with is looking good. It has to feel good,” said Jon. “If you’re body is hurting or not liking the shape you’re in, it’s a sure sign that you shouldn’t be in it.”

This proved to be Jon’s mantra as he reiterated this point just about every time we came into a pose to help us lose some of our ego, that voice or drive that pushes us to try to keep up with our neighbor or try to outdo them.  “I’m not so concerned with doing a pose perfectly, but rather coming into a shape that’s safe,” he said.

By continuously telling students that it was okay to be wherever they’re at with their pose, Jon was creating a safe and trusting environment, welcoming students to really listen to their bodies and to move into a pose that best suited them. Which was especially helpful for this yogi who couldn’t seem to find her balance to maintain Tree Pose.

“Maybe you don’t raise your arms today in Tree; maybe you don’t come into it at all,” Jon soothed. “That’s okay.”

These classes at Pure are membership only. Please see a yoga advisor or call ahead.

--Jessica Mahler for Yoga Sleuth

Out towards the Hudson River in Greenwich Village lies HB Studio, an acting studio established in 1945 (HB stands from Herbert Berghof, the Viennese actor/director). With all its breath work and chanting, Kundalini seems like a natural form of yoga for acting types to gravitate towards.

Kundalini has been on the curriculum for years now at HB and is currently taught by long-time teacher with a dance and choreography background, Siri Sat Kaur Khalsa. In a small, sunny classroom on the third floor overlooking a few backyards, Siri Sat began us with a warmup of Ego Eradicator (arms at sixty degrees with breath of fire) and Riding the Camel (flexing the spine forwards and back, Kundalini twists and a seated forward bend (inhaling up and exhaling down) to the rhythm of the mantra Sat Nam which is chanted silently to keep mental focus.

The kriya Siri Sat had picked was “Ribcage, Lungs, and Lymphatic System” from the manual Infinity and Me.

“What does the ribcage protect?” Siri Sat asked us. Of course the two important answers were the lungs and the heart as well as some other organs. The lungs connect our inner and outer worlds and they might not function properly when we feel grief or the loss of someone. Siri Sat also noted that the lymph nodes are located in the armpits, back of the neck, the throat, chest area, hips and backs of the knees so we would be aware of them once we began moving.

Starting in Easy Pose we interlaced our fingers behind our neck with elbows out to the side and the armpits open. Taking a deep inhale and holding it, we bent forward from the hinge of the hips and bowed down all the way to the floor, keeping the heart open and the spine long. On the exhale we came back up. We had to count out fifty-two of these. Once we were finished we came lying down on our backs.

From here we kept our bodies in one long line, feet together, arms at the side and alternately wiggling the hips and shoulders up and down like a snake in the grass. After several minutes of this we turned onto our bellies and did a similar movement. This version was called “Crocodile.”

Coming onto our backs we did some leg work, lifting the legs to sixty degrees on an inhale and exhaling them back down. Even with the air conditioning on, these poses were racking up an intense sweat.

Still on our backs, Siri Sat asked us to envision that we were fish jumping around in a pan of hot oil and we didn’t want to let part be on the ground too long or we’d get burnt. We began jumping the body off the floor as Siri Sat joked, “Some of you have already burned your right buttock!”

Working further on the chest and arm pit area we lifted our arms straight up at ninety degrees, made our hands into fist, inhaled, and slowly pulled them towards our chest as though we were holding a heavy weight. As our fists reached our chest our exhale would explode and our hands would reach back up to ninety.

To finish up the kriya we worked more on the abdominal area, lifting the arms and legs to a sixty degree angle and crisscrossing both. “If it’s hard on your lower back just lift the legs straight up or let the legs rest but keep the arms going,” Siri Sat advised.

We took a ten minute Savasana then did a meditation that was part of the kriya. Bringing our hands into Anjali Mudra we chanted “I Am Thine, in Mine Myself, Wahe Guru, Humee Hum Toomee Too(n).” Someone hadn’t quite heard the “thine” part of the mantra and when he enquired about it, someone answered, “Thine as in Shakespeare’s thine.” Sleuth was definitely at an acting school!

The mantra is to open the heart and to wish peace and healing for oneself and others.

Siri Sat finished up this well-rounded and lucid class chanting the “Long Time Sun” and “Sat Nam.”

$18 for a trial class (one only); $162 for the term (9 classes)

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Feeling motivated on a sunny summer Saturday, Yoga Sleuth emerged from the northernmost tip of Central Park, and in just a few hops found himself at the doorstep of Land Yoga, a newly born Ashtanga haven in Harlem.

There’s nothing like your first visit to a new Yoga studio, especially when it’s new to the entire community. I took in the blue seat cushions lining the windowsills, the wooden shoe cubbies underneath and the shining white walls, smiling at the freshness of it all.

Lara Land, owner and instructor for all classes besides prenatal, welcomed me and showed me into the Asana studio. Its walls were as green as the park I just left, its floor a rich dark pristine brown to echo the trees. Emboldened by the warmth of both teacher and surroundings, I planted myself with 14 other students to take a refresher course in the Ashtanga Primary series.

“We’ll start by discussing the three points of focus,” said Lara. “The most important one is the breathing. Begin to listen to it. Make the sound of the ocean at the back of the throat—or, Darth Vader!” (And shortly we did indeed sound like a room of Sith Lords breathing in unison.)

“See if you can keep your attention focused on each one of the breaths,” said Lara as we hissed. “So, noticing other thoughts that come into your mind, and bringing your mind back to just listening to the breathing.”

“The second point of focus is the drishti,” she continued. “For example, try and gaze at the tip of the nose. And then we add the third point of focus, which is the posture.” To prepare for point three Lara had us activate our mulabandha (or root lock), and she reminded us to keep it engaged in each and every pose of the series, from Samastathiti on.

After one Sun Salutation we settled into our first Down Dog and held it for the traditional count of five breaths, Lara counting each one aloud, to keep the whole class in sync. She cued each Asana with a call to inhale or exhale, and soon the entire room was flowing as one. On the second go-round, Lana introduced the Sanskrit term for each count, as is standard in the Ashtanga primary series: One through five becoming “ekam, dve, trini, catvari and panca,” respectively.

We were all very warm by the time we got to the standing series. “You’ll notice that your stance is going to get wider and wider with each pose,” forewarned Lara. We were put through our paces in extended side-angle and triangle, fingertips reaching for the elusive brown wood floor while our chests opened to the side wall.

“If you’ve only done Mysore before and this seems harder, it is!” Lara said with a smile that encouraged us to grin through it. We arrived at a particularly challenging pose for my tight hammies: Utthita Hasta Padanghustasana, Hand to Big-Toe Pose. Lara asked us to choose a drishti—I chose the wall outlet at the front of the room to focus on—and to pick up our right foot with our “peace fingers”.

I gazed at the wall outlet calmly (it stared back at me with a mixture of surprise and fear), and lifted my leg. Lara reminded us to keep our spine straight while we tried to straighten our legs. For a further balance challenge, we took our opposite arm and our gaze to the left as we fought valiantly to keep the right leg straight and airborne.

For the purposes of this introductory tutorial class we skipped ahead to the closing sequence, cooling down with variations on Padmasana. We grabbed elbows behind our backs and folded forward, then attempted a final challenge in Tolasana (Lifted Lotus), balancing on our hands as we lifted our hips as high as we could and for as many breaths as we could hold.

After a quick Savasana Lara encouraged us to come back and keep exploring the series, and she also paid homage to two of the greats. “We are blessed to have 2 great teachers in our lifetime, BKS Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois.” The latter of course, the revered father of the very style we were practicing.

For a great introduction to Pattabhi’s classic Ashtanga method, Lara Land and her vibrant new studio is highly recommended.

Led Classes at Land Yoga are $18 drop in with a $1 mat rental. One month unlimited Mysore is $190.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Sleuth was beside herself with excitement when she found out about the existence of trampoline yoga (mostly influenced by Kundalini) and eagerly made her way to Park Avenue with another curious Kundalini friend. Shen Tao is Bill Hedberg’s studio. A knowledgable and chatty teacher, Bill has an extensive dance and movement background and his studio was abundantly equipped with special Shen Tao ladders, self bodywork tools and, of course, trampolines.

I commented on the Alex Gray posters on the wall and Bill explained that, “they inform how I think about the body. I like to think about what’s going on deep beneath the surface of the skin.” Indeed, throughout class Bill would encourage us to imagine what was going on underneath the surface: how this movement might be transforming our fascia, bones, organs, nerves and other subtle levels.

Bill began by asking us both about our backgrounds and injuries, if any, and told us he was the kind of teacher who liked to “color outside the lines.” He said, “Since you’re both yogis, even though this is a new approach, a lot of this will be familiar to you.”

Seated in Siddhasana on the trampoline we began warming up our spines with hip circles, then commenced bouncing up and down (still seated) with our fingertips touching. Bill advised us to exhale every time we bounced back down and although he didn’t call it as such, this created a natural breath of fire. He also told us to blink rapidly as we bounced.

Moving into a kind of Ardha Matseyandrasana, we did some side stretches, holding onto the sides of the trampoline to increase the intensity of the stretch. This evolved into a flowing movement stretching our arms overhead and to the side and then down and back again. Bill told us to let our arms be loose. As he talked he said, “Don’t let the poetry of my words ever stop you from moving.”

We then held a longer stretch to the side, letting our arms come to the floor in a movement Bill called “Drunk Worm.” Coming back, still seated we wiggled our hips in a move hilariously called “Dog in the grass.”

Taking our knees wide and out to the side, hanging over the edge of the trampoline we began spinal undulations followed by hip circles. We then moved our spines up, down and around.

“Allow your head to be loose and flowing. Let your hair be like maiden’s hair,” Sleuth was smiling and laughing. “Yes! Yes! Be playful,” he said, enthusiastically. It’s rare that Sleuth receives a compliment in yoga class for being playful and I wish it would happen more often.

Coming to standing we held Uttanasana by bringing hands to the edge of the trampoline and then rolled out our ankles. This prepared us for the moment we’d been waiting for. The standing bounce! Bill advised us to keep our feet turned out, our knees lifted and together and our gaze ahead.

“That is some of the most serious bouncing I’ve ever seen,” Bill teased after we’d stopped bouncing. My friend and I cracked up laughing, realizing that both of us had been childishly excited before class, but when the moment had come, we had ended up concentrating a little too hard. I vowed next time to have a little more fun.

Coming back down to sitting we held Navasana and added a little bounce to the ab work making it the most fun Navasana I’ve ever been in.

Bill then invited us to try some stretches on the Shen Tao ladder. We came into a Downward Dog folding over the padded rung of the ladder, then hooking our feet up and around so we could just hang. A little like Sirsasana with the ropes, this gave me an excellent spinal adjustment. We turned around and used the rungs to get a deeper back bend eventually getting the padded rung close to the sacrum and going deep into Urdhva Dhanurasana.

Leaving class, Sleuth felt both centered and joyful. I was going to have to color outside the lines more often.

$15 per class.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth was ready to take his understanding of alignment to another level. And, there is nowhere better to start that leg of the journey than at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York, coming up on its 20th year in Chelsea.

Upon parking my sit bones on my mat in the sunlight filled loft, I am greeted by Adam Vitolo. Adam took up yoga to help his rehabilitation after getting hit by a car while cycling in the late 90s, and has been teaching for nearly a decade. In 2009 he studied for a month at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India.

Adam took his place on the raised platform and sat in easy pose, the rest of us quickly mimicking. But this was only a brief stop on the adventure; after the opening chant of 3 Oms  (call and response style), we were sitting on our haunches, our toes tucked behind us for a welcome stretch of our NYC street-sore arches.

“If you take nothing else from this class,” said Adam, “I want you to remember to lift your arches.” And we did so, in Tadasana and Uttanasana, spending those poses concentrating fully on feeling all four corners of our feet planted on the mat while the arches remained lifted between them.

Next it was time to hit the rope wall for a mini-Vrksasana workshop. But this was not to be about balance. “Keep the fingers of the left arm at the wall at all times,” said Adam as we brought our right foot to the left inner thigh. “Take your left thigh and resist it back. And without losing that, take your right knee out and back. And see if you can start to open from the inside. Bring your arms higher with straight elbows.”

We practiced the pose 4 times on each side, Adam allowing us to bring both arms to the air only when we had achieved our steadiest, most properly aligned expression, our bent knee pressing against the thigh as the grounded leg stayed planted and unwavering.

Now Adam beckoned us away from the wall, but only to a rope’s distance. Facing away from the wall, we took a rope in each hand (making sure they were even length) and stretched our shoulders behind us, opening them; we then practiced sitting down into Utkatasana and straightening forward, through and up again, always maintaining that intense stretch and opening of the arms and shoulders.

“Lift your chest towards the ceiling,” said Adam as we held our chair poses. “Feel as though you’re squeezing your hands together to broaden the width across the top of your chest. Sides go forward, shoulders go back, trapezius muscle goes down.”

We returned to our mats and faced them horizontally, a block on each end, to prepare for Prasarita Padattonasana. In this forward fold we applied the principles learned at the wall. “Sustain this lift in your chest,” instructed Adam. “You can always stretch your arms to help take and keep those shoulders back.”

From there we bent our right knees, pressing one hand on the block and stretching the other arm overhead for Parsvakonasana. Our torsos were parallel to the far wall as our previous shoulder opening exercise allowed us to bring an arm over our ears and slightly back.

Next we returned to our favorite play wall once more. We liberated one rope from its base and made a lasso to go around our waists (with a blanket to spare our hips from rope burn). From there we folded into a suspended down dog, heels at the wall, arms in the air holding the opposite elbow.

Coming out of the contraption carefully, we were motioned by Adam to the chairs stacked in the corner. Taking one each, we placed it at the non-rope wall and practiced coming into an up dog, our legs straight and working hard as we pushed our torsos up and over the chair.

Our climactic pose saw us make further use of those trusty chairs. Placing them mid-room, we then wrapped our half-folded mat in two blankets and placed that “matwich” in between the chair and a bolster. Climbing aboard with our shoulders on the matwich and our heads on the floor, we folded our legs into halasana (plow) until our toes reached the chair. Then we rose into shoulder stand, all the work we had done previously contributing to strong shoulders and a straight spine.

Finally we came down into a restorative-style Savasana, laying our bodies on the prepared props, legs resting on the bolster to relieve any pressure in our backs. We all left the class slightly sore, but well aware of our open shoulders, our broadened chests, and especially our lifted arches!

Classes at the Iyengar Institute are $25 for nonmembers, with mat included.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Sleuth eagerly took a seat up front of class to soak in the phenomenal view of the East River and Manhattan skyline at Abhaya Yoga, an Anusara studio in the artsy DUMBO, Brooklyn neighborhood. Siri Peterson was seated up front, deeply meditating. As students started rolling in she arose and walked around the room asking our names and if we had any injuries.

After chanting the Anusara invocation “Om Namah Shivaya Gurave” Siri talked about how she had been practicing meditating on her unconditional goodness and sense of worth, and how she was finding it a helpful practice for building esteem.

The practice began with Siri instructing us on to our hands and knees, and asking us to hold Plank for what felt like at least a minute. “Melt the heart and lengthen your legs. Stretch the heels back. I know you can hold this.” Siri would continuously encourage us to believe we could indeed hold the most difficult postures and expand our sense of self worth throughout the class.

From Downward Dog we then came into a low lunge. Siri asked us to keep straightening the back knee even as we came up into high lunge. “Everybody’s knee is bent to some degree. See if you can straighten it all the way,” she suggested.

In our Standing Split, she encouraged us to keep our toes pointing downward and to stretch the back leg up. She gave Sleuth a particular instruction to try to round more through my lower spine so my torso would move away from my thigh in order to prevent psoas problems.

Moving into Vrksasana (Tree pose) Siri encouraged us to keep our hips square and press our foot into standing leg. Once our foundation was strong she asked us to try lifting the sternum and the gaze and move into a slight backbend.

We next took our mats to the wall for Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstands). Demonstrating the Handstand, Siri asked us to lift through the heart. “Nobody comes to yoga to close off the heart. You’re here to open it.” After trying for ourselves, Siri asked us to make it less about the legs and more about using the open heart as the center of gravity. “It’s all about the feeling you bring to it.”

She then asked us to try hopping up on our “weird leg.” After trying the other leg for several minutes Siri asked, “Did anyone feel like they failed because they didn’t get up on the weird leg? No, because it’s all about attitude you brought to it.”

Moving back to the center of the room, we worked on Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, holding the foot with our hands instead of using toe lock. Siri encouraged us to pull the lifted leg back instead of stretching out and to move the thigh of the standing leg back. “Bring everything into the center,” she said.

For Pigeon Prep we were asked to stay lifted, tuck the back toes under and lift the thighs to get the hips centered. “If your hips are square you’ll have freedom of movement in other areas,” Siri said.

We did a couple repetitions of Dhanurasana before finding a partner to assist us with Bow pose. Siri showed us how to lift the front of our partner’s sternum forward and up with our hands and then another assist was to lift them up from their heels. Siri encouraged us to not allow our knees to splay apart as that would compress the sacrum.

After all that back bending and hip opening our Ardha Chandrasasanas evolved into Ardha Chandrasana Chapasana. “Take your head back,” Siri advised us. “If you’re shaking that’s great. That’s when transformation happens.”

After practicing Vasisthasana on both sides we moved into forward bends, Upta Vistha Konasana, Janu Sirsasana and Baddha Konasana, all guided with Siri’s thorough alignment instructions.

As we settled into Savasana Sleuth heard the most pleasant of music in this music-less class: the lapping waves of the East River outside.

At the end of our practice Siri encouraged us to ask questions and continued to offer alignment help to the students staying behind.

$18 per class; $1 mat rental

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

On a sunny spring day, Yoga Sleuth headed over to Yogamaya for a creative and inspiring class with Lisa Bermudez.  Walking into the studio, I couldn’t help but be in a good mood.  The sun was shining through the sky light in the middle of the room and colorful pictures surrounded the space. I grabbed a mat and headed into one of the practice rooms and set myself up with a belt, blanket and two blocks.  

I had met Lisa once before and her positive energy is contagious, so I was excited to experience her teaching style. We began by sitting comfortably and listing to Lisa talk about how we all have two sides that divide us, good and bad and that we are never satisfied.  She told a cute story about how a chai tea could make her day perfect and if the next day there was no soy milk at Starbucks it made the day bad.  The change of seasons creates a similar change in us and the need to find balance.  Yoga helps us find this balance on and off the mat.  

We stretched out on our backs and placed the belt around our right foot and brought our leg up ninety degrees.  My hamstrings felt tight, but immediately began to open up.  After doing the other side, we did Happy Baby and Half Happy baby to slowly open our hips.  We made our way into our first Downward Facing Dog, moving into three legged dog and knee to nose, using our core to support the movement and our body weight.  We breathed through a few Baby Cobras and then made our way to Tadasana.

Lisa seemed to explain even the smallest movements with clarity, ease and intelligence.  Within fifteen minutes I felt at home in her class.  

Lisa had us flow through several versions of Surya Namaskara A, adding a kneeling move and extra downward facing dogs.  The pace was fast enough to build heat in my body, but slow enough for me to find the proper alignment in each pose.  After a few more reps of Surya Namaskara A, we found ourselves in Utkatasana, Warrior I, Warrior II and Devotional Warrior.  The standing poses like Parsvakonasana, Trikonasana, Ardha Chandrasana, opened each part of our body and kept the heat building.  

Every time Lisa threw in a new combination, I felt challenged, but not pushed. Lisa encouraged us to find the balance in our body with each pose.  After several repetitions of Surya Namaskara B and Parsvottanasana we transitioned into pigeon and then side plank.  Seems like a tricky transition, but Lisa explained it in such an encouraging and clear way that I was able to flow from each pose without a glitch.  Next up, Padangusthasana to Bakasana, a vinyasa and then we took the hip opening even farther with Lizard pose.

Each pose had purpose and the flow was creative and fun to explore.  Lisa brought us to our knees for a demonstration of Eka Pada Koundinyasana with blocks.  I have struggled with this pose for over a year and now I had a tool to help me get into the pose.  This was very exciting!

Lisa encouraged us to be playful, non-judgmental and to have fun.  I loved the opportunity to support myself on the block and really work on my arms and find the balance.  We tried it a few times without the block and I felt like I was that much closer to finding the balance in the pose.  

A child’s pose to catch our breath and then we moved to our stomachs for Salabhasana and Dhanurasana to open up our back.  To continue with the backbends, we did several repetitions of Ustrasana, Setu Bandha and Urdhva Dhanurasana.  We closed the physical practice with a few forward bends, Baddha Konasana and Paschimottanasana.  

Then Lisa had us move into a comfortable seated position for opposite nostril breathing.  She explained in a warm and supportive tone how practicing even a few minutes of pranayama helps restore balance in our bodies and minds.  I closed my eyes and began to breath, feeling relaxed and open.  After a few minutes we found our way onto our backs for Savasana.

Blissful music played and we melted into our mats we found our way back to a seated position and closed the practice with three OMs.  

If you want to experience an intelligent, creative and challenging class, head over to Yogamaya for Lisa Bermudez’s Thursday morning Level 2/3. You will be sure to enjoy yourself and leave feeling happy and relaxed.

Drop-ins are $18 for Single Full-Length Class and $13 for Hour-Long Class.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

The corner spot in room number 2 at YogaWorks SoHo looks out over hundreds of hurried passers-by on Broadway and Grand Street from the second floor windows – perfect for a one-hour hot power yoga class.

“Now do the vinyasa with your eyes closed,” says Chelsey Korus over the music track, “and go to that space inside of you, away from everything.”

That changes everything. For a moment.

We enter a challenging, fast-paced lunge to Warrior 3 to Utkatasana, chair pose, sequence. When we repeat it, I’m almost grateful: at least I’m not flailing about, trying to figure out what we’re doing. Chelsey Korus provides encouragement with her upbeat directions, and not only that. Her physique is inspiring. Slim, trim and incredibly toned, you imagine she got that way doing what we’re doing now.

Chelsey happens to be blonde as well, and tanned as though she just got in from Santa Monica’s original YogaWorks studio. The image of the beach, with all of students on it, is definitely floating in the ether.

For every foot we put forward into lunge from Down Dog, Chelsey has us touch the knee to the nose or forehead first. Sometimes it takes several three-legged down dogs to knee-to-forehead before that foot can finally rest in between our hands on the mat.

Later on, when we do boat pose by gripping the sides of a block with our feet, raising our knees to our chest with upright torsos, to then extend the legs out so they hover parallel to the floor, for 10 counts, five times, I’m glad that at least I’ve gotten an introduction to my abs!

Chelsey gives alignment instructions where time allows, and occasionally stops us (thank you!) to show the particulars of a pose. The various series seem somewhat familiar: the thigh burning standing sequences with many lunges, eventually getting our elbows down on the mat, twisting the torso from there.

As we swivel into Vasisthasana (side plank) it hits me, ‘Of course, I’ve done all these poses in more or less the same order with one of power yoga’s first, Bryan Kest, many years ago, in Santa Monica, California!’

After a two-minute Savasana I leave the studio, rushing to my 6pm meditation class in midtown, still sweaty, feeling energized and cleansed, completely ready for meditation – and maybe a little bit closer to being ready for the beach.

Classes are by membership, but drop-in classes for new students are $22. Class package options and new students deals available. Mat rental $2.

--Anneke Lucas for Yoga Sleuth

On a perfect late spring morning Yoga Sleuth was feeling lucky and charmed, and not just by his breakfast cereal. He was lucky to find himself in lovely Fort Greene, Brooklyn; luckier to get to do a class at Lucky Lotus; and luckiest to have a chance to practice with alignment ace Lindsay Sullivan.

Entering the main floor of the DeKalb street brownstone that Lucky inhabits, I found the half-salmon, half-gold colored studio to be warm and inviting; as was Lindsay herself. “How are you feeling?” she smiled to the class as she took her place at the front of the room. “Any issues today, anything you want to work on?”

Her welcoming tone melted any unnecessary pride I was harboring, and I told her about my chronic lumbar soreness; she promised to include techniques to help me combat (and maybe even conquer it) in our practice today. She did the same with the other students, many of whom were experiencing some form of knee, foot or back issue.

We started in a supported Virasana (hero’s pose), seated on a block that we would be enlisting the services of throughout class in many inventive ways. Settling in, we entered into a seated meditation, our right hand cradled by the left with thumbs touching (Buddha mudra).

“Ask the mind to just focus on the breath for now,” said Lindsay. “And if the mind starts to stray, just continue to make the choice of watching the breath. Let the inhale slide down the front of the body, and the exhale wash up the back of the body. Keep going at your own pace, ushering the body from the physical to the subtle with the breath.”

We warmed up with a little bit cat and a little bit cow, and Lindsay encouraged us to begin our Ujjayi breath practice as we lifted our hips into an inverted V. “When you arrive in your down dog don’t immediately jam your heels back,” said Lindsay.

“Instead come up high onto the balls of your feet. Lift the hips up and back and lengthen through the side of the waist. Get really long from there.” Lindsay spotted me in a rather narrow, bent-knee rendition of down dog and suggested I’d be just fine a little wider and straighter. Sure enough, I was. “And then lift the thigh bones into the hip sockets,” she continued. “Everything is moving up towards the pinnacle of the pose.”

Now it was time to bring the block into play. “Place the block on its narrow edge between the upper inner thighs and then press back into downward facing dog,” said Lindsay. We tried an entire Vinyasa with the block, squeezing it to keep our legs hugging towards the midline as we came down, up and then back.


“Squeeze your block and roll it back in space to take the heels a little closer to the floor. You’re firing up the legs, finding the inner rotation of the thighbones here,” Lindsay informed us. “The block gets you to use the legs, and it makes space in the lower back. So if you’re ever working with low back pain,” she added, glancing at me, “just put a block between your inner thighs. It works wonders—you’ll get really strong.”

After a couple of rounds of standing poses, Lindsay announced that we would be doing an IT band opener, for two reasons: “One, because we’re working up to a pose and it will help that pose,” she grinned slyly. Reason two was that when the IT band is tight it pulls on the muscles, and this affects the hips, groin and that pesky lumbar area. We then proceeded to do a Vasisthasana (side plank) with a forearm on the mat and the trusty block under our thighs to work the IT.

Lindsay told us that the exercise might be painful, but would definitely be worthwhile. “You decide where the block needs to go,” she said, meaning somewhere on the lateral thigh between the hip and the knee. “You want to be in a place where you can still breathe, so don’t pick the most painful spot. But pick a spot where you can work.”

And so we did, pressing our outer thighs into the block, and moving back and forth, to give that IT band a good stretching out. Lindsay suggested we try it later on our own with a foam roller.

IT done and dusted, we dipped into the Asthanga playbook for a go at Marichyasana C, torsos twisting to face the balcony behind us as our hands yearned to touch around our bent knees. And now it was time for the pose we did the IT work for: We wrapped our legs in Garudasana (eagle form), then turned and lowered onto “Chaturanga” elbows for playful Parsva Bakasanas (side crows), which blossomed into Eka Pada Koundinyasanas (one-legged pose).

After we let it all go in Savasana we ended as we had begun, in a seated meditation with Buddha mudra. Lindsay closed practice with some words to live by:
“Just be vulnerable. As much as you can, let down that wall that surrounds you. Become more permeable, receptive—open to the possibility of grace.”

Drop-in classes at Lucky Lotus are $17, mat included.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth just finished her prenatal teacher training and was eager to experience a class first hand, so I headed down to Lila Wellness to take a class with Mia Borgatta, a well-known, creative and intelligent prenatal expert.  She not only teaches yoga classes, she is also a nurse and doula. I entered the studio and set up my mat with the short end against the wall, gathered my props: a bolster, blocks and several blankets.  

The other women in the room were chatting away, exchanging stories and advice about birth and children.  I felt an immediate sense of community. Mia asked us all to find a comfortable seated position and close our eyes. We chanted OM three times and then moved on to other pranayama breath work.  

Placing our hands in prayer, we rested our thumbs on our third eye and began Bramami breathing, which is soft humming sounds.  Mia talked about the breath having a generous and expansive quality for the baby.  

Next, we inhaled our arms up into a prayer and exhaled the arms down the center, creating a gathering and centering breath.  We did this several times and then inhaled our prayer up the center and released our arms out with a HA sound, which was a clearing breath.

Mia talked about how you can use any of these breaths to help move you through labor.  We interlaced our fingers and reached our arms up toward the ceiling, stretching from side to side, opening up the side body.

Moving onto our hands and knees we began to flutter our lips, moving our hips in circles and back and forth.  Mia suggested knees wide apart to make space for our bellies. We continued on to a Cat/Cow variation with a more neutral spine. This is good when the back hurts, it unwinds the tension and helps with the positioning of the baby, she said.

The next part of class was simply the most important, Kegel exercises.  We squatted down and sat on a block, closed our eyes and went through a few minutes of Kegels.  This is the lifting of the pelvic floor, which helps a great deal with birth and after birth.  Mia stressed how much easier things would be if each of us practiced Kegels more often.

We came into a wide stance Uttanasana with our hands on blocks, keeping our weight balanced, and began to open the backs of our legs.  Several women complained of leg cramps and Mia discussed eating a banana or coconut water to help relieve the muscle pain. We bent our knees and rolled up to stand.  

Next came several rounds of prenatal sun salutations.  There were no backbends or jumping back, but plenty of movement to get the heart rate up and the body warm.  From the sun salutations we came into a simple twist.  Mia made it very clear to only do open twists, never across the body.

I found the next vocal exercise a lot of fun and very energizing: Lion’s breath.  We stood with our feet wide, raised our arms up with an inhale and then bent our elbows and knees and let out a roar…not really, but a loud sound!  We stayed in the wide stance and bent our knees. Placing our hands on our thighs we circled our torso and hips around, giving me a very free and relaxed feeling.  

Mia encouraged us to be near a wall if our balance was off for Tree Pose. She was constantly giving modifications for every pose, so that no matter what month someone was in they could still participate and find what works for their body.  

Coming to the wall and leaned our backs against it and bent our knees placing a block between our thighs.  We stayed here for one minute with our eyes closed.  Mia called this “uncomfortable practice”; we had to find a way to move through any pain we were feeling.  Some of us watched our breath, others counted and some made loud sounds.  We all made it through!

We continued on with push ups, puppy dog and Warrior III, calf stretches and Ardha Chandrasana against the wall.  It was nice to have the support as we moved through the poses, and no one’s back or belly was compromised during the practice.  

After Badha Konasana, Janu Sirsasana and a few side stretches we closed our eyes and took a minute to ourselves to continue our conscious, nourishing and generous breathing. We moved our bolsters to the wall and came into Viparita Karani with our butts flush against the wall, so that our legs were at an angle and the blood flow would move towards the baby.  

After several minutes of letting my ankles and feet rest, we moved into Supta Baddha Konasana.  We set up our bolsters at an angle against blocks wrapped our ankles in a blanket and sat back and closed our eyes.

Mia read from “Birthing from Within” as we all placed our hands on our belly to connect with our babies.  Finally, we came into Savasana on our left side with a bolster or blanket between our knees.  Mia reminded us to rest and breath deeply and sweetly…what a lovely thought.

The class was one of the most well-rounded that I have been to, from pranayama to asana to restorative and meditation.  It was fast enough to build strength and flexibility, yet slow enough, so no one got over heated or felt over worked.  Mia’s soft and intelligent tone of voice, her knowledge of the prenatal field and her creative and fun sequences make her classes more than worth checking out.  I would recommend Lila Wellness to anyone who is one month to nine months pregnant!  

Single Classes are $18.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

One block from where Billie Holliday once lived in the Sugar Hill Renaissance District a new Kundalini Studio has opened. Siri Rishi Kaur, a devoted Kundalini teacher and delightful, welcoming person began class tuning in with the Adi Mantra.

She gave the group of us a thorough warmup starting with ego eradicator (arms at sixty degrees, breath of fire), then spinal flexes and twists to necks rolls and shoulder shrugs. Finally we marched up and down to Sa Ta Na Ma (Infinity, Life, Death, Rebirth).

We then began the kriya from the book Yoga for Prosperity, “Kriya to Magnify the Radiant Body.” With our arms at sixty degrees we titled the palms forward, center, to the sides (as though holding a tray) and back to center as fast as possible. This may sound easy, but it was intense on the wrist and forearms.

Next we interlaced our fingers and stretched our arms to chest then bending our elbows bringing our hands back to the heart center and continuing back and forth at a rapid rate. While we were doing this Siri Rishi played Nirinjan Kaur’s “Humee Hum” mantra, a mantra for the heart and reflective of the exercise we were doing.

Lying down on our backs we began alternate leg lifts for several minutes. Coming back up to stretch our legs out in front of us for life nerve stretch, we then grabbed hold of our big toes and inhaled upright and exhaled toward our knees, rapidly of course. “This stretches the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in your body,” Siri Rishi said.

Following, we did a fast cat and cow and a variation in which we kicked our buttocks in cow position for one minute. Coming up to standing we took our feet shoulder width apart and did hip circles for two minutes.

The next sequence was incredibly intense. Keeping our feet shoulder width apart we inhaled our arms up and exhaled into a forward bend as fast as possible for one minute, then the same thing with our legs as wide apart as possible for one minute ending with bringing our feet together for one minute.

Not quite finished with us, Siri Rishi kept us standing and we brought our hands to our shoulders, stretched them up to the sky and back down, as fast as possible for thirty seconds. Exhausted, we came to sitting and did some neck rolls for thirty seconds.

Breathless and sweating we welcomed Savasana while Siri Rishi played a deliciously relaxing gong. Rest never felt so good.

To end class we did a meditation for the radiant body. The mantra was “Aad Such Jugad Such Habee Such Nanak Hosee Such” (True in the beginning, true through all ages, true even now, Nanak says ever shall be true). Spreading the fingers of our left hand, we placed it over the heart center.  We made a fist of the right hand leaving only the Jupiter finger (for expansion) extended at eye level with the palm facing forward.

We chanted for eleven minutes to Amandeep Singh’s new version of the mantra falling into a deep and meditative lull.

Siri Rishi chanted “The Long Time Sun” with us and invited us to stay for tea and cookies in this friendly Harlem community.

Classes are donation based.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth has long heard the praises of Julianna Takacs, so I decided to check out her class at the Shala in Union Square to see what all the fuss is about.

The Shala sets things up a little differently than other studios--instead of facing the front of the room, practitioners are encouraged to set mats up facing the center of the room so that yogis practice with their gaze in the direction of other students rather than the front wall. After 12 yogis found their places in the one-studio room facing one another, Julianna took a seat at the front of the room manning the Shala's harmonium for an opening chant.

She stayed perched here to share with us the dharma talk her own teacher, Ruth Lauer-Manenti, bestowed upon her a few days prior, waxing poetic on the foundations of yoga: abhyasa, practice, and vairagya, nonattachment.

This sense of working toward something and yet staying detached from it seems counter intuitive, opposites, even. Yet she went on to point out that even in our poses we are engaged in opposing actions: rooting our feet down into the earth while extending our hands to the sky in Utkatasana; our front leg and front arm energetically moving away from the back foot and back arm in Virabhadrasana II.

Encouraging us to think about this, Julianna took us into Downward Facing Dog, holding us here as she rubbed a menthol-infused lotion into our necks and upper shoulders, easing away any tension we were holding and had unknowingly brought with us to class. Then she warmed us up with what felt like a million Sun Salutations in the 98-degree heat (okay, there were only 11).

She went heavy on the Warriors, bringing us gracefully through Devotional Warrior, Warrior I, Warrior II, and Peaceful Warrior, before taking us through the sequence again to find Trikonasana and Parsvakonasana. Another vinyasa later and we were soaring into Bakasana, crow pose.

From there her sequencing got creative. Bringing us to our stomachs for Salabasana and Dhanurasana, she then teased us with a bunch of seated forward bends (Paschimottanasana, Janu Sirsasana, Marichyasana II, Marichyasana III--each pose on each side followed by an optional vinyasa, which all 12 of us took advantage of, what with the intense heat and all).

Another vinyasa later and we were flying into Ardha Chandrasana, finding solace in the Ardha Matsyendrasana and Pigeon that followed before taking flight again into Ardha Chandrasana to even out the other side.

Julianna had more surprises in store, though. Bringing us back to the top of our mats, she calmly had us prayer our hands to our hearts' center, and close our eyes. She then had us come onto the balls of our feet as we slowly began to bend our knees until we were sitting on our heels, crouched by the floor. From there, she had us twist right, taking Parsva Bakasana, side crow, for a few breaths. Coming back to center with our hands in prayer again, we twisted left, taking the arm balance to the opposite side.

Following Setu Bandhasana, Julianna took us into Full Wheel twice, admonishing it yogi's choice for whatever inversion we felt would best round out our practice that day, finally turning on the overhead fans to make our Savasana super delicious.

Raising us from the dead to a seated position, Julianna had one last thing to say before closing with three Oms: "You just worked an hour and a half toward something, now let it go."

Drop-in classes are $19.

--Jessica Mahler for Yoga Sleuth

If you’ve never taken a class with the phenomenon of a yoga instructor that is Susan 'Lip' Orem, I have one word for you - GO! You’ve got to expect something extraordinary from a slender, bespectacled pretzel of a woman going by the name “Lip,” right? This master teacher not only delivers the substance of yoga with some of the most precise anatomical instructions and creative pose variations you can imagine, she also makes you laugh in the process.

Lip has a seemingly endless repertory of ways to approach each pose. In tonight’s class we played with the gamut of yoga props: blocks in various positions under our feet offered new sensations in standing poses, and a chair for supported backbends was an invigorating innovation, followed by a delightful restorative counterpose.

We moved through more classical postures as well as Lip’s special blends, like the “Nadia Comaneci,” a swan dive with arms back going into Uttanasana, and the “Stop in the Name of Love” hand mudra in Marichyasana A.

Her passion for the practice is inspiring, and the dynamics of her voice are completely engaging. She circulates through the class, clucking alignment instructions like a mother hen.

There’s no zoning out in this class. Lip demands precision, but in a way that invites playfulness and dialogue. Her eagle eyes scan the entire room at once; if even a stray foot somewhere sneaks out of alignment, she’ll shout to you from across the room if need be.

“When you come down, you better be in the right place!” she admonished as we geared up for backbends with our neck supported at the edge of a bolster.
   
Though the focus of the evening was on shoulder openers, Lip managed to work in hip openers, inversions, balances, and interesting standing pose variations that gave me more insight into each pose. One highlight of the class was an intense shoulder opener with our palm pressed into the wall, where we threaded our bodies under and around our own arm like a swing dancer twirling with her partner.

“What matters is not which parts of class challenge you, but how you respond to those challenges,” Lip noted. “When you maintain your compassion and work through the tough places with patience, you’re taking your yoga off the mat and into the world.”

I felt grounded, strong, and centered as we took our final seat after an ample time in savasana. She sent us off into the evening by advising us to “Have courage. Stay cool. Thank you all.”

$22/class; new student special, two week unlimited for $30

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

Thinking I’d be off the hook taking a ‘Warm 60’ instead of  ‘Hot 90,’ quickly proved a big mistake. The room was plenty warm, and, courtesy of the pouring rain, humid! The brand-new space (in the brand new studio!) has cool, black veneer floors, big, translucent windows, and mirrored light bulbs hanging off the ceiling, reflecting the whole space back at you, convexly, with yourself front-center.

As we sat in meditation at the start of class, I began sweating profusely. Dara teaches Evolation yoga, a style rooted in the Bikram tradition, with a silent meditation at the beginning and end of class.

Dara’s calm and sweet voice filled the room as students struggled to hold the count in the standing poses. I thought I might faint, but Dara’s strongly empathic nature made it all okay. At times during the class, when I really couldn’t hold a pose and I had to back off, Dara mentioned that it is great to take breaks when it’s too challenging.

And when I got comfortable backing off and planned to sit out the second set of Ustrasana, she encouraged everyone to try just one more time. So I did, and went even deeper than before without a problem.

The class basically followed the classical Bikram structure, with Dara reminding us to return to that place of stillness inside whether in  Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana or one of the short Savasanas.

At one point she said that she loved the supportive vibe in the class, something I absolutely felt also. Dara’s gentle example discouraged competition and judgment, and created that nurturing environment.

When backbends released grief for one student, Dara quoted Bikram, saying that every tear shed during the practice is a gift that goes directly to the gods.

Dara’s compassionate nature extends well beyond this one class: every Saturday, Sacred offers a free Warm yoga class followed by meditation class. All meditation classes at Sacred are free!

Sacred also supports the Flawless Foundation (seeing the perfection in every child) and the Prison Yoga Project.  Sacred is a vibrant new studio in the heart of Brooklyn, offering a wide range of classes to the community, driven by the spirit of sharing. What a beautiful gift!

Drop-in classes are $20. Sacred Intro Limited Time Offer - 2 weeks for $20.

--Anneke Lucas for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth was in search of some serious balance, so I headed to ISHTA Downtown for Sarah Platt-Finger’s Sweat & Samadhi class, a juicy hour and a half of intermediate vinyasa, restorative and meditation.  I always feel calmer and more focused after moving on the breath; it becomes easier to actually sit still and relax for meditation.  

I entered the simple and beautiful space of ISHTA Downtown and one of the teaching assistants was kind to hand me a prop pack: a belt, two blocks, two blankets and a bolster.  I appreciated the premeditated organization - nobody was going to be running around looking for props during this class!

To begin Sarah instructed us to come into Virasana on one of our blocks.  I adjusted my seat, found my comfort zone and closed my eyes.  We began by tapping into our breath, something we would continue to do throughout the practice.  With each inhale we silently said Sooo and with each exhale we silently said Humm.

We sat for several minutes feeling the calm and then we all chanted OM three times, opened our eyes and stretched our arms over head.  Sarah reminded us to continue to move on the breath as we twisted from side to side while still seated, then made our way to our hands and knees.

After a few cat/cow movements, we lifted one leg and the opposite arm, brought our knee to our elbow, then the center, then the opposite elbow. It was tough to keep the balance. After five repetitions, we switched sides, still using one breath per movement.

Next up, our first Down Dog, moving into a low lunge and twist. Sarah gave me a gentle, yet effect adjustment to keep my hips in line.  She talked about how surrendering and letting go brings us back to ourselves. The asana is just shapes and poses, thoughts and things, not who we are. We need to get out of the cerebral layer.  

We stretched one leg up into a three legged dog to really open up our hip, taking each side then down dog, plank and baby cobra.  After several repetitions, we found our way to Tadasana, grounding our feet down and once again breathing in Sooo and breathing out Humm.

We reached our hands high above our heads to the ceiling.  I could feel my torso getting longer and taller.  Sarah came around and once again gave me a gentile assist firming my outer arms in.  She made sure to travel around the room to assist where needed, while still keeping the flow and pace of the class moving along.

We stretched our arms from one side to the next several times and then came back to Tadasana. After seven full cycles of Surya Namaskar A, we flowed into a sequence of Parsvakonasana, Warrior II and Trikonasana.  
On to Surya  Namaskar B we started with high lunges and then moved to the full Warrior I. Now that we’d been fully warmed came Parsvottanasana to Parivrtta Trikonasana, with a challenge to twist deeper.

Sarah managed to give careful attention to all of her students, even in a packed room!  There was a real sense of community in the air as we moved from pose to pose. Sarah said to take our emphasis off the poses and put attention to the inside of us. We finished up the vinyasa flow part of class with handstand.  

We stopped moving and laid down on our mats and put our legs up the wall.  We were reminded to continue our Sooo Humm breath as we closed our eyes.  I felt a tingle in my feet and the blood flowing.  It felt good to stop for a moment.

We did ankle to knee and Baddha Konasana with our legs up the wall, then a supported Pachimottanasana with a bolster and block. The last restorative pose is my favorite, Goddess pose.  We had the option to stay here or come into a comfortable seat for meditation.  I chose to sit on my bolster against the wall for support.  Sarah encouraged us to do what we felt comfortable with.

After several minutes of silence, we came to our backs for Savasana.  I felt a deep sense of calm and overall balance.  We closed the class with an OM, Namaste and then I was on my way back into the world feeling a tighter mind-body-spirit balance.

For anyone looking to experience a beautiful, intelligent and balanced class, check out Sarah Platt-Finger’s Sweat and Samadhi on Tuesday and Fridays!

Single Drop-in Class is $22

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

When Yoga Sleuth heard that there was a class called YogaNerd at Virayoga, she couldn’t help but wonder just what the “nerd” part meant, and how nerdy was teacher Zhenja la Rosa going to make it? This yogi was determined to find out.

In her opening dharma talk, Zhenja shared a personal anecdote about how she had been repeatedly sought out by a publication to have pictures taken of her in various poses. Humbly declining each time, the publication kept at it, encouraging her to say yes. She thought about it and realized that this was a lesson that could very well be applied to yoga practice: Instead of saying no to a pose we think we cannot do or don’t want to do, say yes and open up to a world of possibility. Suffice it to say Zhenja finally agreed to be photographed, and then encouraged the 34 yogis in attendance in the loft-space studio to learn from her example, accepting the challenge by saying yes, watching as we move closer to where we want to be, both on and off the mat.

The message percolated as she led us through the Anusara invocation and then into Downward Facing Dog. Taking us through Classical Surya Namaskar to warm us up, we soon found ourselves in Virabhandrasana II, where Zhenja kept us as she helped us to fine-tune our stance, instructing us to lift our toes as we engaged the back leg while externally rotating the front thigh. “If we engage every muscle in the poses than we are able to engage in every possibility,” she said, one of many times she repeated this theme throughout class.

It didn’t take long for Yoga Sleuth to understand that the “nerd” in YogaNerd referred to the amount of knowledge and practice one has under his or her belt in choosing to come to such a class. Everyone who showed up to class today was looking to deepen their practice to really find the proper pose and alignment, which was made evermore clear when Zhenja would pause the class to demonstrate her articulations of a pose.

First up was Trikonasana, where her meticulous instruction helped us perfect the pose. Now finding a proper Triangle Pose is a tricky thing for this Yoga Sleuth. Something always seems to be awry, and every adjustment I’ve ever received from a teacher in this pose has felt different from the last. It’s as if I find a different wrong pose every time. But the guidance Zhenja provided opened the pose up to me in a way I had never discovered until today. “Waist line draws back, tailbone tucks under; lift your belly up and over the pelvis over the right (front) thigh.” Following her commands I felt strong and confident; my spine felt straight, parallel to the ground. Looking up at my left hand, I could feel every muscle engaged to get my body to contort into the pose, finding a relaxation through the struggle that got me there.

Then it was on to Parsvokonasana and Ardha Chandrasana, where Zhenja had us apply the same subtle movements we found in our new Trikonasana that refer to the Anusara inner spiral.

After evening out our bodies by taking these external rotation poses to the opposite side, Zhenja reintroduced us to them, upping the heart-opening, and difficulty, factor by adding in a bind. First taking us into Parsvokonasana to safely get us into a bound position, we straightened our front leg to find bound Triangle pose, maintaining our balance as our waist continued to move back, tailbone under as we tipped into bound Ardha Chandrasana. “This is probably the hardest standing pose, in my opinion,” Zhenja said as her students tried to fly. But under her tutelage, fly we did.

After having us partner up for Handstand, our fearless leader called us back to the top of our mats. “Alright, nerds,” she said as she took us into Utthita Hasta Padangustasana, gearing us up for what was to come. Rotating our lifted leg out to the side, she instructed us to take hold of our neighbor’s ankle that dangled in front of us to help us feel more balanced in the pose. This was all in preparation for Apantasana and the more challenging Vashistasana B.

And while she did her share of demoing poses for us to see each action at work, if she saw a yogi following her instructions, she would pause the class and invite us to watch as they found their perfect pose. We looked on in awe as one yogi demoed Tittibhasana (Firefly Pose), following Zhenja’s instruction to bring the waist back again, zipping up in the abs to help elongate the legs.

Shortly before Savasana time, Zhenja took Supta Padangustasana further than I ever thought possible. After taking hold of the right foot or leg and rotating the leg out from the hip to our side, our neighbor grabbing hold of our heel and pushing in to help us reconnect the femur bone back into the hip socket, we then brought our leg back to center and tried to bring it down by our head. Zhenja stopped us again to watch as one very flexible yogi found this reclining split; I know I wasn’t the only one amazed that the human body could move in such a way.

So if you are someone who has a more advanced practice and are looking to take things deeper and really understand how the body should enter, pause, and release from each pose, go see Zhenja. She’ll get you there.

Drop-in classes are $20

--Jessica Mahler for Yoga Sleuth

What felt like a month long rainstorm had finally abated, giving way finally to possibly the first beautiful spring evening of the year. It was time to take the mat outdoors, so Yoga Sleuth walked past the 59th Street Bridge and arrived at Yo Yoga, a buoyant and blossoming studio just 3 months old. To my delight, they were indeed holding class tonight outside on their inviting 3rd floor rooftop deck.

Alyssa Rubin, Yo Yoga's  dynamic and down-to-earth Power Yoga instructor, set us up facing each other in two rows on the soft astroturf. The air was warm and a bit sticky, but a pleasant breeze would soon arrive to carry us through our vinyasas.  

We came to the top of our mats to stand in Tadasana, where Alyssa prepared us for the work to follow. "Breathe into your torso, your diaphragm and your lungs," she guided.

"Grow a little bit longer, a little bit stronger. With every inhale find a little more space between each rib, between each vertebra. And with each exhale let the tension go from your shoulders, let the grinding go from your teeth." At this moment I became aware that I was sure enough grinding my back molars; remembering my recent root canal I relaxed my jaw.

As we surrendered into Uttanasana, Alyssa gave us a mental adjustment: "Whatever thought or feeling you have left over from the day, just let it go," followed quickly by a physical one: "Everyone bring your weight forward a little bit more into the balls of your feet." I did so, feeling immediately more balanced and engaged.

Rising into Urdvha Hastanasa, Alyssa had us hook our thumbs and gently arch  for a  baby backbend. Planting our hands we stepped our right legs back for a long lunge which quickly became a twist, one hand planted and the other yearning for the now-clear sky.  

"You want a straight line from your crown to your toes," said Alyssa as we settled into high plank. "Heart forward, shoulders away from your ears. Do not hold your breath!" she added sharply, responding to the unusual silence of some unnecessarily struggling students. "That will not help you!" Pulling our hips back we embarked on a down dog encounter of the three-legged kind. "Reach your lifted leg up an inch higher, and your grounded heel an inch lower," Alyssa challenged.

And now it was time to salute the setting sun, but Alyssa, spotting several new faces, decided to make sure we were all on the same page. While we settled into our down dogs, a mini-vinyasa workshop was in order, with the aid of a regular student as a model. Alyssa had the model demonstrate the proper way to hug the elbows in a full Chatturanga, called for the knees on the ground for a "beginner-friendly" version, and showed the differences between cobra and an up dog to get the newbies up to speed. Following the deft demo we went through a round of Sun A. "And this is power yoga," reminded Alyssa, "so let's do it again!"


Following our salutations, we windmilled the arms up to Warrior Two.  "Take a moment to check in with your alignment," said Alyssa. She instructed us to bring our hips low, and ground down the pinky toe edge side of our back foot. “Ideally you want your front knee at a 90-degree angle directly over your front foot. Maybe not today, and that's ok."

Alyssa then instructed us to wrap our arms behind us in either a reverse Namaskar or with hands clasping our elbows. I decided to try the former for a change, and found my shoulders were now open enough to maintain the prayer variation as my upper body reached over into Parsvottanasana.  
Beginning to wind down, we sat with one leg stretched and the other on the hip crease in a half lotus position, hands planted alongside our hips. "How does it feel?" asked Alyssa. "It doesn't matter where you are, as long as you're working."

For a finale we planted our sit bones on the mat for a lengthy sojourn into boat pose. Alyssa reminded us not to round here. "If you're rounding, you're straining your lower back and not getting the core work."

To challenge our abs further we sank down to an Ardha Navasana, then back to full, and then half again.  We playfully crisscrossed our legs in half-boat faster and faster as Alyssa counted down, before collapsing onto our backs for a sunset Savasana. Then Alyssa sent us out into the twilight, invigorated by our power practice and renewed by own rising sun.

Classes at Yo Yoga are all one hour; $12 with a $1 mat rental. Check out www.yoyoganyc.com for a schedule of rooftop classes.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

While Yoga Sleuth relishes the upbeat and at times very creative New York yoga scene, she deeply loves the classical, no frills Hatha yoga found at the New York Sivananda Center.  Each open level class is structured around just 12 core poses and 2 forms of Pranayama, with numerous Savasanas throughout practice.  There are beautiful classical invocation and closing chants.  No music is played, allowing practitioners to better zone into their breath.  Classes parallel the traditional yoga Sleuth has studied throughout India, where deep growth ensues through simple repetition and freedom through familiarity.

The Sivananda Center has inhabited the same sunny Chelsea townhouse since it was founded 1964.  Something so wonderful about the center is that it actually feels like a home.  You enter at the ground level into an airy space where there is a bookshop, the reception desk, and an open kitchen and dining area.   Not only are you greeted by a friendly staff primarily composed of volunteers, but also the wonderful aroma of freshly cooked vegetarian food.

The studio has 2 light-filled studios of equal size – the Sivananda room on the 2nd and Durga on the 3rd floor.  Both have a beautiful altar at the North end, and photographs of Swami Sivananda and his disciple, Swami Vishnu-devananda, on the walls.  Foam mats lay on the floor for placement, about 8 facing east and 8 facing west.  After laying our mats a top these, we assume Savasana right away.  

(A note about Sivananda yoga: If you are unfamiliar with the method, the sequence might initially feel backwards.  Each class begins with Savasana and then chanting and breathing exercises.  This is followed by 6 sets of traditional Surya Namaskara and then inversions, postures in supine position, those in prone position, seated poses, and finally standing poses before the final Savasana.)

In today’s class, we are drawn back from rest by the calming voice of Mohini, a beautiful woman with a warm presence who guides us up to sit for chanting and Pranayama.  Not only does her speaking voice lovingly take command of the room, but her crisp and well pronounced 5 verse Dhyana Slokah chant is inspiring.

The center’s open class chanting isn’t call and response.  Instead, students are encouraged to learn the chants over time through listening and studying the mantras (free copies with translation are available at the front desk).

After the invocation, Mohini leads us through 3 rounds of Kapalabhati breathing, each followed by kumbhaka (breath retentions of 45, 60, and then 75 seconds).  Her guidance is well timed and her careful adjustment of my occasionally overly back-bendy posture is very good.  Kapalabhati is followed by Anuloma Viloma, or alternative nostril breathing, in which each inhalation extends for a count of 4, the retention 16, and the exhalation for 8.  

The breath work, which takes about 15 minutes, is a wonderful challenge. It’s followed by a welcomed Savasana to prepare us for the postural practice, which begins with 6 sets of well-paced traditional Surya Namaskara.  Though there are only 12 primary poses practiced in an open level Sivananda class, it is still physically and mentally rigorous.  For example, Mohini allots 4 – 5 minutes for headstand (students can also practice Dolphin pose).  Shoulder stand is held for at least 3 minutes.  Mohini also offers advanced variations to more experienced students when appropriate.  

I embrace the longer postural holds.  Not only are the internals benefits deepened, but each asana becomes a meditative seat.  There is a greater opportunity to watch the mind’s behavior, which Mohini lovingly reminds us to do thorough out class, and gently draw it back when it wanders.

Mohini’s class never feels rigid or repetitive.  She also sensibly varies the traditional sequence when appropriate.  Full wheel might be replaced with camel pose, seated spinal twist with thread the needle.  Her alignment focused instructions are in-depth and well-articulated.  And, though Mohini offers more variations than most of the teachers I’ve studied with at the center, she always honors the classical sequencing of this Hatha yoga method.  

The final Savasana is so sweet and deep.  Mohini softly guides us through tense and release exercises and then “auto-suggestion”, in which we consciously relax the body part by part.  After some moments of rest, we quietly come to sit and unite our voices for the closing chant.

I leave with my mind and body feeling exceptionally rejuvenated and relaxed.  Whether you are a well-seasoned yoga practitioner or relative beginner, I believe you will feel the same after taking Mohini’s class.

--Sophie Herbert for Yoga Sleuth

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m settling into restorative class at Yoga Vida near Union Square, as Cat Acquaviva invites us to “imagine your perfect day…”

Reclining in a scrumptiously supported pose, with every corner of my body supported by a carefully selected assortment of cushy props, it didn’t take much imagination. The phone was turned off, I had nowhere to rush off to, and a sound backdrop of gentle nature sounds and crisp chimes lulled me into a tranquility that can be hard to find in NYC.

Cat’s peaceful demeanor and buoyant energy put me at ease before the class even began. A newcomer to the studio, I was welcomed as into a friend’s living room with warm smiles and a tour of the facility which includes two practice rooms and a cozy sitting area. The first thing I saw as I entered the class was an enticing setup of props, whetting my appetite for the deep relaxation to come – and giving us all the opportunity to have our setup ready when class began.

As we sat in our opening pose, Cat led us through a deep breathing practice to help us transition into being fully present. “Put aside your thoughts of the day and your to-do list; it will still be there when you leave, but this opportunity to get centered and focus on your breathing may not.”

The most challenging aspect of a restorative class to me is manipulating all the props, and Cat led us into each pose so masterfully that even the transitions between poses were relaxing. She magically seemed to show up with an extra blanket or bolster as needed to help us find complete comfort in each pose. A decadent hand massage with lavender scented oil in Viparita Karani (legs up the wall with hips elevated) was icing on the restorative cake.

As we rested in Supta Baddha Konasana (reclining bound angle pose), she offered us the mantra: inhale “LET;” exhale “GO.” My body cushioned and enveloped by a smorgasbord of bolsters, blocks, and blankets, I surrendered to gravity and exhaled the tensions of the day.

“When thoughts come up, don’t follow them,” Cat reminded us as we rested in a supported Upavistha Konasana (seated straddle with bolster and blankets). “We’re under constant stress living in NYC. Honor yourself for showing up today to do something healing,” she suggested.

“You can set an intention to nurture yourself in the coming week, maybe with an extra hour of sleep, a restorative yoga pose at home, or a hot bath.” This class reminded me of the importance of taking time out of a busy day to rejuvenate. I think I’ll take all of the above – thanks Cat!

$10/class; $5 for students; new student special, one week unlimited for $10, includes one free towel and mat rental.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

Alignment is key to getting into poses safely and correctly. That’s why Yoga Sleuth decided to head to Brooklyn’s Greenhouse Holistic where Leigh Evans adds in preparatory moves to help yogis find deeper and proper postures once the flow of the class picks up.

After chanting Om three times, it was on to Sun Salutations, where Leigh had us come up into a high lunge and fine-tune our stance. She asked us to square off our hips and to lift our hip points up, making sure the front knee was directly over the ankle while simultaneously engaging the back leg.

It wasn’t until she brought us into our first Warrior I that I realized we needed to go through those “baby steps” to help our hips remember what it feels like to be squared, as many of the poses she would bring us into required this hip action; hello Warrior III, Revolved Triangle, and Revolved Half Moon!

Leigh certainly worked the whole class into a sweat, not only with a multitude of vinyasas, but also by having us hold poses for long periods of time. Keeping the hips in line is so important to so many yoga poses, and having to hold the pose for five breath counts really helps to find alignment.

After the last vinyasa, Leigh took us to the wall where we worked on handstand and forearm stand with split variations. In preparation for forearm stand, Leigh suggested those with a somewhat new forearm practice to use a strap to keep arms and elbows parallel and shoulders’ distance apart. “The strap is great to use because it acts as training wheels for this pose, but we can’t use training wheels forever,” she said.

As we attempted the pose, Leigh shared a quick story about when first moved to Pittsburgh as a kid. “There were these two 7-year-old boys in my neighborhood that still were using training wheels on their bikes! I couldn’t believe it!” She had to help them, she said.

And this is exactly the kind of passion that Leigh dedicated to each of us to make sure we came not only into forearm stand correctly and safely, but with every pose that she led us through, helping those that needed the assistance to find alignment and balance. This yogi had never in her life gone up in forearm stand, but with Leigh’s help I got up and received encouraging instructions - “Push down through your forearms! Reach up through your feet!” - to help me feel more confident while upside down.

Next, it was time to give our quads a major stretch. Still at the wall, we took a Downward Dog split with our right leg raised and pressing into the wall. Then Leigh had us slide our right leg down until our bent knee reached the ground with our shin pressing into the wall, sometimes knon as King Arthur Pose. “This quad stretch helps to circulate blood to the reproductive organs,” Leigh informed us.

“I know it’s intense, but we’re going to do it again because this is an area we don’t normally access or stretch,” said Leigh who then upped the difficulty factor the second go-round by having us outstretch our arms in front of us, interlacing the fingers, and then reaching our arms above our heads.

“If we do something and it is easy for us, then we probably aren’t going to learn anything new from it. It’s the things that we find difficult that are our greatest teachers, which doesn’t just apply to the poses we do on the mat but in our personal lives as well.”

Finally we made our way to Savasana, sinking into our mats, our bodies and minds letting go of all the hard work.

Leigh’s classes promise to make you more aware of your body and to work hard, but her precise instructions and encouragement will guide you through it all. If you’re looking for a challenge in your yoga practice and a true learning experience be sure to stop into one of Leigh’s classes!

Drop-in clases are $15.

--Jessica Mahler for Yoga Sleuth

As May continued to do its “rain-soaked April” imitation for a 5th straight day, Yoga Sleuth was in desperate need of a pick-me-up. The fog was lifted immediately as I entered the inviting studio of Yogamaya and saw a smiling Stacey Brass seated behind her harmonium, ready to Om the gloom away.

Stacey, also the studio director, led us in a round of chants of the blessing Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu, often translated as “may all beings everywhere be happy and free.” With Stacey’s deft harmonium playing to accompany us, our voices were loud and strong (and on key!). “Notice the change in the air,” said Stacey as our voices faded. “We’ve created a charge, a positive atmosphere in which to do our Asanas.”

We began this portion of our adventure by simply raising our arms overhead into what Stacey called a “column” position. We kept our arms straight, imagining them lengthening beyond the pull of our shoulders, wrists in line as we yearned to touch the rain-spotted skylight. From there we lowered one arm to the knee and the other behind the sacrum in a simple seated twist.

“Now not only close your eyes, but imagine resting your eyeballs, “ said Stacey. “So that when you open them, your eyes are not active and searching, but simply taking everything in.”

We relaxed our gazes as we rose to mountain pose. “This is the pose we will return to, to take stock of where we are, how we are feeling,” said Stacey. We then repeated the twist with arms in a “T”, Stacey encouraging us to twist with everything down to our bellies while keeping the hips square to the front. And in between round after round of Surya Namasaker A and B, punctuated with Vinyasas that got faster with each pass, we were sure to spend several breaths taking stock in Tadasana.

Although we were in a fairly vigorous flow that got us sweating, alignment-focused Stacey made sure we were in our best expressions of each pose at all times. She called students out by name with short but on-the-nose corrections, and worked the 16-student room from end-to-end with hands on adjustments whenever possible.

We spent a long time exploring our forward folds, coming up repeatedly to practice flattening our backs, then taking our big toes with peace fingers, feeling for the lift in the middle arches of our feet. Turning to the side wall we raised our arms again to the “T” position.

“Think of milkmaids, with a pail of milk on each arm,” said Stacey. “I don’t know why that image popped into my head, but that’s exactly what it should feel like!” From here we lowered into a wide legged forward fold, building on the work we had already done.

This was followed by a balancing sequence that had us all stretching our limbs to their edges in Hasta Padangustasana. Instead of doing my usual “hands under the thigh” variation, I found I was able to grab my big toe and hold it after all, albeit with a microbend in the knee. “It’s totally ok if the knee is bent!” said Stacey, answering the question in my head.

It was then that Stacey revealed the pose that all our work had been building up to: Revolved Triangle. She began with a humorous but informative demonstration of a person doing it awkwardly, bringing her arm clumsily to the ground with a thud and losing the twist in the process. Then she cued us expertly through a proper version, using all the elements we had practiced earlier.

We held a block in one hand, raising our arms to the “column” position, then planting the back foot squarely (as we had in Warrior one) and lifting the middle arch (just like we learned in forward fold). Then, we lowered those arms to that vivid  “milkmaid” position, and twisted our heads, chests and bellies, just as we had in the beginning of class.

“Twist to lower,” beckoned Stacey, “let the block land wherever it lands. It’s your triangle, pay no attention to anyone else’s.” And before I could say Parivrtta, I found myself in a “personal best” expression of revolved triangle. We repeated on the other side, and then did it  once more without cueing, some students even exploring the pose sans block.

To rest our legs before Savasana, Stacey suggested eschewing the traditional shoulder stand for the more restorative and supported block under the sacrum, with soles to the ceiling. After a quiet Savasana with blankets rolled under our thighs, Stacey serenaded us with the harmonium once more.

“Thanks for coming to class in this challenging day,” she smiled. As we bowed in gratitude, Stacey reminded us that we can’t control everything that happens to us, but Yoga can put an electric charge in the air that will keep us centered and at peace no matter what.

Drop-in classes at Yogamaya are $18 with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

The Sports Club LA is a palatial gym where Upper East Siders spin and run on their treadmills overlooking the East River. Up on the fifth floor Amrit Ramkissoon, a teacher of twenty years experience and professional rollerblader, was teaching a music-free Kundalini Yoga class in a quiet room. The class was a mixed group of newbies and experienced Kundalini yogi(ni)s.

Amrit began by tuning us in with the Adi Mantra which he translated as “I bow to my infinite self.” We moved onto some Agni Prana (breath of fire, of course). In this instance Amrit had us bend our elbows and turns our palms up and out to the side. A stickler for alignment he moved around the room correcting postures, including Sleuth’s “duck back” while we practiced our breath of fire.

Throughout class, Amrit would have us rest in Savasana or Sukhasana between each pose to feel the energetic change. Moving onto Kundalini Lotus pose (a wide-legged Navasana holding onto the toes with middle, index fingers and thumb) we continued our breath of fire as Amrit encouraged us to open up through our chests and not round through the upper back. Continuing with difficult abdominal work we held Navasana with breath of fire, bent or straight legs, for two minutes.

Moving onto backbends we held Cobra with long, deep breathing for a couple of minutes. Amrit encouraged those who were flexible to keep their toes together and make sure their hips stayed on the floor. Stacking our shoulders over our wrists and knees underneath our hips we began a round of cat/cow. Amrit instructed us to speed up once our alignment was correct and we had found the rhythm of it.

The class increased in intensity as we got into standing poses. We took Archer pose with breath of fire for several minutes on each side. In Kundalini, Archer pose looks a little like Warrior II pose except the back arm is bent back and all the fingers of both hands are curled in and the thumbs stick up. The drishti is placed at the tip of the thumb. Here Amrit encouraged us to open up through our chests and bend our knees to a ninety degree angle.

With feet hip width apart we came to a flat back with hands dangling off the floor. Amrit advised us to use the mirrors to make sure our backs were really flat. This pose was held for several minutes and was easily the most challenging pose of the day, taking its toll on the back, the hamstrings and abdominals. While this was a tough exercise, afterwards my lower back did feel stronger and my kidneys were tingling.

The class was very grateful to meditate after this. The meditation was Kirtan Kriya. In this variation Amrit had us hold our hands at solar plexus level then with our thumbs together we alternated pressing our index, middle, ring and pinkie fingers together as we silently chanted Sa Ta Na Ma (Infinity, Life, Death, Rebirth). It was easier to hold my focus after some rigorous body work.

Classes at The Sports Club/LA are membership only.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

AntiGravity Yoga is a circus! Don't let anyone tell you anything different. Of course that is meant in the best way possible. Walking into the yoga space at Asphalt Green felt like walking into a gym that had been visited by the sweet yoga fairies from on high, like high in the rafters where aerialists perform their daring stunts. White billowy fabrics hang from the ceiling of the studio, but instead of acrobats you find yogis and instead of Cirque du Soleil it's an elegant dance between you, the fabric and the forces of nature.

It was my first time attempting aerial yoga but luckily about 90% of the class was completely new to this apparatus as well. Thankfully, our teacher, the aptly named Ariel Williams was incredibly clear and welcoming with her instructions. She also let us in on the secret to practicing this type of yoga, "you're going to look ridiculous" she told us flat out. "And that's perfectly ok." And with that we were swinging on on our way.

We started slowly getting into our breath, and getting used to gripping the 9 feet of fabric with our hands. Our small group of gravity defyers were instructed to keep an eye on the natural plumb line during our practice so as not to slip too far forward or back or out of the sling. This practice takes some trust and as much as you have to grip to begin you have to let go to fully enjoy it.

While wrapping your legs around sheaths of stretchy fabric may not feel so much like yoga at first, we ended up maneuvering our bodies into yoga-like poses such as Virabhadrasana III, Downward Facing Dog and upside down hanging like a bat pose, all with the support of the harness. If you’re familiar with the Iyengar rope wall, it's a very similar routine and sensation, using the fabric at the hip crease to traction the spine and fold over into Down Dog, or wrapped around your legs to hang like Batman.

If you're a newbie, this may all sound quite daring, but Ariel's very clear and precise instructions had every single one of us swinging from the rafters with the greatest ease. Any time we needed a break we could assume resting pose, which involved threading the fabric under our arms  and around our upper backs to hug our shoulder blades for a supported chest opener.

There’s an obvious child-like nature to Antigravity yoga and at one point we actually did swing back and forth like kids on a playground, eventually hopping forward to land like a graceful trapeze artist. Or at least we tried!

The fabric also felt very cocoon like and supportive. As one would in a hammock, we were instructed to relax our bodies while the fabric formed around us, like a baby swaddled in a blanket.

At the end of class, as we were wrapped in our cocoons, Ariel asked us to focus on our heartbeat, now drawing the direct connection to very early days of being a baby. "It's interesting to think about how before we're born we don't have our own heartbeat, but rather take on the heartbeat of our mothers. And our mothers theirs, and on and on.”

With this we slid our backs to the floor, paused in aerial Viparita Karani and then finished with a traditional Savasana. We had swung our way through the circle of life, and left feeling refreshed and yes a bit lighter!

Drop-in classes are $24. Members pay $12 per session.

--YogaDork for Yoga Sleuth

“Happy Mother’s Day!” Hatha and Kundalini Yoga trained Sokhna Heathyre Mabin sang as she walked into Shambhala Yoga and Dance’s new studio—they just moved down the street—with its polished wood floor and dark green and beige walls. Up front an altar with little Ganesh, Tara, Shiva and Buddha statues stared down at us.

After tuning in with the Adhi Mantra, Sokhna guided us straight into an intense and lengthy kriya from Kundalini Yoga for Youth and Joy for the lymph glands. We began in Sukhasana with our fingers interlaced behind our necks, inhaling to twist to the left, exhale to twist to the right for nine minutes. This opened up the arm pits where many of the lymph glands are stored. In the same seated position we then bounced our knees up and down using our hands to lift our knees up.

Sokhna was playing mother themed music starting with sounds of mother earth such as a roaring ocean and twittering birds. She would later play “Jai Ma,” “Sita Ram” and the “Adi Shakti” mantra for the Divine Mother.

To gear up the naval point we then leaned back on our hands and began kicking our own butts to “reset the sitting bones” as Sokhna told us. Then we alternately punched out our arms extending our fingers out then drawing them back into fists as our arms came back by our sides.

Building up the shoulder muscles we did some body drops followed by hip circles to the left. Chanting the mantra “Sa ta na ma” [infinity, life, death, rebirth] we moved our heads in synch up, down, to the left and to the right. We then flexed our spines while doing lion’s breath on the exhale which really helped get Sleuth’s toxins out. I could feel it by the metallic taste on my tongue.

Coming to standing we began spinal flexes, also moving the knees up and down with the spinal flex to lubricate the knees. Sitting back down we stretched out our legs in front of us and alternately flexed and pointed the feet. We then took some hip circles to the right this time. “When you do hip circles to the left it aids digestion and when you do hip circles to the right it aids elimination,” Sokhna said.

Shaking our heads side to side we tried relaxing the muscles of the jaw. “This resets the jaw,” Sokhna told us. “If you were breastfed as a child that is one way you would have set the jaw.” Sokhna has this knowledge from her work as a doula.

Taking our arms out to chest level we rapidly shook our wrists towards the center of the body. This is another exercise that stimulates circulation and eliminates toxins. Bringing our hands into our laps we began chanting “Har, Har, Har, Har, Har, Har, Hari” for endurance. Har is the seed sound of creation and Hari is creation in action.

Class ended with a three part meditation. “The Universe and Me, Me and the Universe are one,” followed by “”I am the Universe, the Universe Is Me” and finally “All Things Come from God, All Things Go to God.”
Feeling drowsy, I gratefully took Savasana.

After Sokhna closed the class, she advised us to have some cilantro and avocado or melon which is now in season. A woman of many talents Sokhna is also an herbalist and it’s wonderful to have these extra bits of knowledge injected into her kundalini class.

Drop-in classes are $15

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth was intrigued by Deborah Bagg, a funny, funky, devotional South African who looks at yoga through an organic, creative and spiritual lens. And, so one lazy Saturday morning I found myself in Chelsea at the beautiful Yogamaya Yoga Studio.

Deborah started the class by showing us pictures from Vanda Scaravelli’s classic Awakening the Spine. We looked at ancient Egyptian drawings and reliefs of backbends. The half naked acrobats looked as if they were doing Urdva Dhanurasana (Full Wheel) to entertain monarchs.

We also viewed a photo of Scaravelli attempting a standing drop back juxtaposed with a picture of a beautiful ocean wave. Obviously it was going to be a class of deep backbends with a suitably active playlist.

We warmed up with vigorous Sun Salutations.  She asked us to do a variation with our hands on blocks so that we were able to get the most out of our Upward Facing Dog poses. We were asked to put weight in our feet as we took Warrior I, allowing us to find more life in our mid-spine. And, we played with holding our top foot in Half Moon Pose.

Throughout the class Deborah asked us to release ourselves from holding and find all the possibilities that lay within.  She encouraged us to forget about our fears and through precise instruction got me to jump back to Chatturanga from Crow.

Using a strap, we practiced Dancer Pose, standing on one leg with our other foot caught in a loop, our arms bent at the elbow and held overhead. Lifting the foot to the head and taking the head back to the foot.

Once warmed up, we practiced full Locust variations. Chin on the floor, hands underneath our torsos, legs lifting to the sky. It’s a pose that’s not often taught but Deb’s clear instructions helped everyone attempt it in a manner that was safe on the lower back.

Since we were well warmed up and prepared, we were ready for Full Wheel and Standing Drop-Backs. The Ancient Egyptians had nothing on the group of 15 students assembled for this class. When it came time to drop back, Yoga Sleuth utilized the wall to come towards the floor while Deb assisted a student on my right to come back quietly in the middle of the room.

A well earned Supta Padangusthasana took out any kinks in my flexible lower back and then it was time for a lovely rest.

Deb’s class was thoughtfully themed, well –sequenced and energetic. While clearly not for beginners, intermediate students should feel that the class will challenge them enough without pushing them too far. I’ll surely be back for more.

Drop-in classes are $18 for Single Full-Length, and $13 for Hour-Long.

--B. Erica Spraos for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth’s been needing to work on her balance lately, making sure to distribute her weight evenly through her feet in standing poses. Lucky for her, she attended Marko Galjasevic’s class Open Level Vinyasa class at the Yoga Room, who had one-legged standing poses aplenty to challenge this yogi’s stability.

Forgoing opening meditation, Marko started class alternating between Paschimottanasana and reverse plank to awaken the minds and bodies of the 12 yogis able to participate in a late morning practice.

Transitioning into a few vinyasas, there was nothing classical about his salutations as his version of Surya Namaskar took us into side angle and straight into Vasisthasana. “Think of your arms as like one long column,” Marko said, to encourage our chests to open, our shoulder blades to come together on our backs.

Yes, Marko kept us on our toes, er, feet as he made sure to bring us into many Warrior IIIs by way of Parsvottanasana. With so much rooting through our standing leg, thankfully our challenging instructor made sure to keep the backdrop mellow with an ambient soundtrack of Shpongle and Ott.

Once things got heated up, Marko also turned up the difficulty factor, taking us through Warriors I, II, and III, followed by Tree Pose, which segued into Standing Split, easing into Ardha Chandrasana then landing in a lunge. From there we straightened our front leg for Parsvakonasana then twisting our torsos into Trikonasana before heading back into Vinyasa territory.

Sensing we were getting a little tired, he assured us we’d get a chance to rest. “Our senses make wonderful servants, but they make horrible masters. We’ll take a break soon,” he promised. “I’ve got an added treat.” By taking us through some twists via Utkatasana, Marko satiated our sweet teeth, adding a little savory with another sequence before making good on his promise and resting us in Child’s Pose.

“If you come here and think you’re gonna get bendy and all Cirque du Soleil, you’re missing the point,” Marko reassured us as we drank in the stillness of the pose. “Sure, we may be getting tight abs and slimming down our bodies, but we’re here to train the mind. The other stuff is just a bonus.”

All this was just preparation for the last pose of the class. Setting us up in a low lunge with our right leg forward, Marko instructed us to grab our right foot with our left hand, rotating our chest up into a side plank variation with us (trying) to extend our right leg out and up into a split. “Make sure your chest is opening toward the ceiling, that you’re not hunching, collapsing in the shoulders,” guided Marko. “It’s okay if you don’t extend your leg fully, just work on opening your chest.”

With all the variances Marko guided his class into, it was obvious that this is a teacher who likes to fly, which was made even more apparent when he took us to the wall to practice Handstand. Demonstrating his Whip & Kick (his Whip the straight leg he swings up, his Kick the leg that pumps and kicks himself upside down) he instructed us: “You want to land your foot on the ground as slowly and quietly as possible,” his body shaking as he forced it to follow his own instructions. But follow it he did as the class watched in awe; you could have heard a pin drop, that’s how inaudible his movements were.

For some Handstand practice was easy; for others, not so much. “We tend to curse ourselves more often than we bless ourselves,” says Marko. “Too often we're ready to say that we can't do this or that without ever really putting thought into why we ‘can't.’

But if we reflect, oftentimes we realize that the word can't is a filler for concepts like ‘fear,’ ‘too much work,’ ‘laziness.’ I challenge students who come to my class with challenging asanas not because they can't do them, but because they can... they just haven't realized it yet.”

If you are someone in need of a challenge or just in need of a sequence makeover, head to Marko; he’s got the moves.

Drop-in classes are $18.

--Jessica Mahler for Yoga Sleuth

As I cross East 13th Street, Yoga Sleuth can already see a thriving community through the street-level windows of East Yoga. The previous class is letting out a gaggle of blissed out yogis. Entering the warmly lit lobby I am greeted by a smiling woman behind the desk that turns out to be Megan Murphy, my soon-to-be teacher. She asks me about my practice and injuries, and promises to help me with my pesky SI joint.

There are 16 of us gathered in the earth-toned studio: a pretty full house for an end-of-day class. Many are regulars, but one man in particular raises his hand to disclose he has never set foot on a mat before (although the socks he is wearing had already tipped her off). Megan welcomes him and keeps a friendly eye on him throughout our class.

Megan is a breath-centered alignment expert, a devotee of the great Leslie Kaminoff. During class we get a lot of personal attention and ultra-specific cues. She also happens to have a beautiful ring in her voice that soothes and reassures as she puts us through our paces. “If it gets harder,” she coaxes, “just breathe deeper.”

We start with some supine twists to juice up before practicing getting that all-important flat back in ardha uttanasana. When it’s time for the first down dog of the night, Megan has a look at all of us and decides it’s time for a workshop. She brings up one of the studio’s Karmis to demo, showing how she needs to bend her knees to obtain that straight spine.

“Partner up!” says Megan, and I introduce myself to the friendly yogi on my left. We proceed to constructively critique and adjust each other’s Down Dogs. My partner and I spy that I need to bend my knees too, even more than I realize, and soon my alignment is (near) perfecto.

“You will hear people in class say, ‘oh my calves are burning!”  says Megan as we embark on our Utkatasanas. “They shouldn’t be. Learn to distribute the work evenly throughout the body.” And as one we adjust ourselves so shoulders, back, hips and legs are functioning in unison.

“We were never taught to sigh at the end of a hard day,” says Megan in her most soothing tones as we melt into bridge. “When you’re having trouble with work, with your partner…how much better would it be if you could let it all go with one deep exhale?” And it occurs to me, as I surrender my heart in the pose, that Megan’s class is in itself, one big blissful sigh.

And she hasn’t forgotten our pre-class chat either. “Put more of the work in the middle back,” she says, glancing over to me. “That will put less pressure on the lower back, and relieve any SI joint problems.” I smile back in silent gratitude.

Classes at East Yoga are an $18 drop-in with a $1 mat rental; new students can come on board for 3 classes at $30.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

In his quest for enlightenment about alignment, Yoga Sleuth took himself down to the Shala House. Part of a triumvirate of great Yoga studios on Broadway in Union Square (including Jivamukti and Om), the Studio is known for its early morning Mysore Ashtanga sessions. But this Ashtanga Jedi still needs his Yoda, and so I planted myself in the packed led class of Sherry Russell.

We began with a long and devoted series of chants. Our voices reverberated around the pristine white studio, adorned with wine colored curtains, paintings of the gods and topped with a sky-light in the high ceiling, letting in the lunchtime sun. Our meal today would be a full Primary Series.

We launched into a long series of Sun Salutation A, with vigorous vinyasas in between, and by the time we hit Sun B with Utkatasana, we  were already soaked! The students were clearly all at different levels of experience; and as is customary with Ashtanga, child pose was not called, but the wise students took it whenever their bodies called for it.

Sherry is an expert leader; as there really is no time for joking around or anecdotal asides in a full primary class, Sherry stuck to the book throughout—preceding each cue with its Sanskrit translation; always keeping us in a pose for the prescribed five breaths.

When it was time to plant our sit bones, I knew I was in a bind…or more to the point, I wanted to be. Sadly, this yogi’s proportions don’t generally allow for that. Nevertheless, I threw myself into the Marichyasana series with all the gusto I could muster.

When I got to B and struggled to join hands around one knee while sitting on the other foot, Sherry crouched next to me. “Better to keep working on Marichyasana A,” she suggested, reminding me to honor my body—and my practice—exactly where they were. I did so, and proceeded through my version of the sequence with more calm and self-acceptance. From there we held several 5 breath-long Navasanas to complete the first half of the series.

Later in the class, although Sherry stuck to the primary series in totality, several students began deviating, skipping ahead to the finishing series. This signaled to me that they were all at different places in their Ashtanga practice and were honoring that, just as Sherry advised me to. I made valiant efforts in Bhujapidasana (shoulder press) and Kurmasana (turtle) before taking a long rest in Balasana. Sherry placed her hands on either side of my sacrum to help me fold deeper, as if blessing my decision to take a sabbatical.

I returned to the series to join the class in some feisty wheels, then the finishing sequence began in earnest with Sarvangasana, Karnapidasana (ear-pressing pose, although I only pressed the air around my ears!), and Urdvha Padmasana and Mathsyasana (shoulderstand and fish with legs in lotus, respectively). After the climactic headstands A and B, we were off into Savasana-land, drenched, sore and yet strangely invigorated (I even hit the gym straight after class).

Whether you’re an Ashtanga “Padawan” or a Master looking for a refresher, Sherry and the Shala are a great place to kick start your practice.

Classes at the Shala are $19 with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

The temperature outside was freezing, so Yoga Sleuth headed down to Strala Yoga in SoHo for a desperately needed warm-up.  I’d heard a lot of good things about the studio and the owner, Tara Stiles, so I was excited to practice!  Entering the large white room, with wood floors and high ceilings, I noticed the only decoration was the sun beaming in from the floor to ceiling windows at the far end of the studio. I loved the expansiveness: a place to fill the space with asana, breath and my own ideas. No need for colorful walls and deities.

I set up my mat at the front of the room and settled into Sukhasana.  The friendly woman from the front desk announced that she would be teaching class, and began by instructing us all to move into Down Dog.  I asked her name and she said Tara…as in Tara Stiles. She was so down to earth and humble, I would have never guessed that she was a celebrity yoga teacher. I was now even more excited to experience the studio's style from the owner!   

To get us warmed up, Tara had us move from Down Dog to plank several times, holding our plank for a few breaths, to strengthen our core, she explained.  We continued to warm up with low lunges, Baby Cobra and a few rounds of Salabhasana.  In plank, we shifted one knee to each elbow and then down the middle landing in a low lunge.  The movement seemed subtle, but it really worked my abdominal muscles.

Tara encouraged us to breathe on our own, without calling out each breath.  We worked the core further by doing several rounds of Chaturanga push ups.  My arms got hot as I tried to focus on tucking my belly button towards my center.

Vashistasana was next.  Tara had us play with variations, like putting our top arm over head stretching laterally, lifting the top leg or placing it in tree pose.  In a relaxed tone she said do the variation that works for you. Coming back to the lunges, we began to twist to the side and back to center several times.  The movement was so fluid just like Tara’s voice and instructions.  The breath came naturally to me with each movement.  

We did several sun breaths and then moved into Surya Namaskar A several times on our own breath.  Tara weaved through the students and made adjustments while we moved. She came to me and gave a gentle yet effective assist in Down Dog.  I definitely appreciated it!  We continued with standing poses, moving into Warrior II, bending and straightening our legs, then Parsvakonasana and Trikonasana.  Again, each transition felt fluid, there were no forced breaths, no harsh movements, no intense instructions.  

Tara had a way of suggesting things, like encouraging our back heel back in a lunge to really straighten the back leg, rather than giving us orders. It made the environment very relaxed, even as we built heat in our bodies. We went through an interesting transition, Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana to Ardha Chandrasana to Warrior II, followed later on by Standing split to balancing with our knee to chest several times and then to Warrior I.  

Tara again instructed us in an easy tone allowing us to find the poses without any pressure.  I felt like I was dancing from pose to pose.  After trying different versions of pigeon, we made our way to the floor for Paschimottanasana.  Again, Tara gave me a gentle assist.  She pressed down just enough on my hips letting me extend my spine a little further, allowing for a real release.

Winding down, we made our way to our backs for bridge pose, shoulder stand and a deep supine twist.  We had glided through the class and by Savasana I was ready to rest without feeling worn out.

Strala Yoga is a friendly and relaxed setting to get your asana on. In the classes, each movement, breath and instruction is fluid and approachable to all levels. For just $10 a class you have an opportunity to expand yourself in a beautiful space with down to earth teachers.  

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Filing into the Goddess room at Jivamukti’s Downtown studio, Sleuth was reminded of why I rarely attend morning yoga classes. Between the pushy subway commuters and the excessively warm studio, my Pitta imbalance was on the rise and threatening to overflow—and it wasn’t even nine AM yet.

Dechen opened a jar of what smelled like menthol tiger balm and placed it on the floor in the center of the room before class started. After a few grounding breaths we moved into down dog and quickly began flowing through several sun salutations intermixed with lunging and warrior sequences. Dechen continually paced our breath and called out the inhales and exhales over the thumping rock music. I was mildly distracted by the smell of the menthol, but the rhythmic breathing and fast-paced flow helped to burn out some of my fiery energy.

After a few rounds, Dechen threw in a challenging sequence of warrior III transitioning to revolved half moon and then folding into standing split. Under normal circumstances, I would have felt these poses were out of place so early in the class, but since I was already sweating profusely, they fit right in.

As we moved dynamically though a few rounds of Malasana, Dechen said, “Each pose is for every part of the body. Remember to breathe into all parts of your body, even those you don’t think are an important part of the pose, like your toes.” It was a relief to be able to think of the pose as a whole and just breathe.

To cool us down, Dechen moved us to the floor for a forward folding sequence. During Janu Sirsasana, he commented that oftentimes we just fall into the pose and focus on the stretching at the back of the knee. Proving that all poses are for all parts of the body, he instructed us to think about strengthening the front of the body because if the front of the body is stronger, the back of the leg doesn’t need to be as flexible. This was truly a revelation for Yoga Sleuth as it decreased the sensation behind the knee and I found myself being able to truly relax in this pose.

Finally, after a long shoulder stand and a deliciously long 10-minute Savasana, we settled in for a short meditation. Dechen once again offered one of his nuggets of wisdom. “Meditation is what it’s all about. It’s not about the physical. Everyone experiences the three states of Creation, Destruction and Balance, but yogis get to experience the fourth—Witness.” I sat and witnessed a complete calmness, the fiery Pitta having long ago been brought back into balance. 

-Allison Richard for Yoga Sleuth

“Amy will register you herself,” I was told when I arrived. The promise of individual attention from such an esteemed teacher was my first hint at what was in store for this class. “We take yoga personally,” is the center’s trademarked motto. How true it is.

I accompanied Amy, whose warmth and wisdom is instantly apparent, into the bright, airy classroom whose sky-high ceiling was punctuated with beams of gleaming white. Just three other mats were in place, belonging to the students in the year-long Embodied Anatomy & Kinesiology series. The asana class is the “part two” of the Friday afternoon session, focusing on the A&K lesson of the day.

The humerus, the long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow, was due for some serious consideration. By exploring eight poses in-depth, Amy showed us the ways it can move independently from the other parts of the arm.

We began by lying on the back, bending the elbows, and rotating the palms (gripping balls to keep the hands static) inward then outward. “Keep the heads of the humerus down,” Amy instructed. She instantly noted that my left side had a tendency to pop up, and offered an informative adjustment. We then rose to our knees and practiced our new mindfulness toward the humerus in a cat/cow sequence, collarbones extended.

In full cobra, we learned how much deeper the pose can be by bringing the whole upper arm into it, rather than simply pulling the shoulders back. In downward dog, crow (practiced on a block to experience the rotation from extra height), Chattarunga (“Move the shoulder joints firmly in," Amy said), and, finally, in wheel, we experienced the full range of rotation.

Moving toward Savasana with a simple twist that mirrored the warm-up with the clear intention to keep the humerus grounded, Amy noted that the lesson was drawing to a close. In my mind, only minutes seemed to have elapsed—could time travel be a by-product of intense concentration? It seemed so. The clear, careful work offered many benefits, most notably a feeling of clarity and energy.

Afterward, I talked with fellow class member Kyle, who teaches at OM. “You’ll never do downward dog or Chattarunga the same way again,” he predicted. He was right.

$15 per class; all mats and props included in the class fee

—Denise Roy for Yoga Sleuth

Looking to wrap up the evening (and 2009) with a well-rounded class, Yoga Sleuth headed to MonQi Fitness (now known as Method Gym) for a workout of both body and mind with Cait Morth. The studio was once the site of Jim Henson's Muppet Studio, echoes of which can still be felt (including the "footprints" of a certain frog in the concrete at its front door).

Cait is a NSCA-certified personal trainer with backgrounds in dance, spinning and running as well as yoga, and her formidable experience was evident throughout class. She suggested we make three wishes for the new year: one for our bodies, one for our spiritual path, and a final wish for someone important to us. These three wishes would motivate and inform our practice this evening, she said.

We began in a supported fish, one block between our scapulas and another at our heads. “Breathe into your lungs,” Cait said. “You might hear some say you should breathe into your stomachs, but that will just give you gas, ” she quipped. After a few non-gassy breaths to open our chests, we removed the props and rolled off our mats into a prone position, stretching our limbs to their edges. Cait advocated slow transitions here. “Think of Claudius dying in Hamlet,” she suggested, an unexpected (but vivid) literary reference. 

We moved into a Vinyasa flow, but not the typical Chaturanga up-dog, down-dog sort. Instead, we began by rolling our legs over our heads as if heading to Halasana, but we held the pose in a sort of supine Paschimottonasana. From there we rolled down and folded into Upavistha Konasana. Rather than hurrying from one pose to the next as in a typical Vinyasa class, we found ourselves welcomed to get into each posture, finding our alignment and our edge. "If you find enlightenment in one posture, stay there!" Cait joked. In each asana, Cait constantly encouraged us to open our chests, bring our shoulders down and square our hips, physically adjusting us whenever possible. When I slipped in my form, Cait was right there to correct me. 

After a standing warrior series and a lizard, we took our right legs in a cradle, preparing for what would prove to be an intense and juicy supine pigeon. Hips and shoulders as open as can be, we were invited to proceed from there to try foot behind the head pose (sometimes referred to as Eka Pada Sirsasana). I found my right side far more agreeable then my left, with my tight shoulder and hip. This was something Cait recognized immediately and offered to help me with in future classes. Winding down from this climactic and challenging pose, we took a long supported bridge, blocks at our sacrums. "Let the block do the work," Cait advised, and so we did, melting into this grounding and healing asana.   

Next was “Yogi’s Choice”—any inversion we liked to complete our practice. While the rest of us chose traditional shoulder stand, the pre-natal student opted for a tripod headstand. Cait stayed with her as she tackled the pose, supporting her both physically and emotionally. It was an inspiring moment that, as a student, I was honored to witness. 

We were rewarded with a long Savasana to end our practice and the year. Cait was there immediately with a bolster for my legs to alleviate my lower back issues. She then took us into a glorious guided relaxation where we imagined ourselves lying on a beach, our bodies and stress melting away with each rush of the wave toward shore. We then received a lovely assist from Cait as she pressed our shoulders and treated our third eyes to lavender oil. Her care and compassion for the heart and soul was evident at all times, complementing her experience in training the physical body.

MonQi Fitness offers a full gym at $60/month with no membership fee or commitment. Classes are a separate package or pay as you go. Wednesday night yoga classes will be $13 dollars throughout January 2010. 

-Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

"We're a different kind of yoga studio," the young man running the front desk said as Sleuth emerged from the elevator into Tara Stiles's new studio. And it’s true: Strala is different from most every studio Sleuth has sampled in New York over the past year or so. For one thing, a floor to ceiling mirror makes up one wall, rendering it more like a dance studio than a yoga studio.

The loft-like practice area felt deliciously spacious—different indeed from most post-work Manhattan classes, where you spend just as much energy not kicking your five neighbors in the face as you do on engaging your core during plank. 

However, the desk attendant was most likely referring to Stiles's philosophic outlook: that you don't need to be a “yoga person” to make yoga a part of your life.

Tuesday evening's signature "Strong" class, led by Nadya Andreeva, got us started with some gentle side twists and shoulder openers. Like other not-too-yogic studios there was no opening  "Om," though we did perform some Pranayama. 

From there we moved into modified sun salutations and then, after several rounds incorporating elements of both Suryas A and B, into the meat (tofu?) of the practice: a flowing, Vinyasa sequence that’s heavy on the warrior poses. To move from the front to the back of the mat Nadya instructed us to rotate our reverse warriors. When trying to replicate it now, Sleuth can see that rotating on the balls of the feet isn’t so challenging, but performing this transition was a real challenge in class.

The practice focused on intense hip openers, including Parsvottonansana (pyramid pose), half moon, bound half moon, and revolved triangle transitioning immediately into revolved half moon. We concluded with forearm stand and shoulder stand in the center of the room before collapsing into Savasana. 

This steady, challenging pace seems like what a lot of athletic yogis are looking for. That, coupled with a killer price (all classes are only $10, renting a mat is an additional $2), and a well-designed schedule that offers classes at every peak hour for 9-to-5ers, bodes well for Strala becoming a major new presence on the downtown yoga circuit.

—Ruth Curry for Yoga Sleuth

Full Yoga Sleuth disclosure: I first met Meg Walsh-Sinkel when we took teacher training together in 2005. When you’re in yoga school learning to be a teacher, it is sometimes hard to tell what kind of teachers your fellow students will turn out to be. I’m happy to report that five years after receiving her certification, Meg is an experienced Vinyasa teacher who paces her class with well thought out precision. Plus, she gives some of the best adjustments in town. 

On a steamy night, two friends and I took Meg’s class at The Shala. One of my companions hadn’t been there in a while and she commented that she always enjoys practicing in this brightly lit, high ceilinged studio. I couldn’t agree more. It is fullly dedicated to serious Ashtanga and Vinyasa students. The intense energy is palpable from the first Om.  

Since Meg decided to focus on backbending, she started out using the rainbow as a metaphor. She explained some Indian, Greek and Biblical mythology as it related to rainbows and talked about the idea of this colorful arc being, like our practice, a path from earth towards the heavens.

She opened in a restorative pose, Supta Badha Konasana, asking us to find our Ujjayi breath. We then went on to a series of Surya Namaskar A’s and B’s moving into standing poses like Trikonasana, Virabhadrasana II, Parsvokonasana, Ardha Chandrasana, Virabhadrasana III, Pavrita Trikonasana and Natarajasana. As we moved, Meg asked us to hold poses for anywhere from three to five long inhales and exhales. After a set of poses was completed, she asked us to move through plank, chaturanga and upward facing dog. Occasionally we rested in downward facing dog, where she lay along my back for a deep spinal lengthening.

By this time, my pals and I were sweating fiercely and ready for Shalambasana, Danurasana, Parsva Danuransana and Urdva Danurasana. Throughout the poses Meg helped by counting out breaths and lifting the top of my chest to allow for greater range of motion in my backbends. She also continued to emphasize the rainbow theme, encouraging us to create a more even U shape through the length of our arms and legs.

Well-worn and needing to cool down, we took Supta Badha again, and then chose our own inversions to finish off the class. A sweet and deserved Savasana followed.

Though the years I’ve known her, Meg has stayed true to her roots. She started practicing at The Shala a decade ago and is teaching intermediate/advanced classes there now. Her dedication to her own practice and path is apparent—and has, without a doubt, benefitted her students.

Classes at The Shala are $18 and mat rental is $2. Packages and discounts available.

-Brette Popper for Yoga Sleuth

This past week, Sleuth had the opportunity to take Alan Finger's one-hour meditation at Ishta Yoga, a friendly and impeccably clean studio. Since I’m a newbie meditator, what I liked about Alan Finger's meditation class was his balanced approach; he presented a precise technique that incorporated pranayama, visualization, and of course, meditation.

Finger explained that the constant chatter in our minds brings us further away from our birthright: a state of peace visible in the eyes of a smiling baby. Maybe I'm not the first to discover that it's easier to quiet the mind with repetition (may I be happy, may I be happy) than it is in a quiet room sitting by quiet people who are breathing quietly.  But I find that my mind slowed down just listening to Finger talk.

After his introduction, he guided us through a short, straightforward asana practice. We inhaled sat (truth), and exhaled nam (now). Blocking the left nostril, we began the pranayama exercise inhaling through the right nostril as we envisioned the cells of the body bathing in red light, retaining for twice as long, and exhaling through the same right nostril. 

Next, we blocked the right nostril as we inhaled through the left nostril and imagined blue-gray light moving from the crown of the head all the way down to the base of the spine, retaining for twice as long, and then imagining the same blue-gray light moving with the exhale from the base of the spine all the way to the crown of the head. Finally, we imagined a drop of lavender light at the third eye continuing the same exact breathing technique. 

The visualization was challenging, but my focus relaxed when I began to inhale the blue-gray light through the left nostril. After the pranayama practice, we sat in quiet meditation for eighteen minutes. This was the hardest part. At one point, my entire right foot fell asleep, I massaged the foot, and was reminded by Finger's guiding voice to stay focused.

Technically speaking, you are not meditating until you let go of all thoughts, forms, and pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses). Dharana (concentration) must occur before you reach a state of dhyana, where the mind is free of thoughts. On this day sitting in this room in New York, this Sleuth didn't quite reach Dhyana, but I did find that the visualization and the pranayama made me a little lighter, a little more focused, and a little more willing to come back again another day for eighteen minutes and practice letting those thoughts go.

When I left Ishta Yoga, I knew I'd be coming back. Like the new asana student who knows she must come back but can't pinpoint why, I left feeling confident the practice had given me something I needed. 


New student special is $60 for one month unlimited yoga; single meditation with Alan Finger is $30; and single asana class is $22.

—Veronica Houston for Yoga Sleuth

The New York City branch of Integral Yoga, founded by Sri Swami Satchidananda, has been housed in a West Village brownstone since 1970, and it feels very connected to its peaceful, hippy-dippy roots. So it’s not terribly surprising that it’s offering a free class for the unemployed.

C’mon starshine, time to get rid of your bad karma and center yourself.

You enter the premises through the tiny Integral Yoga Bookstore, and if you’re early there’s a wait to sign up for a class, so you can browse through a solid collection of yoga, meditation, and other related books and pamphlets. No advance registration is necessary and you don’t have to sign any releases. One person in line joked that you have to show an unemployment check to get in, but in fact all that was required was signing a list, so the studio can keep track of attendance.

Next, you’re given a card showing where the class will be, which in this case was the cozy Lavender Room (the other rooms are Lotus, Aqua, Rose, Gold and, on the top floor, Heaven). If you’ve brought a padlock, you can use one of the studio’s lockers, otherwise you can stow your stuff at the edge of the room.

The day that Yoga Sleuth attended there were about 15 people, about half of whom had been there before. Nalini Kuhnke, a Hatha-certified teacher, began by having everyone new say their name—and then asked if anyone wanted to work on anything in particular. No one spoke up, so Nalini taught an all-around class with lots of support and positive feedback.

Several of the people in the class were yoga novices (YS was focusing on her own practice so couldn’t peer around at the rest), so Nalini kept things straightforward. But it was still worthwhile for more advanced students. She opened with chanting, and the focus throughout was on relaxation, stress relief, and centering—all, of course, helpful to everyone, but especially the unemployed. The om series was followed by cat-cows and forward bends. There were locusts and cobras, followed by some core strengthening with balancing table poses. In each case, Nalini went around the room, gently helping students with their alignment or pushing them to work a little harder (YS was surprised to find herself sore the next day). An extended series of sun salutations was followed by a good long Savasana. It came as a bit of a shock to realize that the class had lasted 15 minutes longer than scheduled—how often does that happen in a free class?

Nalini made herself available to answer questions afterward in the hallway, while the next class, for prenatal moms, trooped in. Nalini is a warm, encouraging teacher, just the sort of person you want to be with if you’re feeling a little bruised by your lack-of-work situation—and YS speaks with authority on this, having once had the opposite sort of yoga teacher when recently unemployed.

Which brings us to the name of the class, Yoga and Networking for the Unemployed. The only references to unemployment were in exhortations to release stress, and YS didn’t detect any networking whatsoever. In fact, the only people YS even heard talking were chatting about their days—and falling asleep during Savasana. The class is free, low-key, and a good stress reliever which is exactly what the unemployed really need.  (One student who was particularly agitated at the beginning had calmed down a lot by the end. With any luck, she stopped by the Integral Yoga Natural Foods Store or Integral Natural Apothecary, next door, and bought some nice relaxing tea before going home). YS plans to go back and check out more classes.

—Susan Jackson for Yoga Sleuth

On a recent rainy Monday afternoon Sleuth was suffering from a serious case of the mean reds (a la Holly Golightly).  Too many of the three C’s (caffeine, cigarettes and chocolate) and a six-week absence from class made her very reluctant to get back in the habit of a regular practice. It was a reluctance that was only amplified when she at last managed to reach OM (late) and hurriedly changed in what she realized, half nude, was the men’s bathroom.  No matter – Like the rest of OM, the men’s dressing room was tidy, tranquil, and well laid out, and Sleuth was able to slip into Mila Borrero’s 5PM express class without further ado.

The Monday Express class is an intermediate-level vinyasa class designed to get you in and out in an hour. Being out of practice, Sleuth was worried that she’d be huffing and puffing three poses behind the rest of the class, but the sequence, as led by Mila, managed to be both sweat inducing and calming.  Perhaps this is because Mila is simply a great teacher, with a charismatic but low-key class presence and a wonderful sense of how to balance the physically challenging and spiritually/emotionally restorative aspects of asana. That day’s practice involved lots of twisting poses and lunges: Utkatasana transitioning to revolved Utkatasana; triangle and revolved triangle; Parsvottanasana; Janu Shirsasana, and a pigeon variation utilizing completely extended legs on both sides. We concluded with some easy Pranayama before resting in Supta Badha Konasana/Savasana.   

Throughout, Mila’s adjustments are unobtrusive and strong, letting you know she’s there and won’t let you hurt yourself – or develop bad habits.  Similarly, her demos are rare but very well-chosen. She paused our class to show how keeping the gaze slightly forward in plank and Chatturanga would help us keep our chests open in the upward-facing dog pose that follows.  

Yoga Sleuth left class calm and centered, feeling happy with her body and its capabilities for the first time in months.  And she didn’t even have to go all the way up to Tiffany’s.

Express classes are $12, regular classes are $18. Mat rental is $1.

--Ruth Curry for Yoga Sleuth

Jenny Aurthur is one of the head teachers at the YogaWorks studios so Yoga Sleuth was pretty excited to check out her class. On the other hand, I was also a bit leery about struggling through multiple sun salutations and vigorous Vinyasas in a level 2/3 class—especially after a hectic schedule had kept me from practicing for a few weeks.

We began the class in a supported Sukasana (an easy cross-legged pose). Jenny took the time to request that we sit on our blankets with the short side facing the front, instead of keeping the longer side parallel to the front of the mat, as is standard. We discussed how this variation created a slightly less stable base and therefore forced us to activate and strengthen our core to hold the proper yoga seat. This was the first of several little tidbits of knowledge that would pervade our class from start to finish.

We tuned in with three “Oms,” and my fears of being overworked with Vinyasas quickly dissipated when we were still sitting on our mats 20 minutes into class. Furthermore, and somewhat surprisingly, we didn’t do a single sun salutation the entire class. Since this was my first class back, this Sleuth was fine with that.

Because the students in the class consisted of advanced practitioners, many of whom were also instructors, Jenny wanted to ensure she gave us a class we could learn from—so we spent time fine-tuning our movements in many familiar poses. We worked on warming up our arms and legs with stretches including Gomukasana (cow face pose) and Supta Padangustasana (reclining big toe pose). We then strove to access our core through a variation of Navasana, which included lowering our torso down to the floor and lifting back up without using momentum or over-tightening our abs. After some standing poses to build heat, Jenny took us to the wall for handstands.

As we moved into the second half of the class, we worked on a challenging sequence linking balancing poses. We began the sequence in tree pose and then extended our leg forward to flow back to warrior three. From there we transitioned to the side for half moon and then slowly worked backwards to end up in Vrksasana again. The second time we went through the sequence we added twisting half-moon. Yoga Sleuth felt like a graceful dancer, or an acrobat. Even though we were working hard, Jenny kept the mood playful so that we didn’t take ourselves too seriously.

We finished the class by somersaulting ourselves into a nice, long, supported legs-up-the-wall pose. This was another new variation on a classic, so Jenny walked Sleuth through the steps, helping me to land safely and feel, once again, like a skilled acrobat. After moving through several leg variations, we chose our favorite one to spend our time in Savasana.

Mat rentals are $2 and individual classes are $22, but there are tons of class package options and great deals for new students, so check out their website.

–Allison Richard for Yoga Sleuth

When Dharma Mittra teaches a class it is serious business. Although his class is advertised for all levels, be warned that the first pose of the evening is Crow jumping into Chaturanga. You might want to get there early, not just to get a cozy spot on the carpet rather than wood floor, but also so you can warm up for the difficult poses. Five minutes in—Hanumanasana; ten minutes into class—Navasana, without ever too much fuss or alignment detail. Mittra walks around the room giving advice to students individually rather than calling out general instructions.

Many of the students seemed as though they had been practicing for years (advanced inversions during Down Dog!) which is perhaps why Mittra feels comfortable teaching this way. He has developed a loyal and experienced following. This man is, after all, a yoga legend, having created the Master Yoga Chart of 908 Postures, often seen in yoga studios around the country; the author of 608 Yoga Poses; and continues to practice a Hands-Free Headstand (Niralamba Sirsasana) even though he is about to celebrate his 70th birthday in May.

Yet in his class he has a humble, quiet presence, at times unexpectedly joking and teasing —“Hold your leg up high, like a tiger who has just seen his mate…very excited!”— or using the resident Chihuahua, Pepper, to demonstrate a flying partner pose. 

Time passed quickly.  After Savasana on Wednesdays there is the option to stay for psychic purification, a one-hour talk. Most of the hour was spent on mantras (repetitive chanting), one to the deity and Lord of Obstacles Ganesh, another aimed at purification and “So Ham,” which means, “I am that,” a mantra to tap into one’s limitlessness. “New York City is the best place to achieve enlightenment,” he said. “There’s a yoga studio on just about every block.” He also lauded vegetarianism as a path to enlightenment but kept it real. “I wouldn’t eat him,” he said pointing to his dog Pepper but later quipped, “You can still have your Mozzarella.”

Single class is $18, mat rental $2, and $15 for the one-hour talk on psychic purification. As an added bonus, a donation-based one-hour community kirtan is offered on most Wednesdays at 8:45.                  

— Marie Carter, YS

When I first walked by the new donation-based Dharma Yoga studio in Park Slope, I immediately noticed the floor to ceiling windows that span the length of the front of the room. As I watched the yogis, I wondered if they felt like they were performing for the pedestrians passing by.

While taking class with owner, Lily Cushman, I was happy to find I didn’t feel like I was in a fishbowl at all. I actually appreciated how the windows allowed me to enjoy the sunny spring day while practicing indoors.
 
In order to draw our attention inwards, Lily played the harmonium as we opened class with three loud OMs. Before beginning our asana, she reminded us of the importance of focusing on the breath. “Our days are filled with distractions,” she said. “So for today we'll make our practice simple."

We began with several slow classic sun salutes holding back bending low lunges. The 15 yogis in class ranged from first time students to advanced practitioners and Lily assisted everyone individually at some point throughout the class. As we moved through our practice, Lily masterfully wove harder poses like standing splits and Vasisthasana together with cooling poses like twisting low lunge and yogi toe lock, to create a balanced practice. 

We worked on a tricky transition starting in Uttanasana balancing on one foot and using our abdominals to help roll up to standing where we took hold of the lifted foot and moved gracefully into Natarajasana. Shortly after, we practiced moving from crow pose into tripod headstand. Lily advised everyone to work at his or her own pace, but encouraged us to have the courage to try something. Her calm voice and soothing tone reconfirmed that there was no pressure and this was certainly not a competition.

After using shoulderstand as a counterpose for Sirsasana, we settled into Savasana where Lily talked us through a whole body relaxation beginning with our toes moving all the way up to the crown of our heads. As I rested in Savasana, I was proud of my accomplishments, excited with the new things I had learned and reminded of exactly why I love yoga.

Classes and mat rentals are donation based.

-Allison Richard for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga (we hope) teaches us to cherish the small things in life, and Mala Yoga on Court Street in Brooklyn certainly offers several seemingly small but perfect amenities—from the cozy-but-beautiful studio space to the basket of complimentary hair ties in the bathroom. But as soon as Angela Clark’s Tuesday evening class started—in reclining big toe pose with belt—Yoga Sleuth knew she was in for a big treat. 

As we moved the leg left, right and straight, Angela told us to focus on creating space in the hip joint. Sleuth, who usually totally fakes it during this particular instruction, was prepared to do so again, but then Angela spoke up.

“Pull up your hip joints, like you would in a standing lunge,” she said, and after years of wondering, I finally understood how to initiate the action. 

Then we were on our feet and immersed in a strenuous Asana practice. A typical sequence had us moving from a high lunge incorporating Garudasana arms into warrior II, back to peaceful warrior, forward into Parsvottanasana, and then down to the floor for a seated spinal twist. We flowed from a wide-legged forward bend straight into triangle simply by rotating our feet, bending the front knee, and then voila: warrior I!

Fun, unpredictable sequencing is one of the highlights of Angela’s teaching. Experienced yogis won’t be bored, while this style of flow—sensible and full of integrity—is beneficial for all levels of practice. Still, this is a challenging class that would probably intimidate very new beginners, and the chugging window AC couldn’t counteract the heat of this rigorous Vinyasa style. We spent several minutes working downward dog and performed supine back bends while grasping a block between the ankles. We kept hold of the block through our Vinyasas and then tackled an arm balancing sequence, including crow and its variations.

During the inversions section of the practice, Angela’s brilliant instructions were on display once again. She explained the action of the shoulders in shoulder stand by comparing it to camel, which we had practiced earlier, and gave Sleuth an excellent personalized adjustment in headstand that has permanently changed her practice.

Speaking of long term, the class seemed to be composed almost exclusively of regulars, and Angela taught a bit to them, referring to poses and actions emphasized in the previous week’s class, and calling people out or adjusting them by name from the front of the room. At the end of the class, she made herself available to chat and answer questions. “It makes me a better teacher,” she said, and then asked me my name. I got the feeling that’s all it takes to be a regular at Mala. Count me in!

Drop in rate is $16, mat rental is $1.

–Ruth Curry for Yoga Sleuth

“Tomorrow is the full moon so we’re going to do some Moon Salutations today to balance us,” Summer said cheerfully before bringing us to a comfortable seat for beginning meditation. After chanting three Oms, she had us do a “yogi’s choice” breathing exercise.

“For those of you not menstruating or irritated, we are going to do a few rounds of Kapalabhati breathing,” she announced. “For those of you on your cycle or if you’re feeling angry you’ll want to do some alternate-nostril breathing instead.” Never before had this yogi been given the choice to opt out of Kapalabhati due to one’s mental or physical state. Barely five minutes into class and already I’d learned something new!

Once we were through with our breath cleanse, we cat/cowed our way into Downward Dog, and as we pedaled our feet out to warm ourselves up, Summer shared a quote with us from Shunryu Suzuki’s Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: “We are like raindrops, making our way form the sky to the earth, thinking we are individuals, but when we hit the earth we come together as one. We think we are separate from everyone else, but are really all connected to one another."

After letting this idea of non-duality percolate within each of the 24 yogis in attendance that afternoon, Summer led us into some Sun Salutations to help awaken our minds and our bodies before heading into the unfamiliar territory of Moon Salutations.

Moving from the front of the room to the side wall, Summer had us mirror her movements; we started by taking a wide stance facing her, paralleling our feet with the ends of our mats. From there she took us into Goddess Warrior pose, our knees bent and our arms bent at the elbows, palms facing her like the limbs of a cactus before moving shifting to the right and into Triangle Pose, then bending into Extended Side Angle.

Things got a little tricky as she had us crouch down with our right leg bent (as if in a half-squat), our left leg extended straight toward the opposite end of the mat, heel rooting into the ground, foot flexed. Kind of like an upright version of Janu Sirsasana.

After doing a few of these Moon sequences, Summer resumed her place at the front of the room, bringing us into a squat at the top of our mats and had us place our left hand down to the floor centered in front of us, palm up, placing our right hand (also palm up) on top of it. “To ground us, keep us from getting irritated,” she said.

Leading us through some more familiar poses (Parsvottanasana, Warrior III, Standing Split), she assisted those of us needing adjustments with her soothing touch, easing me into a more aligned Revolved Ardha Chandrasana. She kicked up the difficulty level, though, when she took us into a Plank variation. Starting out in a lunge leading with our right leg our hands rooted to the ground on either side of our front foot, she had us take our right leg and move it beneath us and out to the left, creating a 90-degree angle between our torso and leg. Our foot flexed on the ground to our left, our left leg still shooting out behind us as if we were in Plank, there wasn’t one yogi in the room who didn’t feel the burn in their abs!

Summer reminded us to breathe. “The breath is this wonderful tool that we have that we can use to help us in our practice,” she said, asking as to focus on it once again when she brought us into Pigeon Pose. “Come back to your ujjayi breath and send it to those tight areas--watch how this changes your Pigeon Pose experience.”

Easing us out of our practice just as gently as she brought us into it, she had us rest in Child’s Pose as one of the last poses of class. Making sure our third eye, our Ajna chakra, was in contact with our sticky mats, she had us hum to help us connect to the earth and to help quiet our minds. And quiet my mind it did: I left Summer’s class feeling calm yet revived, ready to face the rest of my day without the usual weight of anxiety and stress I so often burden myself with for no real reason.

If you are in need of grounding and reconnecting with yourself, Summer is just what you need.

Drop-ins $15; New Student Special $25 for 3 classes.

--Jessica Mahler for Yoga Sleuth

Outside it was humid and just starting to pour with rain as Sleuth hopped into the spring-green colored tiny ground floor East Yoga studio. Om Yoga trained Maja Sidebaeck was signing students in and getting to know names before class started.

Beginning in Virasana with a block between our heels we opened up our shoulders and spine by T-ing our arms, rolling our palms up to the sky and arching our chest, then internally rotating our palms down and rounding our backs.

Maja invited us to warm up in Cat/Cow before making our way to Downward Facing Dog. Even though there were seven of us in class that day, Maja had the added challenge of catering to a variety of levels from those who seemed to have done little to no yoga to those who were teachers. Throughout the class she offered thoughtful adjustments paying an even amount of attention to everyone in the room.

After walking us through some gentle Surya Namaskars we came to the standing poses. Here she came back to the theme started at the beginning of class. In Anjaneyasana and then later Warrior II we took our arms out to that original T-shape opening our palms up and lifting our sternums into a backbend and then taking the palms to face down as we rounded out our backs.

We flowed through Warrior IIIs, Reverse Warriors, Extended Side Angles (later with a bind), Trikonasana, a twisted lunge and twisted Utkatasana. Maja kept us flowing with a calm delivery while playing a range of background music from modern pop to light jazz.

Bringing us to the floor for a half Virasana, we then played with Krounchasana (Heron Pose) stretching our legs and toes towards the sky, followed with a twist.

Taking us to the wall, Maja playfully told us we were going to work on “Ninja Pose of Death” which Sleuth also silently refers to as “Sour Face Pose.” Yes, we were doing quad stretches. Bringing our back knee and shin up against the wall and our front leg forward, we pushed our hips forward into Anjaneyasana.

Maja encouraged us to use blocks for our hands and then as an extra challenge see if we could bring our backs straight up against the wall with arms overhead. From there we could bring our arms into Wheel arms, push into our hands and get more of a backbend. This is harder than it sounds!

We were offered some reprieve with Headstand, Bridge pose and a few rounds of Urdhva Dhanurasana. Noticing how much Sleuth enjoys her backbends Maja encouraged me to walk up the wall and then drop back, another example of how Maja will tailor her class for each individual.

Class ended with a Paschimottanasa, Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) for those who wanted it or the option to take a restorative Supta Baddha Konasana. The sound of the pouring rain was comforting as we rested during Savasana, letting the practice soak in.

$18 for single class, $1 mat rental

--Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Following a holiday weekend of fancy food and wine, Yoga Sleuth knew it was time to re-balance with some mat time. To my delight I found a gem in the shadow of the Flatiron building: Sankalpah. With two small studios that fit 8 to 10 comfortably, students at Sankalpah are guaranteed personal attention. And today was no exception, as we post-holiday warriors were treated to the expertise and marvelous mat-side manner of Jessica Howell.

As I settled onto my red mat, I sighed out the cobwebs and took in the dark red walls and redwood floor (sensing a color scheme?). The wall facing us was fully adorned in Sanskrit. Sitting cross legged with her hands in prayer at her heart, Jessica led us in three Oms and we delved into some seated twists, pulling each arm over our heads as we leaned right, then left; there would be many more twists in this class, a perfect detox from the excesses of the long weekend. From there we commenced a rare Surya Namaskar C (Sun Salutation C), getting us even more warm and juicy on an already intensely humid day.   Between sequences we had “surprise” poses to keep us on (or off) our toes; following Sun C we came into an early and indulgent pigeon, and after the standing postures we dove down into side crows.

Jessica seemed to connect with my practice immediately, knowing intuitively what I needed; whenever I required a block or a strap to modify a posture, she was there to set me up before I even began. Even in postures where I traditionally eschewed modification (hello ego!), her gentle encouragement sold me on them. She put blocks at my hands in my Parsvottanasana, one under my hip in pigeon, and a strap around my foot for an intense quad stretch, allowing me to express each pose in proper alignment. Each time she did a verbal check-in with me, making sure I was comfortable, and giving me an assist to go deeper.

Thoroughly supple and soaked, we completed practice with a lengthy stint in shoulderstand followed by a long and luxurious Savasana. Exhausted but exhilarated, returned to the Bikram-like humidity of the late spring New York day, thrilled that in Jessica I had found a new teacher who truly “got” my practice and could help me take it to its fullest expression.

-- Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Robbin Farrell happens to be behind the front desk when a friend and I sign in. "You're new here. Welcome. It’s very nice to have you here,” she says with a genuine smile.

The students line up on either side of the carpeted classroom, hot as an island beach, many in Savasana, bathing in the steamy heat. Others observe their finely shaped bodies sitting right in front of the mirrored wall. One of the studio owners, Roody Senecal, is from Haiti. He was drawn to Bikram yoga because the warmth reminded him of home.

Robbin begins the class by asking the people in their first week to just try and stay in the room. “Sit down, lie down if you need, but try not to leave the room, so we can keep an eye on you.” The class is immediately challenging, only because Robbin encourages us to go deeper into the standing side stretch, continually giving precise alignment tips and strong words of encouragement. In the second set (all 26 poses are repeated once) she tells us that in the first set you’ll find her to be compassionate. In the second set, she’ll give you tough love.

One of the new people is puffing away in the heat, and not gripping correctly in Dandayamana Dhanurasana. Robbin quips: “You came to the hot part of Brooklyn!” Without interrupting the count, she explains the reason for grabbing the ankle from the inside, going into the backbend as she demonstrates the right and wrong way, and what it does to the shoulder. The new student is not able to grab his ankle, and Robbin makes it very clear that is not important.

Robbin keeps up a steady, fiery dialogue of instructions and physical benefits of each pose laced in with Bikram quotes, stories and spontaneous outbursts (“Are those shorts Tommy?” she cries out to a male student. I need those to go to the beach!”). The word stream inspires old and new students to keep going at it in the singeing heat.

During the first of several Savasanas, we are suddenly taken out of the gritty workroom as Robbin sings a mantra for releasing fear. The beauty of her voice singing these sacred Sanskrit words is such that the stillness behind the melody is palpable. After two minutes of heaven, it’s back to work, but those two minutes alone are well worth the class.

Since the price of one class is the same as the introduction week special, $20, I sign up for the week. Whereas Bikram Choudhury gets credit for wildly popularizing asana practice in the west (the focus in all classes remains exclusively on the physical), the teachers at Bikram Yoga Park Slope get credit for keeping ego out of the room. No one is trying to be a star. All encourage, give positive re-enforcement with refreshing sincerity, and knowingly insist that it’s not about how perfectly you do the pose.

Though the teachers don’t push themselves to the foreground, they’re not the automatons you’d imagine for McYoga, the nickname for the Bikram franchise, taught the same way everywhere. Of the four classes I took, only the poses were the same.

Robbin ends the class with a guided chakra meditation, nowhere to be found in the Bikram script. It’s this kind of independence, and a great mix of real people that practice here, that makes this studio special. The vibe in the classroom is definitely beachy: everyone is friendly, looks relaxed, no big egos here: We’re not in St. Tropez; we’re in Jamaica.

Single class $20; Introductory Week Special $20

--Anneke Lucas for Yoga Sleuth

All classes: Monday-Friday: 7am, 10am, 12pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm
Weekends: 8am, 10am, 12pm, 4pm, 6pm

Yoga Sleuth was in the mood for some happy hippy yoga, so she popped into Laughing Lotus for “Lotus Hour” with Jamie Lyn Skolnick. You really can’t be in a bad mood when you enter the Laughing Lotus studio with its brightly colored walls of orange, pink and purple, and helpful front desk staff who echo the cheerfulness of the vibrant decor. The studio is full of light, the wispy flair of the window curtains allows sun to shine through even when they are shut.  When I entered the warm and luminous studio, I felt an immediate sense of calm. I set up my mat and eagerly waited to practice.

Jamie, with her wavy blonde hair and big smile, entered the room.  She announced that the theme of the month was “going back to school,” and that each class was to begin with a reading from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. For our class, Jamie chose to read Sutra 1:15 about non-attachment. She discussed how we attach ourselves to things, and when we can’t have them, we suffer. "There is more freedom in serving others and detaching from material things," she added. She then read us a beautiful quote from Maya Angelou and we chanted three OMs to begin our practice.

We started in a reverse table top position, doing several repetitions of raising and lowering our pelvis on the breath.  Next, child’s pose to stretch out, and in the ultimate symbol of letting go, we laid on the floor with our palms facing up. We moved on to a warm up sequence flowing slowly from down dog to plank to baby cobra a few times and then on to the more vigorous Surya Namaskar A and B. Jamie suggested that we try using asana to detach: from results, material distractions and mental to-do lists.  

Now that we‘d built some heat in our bodies, the creative sequence began.  Jamie had us move through many standing poses like Warrior I, Warrior II and Triangle pose facing the front of the room and then the back of the room, keeping things interesting and fun.  Jamie walked around the room making adjustments and looking on at our poses to make sure our transitions were smooth.  

Next came Parivrtta Trikonasana and Warrior III, and the very tricky Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana.  I felt a bit wobbly, but I kept focusing on detaching from the result…so what if I fell!  Jamie’s supportive teaching made the class feel like a really safe place to play, and I enjoyed testing my balance.  

We made our way to our backs for bridge pose and full wheel.  I found freedom and joy in letting go of the results as I bent over backwards and let my head hang down.  Seeing all the colors on the walls and getting a gentle assist from Jamie made me even happier.  Jamie wound down the class with a few forward bends, Janu Sirsasana and Paschimottanasana.  She encouraged us once again to let go, and melt into our mats for Savasana.

Jamie is an enthusiastic and intelligent teacher, which was apparent in the playful “Lotus Hour” class, challenging enough for advanced practitioners, but accessible to all levels.  Laughing Lotus is a fun and creative space where new and different sequences are taught daily.  You just can’t get bored there!

Hour classes are $17.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth was anxious to check out the new ISHTA Yoga studio on the Upper East Side, so I signed up for Michael Bartelle’s midday class.  I made my way up the stairs and to the beautiful and zen like studio, which was amazingly quiet for being on a busy street!  I set up my mat and let the sun touch down on me from the large windows that face Third Avenue.  
Michael entered the room and introduced himself in his strong and calm voice.  We began in Virasana with our eyes closed.  Michael explained that we would be focusing on the fourth chakra this week, Anahata chakra or heart chakra.  One of the elements involved is air, so we should pay careful attention to our breath as we inhaled and exhaled.

Another important aspect of this chakra is balance.  Michael wanted us to try and find the balance between our breath and movement throughout the practice.  We chanted three OMs and then fluttered our eyes open. Reaching our arms towards the ceiling we twisted to each side, detoxing any negativity we might be feeling and focusing on the positive.  

Michael instructed us to hug ourselves.  He said that the heart chakra is about loving others, but also about self-love.  We then twisted our arms around into Garudasana for an intense shoulder stretch.  We moved to our hands and knees for cat/cow, warming up our spine and continuing our connection with the breath.   

We found our way to plank and then baby cobra, lifting our hearts towards the ceiling. We moved through several rounds of Sun Salutations on the breath. Michael’s voice was calm and encouraging as he called out each inhalation and exhalation. Our movements built heat, but I never felt rushed to move faster or push myself.

Standing poses came next, Warrior II to Trikonasana and later Parsvottanasana to Parivrtta Trikonasana.  Michael gave me several gentle, yet specific assists in both Trikonasana and Parivrtta Triknonasana, really helping me open my chest and heart in the poses.

As we transitioned from pose to pose, Michael talked more about the heart chakra and moving carefully in and out of poses, expressing self-love.  We made our way to the floor for Salabhasana, Dhanurasana, Setu Bandha and the option for Urdhva Dhanurasana.  We continued to love ourselves in happy baby and then stretched out with ankle to knee pose.  

After a nice deep supine twist, we settled into Savasana.  Michael discussed further the heart chakra, to inspire love, compassion and empathy.  After several relaxing minutes, we slowly came to sit with our hands in prayer.  We finished our practice by chanting OM once more.  I left feeling refreshed and calm, with a loving and open heart.

Drop in rate is $22; New student special for $60 for a month of unlimited yoga

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Headed for Park Slope's Iyengar studio, Yogasana, this Yoga Sleuth took a left from the grungy charm of the Avenue onto Wyckoff, where rows of quiet, skinny brownstones flanked me and trees formed a canopy over my head.

The walk between peace and noise prepared me for the "opposing forces" theme of Jennifer Kagan's Level 1 class Tuesday morning. Recently renovated in ’09, Yogasana is a gorgeous sunny studio, twice the size of the old one. When I walked in, the class before me was cheering three students who had just completed Yogasana's teacher training. 



Understanding the beginners' need for exacting instruction, Jennifer taught us how to fold our blankets for Sukhasana and which edge to sit on and why. This precise instruction continued as we toured our sitting bones and from there, built the spine up to the sky. Even before OM, Jennifer helped me find space and organization in my spine which grounded my mind on the body.

In several postures, she made us engage our legs only to release so we could see for ourselves how much the "down" of the legs led to the "up" of the spine. Her own demonstrations reflected a sophisticated practice and reinforced the explicit instructions. She made sure to link alignment from one pose to the next, even in Iyengar's hold-steady style. We opened the hips in Parighasana, which helped us in Parsvokonasana. We woke up the thighs in Utkatasana and used them to straighten the legs in Parsvotonasana. Her connections were helpful and insightful. As we rested, she hinted again at opposing forces, urging us to let go after so much hard work.


The calming elegance of the place and Jennifer's involved dedication to her students soothed some of my own ups and downs. After getting a little one-on-one help with my Utkatasana (Jennifer is very approachable!), I slipped back onto the street, quiet mind complementing clamorous downtown Brooklyn.


First class is $10, $16 for drop-in, class packages are available. Mat and prop rental included.

-Tina West for Yoga Sleuth

On a cold day, Yoga Sleuth headed over to the new Zenyasa Studio on the Upper West Side.  Up above the hustle and bustle on the street, I entered a cozy space with bright orange walls, large windows with sun streaming in and hitting the shiny wood floors…a little piece of heaven!  I took my jacket off and checked in with Dana, my teacher for the class.  While I filled out first time student paperwork, Dana set up a mat with a meditation cushion and a blanket on it for me.  I immediately felt welcomed and warm inside.  

Dana, a long lean woman with a big smile and a sunny disposition asked me to sit on my cushion in the middle of the mat.  She explained that Zenyasa classes are a combination of seated meditation, slow-flow yoga and mindfulness-based fitness.  The classes are based on a five-element theme that work specific muscle groups and meridian pathways. The themes rotate, so every body part gets worked. The class theme for today was wood; we were going to embark on grounding, rooting poses in our legs.  

We began with a Gassho Practice: several bows of gratitude.  We stood at the center of our mats with our hands together at the center of our hearts.  We bowed to ourselves, our community, the teacher and then to all beings.  This simple gesture was a really positive way to start the class.

Next, we sat down on our meditation cushions.  Dana asked if I was comfortable because we were going to meditate for fifteen minutes.  The idea was to count our breath, inhale one, exhale two when we reached ten we would start over. We focused our eyes on one point in front of us on the floor with our hands in Dhyana Mudra, the gesture of balance and concentration.  

We moved our cushions to the side and lay down on our backs.  Dana explained that we were moving into the warm-up part of our practice to lubricate our joints. We lifted our legs up ninety degrees and rolled our ankles in circles, then we bent and straightened our knees, we did this with our wrists and elbows too.  It felt silly and fun, especially when Dana had us roll up to stand.

Sun Salutations were a little different in Zenyasa.  Dana was careful to go through each pose, step-by-step a few times before we flowed.  Our feet were hip distance apart, we moved from “high chair” to “rag doll” with our arms behind our backs.

Dana called out the breaths as we began to flow from pose to pose.  After six repetitions we moved to Warrior II and Reverse Warrior.  She had us going back and forth from pose to pose several times on the breath.  After we did both sides, we had a similar flow from Warrior II to Side Angle. There was a nice build up of poses and everything felt approachable.  

We moved on from Parsvakonasana to Trikonasana to Ardha Chandrasana and then lowering our lifted foot coming into a V shape with our feet, we grabbed our big toe and lifted into Utthita Padangustasana, grounding down into our standing leg.

Back at the front of our mats, we balanced in Vrksasana, tree pose.  Dana suggested we close our eyes, test our balance and make it playful.  I fell right out of my pose on the first side, but managed to focus and balance better on the second side. Once we found balance on two feet, we moved to the wall for handstand, another grounding pose.  After kicking up several times, Dana came over and assisted me.  She gave me a helpful hint on where to look and everything became easier.

Once again we made our way down to our mats for several seated forward bends like Badha Konasana and Pachimottanasana.  After a nice supine twist to each side we came into Savasana.  I felt calm and melted into the mat. Dana talked about Erich Schiffmann’s book “Moving into Stillness” and the push and pull we find in every pose and everything that we do.  

Throughout the practice, Dana constantly reminded me to ease up, maybe bend my knee a little, or not turn my head so far, let go of what I thought I was supposed to look like and find the balance.  

Zenyasa is a well-rounded practice that is good for all levels and ages.  I left class feeling calm, energized and excited that I tried something a little different. Dana is full of positive energy and a knowledgeable guide for new students.

$20 for drop-in classes.  First class FREE!

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Budokon is quickly catching on in the New York area, so Yoga Sleuth had to try it!  I headed over to the beautiful Studio Anya for the 11AM class. Budokon intertwines yoga with martial arts and meditation. The teacher, Derek Cook just got back from exploring and studying in Asia, so he was the perfect person to introduce me to the practice.  

We began by sitting on our heals, with our palms facing up resting on our thighs.  We closed our eyes and began to meditate.  After a few peaceful minutes we slowly opened our eyes.  Derek instructed us to place our palms at our heart center and bow to begin the practice.  He said that the way we treat anything is the way we treat everything.  We should focus on the process, treating the transition with as much care as the poses. He encouraged us to explore and play during class.

We transitioned onto our hands and knees and began to connect to our breath by going from Cat pose and Cow pose. We lifted our right leg and Derek explained that we should demi-point our foot (point the ball of the foot and flex the toes) This was different than what I was used to in yoga and dance, so I had to remind myself to keep doing it.  After we balanced our leg, we also lifted our left arm, really focusing on our core muscles. We would inhale out and then exhale bringing our knee and elbow towards the center.  This simple move really worked my core!

We made our way to standing and positioned ourselves in Warrior II with our front palm facing up.  Derek was careful to go step by step and teach us martial art blocks.  First, Warrior II to a side block, then Warrior II to a front block and side block.  Our movements were swift and our eyes were always over one shoulder in case someone was going to attack.  It was strange to think about blocking an attacker when the movements were like dance moves and so beautiful and peaceful.  

One of the things that distinguished Budokon from yoga was the fact that we stayed really low in the poses, like we were blocking and hiding.  By using our core in these poses it helped us protect and balance.  We moved to high lunges next, not my favorite pose in any class!  We did vinyasas, but lead from the top of our back, curling into upward facing dog. We moved lower to the ground, crouching from side to side blocking our face.  

A big part of Budokon is animal poses and flying, so of course we tried flying frog next.  The only way to describe this is jumping into crow pose, but holding your legs up in the air for a few breaths before they land.

Derek said “don’t worry, it took me a few years to get this one!”  He demonstrated and we were all in awe, as he literally flew and froze in mid-air.  He told us to try, play, have fun…so we did!  I could jump softly, but there was no holding in the air for me.  It was so fun that I went home after class to practice it.

Lion was next.  We got into a Down Dog and lowered our knees until they almost hit the floor, again this took a lot of core strength.  We curled the top of our back and moved our hips from side to side and in circles.  After several rounds and feeling completely fatigued Derek asked us to come back to sit on our heals.  We closed our practice the way we began, with a peaceful bow.

Budokon infuses martial arts with meditation and yoga creating a fun and active class.  I had a really great time in class and felt really comfortable trying new things because of Derek’s careful instruction and friendly attitude.  

Drop-in classes $20.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth was in the mood for a fun and challenging class, so I headed to Yogaworks on the Upper West Side for Paula Lynch’s Level 2/3 class. Paula intelligently instructs her students to move towards advanced arm balances, back bends and inversions and I knew today would be no different.

I set up my mat next to a woman who told me she never misses Paula’s class on Tuesdays because it’s always fun and she never knows what to expect. I found that to be true right from the beginning. Paula started us on our backs with our legs raised 90 degrees. We began to move our legs in circles and then rapidly shake them.  Paula mentioned that you can tell an advanced student by how fast they shake their legs. Everyone laughed. We then stood up and stretched our arms out and began to squeeze our hands in and out at a rapid pace. I didn’t know how many rounds I could take; but then Paula simply smiled and said “done.” We worked through a few “typical poses” like cat/cow, child’s pose, down dog and baby cobra to warm up our spines.

As we moved through the postures Paula had us place a block between our thighs. She wanted us to have feedback from the block as we did the sun salutations, and I certainly did! Up next were a few standing poses, Parsvakonasana and Trikonasana, then handstand. Again, Paula encouraged us to really firm our hips and thighs in even when we changed our relationship to gravity. To open our hips even more, we worked on standing splits at the wall and then without the wall.

Then we took the hip opening, stretching and focused breathing to the next level with arm balances, Eka Pada Koundyanasana II, Bhujapidasana and Tittibhasana. I couldn’t quite lift my back foot in Eka Pada, but I kept trying to work it. The funny arm exercises at the beginning really helped me lift my body. But while I felt stable in Bhujapidasana, I wasn’t quite crossing my legs. I asked Paula what she suggested I do. “Firm your hips in, like I adjusted you in the lunge,” she told me. I gave it another shot, repeating “firm your hips in, firm your hips in,” to myself and my legs crossed with ease!

To cool down, we went through several seated postures like Pachimottanasana, Janu Sirsasana, and Marichyasana C. We made our way to our backs for a supine twist and then Savasana.  I knew I was supposed to quiet my mind, but I was so excited about how a repeated instruction like “firm your hips in” took me into an advanced pose. Paula made me feel comfortable to explore the pose farther, plus she made me laugh more than once in the class. Nope, Paula Lynch does not conduct her classes like other instructors.  She has her own twist that draws students in…to be challenged, surprised and amused!

—Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Sleuth was suffering from a bad case of the Winter Blues and was in need of a good kick up the backside. Earth Yoga classes take place in a heated room with soothing gold walls and a beautiful gold Buddha statue up front. Halle Becker’s fiery class turned out to be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Walking into the room in her purple tie-dyed, self-described “Woodstock pants” and handing out pen and paper to circulate around the room Halle said, “Everybody write down ‘I am grateful for…’” She then began playing “Lose Yourself” by Eminem and talked us through a couple of rounds of Sun Salutes, and invited us to spend five minutes doing them on our own at our own pace.

In her spirited way, she encouraged us to get rid of our stuff, get rid of our day and set the tone for the week. Once we ended freestyling it, Halle tooks us through another round of Sun Salutes, this time holding Plank for about fifteen seconds then doing ten pushups.

“It’s just like any tough situation in life, you ask yourself how long am I going to be here? Stick with it,” Halle encouraged us. Ten minutes Sleuth was reaching for her towel.

Halle’s yoga bootcamp moved rapidly through Warrior III, Vrksasana, Shiva Nataraj, Utthita Hasta Padanghustasana (no hands, of course!), Standing Split (hands free optional) and taking a few hops in an attempt at Adho Mukha Vrsksasana (Handstands).

“Take the rest that I told you not to take,” Halle joked. “Now I sound like an auctioneer.”

Twenty-five minutes before the end we began to “wind down.” The wind down consisted of a Lizard held for a lengthy amount of time, Pigeon prep with the option to backbend and an inversion of choice (Headstand, Forearm stand, Handstand).

Moving into backbends we did a Bridge (so we could say we had done it) then Halle coaxed us into four Full Wheels holding the last one as long as we wished. Then we stretched out with a Happy Baby, Paschimottanasana and a Halasana before moving into Savasana.

Giving us a couple of minutes to meditate on our breath, Halle read out what people were grateful for. To end the sweat soaked crowd gave her a well-deserved round of applause.

“Great job, everyone and if I haven’t met you yet, please come up and say hello,” Halle said.

As I exited, Halle’s next eager group of students were waiting to enter and she was greeting every single of them by name.

$25 for single class, $1 mat rental, $1 towel rental (you’ll need it!)

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth knows he’s in for something special when an 8pm Monday night class is wall to wall with motivated yogis. Such is the case with Susanna Harwood Rubin, Anusara rock star at the spacious ViraYoga on Broadway near Prince Street.

Susanna spotted me and came right over to introduce herself, clueing me that I was the lone newbie in a sea of devoted regulars. She then sat down malasana-style and greeted the class with a warm grin. “I’m going to start with a story,” she announced, and proceeded to give a lively retelling of the tale of mischievous Baby Krishna, who would give Family Guy’s Stewie a run for his money!

Baby K was driving his foster mother Yasoda crazy by throwing tantrums, running around and breaking things, while she was trying to churn butter. First she ignored him; then she tied him up with ropes that he magically escaped from (“this is NOT modern parenting!” noted Susanna); then finally she chose to accept him with love. Just like Krishna wants us to!

And this loving acceptance of ourselves and each other—illusionary warts and all—would inform our practice today. After a reverent chant of “Om Nama Shivaya” we got to work. “It’s all about binds and twists today,” said Susanna, and before we could say "hot pretzel" we were on hands and knees, threading one arm under the other shoulder. We did 9 rounds, experimenting with different arm placements each time. In a lunge we stretched the quads, grabbing for the ankle of the bent back leg and experimenting with coming down onto the other forearm.

After some forays into Warriors one and two (where we stayed, squeezed and squared until our alignment was magnifique) we found ourselves in the deepest of Parsvokanasanas, with the fingers of the front arm pressed to the ground outside the front knee. Susanna came by and helped my heart open further than it ever has before. She pulled my elbow back into a bend, straightened it and gently repositioned it to soar over my ear, until my torso was literally parallel to the side wall. “Nice huh?” she smiled. “Always looking for someone to help me with this one!”

Next we tried a lunge twist—with a twist, and a bind: we brought one hand down and under the thigh, while stretching the other behind our backs to yearn for the other hand.  A few of us came up into bird of paradise; others fell, laughed, and tried again.

As with any great alignment class, it was time to take our mats to the wall. Susannah chose one of the regulars to demonstrate a handstand variation with the legs coming into garudasana (eagle) wrap. Susannah explained that this version helps keep the body hugged into the midline, and the action emanating from the core.

We practiced lifting up into handstand, with Susannah urging me to melt my heart and hug my shoulders in. When my body rebelled against my commands, Susannah pulled it back into position.

Back in our spots, we readied ourselves for pigeon, but instead of melting down we continued with our twisting and binding theme, grabbing the bent knee and sliding it into the crook of our elbows. Next challenge was to place the other hand on the back of our heads, then for the really feisty, we were invited to interlock our hands.

We came into Virasana (“vira meaning ‘hero’, like all of us are” reminded Susanna), folding a blanket under our sit bones so that our legs could comfortably bend on either side. We then released one leg, taking it in our hands for the demanding hamstring stretch of Krounchasana (heron).

The next step was to hook the arm under the now bent leg and clasp our hands behind our heads for another intense twist/bind combo. Finally we brought the foot to rest on the opposite thigh, half-lotus style as we twisted the other way. For the first time, I was able to grab the foot with my opposite hand! I smiled at Susannah; all the prep had paid off.

With the lights out, we took our well-earned Savasana, Susanna ushering us in with these words: “Exhale out everything you don’t need. And if it returns, just exhale it out again.” After a long rest we were awakened by three rings of a bell, a fond farewell from Susanna, and a reminder to honor Krishna and regard ourselves with love.

Classes at ViraYoga are $20 drop-in with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

In search of a lunchtime pick-me-up, Yoga Sleuth decided to forgo a chocolate cupcake craving for Elizabeth Rossa’s one-hour class.

Elizabeth, director of Shri Yoga, is a pure Anusara teacher. I feel her vibrant compassionate energy immediately as we begin to create an intention for class and our lives, both on and off the mat. She encourages us to be fully present in each moment and see what kind of new curiosity and excitement we can bring to our lives. Getting out of habitual patterns to see what falls away, letting go of extras and keeping only what you need. It is an important reminder, especially in the city that never sleeps. We chant the Anusara invocation, as YS pretends to know the words and chant along “satchidananda something something…”

We start our asana practice in tadasana (mountain pose) and do a round of kapalabhati (shining skull breath) to release our stagnant energy, several rounds of sun salutations with lunge, pausing each time in tadasana for cleansing kapalabhati breath. The body heat is starting to rise and we move into triangle then float into half-moon and bound half-moon. Next a dancing warrior sequence (including warrior 2, reverse warrior and extended side-angle). From high-lunge we shift our weight forward; gliding into warrior 3, half-moon, standing split then up into handstand.

On to some arm balancing, we squat down with our feet together and knees apart. Placing our hands on the ground we start to rock our weight forward gliding up into bakasana (crane). The class is challenging, yet Elizabeth encourages us to find the ease in each pose and transition by staying fully in the moment and not anticipating what is to come. We slowly lower the crown of our head to the mat and float up into tripod headstand. Staying present in the transition we bring our legs back down to our arms, and with a sense of accomplishment, lift our head back into crane. We finish up with a seated spinal twist and savasana.

Elizabeth ends class by reading us a poem and I am so relaxed that I can only remember her lovely voice. What a perfect way to spend a lunch hour. Much better than a cupcake. And the studio isn’t bad either — spacious and open with high ceilings, wood floors, soothing lavender, white walls and plenty of sunlight. A velvet-curtained area in the back for changing, as well as small private rooms for reflexology and massage treatments.

                                                               Kristen Auble for Yoga Sleuth

Ready for an old school class, Yoga Sleuth headed up to World Yoga Center, which is the epitome of old school style in more ways than one.  Founded in 1972, World is not only still at its original address, but it is still run by Rudrani Farbman Brown, who opened the school 37 years ago.  Initially the studio was Hatha-style via Rudrani’s tutelage under Swama Satchidananda, but following her training with John Friend, World Yoga converted to Anusara in 2001.

The studio, strong with the scent of incense, is a small no-frills space - perhaps a tribute to its uncommercial spiritual intent. Save for the yoga supplies and a small altar, it looks like any other Upper West Side studio apartment, with the tiny kitchen converted into a reception area, and one bathroom.  Since there is only one little place to keep your bag and street clothes, be prepared for a slight delay at departure.

The teacher is Alice Hogan, who also teaches restorative, and she incorporates much of that feeling into this level one. We begin in an extended savasana (further extended as Alice must also man the reception desk and admit latecomers, Yoga Sleuth included). As class begins in earnest, Alice suggests that we all think of something in our lives that we need to let go of, and dedicate our practice to that idea.

We begin with a simple slow cat/cow followed by seated side stretches, which feel great after the lengthy savasana. We continue with a slow basic Sun A followed by a warrior sequence, which is (paradoxically) relaxing. I relish the opportunity to break down the poses and correct some bad alignment habits I have picked up. We go from extended side angle to triangle, to half moon, which I am suddenly able to do without a block! I even experiment by placing my hands in prayer - though I’m not ready to look up yet.

Alice has a soothing voice (perfect for her restorative, which I plan to try as soon as possible) and the class is a very slow, relaxing Hatha-like sequence, with the poses held for half a minute or more, and with very specific alignment cues. There is no music until halfway through (it appears she may just have forgotten), and when there is, it is unobtrusive; sitar-infused Eastern Music that lulls us into a further relaxed state.

There are ten of us tonight, many of whom are clearly regulars as Alice is familiar with their practice and even asks them to demonstrate poses, such as tonight’s inversion, which is a forearm stand at the wall.  Though I do not perform the full expression, Alice helps me find the proper form by placing a block between my arms and having me look up and open my heart with my back arched. This in itself is fairly grueling to hold for an extended length, but I vow to get used to it as I progress to the full pose.

We wind down with a total of 6 glorious dips into pigeon, 3 on each side. The final one is the upright version, which everyone performs well, and then we have our Yogi’s choice of bridge or wheel. This is followed by one of the longest savasanas you’ll get. As we “bliss out” Alice comes around and grabs our feet and gives a gentle tug, which I wasn’t expecting but I more than welcomed.

World Yoga Center is the ideal place to go to get the traditional Anusara Yoga experience. 90-minute Classes are $17 (cash only) and mats are $1.

                                                            — Jim Catapano for YogaSleuth

Sleuth does not say such things lightly, but quite simply Philip Askew’s Monday night Vinyasa class at Pure Yoga is one of the best and most pleasant Vinyasa experiences I’ve ever had.

Philip started the Monday evening class with some strap work to open up the shoulders. Taking the straps a little wider than our shoulders we moved our arms overhead and down our backs, shortening the strap length as we continued the motions to increase difficulty. Then we used the straps (or not) for Gomukhasana arms on both sides.

The typical Surya Namaskars brought a few creative moves. To change it up, we came into Down Dog split, then to core plank, then hopped the back knee forward and out again a couple of times. This was a serious shoulder strengthener, besides being different and super fun.

At one point in the Sun Salutes Philip instructed, “Inhale Chatturanga, exhale Chatturanga, inhale Chatturanga, exhale Chatturanga.” At this point most of the class, not used to holding Chatturanga so long, collapsed on the ground laughing.

During standing poses we received an interesting instruction for Ardha Chandrasana, which was to not hop the back foot up, but to slowly shift the weight into the front foot and slowly lift the back leg up, making it more difficult for the core.

Between Vinyasa transitions there were a few chances to try balances in the middle of the room like Forearm Stand, Crow into Tripod, and jumping back into Chatturanga. In Vasisthasana we brought the top leg into Tree, eventually catching the top big toe and lifting the leg up into the full expression of the pose.

We practiced more balancing in Utthita Hasta Padangustasana, taking the leg out to the side. When I took my leg back to center I looked up to see the most unusual sight. All the yogis standing opposite me were smiling, probably due to Philip’s infectious light and happy persona. It was hard not to have a good time in this class.

Throughout the class Philip made a point of adjusting and observing every student and helped them work with their edge. He came over to me and in Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand) made me take my legs apart and away from the wall which intensified the pose. He then instructed me to keep looking up which I found to be a key component in this intensely difficult pose.

After handstand variations, we used straps to balance again, this time holding Natarajasana for about eight breaths. Feeling the exhilaration, we used the straps again for a more complex version Bird of Paradise.

A few rounds of Wheel prepared us for another fun variation. With our legs long on the floor and our arms by our head in Wheel pose position, we used momentum to roll back into Plough pose, and flipped all the way over to land in Chatturanga.

Finally, after a series of seated forward bends, Philip gave us a few minutes at the end to do whatever poses we needed to prepare for Savasana.

For the final ten minutes of class we did some Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) followed by Khappalabhati with Ego Eradicator arms (arms up at 60 degrees).

I left class so charged and energized from this thoughtful and pleasurable class I practically danced my way out.

If you’re looking for more inspiration do watch this “Variations on Surya Namaskar” performed by Philip Askew and Lydia Davis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcqvlJIjh9g

Classes are membership only or call a Pure Advisor for Guest Pass to one class.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Cozy, but kind of sprawling, OM Yoga is perched high above Broadway in the middle of the Union Square yoga studio nexus. It has a fully stocked boutique (including the awesome NYC-based yogawear line from Hyde http://www.yogahyde.com/store/index.htm), an extensive schedule of special programs, retreats, workshops, meditation classes, body work—and over 100 yoga class each week. The center was founded in 1998 by yoga celebrity Cyndi Lee (once upon a time, OM was just a musty walkup with curtains for doors on 14th street) and has birthed some wonderful teachers and diehard enthusiasts over the past decade.  

One of the best classes of the week is the Monday evening “advanced” class with long-longtime OM teacher Frank Mauro. It’s particularly good choice for practitioners who feel very established in their fundamentals, as the class is neither alignment driven or instruction heavy. The OM system is about sequence and an energetic but safe flow; there is generally a focus on a particular body of work (hips, shoulders, etc.). Frank, a native New Yorker who learned yoga at his daddy’s knee, has a quiet, laid back way about him, and his classes don’t seem planned; they seem instead to move smoothly through a "natural" progression of asanas (standing poses, forward bends, inversions, backbends, ending with shoulder stand). The trick is that you are flowing quickly, at a speed that Frank’s serenity almost disguises. Ultimately, the effect is an invigorating, energizing, well-rounded practice that leaves you feeling tranquil.

The center is friendly; most of the students are regulars, and Frank knows (or quickly learns) everyone’s name. The 6:15 class is in one of the smallest of OM’s four studios and can easily seem too crowded. So definitely arrive early to stake a good spot. Otherwise it’s a lovely space, with huge comfortable dressing rooms and showers, and a coat room/shoe depository bigger than many New York apartments.

Note: the rental mats ($1) can be unpredictable at OM—too slippery or stinky, or ragtag or brand new. You might want to bring your own. The drop in rate is a hefty $18, but there are many, many excellent packages and membership deals to be had. And kudos to the work/study program!

To kick the “I Don’t Like Mondays” blues, Yoga Sleuth hit Kula Flow with Alison Novie. If you have never been to Kula, it is easy to miss. There is a small board in an alcove at 28 Warren (off Church) stating “4th floor Kula Yoga.” Up the rickety green stairs, you enter a comfortable  jumbly, charming  studio with an arts and crafts sort of vibe — paper lanterns and cutouts draped from the ceiling, that make you feel like a kid in nursery school hoping to get your picture on the wall.

The class was full, but with a calm rather than frenetic energy that usually accompanies a very popular studio. Alison Novie did her teacher training with Rodney Yee and you can tell. She has a fun, quirky vibe that is refreshingly approachable and makes you feel that it’s going to be okay even if you aren’t a perfect yogi.

She opened with a version of fish supported with blocks, arms opened to the side so that we could breath deeply into the heart.  After melting all the stress away, we were on our feet and moving rapidly with the rhythm of tribal drums, in Kundalini breathing exercises to get the fire ignited. Within minutes we worked up a sweat.

She led us through a series of traditional postures such as a Surya Namaskar A flow, Warrior 1 and 2, Reverse Warrior to Reverse Triangle, and Triangle pose, focusing on breath and alignment, while balancing the Sun and Moon flow of invigorating and calming postures. A blend of yoga/new age music filled the room, mixing with the energy of the class as she took us down to the mat for heart-opening backbends. Too soon, a Ram Dass meditation accompanied us as we drifted gleefully off into savasana.

Alison’s teaching style is deep and soulful, with an underlying current of mother moon goddess mysticism.  Her verbal cues and adjustments are concise with an empathetic tone, and her sequencing is smooth and flowing with challenging holds on traditional postures; such as having us perfect our alignment in triangle pose, without connecting our bottom hand, for approximately 5 to 10 breaths. 

With no difficult inversions, there was a serious lack of competitive ego driven tendencies, and Yoga Sleuth focused inward flowing on the breath in a meditation of movement - calm yet awakened with a slightly deeper understanding of practice.

Drop-in classes are $17, mat rentals $1. They also offer a new student rate of 3 classes for $30, and student and unemployment discounts (!).

- Kristin Auble for Yoga Sleuth

Jen Guarnieri teaches a fast-paced, difficult class but because she has such a sweet, gentle persona you don’t realize how difficult it is until you’re half way through and drenched in sweat.

During this Kula Hour Monday, Jen focused on shoulder openers and backbends, warming us with Bridge pose then transitioning into leg lifts with hands under the buttocks.

A series of standing poses was elegantly sequenced and included Anjaneyasana (or crescent moon) with the option to take hold of the back foot and guide it toward the buttocks. There were also some Utkatasana twists, a Forearm stand, Plank and a Forearm Vasisthasana, all guided with essential and well-expressed alignment instruction that didn’t interfere too much with the pace of the class.

Jen kept returning to the theme of opening up the shoulders. We focused on Bound Extended Side Angle, Devotional Warrior, and Warrior 3 with hands interlaced behind the back. In Ardha Chandrasana we interlaced our hands around the foot, and stretched to the backbend of Ardha Chandra Chapasana. Between several of the Vinyasas we had the opportunity to practice Forearm Stands in the middle of the room.

For the primary backbends, we practiced Ustrasana (camel) and Urdvha Dhanurasana (full wheel). In Wheel, Jen gave us the challenge to bring our forearms to the floor, moving through Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana to Sirsasana (headstand).

This invigorating class was held in the gorgeous Kula Williamsburg, a new studio built with materials from an old barn. Silver lotuses are stenciled on the floor and the room smells of oak. Savasana was such a dreamy pleasure I was disappointed when it was time to get up and leave for home.

$15 per class; $2 mat rental

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

On a rainy and windy day, Yoga Sleuth made her way to the Astoria location of The Yoga Room for some warming Vinyasa. The studio is marked by only a small sign taped to the inside of the glass door (hint: it’s next door to Panera). 

Due to the heavy rains, the back studio was experiencing some leaking windows. Lucky for us, there were no other classes scheduled so we moved to the front studio, which was a little chilly, as the heat had only just been turned on.

Our instructor, Anna, took all the changes in stride with the calmness and peace of a true yogi. She suggested we grab three blocks and two bolsters (something Sleuth wishes more studios had available) because we would be starting the class with several restorative poses. Sleuth was not expecting restorative poses in a Vinyasa class, but found my body appreciated them as soon as I settled in. We worked through frog, a “restorative” Chaturanga, and both supported child’s pose and down dog. 

As we began the Vinyasa portion of our class, Anna added some traditional yoga instrumental music in the background. She moved us slowly through our flow letting us enjoy longer holds in down dog. She offered us the option of stepping or jumping from down dog to Uttanasana. “We’re all jumping today,” she said as we jumped forward, and then proceeded to kick the class up a notch with some core plank work and balancing in half moon.

We wound down with some forward folds and twists before working on backbends. For those of us that took the option of full wheel, Anna focused on our alignment, instructing us to pause on the top of our heads and “draw the upper arms back to stabilize the shoulder joint” before coming all they way up. When she told us to widen our feet slightly, I felt an instant release in my lower back. 

“The ability to find stillness is what yoga is all about,” Anna said as we took a short meditation before Savasana. I noticed the sun now streaming in through the windows and took a moment to appreciate the change not only in the weather outside, but in my own body as well.

Regular classes are $18, cmmunity classes are $10. Mat rental is $2.

-Allison Richard for Yoga Sleuth

Arriving at Yogamaya soon after they opened felt auspicious – yet as Sleuth entered, there was a sense that this gorgeous studio had always been here. The class was well-attended.  There was animated conversation, and friendships being sparked and re-ignited as yogis from around the city recognized old friends.

To open class, Bryn Chrisman shared her observation that we can use our practice to become “more tolerant than a tree. A tree gives shade without being affected by the activity of someone standing under it,” she noted as she encouraged us continually to focus on our breath and our inner environment. “Live in the shape!” she reminded frequently, offering us specific anatomical suggestions and hands-on adjustments to support us in this endeavor. “Imagine your legs buried in dirt, like tree roots. You can grow out of that stability.”

Twists seemed to be the focus and Bryn developed this theme nicely, starting us off with a relaxed twist seated in dandasana, and progressing through revolved versions of lunge, chair, and side angle, finally culminating in revolved crow. She elegantly demonstrated the latter, inspiring us to bring flexibility and ease rather than effort and rigidity to this challenging pose.

She peppered the class with her sparkling wit and interspersed observations on life with sound bytes of yogic philosophy to help us keep sight of the larger picture beyond the poses. She mused “the biggest challenge is to be tolerant of ourselves. We can practice this by putting an aspect of the divine at the center of our lives, rather than living from our ego.”

The class had a rhythm like surfing an ocean wave, beginning with an exuberant kirtan-style devotional chant, complete with harmonium and Bryn’s lush voice leading us through repetitions of “Radhe Radhe Govinda.” We surfed the wave of movement and sound, which then let us down gently for a brief but invigorating savasana.

Single class $16; new student special, two weeks unlimited for $35. Mats $2. www.yogamayanewyork.com

--Lauren Tepper

Witold Fitz-Simon is a devoted teacher in the Iyengar tradition, and his 11:30 AM class at Yogasana is pure proof of his dedication to this alignment-focused school of yoga. 

It is a steamy 90 degree day, and he tells us that we’re going to slow our pace to focus on our lower and middle back, finding some space and freedom within those typically constricted regions. A question from a classmate about the exact location of the piriformis calls for a quick walk over to a skeleton, and a quick anatomy lesson ensues (it's between your pelvis and your hip joint, attached to the front of your sacrum). 

Sleuth loves that the skeleton always seems to be on hand—sometimes you really need to see something to understand it, and the quick chat doesn’t break our pace at all. We begin in a supported Savasana on our bellies, propped up with blankets below our foreheads, our hips, and our ankles. The relief this offers to our backs is palpable—sighs and quiet, contented breaths drift through the studio. I realize that even though Fitz-Simon is a strict alignment guru, he’s incredibly gentle (which is not true of every member of the Iyengar tribe). 

Fitz-Simon began his training with a year of solo study at home with the seminal book, Light on Yoga. It’s obvious that, for him, yoga is indeed a solitary practice. We are encouraged to be extremely observant of our bodies, holding poses for several minutes at a time. Even though we are a group of 12, it feels very solitary because of the quiet, steady pace. Sleuth is struck by how little chatter and distraction there is in this super focused yoga chamber. 

The studio is equipped with a wall of ropes, an integral part of the Iyengar school. The ropes provide support and the unique ability to use gravity and resistance of the wall to further your practice. With instruction from Fitz-Simon, we line up and use the ropes around our hips for Uttanasana and down dog. The stretch and release of the hamstrings and calves is heightened, and again—that lower and middle back focus is huge. We return to our mats and the difference in my back is measurable. 

As we move on to an inversion practice of handstands and headstands, the focus remains on the back, which proves difficult and yields a more refined, upside-down experience. We’re instructed to keep our heads down throughout—for a total of about 10 minutes our heads are never above our hearts, which furthers the attention paid to the lower and middle back. Forward bends with the help of props encourages the softening in our backs. 

Fitz-Simon’s instruction is gentle, yet very well informed—we are constantly guided with alignment instruction, yet it never seems daunting or over-reaching. The gentle pace illuminates the subtle nuances of each pose. By the time we reach our forward bends, just before Savasana, I’m aware of the ways that breath can truly reach into a problem area and infuse it with support. 

For those who haven’t delved into an Iyengar practice, Fitz-Simon’s style seems to be the perfect entry point—his passion for it is beautifully displayed, and his teaching style is generous and informative. Witold Fitz-Simon teaches at Yogasana on Sunday and Monday mornings, and Wednesday evenings. Single class is $16, first class special is $10.

—Biba Milioto for Yoga Sleuth

It was a holiday Monday when Yoga Sleuth dropped in for Judy Atrubin's Intermediate class at Jaya Yoga.  As YS set up her props, the class was noisy and full of energy -- a lot of students were (paradoxically) teachers who had the day off.  But when Judy took a cross-legged seat and led us in the opening om, the mood immediately shifted into tranquility. "Are there any requests?" Judy said, as we moved to our hands and knees. "This is your guys' holiday, after all."  "Hip openers," one woman threw out. And so we began.

We started out with some easy Sun Salutations.  As the class moved on, Judy kept the pace gentle, without sacrificing effort.  The approach was more about anatomical focus and sequencing of the asanas rather than speed.  After Sun Salutations, we did some lunges and twists, and then began the more intense hip-opening elements of the class, as requested.

Judy led us through a sequence where we squatted into chair pose, lifted up one leg and transitioned directly into a revolved side angle pose (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana), then flowed into a supported Warrior III with hands on blocks.  We tried Side Crow, and then Side Crow with extended legs.  

We eased off a bit with some forward bending and groin openers, before moving through an inversions practice and some backbending.  Class ended with a lovely reclining supported chest opener before we moved off our supports for Savasana.

During Savasana, Judy came around and adjusted each student's shoulders, for which, Yoga Sleuth must confess, is an absolute sucker. Adjustments or not, YS appreciated this class from the start.  Anyone looking to explore their practice without the sometimes-competitive speed and punishingly-advanced physical asana of many 'intermediate' classes should stop by Jaya and say hello to Judy.

Single class drop-in is $15

--Ruth Curry for Yoga Sleuth

No matter where you are coming from, what your level, your beef, special concerns, or (especially) your challenges and doubts, Bobby Clennell makes you feel as if you have a core strength that has nothing to do with abdominals. Her Women's Class is about accessing the deep stores of power and stamina that flow through you already. The nomenclature — "women's yoga" — aside, there are no gimmicks or gushy-ness in this class. Clennell's style is straightforward, soft and knowledgeable.

Yes, Women's Yoga within the Iyengar system is a bit of an elusive category. Its abiding concerns, and often the first thing that comes to mind when you hear about it, is menstruation and menopause. Unglamorous indeed. But, this approach is not exclusively about blood cycles (although you'd be amazed at what a difference a little attention to cycles can make in your overall energy levels), it's about finding balance, modulating energy, fertility (body, mind, and soul), recovery, relaxing, and thriving. ...All those New York necessities.

Standing pose week will leave you satisfied, worn out and energetic. Restorative week will turn you into a lively jellyfish. Twists clean out your system and backbends make you feel like flying. The classes are strong, you work at your own level — and each class is open to all levels. This is not a vinyasa class. You will not do sun salutations and you will use many props. If the style is new to you, it may feel a little overwhelming at first. Stick with it though. If you're curious about Iyengar, this is a very lovely place to start.

Bobby Clennell is a senior teacher, a mother, an artist, and sometimes she's a bit of a goof, too. By contrast, the center is rather austere; it's beautiful, clean, organized, quiet. No one uses their own mat (nor do you ever miss your own private stinky mat). At $20 drop in, the classes are a bit steeply priced, but you always feel like you're in a clean, and supremely expert environment.

Sooner or later, this class is going to be the perfect antidote to your Monday morning.

On a late summer morning with the air turning crisp, Sleuth was ready to get back to basics. This led him to Dharma Yoga, a donation-based, classical hatha style studio founded on the teachings of Sri Dhamra Mittra. Teeming with spirituality, the space boasts hexagonal 2nd floor windows looking out over the intersection of St. Mark's and 6th Avenue, beckoning the yogis of Brooklyn’s Park Slope.

As I took my place in the creamsicle-colored studio for a Dharma foundational class, 11 yogis were already seated in meditation. Before them sat Katurah, our teacher, who heralded the start of our practice with the stirring sound of a Harmonium, conducting the class for 3 resonant Oms.

Katurah began the Asana portion with discussion of the word itself. "Asana means seat or foundation," she reminded us, and our task for today's practice was to identify the seat of each pose and to be mindful of it. And with that, we commenced in classic Surya Namakar A. – eschewing chataranga for knees chest and chin, and bypassing jump backs for lunges with our knees down.

"Explore the space," was Katurah's mantra, and so we did—taking several breaths in each pose. "Imagine the breath going up the back body and then down the front body," she said. "When you connect the movement to the breath you can't go wrong."

When we arrived in Warrior I, Katurah mused on the incongruousness of such a word, in the notoriously serene practice of Yoga. "It's a good pose to practice Ahimsa," she said, to drive home the paradox. "And when you master Ahimsa, all the other virtues will cling to you."

With nonviolence in mind we came down to forearms and clasped our heads in our hands, setting up for headstand prep. "You're getting all the benefits of the inversion right here," said Katurah as we stretched one leg at a time, then both, but stopped there, staying true to the spirit of basic fundamentals. We spent many breaths in plow and shoulder stand, and then came down for two versions of bridge, one with hands clasped and another with palms at our hip creases.

In bench pose we came alive with Bhastrika (breath of fire) before settling into first upright and then supine pigeons (Katurah did a great imitation of an actual pigeon in the former).

Savasana came complete with a guided progressive relaxation, which Katurah's soothing tones were perfectly suited for. We relaxed our bodies from toe tips to the crowns of our heads. Rising to sit once more, we engaged in a brief meditation, followed by the chanting of Om Shanti to Katurah’s harmonium accompaniment, sealing the close of our practice.

I emerged from Dharma Yoga more at peace, knowing that my practice had moved forward simply by taking a step back.

Classes at Dharma are by donation.

-Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Pilates instructor Kate Artibee looks like a Botticelli-esque angel. But don’t be deceived – she could kill you if she wanted to. In the best way possible, of course. Yoga Sleuth decided to go rogue and surrender to a private Pilates/Yoga session at Sanctuary Pilates on the Upper East Side. After a hearty hike over to York Avenue, I was already sweating and ready to work.

For the uninitiated, Pilates focuses on core strength and minute movements which offer big impact-think resistance, and lots of it. All of these movements directly correlate to specific yoga muscle movements. It was my intention to work on my shoulders and hips on both the Reformer machine and the mat, to try to perfect and enhance my practice.

As soon as I connected with the Reformer machine in the main room, which was soothingly lit with low lighting and decorated with whimsical bird decals running across the wall, it was evident that Kate knew her stuff. We started on the Reformer, a very low table with a sliding center and lots of pulleys. I started with foot work, stretching and strengthening my calves and ankles, which Kate told me would improve my foundation as we moved onto the yoga postures. Right away, her attention to the slightest nuances of my body was amazingly intuitive. She zeroed in on my extreme muscle tightness, and gave me some quick tips on softening my hip flexors as I moved the carriage (the slidey part of the Reformer) in and out–which made the work much harder.

As I moved through some hip and thigh work, squeezing a resistance circle between my ankles, my inner thighs were forced to work and my hip flexors and lower abs got quite a workout as well. I felt grateful that there are no overhead lights in the studio–you spend a lot of time on your back and it’s nice not to have the glare of a bulb in your eyes. As I transitioned to the mat, I attempted to keep the softness in my hip joints and shoulders. Kate took me through only a few poses, but boy, was it hard–simply holding my downward dog for long stretches as she offered adjustments and suggestions (feet closer together, rotate forearms outward to help drop my shoulders). It had me sweating like crazy, and I wasn’t even flowing through my vinyasa!

Kate’s references helped me understand the subtle points of my muscular efforts. While squeezing a Pilates ball between my thighs, she asked if I’d ever ridden a horse. “Basically, you’re posting,” she said. “All the time.” That hit home. She also provided useful suggestions for my yoga postures–my cat/cow movements are now informed by the idea of moving my head and tailbone separately while simultaneously centering my core. As we moved through a down dog-to-plank transition, her instruction to press through my heels more brought a new sensation to my hips and thighs, and the slightest drop of my hip in a Warrior I brought both of my legs to life. I was trembling, but I felt grounded and symmetrical, with not an ounce of strain anywhere in my body.

It might seem counterintuitive to use Pilates to enhance your yoga. Pilates is a program of small, subtle movements, and yoga often seems to be more outward and focused on grand movements. But the connection to your body and muscles is the goal of both; to be graceful, long and grounded. These days, I find myself remembering Kate’s guidance as I move through my practice, and certain bad habits that I’d habitually moved into are on their way out.

A post-class snack of an apricot and a glass of water offered me a chance to discuss any questions that I might have. As an instructor, Kate is extremely generous with her knowledge, and her affable attitude fits perfectly with the ‘sanctuary’ theme. What a lovely place to get your butt kicked, and improve your yoga practice.

A private Pilates-Yoga session with Kate Artibee $135. A duet is $70 per person.

– Biba Milioto for Yoga Sleuth

Lucienne Vidah beams down at me as I ascend the staircase leading to the beautiful, cozy space of Studio Spine. I immediately see that the other 5 students are regulars, but Lucienne, a certified Iyengar and Structural Integration Instructor, welcomes me right into the fold. She takes me for a quick tour.

'French style dressing room," she says, pointing to the sliding fabric panels that turn the kitchen into a changing area. She then shows me how to fold my two blankets just so for Sukhasana and asks me about any injuries. I tell her about my lingering lumbar lament from a badly executed jumpback. "We won't be doing any jumpbacks here," she assures me as we settle in to what proves to be pure, prop-filled Iyengar 101 (and a bit of 102).

Our first pose is Adho Mukha Virasana. From hero pose we fold forward, tenting the fingers of our yearning hands. After a few breaths Lucienne pulls all but two of us out of the pose; the two students remaining become models. Lucienne points out the differences between the curvature of each of their spines in the pose, explaining that there should be rounding coming from the mid-back. We try again, finding our own individual proper expression, and then it's off to the beautiful brick wall for some Utkatasana.

Our sit bones find the wall as we bend our knees. Lucienne comes over to me. "I'm going to do this even though you're new," she says as she adjusts the position of my rear against the bricks. Lucienne is encouraging and funny but also direct and strict, as an Iyengar practitioner should be; if you are not properly aligned she will call you by name and tell you, and the next time. As in my case, she will come over and physically put you where you need to be. Spying that my neck and  gaze were not straight ahead in Vrksasana, she came over, grabbed me by the face and made it so!  

Back at the wall, our straight legs are hip distance as we reach for the wall and press our fingers into the bricks, doing a "perp being frisked" version of Ardha uttanasana. "What's that noise?" says Lucienne, hearing some of our fingers scratch against the wall. "Only ghosts do that!"  

We return to our mats, rolling up one blanket to rest our heels as we come down into a modified Malasana. We then take a seat on the rolled mat and stretch our legs out, over and over, faster and faster. "We don't do jumpbacks," Lucienne says to me, 'but we do some Russian dancing!" In Parsvottanasa we spent a long and productive time learning to lead with the breastbone; Lucienne has us put our fingers in our armpits Mary Catherine Gallagher-style so that we keep them in the proper position; pits up, shoulders back.

After returning to the wall we know so well, we try Supta Baddha Konasana with our toes stretched against the bricks. Then there is a juicy supine lunge with one sole yearning to press against the ceiling. Lucienne comes over and literally steps on my other leg to keep it's hip down on the ground.

Finally we do an intense and deep Uttananasa with our folded backs flat against the wall.  

Grabbing folding chairs, we do some powerful seated twists. We push the back of the chair with one hand and pull with the other, leading with the navel, breathing in to straighten and out to twist further until we are seeing the other side of the room.

Lying down, we press our heels into the seat of the chair as we raise our hips into a modified bridge, then modify further with two bricks beneath the pelvis.  

"In five years I'll be a good beginner" quips one of the regulars as he settles in the pose. Lucienne loves this. "What a great thing to say," she laughs. "People always say 'I'm an advanced yogi,' but that's not very Yoga at all is it? Better to aspire to be a good beginner."  

And for a big finish, Upavistha Konasana, the nemesis of my medial hamstrings. We grip the legs of the chair, spread our legs into a V shape, and rest our heads on the seat. My legs are stretched to snapping point, or so I think; Lucienne come over and gets them to go a little further. I apologize on behalf of my uncooperative adductors, but Lucienne just smiles.

"That's why we do this," she says. "That's what it's all about." And if you want to know what Iyengar is all about, the wonderful Lucienne Vidah is a great teacher to start with.

Classes at Studio Spine are $25 (mat included); classes are small to maximixe personal attention so it's best to call ahead.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

If you like your yoga hot (105 degrees hot) and holding postures for sometime this class would be for you. The neighborhood of Bed-Stuy has a new yoga studio half a block from the G train. Inside there are black floors, white walls, and one mirrored wall. The black mats are decorated with the Sacred Brooklyn logo.

Rachel Devlin, a cheerful and energetic teacher is Evolation trained, a style of yoga that is Bikram influenced. Like the room, the yoga is straightforward. There’s no music, no oms or chanting, no flow or fancy transitions or props.

We began class standing with our hands under our chins, elbows out to the side. On the inhale we moved our elbows up and together, on the exhale brought them down to the same position. We were encouraged to look in the mirror so we could work on our alignment. There were about twenty repetitions of this simple breath work.

We then began a series of standing side stretches and Eagle arms. From there we worked on a standing series that included such poses as Tree pose, a wide straddle forward bend, Parsvottanasana and an Extended Side Angle. Every posture was done at least twice for at least five breaths while looking in the mirror to make corrections. Rachel also offered advice on deepening the pose. At one point we were encouraged to take a much-needed water break.

The last half hour was spent on our backs. Between each posture we would take an active Savasana with our heels together. In addition we would frequently do situps from Savasana with our arms extended above us; Rachel would clap her hands twice as we rapidly sat up into Paschimottanasana giving two sharp breaths out on the way up.

We began the floor postures with a Half Happy Baby having the leg graze our side body then we came up for a Virasana followed by Supta Virasana. I found the heat helpful for keeping my body open when there were no props to use for this pose. Here Rachel encouraged us to settle with wherever we were at in the pose. “Bikram says don’t chase the money, let the money chase you,” she quoted.

We took some backbends beginning with a Salabhasana, followed by Ustrasana with the tops of the feet on the ground. Rabbit pose with the crown of our head on the floor and lifting our hips up was the closest thing we got to an inversion that day, but it felt good to go upside down.

Finally, we took a restful Savasana, this time letting our feet fall out to the side.

On the Sacred Brooklyn website, Evolation Yoga is described as having elements of meditation. The last five minutes of class was dedicated to meditating and some Kappalabhati breath.

As she got ready to exit Rachel invited us to take our time exiting and if we wanted a longer Savasana we could stay a little longer or take the time to meditate.

$20 for single class or $30 for 30 days unlimited yoga.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Seated in a meditative posture at the front of Exhale Spa’s sumptuously minimalistic yoga studio, Julie Gayer Kris emanates a calm radiance that fills the room. “Focus on your breath and let it take you deeper into yourself,” she intones in a soothing yet down-to-earth voice.

Julie’s energetic presence bubbles with warmth and genuine enthusiasm. Throughout class she wanders the room, offering encouraging words to beginners, and helping more experienced practitioners to refine their practice through gentle hands-on and verbal adjustments.

I often find the breathing instructions in vinyasa classes difficult to follow, but here they are an essential and accessible aspect of the class. Thanks to Julie’s perfect pacing and clear directions for coordinating the breath and the movement I am able to stay focused on both at once. Her consistency with simple repetitive sequences that build slowly to more complex patterns give the slow-paced class a beautiful meditative flow, never losing that essential connection to the breath.

Her slight variations on the usual form of some of the poses keep my interest piqued. She guides us expertly through lateral-bending and twisting versions of triangle pose, complete with breath-based arm, torso, and head movements. “Breathe in and reach your hand up like it has magnets pulling it to the ceiling; now breathe out, arc your torso like a rainbow, and sweep your heart forward toward the front of the room,” she enticed.

These gentle pulsations of movement and breath in the poses help me feel fresh and alive in each pose; rather than fighting that urge to grip my muscles that can come about when I hold a pose, I am able to relax more deeply into the pose with each breath.

“My training is about reminding people to feel and focus within,” she notes, referring to her study with Gary Kraftsow in viniyoga. Her pacing and cuing throughout class are all geared toward this goal of establishing mindfulness, sensing the inner body, the breath, and one’s thoughts in addition to the more obvious alignment of the physical body.

Her music selections created an uplifting backdrop for the movement, starting slowly and then building to an energetic but not overpowering crescendo. “Alone in Kyoto,” the final song in her playlist, softly and melodically lulled us into a sweet savasana. As with the rest of class, Julie guided us into and out of our final relaxation pose with ease and grace to finish class in a gentle bow.

Single class $25; new student special, one week unlimited for $40, includes spa and boutique discounts.

--Lauren Tepper for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth really needed a quick warm up for Winter chills, so I headed over to Om Factory NYC for Paul Gruen's class. Paul teaches mainly private sessions, so I was lucky to catch his group class on this Friday afternoon.

We began in Sukhasana with our eyes closed.  Paul's voice was very calm and soothing as he instructed us to start three part breathing, from our belly to our ribs to our hearts.  The room was warm, so I started to relax into my breath and forget about the cold outside.  Paul said if our thoughts came up, we should accept them and let them pass.  We should start to focus inward.

We chanted three OMs and then cracked open our eyes and began to gently stretch our arms up and twist from side to side, then a few rounds of Cat/Cow to warm up our spine.  We made our way into Downward Facing Dog, pedaled out our feet and started moving into three-legged dog to a low lunge and twist.  Paul added on to this sequence and we bent and straightened our front leg and then came up into a high lunge.

Next up Sun Salutations with various lunges and twists worked into the vinyasas.  Paul reminded us to work with our own bodies and not to be bothered with anyone else in the room.   

We did Trikonasana to Parsvakonasana a few times and Paul added a bind and then Bird of Paradise.  He had a way of building upon the poses, keeping us warm and open as we transitioned into deeper and harder versions.  He also encouraged people that weren't ready for full Bird of Paradise or binds to stick with their variations and except where they were.

Next we moved into a sequence of Trikonasana to Parsvakonasana to Ardha Chandrasana to Warrior II.  Paul encouraged us to lift our bottom arm in Ardha Chandrasana and find the balance.  We came back to Tadasana and then Parivrtta Utkatasna to Parivrtta Parsvakonansa, again there was an option to bind, with encouragement to take the variation that worked for our practice. 

Throughout the vinyasas, Paul had us try variations of Vasisthasana, top leg up, in tree or holding onto our big toe.  I just lifted my top leg that worked for me! On the floor we rolled from Navasana to Halasana several times.  This was fun and freeing! Paul threw in a twist and suggested we hold our big toes as we rocked.  I swear I tried, but I rocked right onto my side…kind of silly and fun.  We flipped over for bridge pose and full wheel. Again, Paul encouraged us to take the variation that worked for us, not the class. 

Forward bends consisted of Dandasana, Pachimottanasana and Janu Sirsasana.  We closed practice with a nice supine twist to each side and then melted into our mats for Savasana.

In just an hour, I built a lot of heat in my body, tried a new creative sequence and felt my breath get longer and deeper.  I felt fully worked! An added plus, is the music Paul plays.  We listened to everything from traditional Indian music to Sting to Paul McCartney.

Definitely run over to OM Factory on a Friday afternoon for Paul's class. He is a creative and intelligent teacher, who fills the space with interesting sequences and is able to challenge and relax you in just an hour. 

OM Factory charges $15 for hour classes and their mats are always free!

-Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

When Yoga Sleuth heard that there was a new yoga haven in town called “YoGanesh,” he headed right down to Chelsea to play. This homey 7th Avenue studio opened in the fall of 2010 (fittingly, right down the street from Whole Foods) and is teeming with spirituality as well as students. The lovely brick and yellow-walled studio, lightly incense-scented and as warm in atmosphere as in temperature, was wall-to-wall with yogis as class began.

Sri Dharma Mittra-trained Andrew Tanner is a warm and gently funny instructor, who provides a strong Asana practice while always keeping us in mind of the spiritual side of the story.

“Let go of all thoughts and emotions and all the stresses of daily life,” said Andrew as we brought our hands into chin mudra and rolled the tension out of our necks. When even more eager students came in late, Andrew made sure they all had a place to play. As yoga is about non-judgment, Andrew joked that we should not look down on the many latecomers as they snuck guiltily in! And soon, the line of yogis stretched past the reception desk to the back window.

Throughout practice Andrew invited us to close our eyes in certain postures; to test our balance, to keep the focus on our own practice, and most importantly, to turn inward.

As we turned to the side for Prasarita Padottanasana, Andrew warned, “Watch out; you may have a full moon in front of you!” The beginners melted into the fold while the rest worked on their tripod headstands.

Coming up to stand we challenged ourselves in a deep backbend, bending our legs, arching our backs and moving our shoulders behind us to search for our ankles. I realized I was deeper then I’d ever been in this pose, as I was able to study the far wall upside down for a good five breaths. From here we descended into a squat. “This is a great pose to do when you’re lost in the woods,” Andrew joked, “or if the world ends in 2012 and there are no working restrooms!”

Andrew’s playlist was, like Andrew himself, both stirring and soothing, with helpings of the Beatles, Cat Stevens and the yoga class staple “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley. It made for the perfect soundtrack as we pushed through Warrior 2, Triangle, Peaceful Warrior and Extended Side Angle with increasing speed and intensity.

After our standing sequence we headed down to the mat and kept with the back bending theme. The menu choices were two bridges, two wheels or one of each—all up to the individual student and his/her instincts.

We spent an extended time in Navasana (boat pose), with our eyes closed. Andrew has a knack for using humor to get you to challenge yourself:  He counted down from 20 as we balanced on our sit bones and yearned our legs straight. When he got near the end and we were ready to relax, he pretended to lose count, and started again from 10! We laughed and relaxed, and were able to do the extra work with joy.

Andrew guided us through Savasana with a guided progressive relaxation, taking us through our whole bodies a step at a time; then we returned to a seated position for a little Dharma talk. “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind,” Andrew reminded  us. It is a pivotal quote from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the foundational text of the practice and philosophy.

Andrew told us that although Asana may stretch and strengthen our bodies and give us “a tight butt,” we should only see that as a happy side effect. “The real purpose of yoga is to calm the mind, and transcend the body and mind, to attain the peace that is our true nature.”

Drop-ins are only $10 with a $2 mat rental; Full-time students with ID can hit the mat for just $5.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth needed a kickstart on a rainy morning. So I packed up my Asana gear and eco-friendly water bottle and moved on up to the east side, to the popular Vinyasa class of New York Yoga's Iyengar-trained Michael Gilbert.

With 35 yogis the room was full, but Michael found a space for one more right behind me, albeit perpendicular to the rest of the class. "Come to stand at the top of your mats and hang over," said Michael. "Hangover, hangover" he repeated as we melted (the word no doubt having a double meaning for many students in this early Sunday class).

"The mind becomes quiet as the heart becomes calm." As we came into downward facing dog Michael implored us to spread our fingers and toes, to press into our palms and yearn our heels back, and thus share the effort equally throughout the body, a theme that we would return to throughout class.

Michael's instruction is so detailed and clear, and his cues so precise and visual,  that a student would be hard-pressed to realize a posture incorrectly under his tutelage. Rather than just going straight into Sun Salutation As and standing sequences, we first took the poses and broke them down. We workshopped Down Dog and Chair pose, practicing opening our hearts, unlocking our knees and squaring our shoulders down the back so that we would best express the poses later in class when we were immersed in the flow.

We stretched the side body by raising our arms over head and leaning our torsos to one side, while raising the opposite knee and turning the head in the opposite direction. This prepared us beautifully for later adventures in side plank and "rock star."

After this warmup, we came to a seat so that Michael could drive home what our asana today was all about. Quizzing us first, and getting answers ranging from relaxation to health to strength, Michael revealed that the answer was (as we really should have guessed!) "sharing": The effort of the practice distributed evenly throughout the body while the mind does its part by stepping aside and staying quiet.

Announcing that we would now be speeding things up, Michael upped the tempo of the music to match and we began the Vinyasa flow proper. We crouched into our invisible chairs in Utkatasana, then added  a prayer twist, flying arms and then finally an optional bind. "I'm not letting you out of the pose until I see a smile!" Michael joked. Turning up the heat we came into Warrior one, Reverse Triangle, a deep Parsvotanasana and a lunge twist, always separated by yogi's choice of Down Dog or a full Vinyasa flow.

We came down to the ground to practice more forms of sharing. In Down Dog variation we raised one leg while grabbing the other ankle, then grabbed the ankle of the hovering leg in a modified dancer's pose. We washed it out with a juicy stretch in inclined Plank and came to a peak in Dolphin pose, where Michael gave me an adjustment to correct my shoulder position that my body is sure to remember on future forays into the posture.

After playing with headstand we took a Camel pose, a Bridge and a Fish to complete the day's backbending, and brought head to raised knee and then legs into Baddha Konasana for forward folding. Bringing our legs into the air we inhaled them down and exhaled them up ten times for a little core work. Supine twists morphed into very happy babies to complete our morning's sharing.

The work of the body done, and the mind remaining obediently still, we came to a time-stopping Savasana.

When we opened our eyes Michael invited us to carry it with us the rest of the day. "As the day goes on the mind stays quiet, the heart calm," he reminded before leading us into a closing Om. "The outer body does the work of holding on, while the inner body does the work of letting go."

Drop-in classes at New York Yoga are $25 with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Stepping into Isauro Fernandez's hot ki class on a Saturday morning, Sleuth knew she was in for a sweaty and empowering treat, as evidenced by the other thirty-plus energetic students who were more than eager to flow on a wintry weekend morning.

Isauro began his signature ki yoga class in a seated meditative practice with quotes from both Lao Tzu and Bruce Lee. Infusing yogic thought with fighting words, students were encouraged to both "continue to pay attention to how you position the arrow and how you flex the string" (Lao Tzu) while also "fearing not the man who can fire one thousand kicks, but the man who has fired one kick ten thousand times" (Lee). With intentions of focus and fastidiousness in mind, our martial arts-infused vinyasa journey began.

After a few stretches and breathing exercises, a fast-paced vinyasa series began, with several Sun Salutations to the beat of both African and Spanish drums. As we were moving through vinyasas, Isauro reminded us to breathe in and out, opposing natural elements, inner emotions and outward expression. Isauro challenged students by reminding us to "hold each pose with so much intensity that you shake," while also reinforcing that each student was on his or her own journey in their yoga practice.

Though this is certainly an advanced class that will challenge even the most talented of yogis, intermediates with an eagerness to improve their physical strength and spiritual awareness are welcomed to join this one-of-a-kind vinyasa class.

Isauro's martial arts background reveals itself about forty-five minutes into the seventy-five minute class where he infuses his years of Judo, Taekwondo and street fighting into a series of what he calls ki stances. As students are instructed to position their upper and lower bodies in friendly yet combative warrior-like poses, Isauro encourages the use of loud, exaggerated breaths while counting off in both Spanish and Japanese.

Even at this usually exhausted time, the half-way point of any hot class, I was revitalized by Isauro's bold voice and empowering spiritual presence. As sweat dripped off my forehead while carefully moving one of my first few standing straddle forward bends into a headstand, I was rejuvenated with the help of the soundtrack, which included songs like Sting's "Dessert Rose."

The remaining minutes of the class at Pure Yoga's spa-like studio ended with dimmed lights, backbends, and more words of yogic spirit and enlightenment. Closing with an unmistakably loud Om, I left ki power vinyasa feeling as if I had just embarked on a spiritual path toward yogic enlightenment, while also gaining physical strength and stamina.

Regardless of the yoga student's desired journey toward spirituality and/ or physical fitness, Isauro Fernandez's ki power vinyasa will help any yoga student embark upon his or her journey. Continuing on the path is the student's choice, but the class provides a strong foundation in a grounded vinyasa practice with a notable infusion of ki energy and spirit.

Membership only or call Pure Advisor for Guest Pass to one class.

--Sofia Frank for Yoga Sleuth

It seems that everyone in Om Yoga’s labyrinthine hallways is an Abby Paloma devotee. "Oh, you’re going to Abby’s class!” they exclaim. “You will be SO relaxed.” Or simply, “She’s magic.”

In the “Forest Room,” Abby sits in front of her six restorative students, blonde and big-eyed and totally relaxed. She explains how oceanic ujjayi breathing helps energy flow through our central channels, clearing out blockages so clear information can travel from our heads to our hearts and vice versa.

In the dark room, we gather our many props: three blankets, two blocks, two cushions. We begin class with a few rounds of tranquil flow (Downward Dog, Tadasana on our knees, Chatarunga with knees, and Baby Cobra) before beginning the extended poses.

We use our two cushions to support our arms and hands in our first forward fold, a simple Fire Log Pose. We hold the pose for 5-10 minutes before switching legs. My body relaxes more than it ever has in this pose, as I usually hold it for less than a minute. I have a similar feeling in a supported twist; it becomes less of a flow and more of a meditation posture. I am given the time and space to become very aware of my body and breath. I realize, for instance, that I tense my neck and jaw every time I inhale. And I have time to really allow this habit to manifest and relax without having to move on to the next posture.

Abby helps us arrange the props very deliberately and precisely for a mild, supported backbend. She explains how when everything is in the right place, your body and mind simply surrender and relax. Then she offers us eyemasks. The extra darkness and pressure takes my relaxation to yet another level. Abby’s class is becoming more of a massage than a yoga class.

In final savasana, head and knees supported, Abby counts breath for us. Slowly, we inhale for a count of eight, and exhale for ten. I realize that my body, breath, and energy are feeling more and more aligned, the channels feel open and clear, and I am already anticipating what an amazing night’s sleep I’m going to get.

The six of us float out of the classroom, and again everyone comments – “Oh, you have the Abby glow!”; “Look at that Abby high!”; “She’s magic.”

Drop-ins are $20 per class.

--Emma Sartwell for Yoga Sleuth

Om Yoga looks like founder Cyndi Lee’s playhouse. It is covered in her drawings of stick figures in Sun Salutations, colorful paintings and handwritten notes. Bathroom signs remind us that we are all family (so wipe the seat!).

Cyndi teaches her advanced class in the Earth Room. In front of huge windows, a tapestry of three Oms, and a small shrine of candles and a Buddha, Cyndi looks around the room playfully. Her big, eager eyes and halo of silver hair take in the space. She reminds us as we warm up to see what’s in front of us – the orange ceiling above; the beautiful tree floor below. We twist our arms into Garudasana as we cat/cow. Facing the sky, we prune up our faces, and let our tongues fly into lion.

This emphasis on mindfulness and spaciousness, as well as constriction and release, sets the mood for the rest of the class. The hour-and-forty-minute timeframe gives us the freedom to luxuriate in, around, and between the poses.  We move through vinyasa flows, warming up slowly and gently.

As we enter the inversion segment of the class, I get a better taste of Cyndi’s style; I have never spent this long trying to do variations of forearm headstand. She obviously knows most of the students individually, and is familiar with their strengths and weaknesses. She gently points out people’s habits, relaxing here, engaging there. She comes over to help me, but doesn’t push too hard, and is content that I’m about halfway there.

We take a break to allow for questions. Cyndi is quite keen on imprinting -- teaching our bodies the positions in pieces before we enter the whole pose. The deliberateness in the structure of the class becomes clear as she explains how our Garudasana arms had imprinted and prepared our shoulders for forearm stand, now with forearms and palms face-up. She says some of this while Cyndi herself is standing on her head, seemingly effortlessly.

She then sparks us awake, turning forearm stand into a 1-minute meditation. We discuss: has everyone allowed a relaxed mind? Well, no. She has us do it again, suggesting we truly get into it – look our fear in the face and invite it in.

The next pose we workshop is Urdvha Dhanurasana, or wheel. “How many people can go from standing to wheel?” she asks the class. A few of us can. Cyndi decides that we all can, with the help of our fellow yogis. She demonstrates how to assist, we split into groups of three, and yes, with many hands on my spine, I slide from standing to wheel!

Cyndi says, “Isn’t it cool you can do this? Picture one person in your life who doesn’t know you can do this!” She’s reminding us how easy it is to forget that this practice is unique and precious.

After experimenting with Crow, we cool down with some more flowing stretches, and recite a chant for the freedom and happiness of all beings. The chanting reemphasizes what the class was really about – presentness, gratefulness, and community.

Drop-ins are $20 per class.

-- Emma Sartwell for Yoga Sleuth

"Fire and water. Rising and grounding. Expanding and contracting" said Johanna Aldrich to the 40-plus yogis who had braved frigid temperatures for the warm glow of the newly refurbished and regenerated Sonic Yoga in Hell’s Kitchen. She explained to us that to bring these opposing forces under control equals balance in mind, body, and spirit, and this is what we would be exploring this morning in a vigorous prana flow.   

“Every once in a blue moon, in my endeavors, whether it's asana or life in general, I will reach that balance of effort and ease—Sthira and Sukha—where everything comes together in a singular moment and I hover in a delicious state of equilibrium, yoga,” said Johanna.

“I imagine it is a similar feeling a surfer gets when everything comes together, the effort and the allowing, the hard paddling and the synchronicity...and she is born atop a wave. It can apply to physical activity, of course, but also to the emotional balance of life.”

Johanna asked us how we were doing, and many of us mimed shivering. "Like you want to be in a cave, right?" she quipped as we began an inspired creative flow in the fluid, dance-like tradition of Shiva Rea. Standing at the top of our mats, hands in anjala mudra (prayer), we eschewed hibernation to instead search for balance through an exploration of the vayus (winds).

We brought our arms overhead in the rising action of prana vayu; back down, to ground through apana vayu; out to the sides to expand in vyana vayu; and finally bringing arms to the midline to contact into samana vayu. We chanted the names of the vayus as we did so, and would return to the balancing exercise after each sequence.

And the Asanas explored in those sequences were all catalysts for balance as well. Everything we did kept us in mind of the class theme and the centering we were striving for. Johanna, with her infectious joy and passion, guided us there like a beacon, with expert cueing and a gentle humor that kept us grinning even in the most challenging balance  or backbend.

We yearned for equilibrium in Vrksasana (tree pose), and when we found it we brought our bodies down right into a seated twist. We played with Uthitta Hasta Padanghustasana (standing big toe pose) for a deeper challenge. Back in tree, we pushed the envelope by leaning to one side, draping the arm across the extended knee until we surrendered ourselves to the inviting ground. We came to side plank 3 times, Johanna offering us a variation each time. After trying it with straight legs, we did it with our legs in "tree" and then with a toe lock, echoing and progressing the work we had done previously.

After each sequence, Johanna encouraged us to "wash it away" with a Vinyasa, always reminding us that what form that Vinyasa took was completely up to us. "Lower down your way," she urged we either jumped pack into a Chaturanga, stepped back from plank, or grounded our knees, chests and chins.

"We'll all meet in down dog," said Johanna. When we were there we melted into the crucial pose for five breaths, and Johanna invited us to make any sound that indicated how we truly felt. A chorus of "mmms" and "aaahs" reverberated throughout the room. "That's what I thought!" smiled Johanna.

Soon we were standing, twisting in Warrior II to test that all-important balance. "Are you the type of person who lets go too easy?" asked Johanna. "Or do you hang on too tight?" We felt these very things in our bodies as we let ourselves reach too far forward—an indication of too much attachment and desire—and then allowed imaginary forces to pull our arms too far backward, symbolic of too much passivity, of letting the winds blow us off our feet. Then we centered ourselves in the pose, symbolically balancing those opposing forces. "That's the Aha moment!" said Johanna.

The flow continued to take us in unexpected directions that both invigorated and challenged us. We tested our balance in an unexpected side crow—after one standing balance, we took our floating leg back and to the right to suddenly find ourselves facing the side wall, in perfect position to lower into the arm balance. "That's what we call in yoga a sneak attack!" laughed Johanna.

We played there, some of us laughing as we tumbled out, while the extra feisty took a foray into Koundinyasana I (which was especially challenging due to the packed room!) Prasarita Padottanasana led to a tripod headstand for those looking to rise, or a deep melt for anyone who needed to keep their feet on the ground today.

Sonic features a "pose of the month"—a climactic pose that the students work on regularly—and this month it was Parighasana or "gate" pose. A shoulder stand capped off our journey; after changing our perception of the world by looking at it upside down, we brought our knees around our ears, in a sense retreating to those very caves that Johanna referenced at the beginning of class.  

"Get ready for three backbends," said Johanna. "Yogi's choice, but don't choose them based on what you think you should do." She encouraged us to not intellectualize this time, and simply act based on feel. What did we need today? Did we need invigorating or grounding, expansion or contraction? Of course some of us need a little of both, so I chose a full wheel to energize, then balanced it with a “vacay" in supported bridge.

And all around the room yogis were doing it "their" way, smiling and centered as they hit their "Aha!" moments, buoyed by one of prana yoga's brightest lights in Johanna Aldrich.

“The practice is an invitation to study the interplay of these opposing forces, hard and soft, Sthira and Sukha, grounding rising, fire and flow,” she explained to me after class. “Somewhere in the middle is that "aha", the crest of ease and peace that you can ride home.”

Drop-in classes at Sonic Yoga are $18 with a $1 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Mats were already laid out bumper to bumper when Sleuth got to Universal Force for founder and creator of Naam Yoga, Joseph Michael Levry’s class. The place was packed with over sixty lively chatting people. And this was on a snow night.

Many announcements were made by the staff and a Sat Nam, Wahe Guru chant was lead to “prepare the space for Gurunam” who was running about half an hour late.

“Sorry I’m late,” announced the charismatic guru when he finally arrived. “I promise I’m going to rock you.”

Naam Yoga takes a lot of its influence from Kundalini with similar mantras, mudras and asanas but Gurunam also adds his own flavor; mostly he is also influenced by the Universal Kabbalah.

We began in Triangle pose (AKA Downward Dog) with one leg lifted and did push-ups to the healing mantra “Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung” (Sun, moon, earth, infinity, I am the totality of that infinity). Then in Rock pose we bowed up and down to “Sat Nam, Wahe Guru” eventually clapping our hands together on the way up.

We bopped up and down in Frog pose while chanting “Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung” for what seemed like an eternity. Gurunam records his own music so all his tunes were playing during the chants. “I love you,” Gurunam chanted at us as if trying to make up for Frog torture. And of course “Sat Kriya” was also included in the mix. Here, Gurunam walked around the room giving slight adjustments to postures.

What followed this vigorous and energetic beginning was various subtle and intricate breath work, then a variation on Stretch Pose. Instead of lifting head, neck and legs up six inches and holding with breath of fire, Gurunam had us hold this pose on an inhale and then exhale down. To get the energy circulating even more we laid on our backs (a difficult feat in a room of over sixty), raised our legs to 90 degrees and shook our bodies out.

Of course some difficult arm work was included. Sitting in Sukhasana we held our arms out to the side then extended our Jupiter (index) finger and began little circles. Gurunam suggested that if we were bending our elbows it meant problems with the digestive system. If our shoulders were hurting it suggested a lot of emotion which can cause commotion, he said with a contagious laugh. “Everyone has mental garbage,” Gurunam said, “you just have to be on top of your garbage.”  

He then encouraged us to find a partner who we sat opposite with our hands interlaced as we chanted the Guru Gayatri Mantra which works on developing compassion, patience, tolerance and your relationship with infinity.

Birthdays were announced. Amazingly there were four of them and the four birthday girls went up onstage to have the crowd sing “Happy Birthday” to them with Gurunam.

Class ended with Gurunam leading an “I am I am” chant. As he left, one of his staff took over for closing. Sleuth was surprised there was no Savasana and left the room feeling a little spacey from all the breath work and chanting and also amazed to find class had gone 45 minutes over.

Thankfully there were some pretzels and hummus being served outside to ground us space cadets!

$18 per class.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

On a freezing day in January, Yoga Sleuth knew the only way to shake the winter blues was to take a heat building class. So I jumped on the crosstown bus and headed over to New York Yoga for one of Molly Lehman's classes.  I entered the studio and took a moment to defrost my fingers and toes, then headed to the large room in the front. The lights were dim and the space felt warm from the previous class.  I was ready to move and get my blood flowing.    

Molly, a sweet young teacher with a nice smile and soft voice entered the room and asked if anyone had any requests.  Someone spoke up hoping for "hips, hips!"  Molly nodded her head and we were on our way to a hip opening practice.  

Class begin with a few minutes of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, (opposite nostril breathing). After racing around in the cold, it was a nice way to begin practice and connect to my breath.  We transitioned to our hands and knees and started to slowly move from Child's Pose to Down Dog, to low lunges, bending and straightening our front leg, twisting to the side and then moving to Plank and Cobra.  

The moves felt slow and fluid with our breath. After a few repetitions, Molly began to add to the sequence by having us transition from twisted lunge to side plank.  It sounds tricky, but it was easier than one might think, and fun!  Molly had us add Wild Thing to the next vinyasa and then three legged dog with our leg open and our hip stretching.  We would hold each pose for several breaths and she constantly reminded us to breath.  

Molly circulated the room, making adjustments not letting the flexible students go too far and making modifications for people like me, who have tight hamstrings.  We moved on our own breath for a few Sun Salutations and then proceeded into standing poses like Parsvakonasana to Trikonasana to Ardha Chandrasana and Warrior II.  

A Chaturanga-Up Dog-Down Dog cleansed our pallets between sides without exhausting us. Soon I found myself in Tadasana with my hands in temple mudra. A slight backbend and we were down to a squat for Crow pose, back to more lunges, bending and straightening to lubricate our hips, and into Lizard pose on each side to go one step deeper.  

Molly again came around, reminding us to breathe as we paused in down dog.  She gave me a warm smile and wonderful assist in Down Dog.  Next, we folded over into Prasarita Padottanasana A and moved into a side lunge right and then left, back and forth. Molly demonstrated Peacock Prep and some students were successful at it and others…well, we tried!  

Back to standing, we slowly came into ankle to knee, as well as twisted chair.  Every pose had several breaths attached to it, no rush. Molly announced that it was time for the headstand part of the practice.  By her instructions, I assumed she taught this every time. We stayed in headstand for a few minutes and then set up for shoulder stand and fish.  Molly encouraged us to enjoy and breathe, not push ourselves.  

We closed with a supine twist and happy baby before Savasana.  Molly is a friendly, creative and well-trained teacher.  Her sequence was challenging, but the pacing kept it safe and accessible for students of various levels. I felt warm from the minute Molly walked in the room and I would definitely recommend her class to anyone trying to chase the winter blues away!  

Drop-in classes at New York Yoga are $25.  

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth         

Inwood’s Bread and Yoga, perhaps Manhattan’s northernmost Yoga spot, is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow (or in this case, the A train express). Well worth the trip, particularly when the instructor is Lisa Benner, the vibrant and spirited guide to the inner journey that follows. Lisa provides equal parts sweat and spirituality in an invigorating Vinyasa flow, with plenty of alignment cues to ensure that your body is where it needs to be.

Gathering on green mats in the pristine white Asana room, we began in auspicious pose, letting the day melt away. Before long we were coming down on one knee and awakening the body by raising an arm over and back, the other at our waist, and then circling the yearning arm forward. “Lead with the heart,” urged Lisa, and this would be our focus for class as we engaged in some deep back bending to open that crucial anahata chakra.

We had the choice of either focusing on the journey of our breath through the body, or putting our attention on the mantra “Om purnaye namaha.” After repeating on the other side we came into Anahatasana, pulsating up to flatten our spines before melting deeper. Each time we repeated this sequence we had the option of going a little further; the second time around we put the resting hand to the sacrum and bent farther back, really expanding through the chest; and when returning to puppy pose we tented our fingertips for a deeper expression.

The vinyasas we played in perfectly complemented the theme of our practice. We came up into a full cobra, engaging in a Sahaja flow—moving fluidly in the backbend—and then folded into a parallel-legged child’s pose. Lisa was there in the latter pose to press down on my mischievous calves as they threatened to go wandering out of alignment.

We continued to explore our backbends, placing our hands on either side of the sacrum and then to our heels for a few breaths in amel. Lisa had us squeeze a block between our thighs to keep the knees from spreading apart—as the chest opened, the thighs stayed contracted and engaged. Next we came down to an auspicious “sphinx”, but that was just a quick rest-stop; we moved our left elbows parallel to the front of the mat, lifted our left knees and grabbed that foot, pressing it down over our hamstrings as our hearts opened skywards.

After a playful bow where we rolled up and down the front body, we gathered in pairs to workshop our ultimate backbend of the class, Urdvha Dhanurasana (wheel). We took turns with our partners, one standing with their feet at the other’s ears so that the other could grab their ankles and pull themselves up into a deep and deft expression of the pose.

Lisa came around to assist, suggesting we straighten our arms and then our legs, so that we could energetically move our chests back and open our hearts even further. Before long every yogi in the room had a turn in wheel, and after partnering up everyone tried it on their own before relaxing with their knees at their chests or blossoming into happy babies.

To balance out all the back bending, we next engaged in some heavy-duty core work. Lying on our backs we brought our soles to greet the ceiling. “Imagine a rope in front of you,” said Lisa. “Grab it with one hand and pull yourself up.” And we did, repeating with the other hand back and forth, giving our abs a juicy workout.

Finally, we contracted into a ball and then melted for a long Savasana. “See the breath 12 inches in front of you,” said Lisa. “Then watch it as it travels through the nostrils, to the back of the palate, and down to the body to pulsate at the heart.” This meditation on the breath made for a truly deep and relaxing yogic sleep.

Lisa sang us out of Savasana with a beautiful chant of the Guyatri Mantra, the meaning of which is often translated as  "May the divine light of the Supreme Being illuminate our intellect, to lead us along a path of righteousness".  And with that we returned to auspicious pose, sealing our practice with chin mudra, the consciousness seal, palms down to ground us as the day came to a blissful close.

Lisa sent us on our way we this thought: when we take the journey to reach our most vibrant self, “commit to finding the joy along the way.” And that journey, just like a trip to practice with Lisa at Bread and Yoga, is reward in itself.

Drop-ins are $18, Mat rental $1

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

A friend told me a couple years ago that I had to take Aarona Pichinson’s class, and I've been hearing the same thing from a number of reliable yogi friends ever since. The night I finally went to Pichinson’s class, my best friend gushed about her—and she had never even been to her class before!

Needless to say I was more than intrigued by the time I entered Yoga Works on a recent Thursday night. Turns out my friends were right—I loved the class. The theme seemed to be shoulder openers and complex backbends. I particularly liked the sequences that included a down dog split—arching the upper back and trying to bring your foot toward your head. Another interesting maneuver involved coming onto all fours and taking hold of the back right foot with the left hand and kicking the foot away. All this backbending was working toward grasshopper pose, which Pichinson demonstrated with aplomb. “I have a lower back injury,” she said sheepishly as she brought her feet pretty close to her head.

The twisty component of class included twisted lunge, Uttkatasana, and Utthita Hasta Padangushtasana with a slight backbend. There was also a compass into Astavakrasana. “When you twist to your left side, you’re wringing out self-criticism and when you twist to your right you’re wringing judgment and anger,” Pichinson said. “That’s the subtle spiritual beauty of these poses.”

Savasana involved lying on our bellies with two blanket-covered blocks placed under our hip points. Our hands served as pillows for our heads. This, of course, stimulated my digestive system and got me excited about my after-class-trip to the nearby vegetarian dim sum house on Pell Street. Afterward I couldn’t help noticing how my kidneys were tingling from all that back bending and how Ms. Pichinson’s class really worked on the subtleties of all my organs.

Drop-ins at Yoga Works are $22; monthly memberships are $98.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Getting there only a few minutes before class started, Sleuth could only find a space up front in this packed, but cozy Park Slope studio, which made me a little nervous since this was my first Forrest Yoga class, and as I found out later, the vocabulary can be a little different.

In Sukhasana, Denise Hopkins, a centered teacher, asked us to stretch our breath the way we would our bodies. There would be “oms”, no music, just the sound of our breath for Forrest Yoga. The room was heated to around 80 degrees to help us sweat out our toxins.

We moved on to a Seated Twist with the front leg lengthened on the floor and then moved immediately into abdominal work. In Forrest Yoga, poses are held for longer. We did some slow bicycle twists for several minutes then taking straddling our legs lifted our head and neck up and down with our hands interlaced behind our neck. In Dolphin Pose we lifted one leg and kept it up there for a couple of minutes then switched legs and held it for a similar length of time.

Then, a mere half into class we were practicing our Pincha Mayurasanas (Forearm Stands) at the wall as well as full splits, and handstands. Denise explained that we worked on these inversions early so our arms would not be spent by the end of class. She came over while I was doing full splits at the wall and gave me an assist to help with the rotation of my shoulders, as Sleuth tends to need guidance with hugging everything into the central line.

Shortly after the wall inversions we went through some Surya Namaskars, both A and B followed by some standing poses that included Trikonasana, Ardha Chandrasana, Standing Split with the added challenge to balance with hands in prayer pose. We also did a pose that Denise called “Archer’s pose” which was Warrior II legs and torso with the arms in Gomukhasana. A couple of times Sleuth had to look behind her to figure out what was going on, but fortunately Denise had a good sense of humor and helped me out when I was flailing around cluelessly.

At another point Boat pose was called out but a quick glance behind me made me realize we were heading into Salabhasana. This was one of the very few backbending poses we did in class.

As the class and heat built in intensity Denise slowly demonstrated “Easy Bird” or what’s also known as Bird of Paradise. She walked us through it slowly and offered a Standing Twist to those who were having too much trouble with the pose.

This pose was followed up with a Standing Tortoise which felt more manageable than usual after holding Easy Bird for a minute on each side. Denise showed us how to get into Standing Tortoise using a strap around our thighs which would make binding less difficult.

Class wound down with “Shoelace Pose,” AKA Ankle-to-Knee with a twist on each side and Paschimottanasa followed by a short, yet restful Savasana.

$18 per class, $1 mat rental

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Some days you just crave a sweaty intense power class that kicks your butt, and makes you feel great the rest of the day. And when you do, the man to see is Sherman Morris.

A freezing Saturday morning made the notion of a summery 85-degree flow all the more inviting to me and the other 40 plus yogis marching up the stairs to the YogaWorks West 4th floor studio. You know you’re going to be treated to a true yoga rock star when every student bounds up to the front class and requests not “the 11:15,” but  “Sherman’s class!”

And it was mat-to-mat in the heated room as Sherman led us in an "Om" followed by an extended stay in Child’s Pose. “Set an intention,” he suggested, and gave us time to really think about where we were and what we wanted to achieve in our practice today. We came to our Down Dog and pulled ourselves right up into an Up Dog over and over to warm up, and soon we were moving in a traditional, but vigorous Sun Salutation A to Sun Salutation B progression.

Sherman divides the class into “Ones” (roughly 25 classes or less under their belt) and “Twos” (twenty-five and up.) Each Asana had a cue for the Ones and the Twos; the Ones did Dolphin push-ups while the Twos came into forearm stand; the Ones were in side Plank with a knee on the ground, while the Twos raised the top leg in the air to grab with their hands. This way everybody was where they needed to be, but always had the option of going a little further. “Take it to the edge” suggested Sherman in a smooth, motivating voice.

Despite the size of the class Sherman had a keen sense of where he was needed. I looked up to see him guiding a Yogi into a remarkably deep prayer twist, and moments later he was with me, opening my chest as I lowered my front elbow to the mat and yearned for my back foot with the other arm. He tossed me two blocks, knowing instinctively that I would need them for Hanumanasana. The squishy pink blocks had me craving bubblegum as I relaxed into my half-split.
   
We experimented with revolved triangles, side crows, reverse namaste, yogi toe locks and "Gomukhasana" arms behind our backs, adding deeper levels to our standing sequence. "When you want to go further, you want to breathe deeper too," said Sherman, who continuously name-checked our mulabhandas to remind us to keep them activated. Five kicks into handstand later, we were all sweating like prizefighters.

"Does everyone want another standing sequence or do you want to come down to the mat?" asked Sherman. The class chimed out the latter (one brave yogini chirped 'standing!' but this is a democracy). And so we were down at the mat, but if we were expecting a restorative cool down we were mistaken! We played with Eka Pada Supta Virasana, tucking a knee against our thighs and reclining back to be half-heroes. Then, keeping that knee right where it was, we folded over with the other ankle resting on the "hero" knee. Sherman gave us the option of nuzzling our edges even further; we came into a variation of Krounchasana (Heron pose), raising our left leg and grabbing the foot while the right one remained where it had been the entire sequence.

And of course one would expect a cool down at this point. Nay-Nay! We took it to yet another level, coming into table top and raising our hips up and down, raising our arms across our bodies and then repeating the motion with our legs. This prepared us for the two sets of 20 push-ups and six dozen bicycle crunches that followed. Sherman held court, spurring us on by counting up and then down with each set of 20.

Finally, we collapsed to our mats, spent, but with still some energy left for a shoulderstand, a (very) happy baby and a quick Savasana. Then 40 plus yogis poured out into the midday sun, energized and ready for the world, thanks to the profound power practice of Sherman Morris.

Classes at YogaWorks are $22 with a $2 mat rental.

--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Om Factory Yoga is a very popular place to be on a Friday night. Sleuth stood in line for about five minutes while some people were signed into Anti-Gravity Yoga and others for the same place Sleuth was bound, Acroyoga. Sleuth quickly went in and out of the colorful and sparkly-clean changing rooms into one of the three large Om Factory studio rooms were twenty-four students were lining up mats facing each other, to sit in a circle for the Acroyoga powwow.

All Acroyoga classes begin with an introduction of names and a “getting to know you” style question. Since this was a very cold January night, to break the ice Greg Franklin asked us to name our favorite hot place. We then began warm ups in the circle doing twists and placing our hands on the shoulder of the person next to us and so forth.

Next we broke up the circle and with mats facing a partner we did some warmup Sun Salutes. Chris Loebsack taught this portion of the class and she worked us hard bringing us from Plank to Chatturanga very slowly and then back up to Plank no less than three times.

In twisted lunge we took hold of the wrist of the person opposite us and we were frequently encouraged to make eye contact with our partner as we did our Utkatasana’s and Warrior I’s.

About fifty minutes into class we were ready for a little partner acrobatics. That week we were working on Folded Leaf with twists. Chris and Greg first demonstrated how to base, fly and spot this pose. In Acroyoga classes you’re partnered into threes for basing, flying and spotting.

In a Folded Leaf the flyer would bring the base’s out-turned feet to their hip crease and fold over the base’s legs, hanging upside down. The base would then take one of the flyer’s arms through their legs and give them a spinal twist. In the second part they allowed us to take the twist deeper with the flyer’s elbows interlaced behind our heads in what was called a “Taffy Twist.”

Some of the students were brand new to Acroyoga, but they need not fear because there were experienced practitioners in the room as well as some visiting guest acrobats from Holland. Sleuth made several new friends doing these partner poses and whereas other forms of yoga are more inwardly reflective Acroyoga is more about community and meeting new people. It’s difficult not to make friends.

The yummy treat for winding down at the end of class was Thai massage. One person was the receiver, the other the giver. Using our body weight we gave the receiver a massage to the feet, calves and thighs, checking in with our partner’s on the pressure then we switched roles and finally took Savasana side-by-side.

At the end of class, those who wanted to stick around could watch a short demo from the visiting Dutch acrobats, Niko and Marius, who did partnered handstands and two-highs. Greg urged us to stick with the practice as he’d watched his own practice advance in leaps and bounds over several years. Niko concurred saying that Acroyoga could help you see your own limitless possibilities. Sleuth left class inspired!


$18 per class

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth decided to try something different, so I headed over to Tao Yoga in Union Square for one of their signature classes.  Tao Yoga classes are described online as a combination of light stretching, brain wave vibration, meditation and breathing exercises.

I walked into the serene studio and was greeted by a smiling woman.  I explained that it was my first class and she eagerly gave me the 411 on what's unique about the studio.  They don't wear tight fitting exercise clothes, but rather loose fitting shirts and pants.  She handed me a large shirt and said for today, I could put it over my clothes.  The idea is not to restrict your donjon (energy center in Korean), which is located two inches bellow the belly button and two inches deep.  

The technique used at the school is based on Tai Chi and the Chakras.  Now, I was really excited to get into the studio and start exploring!  I walked in and realized the whole floor was one big soft, yet firm mat.  I kind of wanted to roll around, but I kept that to myself. I looked around and the room and all of the other students were over sixty.  I assumed that the class was good for all ages, levels and ranges of flexibility and later I realized I was correct.  

Shavon, the teacher came right up to me with the biggest smile I had ever seen.  She asked if it was my first time and she told me not to worry, just follow along.  Once again, she pointed out where my donjon was and instructed me to rapidly tap it with both fists. She said this releases toxins and gets the digestion moving.  In Tao yoga, they believe that all negative emotions and physical toxins are held in the intestines and it is important to release them through simple exercises.

Next we pounded on our donjon and went around the room taking turns counting until ten out loud.  We then lifted our arms up and twisted from side to side, again counting until ten.  We continued to do simple exercises to move our digestion, free toxins and relieve stress.  Shavon reminded us to keep smiling and have fun.  

We sat down on the floor and did more twisting and moving side to side, breathing and counting.  I was building heat in my body, but I felt no pressure and no set structure.  I could twist as far as I wanted to and breathe as deep as I wanted to.  The only thing I found really tricky was breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth.  Through my yoga training, I have become accustomed to breathing in and out of my nose.  

Shavon switched the music from soft instrumental, to drumming and vibrations. We sat with our eyes closed and were told to move our bodies to the sounds.  I swayed, made circles around, and bobbed my head.  The music became softer and we placed our hands near our hearts a few inches away from each other.  We were to feel the energy between our hands.  I was very focused on what I was feeling, a warm magnetic energy.  

Shavon came up to me and gently spoke "do you feel anything?" and I said "yes, I do!"  She said good and to move my hands towards each other and then away, playing with the energy. Again, the music softened and we placed our hands on our thighs and stopped for a moment.  We lay down on our backs.  Shavon dimmed the lights and it felt very much like savasana.  However, five minutes later Shavon had us rolling up and doing abdominal work!  

In Tao Yoga, it's important to have a strong core, energy center, donjon. In the end we sat up and bowed our heads to ourselves and each other, after having a quite the relaxing, yet energizing experience.  After changing, I was told that there was tea and water in the front if I wanted it.

All the regular students from my class were sitting down and enjoying a moment before heading back to their busy lives.  Tao Yoga is definitely worth exploring for a simple stretch and an exploration in meditative practice.  Shavon Schwartz is one of the most cheerful and open-hearted teachers I have met!

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

It was a hectic day in the city, so Yoga Sleuth decided to head over to Reflections in the theater district for a quick fix class with Beth Tascione.  I took the elevator up to the studio, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the street and entered a quiet, warm and peaceful space.  I set up my mat on the shiny wood floors, as soft light poured through the large windows.  

Beth had us start in Sukhasana with our eyes closed, tapping into our breath and meditating.  She said that as our thoughts and emotions come we should acknowledge them and then let them move on, not judging.  It was nice to stop in the middle of the day and just breathe.  

We moved into a Baddha Konasana forward fold, then table top, crossing ankle to knee and then lowering to the floor and folding forward, creating a gentle hip opening.  We twisted from one side to the other, each movement slow and fluid.  Beth turned on soft music that fed the mood. We found ourselves in our first Downward Facing Dog bringing our leg up on the inhale and knee to chest on the exhale, crossing ankle to knee once again, Plank and then Down Dog.  The movements flowed, working our core muscles and gently opening our hips further.  

We moved on to a creative Sun Salutation, building off the ankle to knee variation and adding Baby Cobra and lunges.  We would face the front of the room and then the back of the room, using low lunges for the transitions.  Beth encouraged us to continue to breathe and let any thoughts or judgments pass by as we flowed from Warrior II to Parsvakonasana to Trikonasana to Reverse Warrior.  

We continued to add poses like Utkatasana, Ardha Chandrasana, Devotional Warrior, Warrior I and Warrior III.  Each transition moved us from facing the front of the room to the back linked by breath and low lunges.  Pausing in Trikonasana, Beth gave me a wonderful adjustment; I could feel my chest expanding and hips finding the correct alignment.

Beth kept a pace that was approachable to the various levels of students in the room, making sure to check in with each of us, suggesting modifications to the newer students. At the height of the class we did Salabhasana and Dhanurasana and then moved on to more hip openers, like ankle to knee in a standing balance and later pigeon pose and log pose.  The class built heat in my body, yet it felt light, soothing and fluid.  An hour was all it took to relax and renew me.Beth’s class was definitely a “quick fix”!  

Hour classes at Reflections are $15

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Patricia Milder has her own unique, yet balanced, well-rounded approach to yoga, and that was apparent right off the bat. Class started with alternate nostril breathing. “Think of pulling the skin of your nose down instead of pressing into the nose,” she said. We needed the balance and calming for what was to come.

Warming up, the Sun Salutes were heavy with shoulder openers and backbends: Uttanasana with hands interlaced behind our backs, Skiers pose with a slight backbend into High Lunge. It was clear we were headed for a back bending focus, and were preparing for the plentiful dropbacks to come in the final forty minutes of class.

Leading us there, Patricia gave us many options for each pose through each stage of the class. For example in Extended Side Angle we were presented with options to do forearm on the thigh, hand to the ground or bind. In a twisted lunge we were encouraged to try anything from staying with our hands in prayer or opening up the arms or binding or trying a twisted arm balance. This made the class feel like a well-informed, but fun playground for advanced practitioners. In Hanumasana we were encouraged to find the back bend by lifting our arms up into the sky or bending our back knee and seeing if we could take hold of the back foot.

There were plenty of opportunities to practice and play with Forearm Stand in the middle of the room. From a Forearm Stand and then Sirsasana A we dropped into Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana before making our way up into Full Wheel. There was enough space in this particular class, and Patricia made us feel it was a safe and spacious environment to practice more complex poses and be okay with falling out. Sleuth for the most part tumbled onto her back while trying to drop from Sirsasana A, but without any serious injuries or fears. “Are you okay?” Patricia asked and Sleuth just laughed. “I love falling,” I sheepishly admitted. All was fine!

We started dropping back into Full Wheel from Camel first, and then Sleuth felt more than warm to drop back from standing. We were then encouraged to practice any inversions at the wall, although Scorpion was a natural inversion to try after all that backbending.

To cool us down, Patricia guided us through Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall) and some soothing twists before taking Savasana. Patricia brought us back to some esoteric breath work at the end. This time we were doing Alternate Nostril Breath with Kappalabhati, 16 counts on each side, then 8, then 4, then 2, then 1. A full round of breath and body coming full circle.

Drop-in classes are $18 per class; $2 mat rental

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

After buying a cheap but fetching scarf on a Chelsea street corner to combat the coming deep-freeze, Yoga Sleuth ducked into the warm confines of YogaWorks (Union Square Edition). There I was, lucky to experience 85 minutes of intense core and inversion work under the expert tutelage of Senior Teacher Chrissy Carter.

After maneuvering my way through the crowded changing area I parked my mat in the far more spacious Asana studio 2. I scanned the room, spying the regulars loaded with props—blocks, straps, and two blankets—and a row of chairs stacked waiting in the corner. Though the class was labeled simply “YogaWorks 2”, I was now clued in that we were preparing for a truly Iyengar-fied practice.

Chrissy is a well-traveled and widely known teacher who has been featured in Yoga Journal and The New York Times. A student of the teachings of Krishnamacharya, she is the very picture of the seasoned yogi; she spent the moments before class engaging in playful handstands to the delight of the students filing in. Settling in easy pose in front of the class, she greeted us with a grin and asked us if we had any injuries. I must have been the only one  (or at least the only honest one), as she came right over to me to discuss them. I told her my troubles and challenges and off we went, on a journey that would take us upside down so many times we might as well have been on the old Scream Machine coaster at Six Flags.

We warmed up the spine with the traditional cat and cow before some forays into forward fold. “We’re going to skip Plank and Chaturanga,” said Chrissy, who then led us in a rolling Vinyasa from down dog straight to up dog and back again. These would prepare us for the intense backbends to come. We quickly took our mats to the wall for some alignment practice. Extended Side Angle, Triangle and Warrior I were all performed with our front toes right up against the wall to maximize our expression of the pose and to maintain stability. Next it was time for that aforementioned inversion practice, and we tried just about every major variation in the book.

A block was our best friend in forearm stand, as we gripped it between our hands, squaring our shoulders and calling on all the strength of our abs to pull us up. We tried several variations with different props, even rolling our mats up and putting our elbows on them. “A great variation for tight shoulders,” as Chrissy told us and later echoed on her Twitter feed (she does a “post-game” tweet after class frequently). All the while, Chrissy’s assistants, teacher trainees Latima and Rachelle, were ever-present—in my case, that meant putting blocks under my hands and feet to balance out my proportions, and nudging my hands and feet wider in my down dog to show me my edge was farther than I thought.

The mystery of the folding chairs was resolved as Chrissy instructed us to each grab one and place our folded-up mat on the seat. She then instructed us to bring our legs on the inside of the steel bars, pull our thighs together with our straps, and bend our backs over the seat, in a pose that recalled Jennifer Beals in Flashdance (bucket of water not included).

We were soon back at the wall for an intense Urdvha Danurasana (wheel), with upright blocks at each ear for our hands to press into as we pulled ourselves into the deepest possible expression of the backbend. For our climactic pose we returned to our folding chairs to engage in a deep shoulder stand, our legs bent over the top of the chair as our shoulders yearned for the earth beneath us.

After class I gave a heartfelt thank you to assistants Latima and Rachelle, who thanked me in return for being such a willing “adjustee”! Latima left me with a final piece of advice, reiterating Chrissy’s instruction, “Just remember: Foundation, foundation, foundation!” And if you take class with Chrissy Carter, you’ll never forget.

Classes at YogaWorks are $22 drop-in, with a $2 mat rental.

-- Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

“Grab a block or two if you have tight hamstrings,” said Ariel Karass, an NYC yoga teacher with a sweet, boyish charm, and classes spread around the city at Pure and Kula, as well as Sonic Yoga. That night we were in for a sweaty, backbendy flow with the addition of some intense hip openers.

Ariel favors long, complex sequencing; there are not many vinyasa transitions in his class, but he never gets lost or forgets what he did on the other side.

This sequence led us lots of standing forward bends with hands interlaced, side stretches in Urdhva Hastasana grabbing hold of opposite wrists. In Prasarita Padottanasana our hands were interlaced and in every sequence our mini camels became more and more intense until they became full Ustrasanas at the end. We inhaled up and down for three Salabhasana’s in between each set.

Building steam, Ardha Chandrasana eventually became Chapasana and then a variation of Standing Split, catching the foot and opening the hip up wide.

Another elegant transition included kneeling on one leg with hands interlaced behind our backs then plastering our torsos onto the bent leg and lifting up into standing split, with the hands still interlaced. After working through several Prasarita Padottanasanas those who were game ventured into Tripod Headstand, AKA Sirsasana B, then into Side Crow (Parsva Bakasana). Rock Star poses eventually became Full Wheels.

However, the real money pose was Hanumanasana. To build into this difficult hamstring stretch, Karass had us do Anjaneyasana, a lengthy Pigeon preparation with variations that included twists and side stretches. A Downdog Split transitioned into Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana into a full Hanumanasana. Those with tight hamstrings got to use their two blocks.

As we gently transitioned out of our peak challenge, downstairs we could hear the noise of the reopening party. Sonic Yoga was celebrating its renovation of the third and fourth floors with two new studios, three new bathrooms, shower and more storage, changing areas and a lounge.

To close the class of intense stretch and stamina, we took some restorative forward bends, including Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana before settling into Savasana. Ariel had presented a challenging, creative class, but he was sure to give us plenty of time to relax it out.

$18 per drop-in class.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

On a frigid day, Yoga Sleuth knew just the thing to warm up her body and soul, hot yoga! I headed over to Prana Power Yoga in Union Square for a quick hour of creative vinyasa set to up-lifting and invigorating music.  

I walked up the stairs to the studio and took off my five layers of clothes that were protecting me from the New York cold.  I stepped into the practice space and immediately felt warm and calm. The winter brings so much tension to my muscles and I constantly find myself exhausted from the lack of daylight.  I loved the fantasy of doing yoga on a beach in Miami and that is where I would be in my mind for the next hour.  

The instructor, Shayna Hiller is a petite woman with long hair and a bright smile.  She had us start in Child's Pose setting an intention for our practice. Shayna talked about gratitude, finding it in our practice and in our lives.

We breathed in our positive intention and breathed out what did not serve us.  She encouraged us to work with our own bodies and if we needed a rest we could come back to Child's Pose at any point during the practice we could.  She made it very clear that this was not a competitive environment, but rather a safe, fun place to explore.  

We moved into our first Down Dog stretching out our hamstrings, flowing next into plank, a few baby cobras, then Chaturanga and Up Dog.  We found ourselves in Tadasana with our eyes closed chanting OM together.  I already felt a sense of warmth in the room that reached beyond the temperature.

We continued to flow from Surya A to Surya B moving at a moderate pace, not too fast, yet enough to build heat.  Shayna carefully instructed the alignment as we moved through Warrior I, Warrior II and several other standing poses like Trikonasana and Parsvakonasana.  

We moved through Padottanasana A with the option for tripod headstand.  She urged us to play, but only do what our bodies asked on this day.  We twisted in and out of poses, which felt was more of a detox with the heat. When we progressed to Parsva Bakasana, Shayna again gave careful alignment instructions to help us achieve the pose.

Next up, a tricky yet feasible transition of Eagle to Warrior III to Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana.  It's all about balance!  We made our way to the floor for Salabhasana, Dhanurasana, bridge and full wheel.  We were all sweating and getting exhausted, but Shayna continued to encourage us with positive words like "beautiful! and nice work!"  She reminded us to tap into our intention, as well as our breath.  

We transitioned into seated poses that really opened our hips and twisted our bodies, like Ardha Matsyendrasana, Log Pose, Pachimottanasana and then on to the killer abs asanas - Navasana to Ardha Navasana - until our abs burned!  Yet Shayna still sent out positive energy and kept rooting us on, "you can do it!  Just two more!"  Finally, I found myself on my back doing one last twist and preparing for Savasana.  Shayna gave us the option of finishing up with a pose of our choice.  I was done, ready to melt into my mat for Savasana.

After class, I felt refreshed.  The sequence was interesting and approachable, so I never felt drained even with the heat.  Plus, Prana Power keeps their studio at a nice 90-95 like Miami, not 110 like a Middle Eastern dessert!

Shayna is a lovely and knowledgeable teacher.  She watches over her students, instructing alignment and gives everyone the chance to grow in a warm and encouraging environment.

Drop-in classes are $18

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Entering the golden-hued walls of the new Dharma Mittra temple, students were chanting the Bija Mantras for the chakras, “Lam lam lam, vam vam vam….” A little white dog, energized by the chanting took a mad sprint around the room and exited just as Dharma Mittra, dubbed the “teacher’s teacher” instructed us through alternate nostril breathing from his stage upfront. “You should do this every day,” he encouraged.

He then instructed us up into Tadasana to chant the Mantra for Purification and begin a practice that was surely intended to purify. We moved right into Bakasana, jumping back into Chaturanga. From there he took us through a sequence from Anjaneyasana to twisting and binding to the right and to the left on both sides. Back in our Down Dogs we were allowed to play with Forearm Stand in the middle of the room.

Once we were warmed up for Sirsana A’s, Dharma Mittra demoed a variation that took us from Headstand (he referred to Headstand as a beginner’s pose) to dropping into Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana. We also worked with Shoulder Stand a couple of times with Dharma Mittra encouraging more advanced practitioners to complete the pose with Padamasana (Full Lotus). To engage the manipura chakra we did Tarasana rocking back into Halasana and back to Tarasana several times before coming up into Navasana and holding with breath of fire.

After all that binding and heating we were ready for Kurmasana (Tortoise) followed by the hip opening arm balance Firefly. Lots of giggles ensued as some students fell flat on their butts. Of course, 71-year-old Dharma Mittra demoed it for us on stage with aplomb.

Bringing the energy down with some Forward Bends and Savasana Dharma Mittra then gave us the opportunity to ask questions. “No questions?” he asked. “Already enlightened?” he gently teased us. Continuing with a dharma talk he observed, “The real self within all of us is already perfect like Shiva there.” He gestured at the gorgeous floor-to-ceiling Shiva portrait on the West Side of the room. Dharma then suggested we can find happiness via meditation and yoga not through transient things such as iPods, cellphones and girlfriends/boyfriends. Compassionate acts such as vegetarianism were also methods that could aid us on our way to enlightenment, he told us. And with that, our questions had been answered.

$15 per class (special offer until the end of January).

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

On a summer morning in October (seriously, it was 80 degrees!) Yoga Sleuth decided to take a trip to lovely Boerum Hill Brooklyn to try out the Iyengar-based studio, Yogasana.


Upon entering the beautiful tan wood-paneled lobby I was greeted by the founder, Kristen, who would also be teaching today’s class. She and her assistant J.B. led me to the spacious Asana room, its left wall covered with 13 Iyengar ropes already tied and ready. There were 13 students today (one for each rope, to Kristen's glee), and we were all ready to shed some light on our Yoga, BKS-style.

We started class with a quick anatomy lesson. Gathered around a prop skeleton (suitably headless for Halloween), Kristen showed us the lumbar spine, in its natural lordosis, and its relation to the sacrum. This would be the theme and focus of our class.

We sat high up in Sukhasana perched on 3 blankets to help us get a feel for the curvature of our own spines. No sooner had we "Omed" than we found ourselves at the rope wall, with chairs, trussing ourselves up for an exercise in proper alignment. Suspended from the ropes we stretched our arms out to the chair, while our shins were flat against the wall. Kristen spotted that my natural curve had disappeared and adjusted me so it returned. Next we tried the same exercise with soles of our feet smack against the wall.

"This look will be perfect for Halloween," said Kristen as we returned to the center of the room and began tying blocks to our backs with straps. At Kristen's prompting we placed a hand in between the block and our lower back, so that we could feel the space where the natural curve should be. We breathed our back ribs into the top of the block as we came first into Urdvha Hastasana and then Utkatasana. "Sink deeper!" Kristen called out to me as my wayward butt yearned for its imaginary chair.

We kept the block at our backs as we tried Trikonasana. I reached for a second block with my right hand as I stared up at my left; seeing that I wasn't opening my side body enough,  JB came over with a 3rd block to place on the second one ("we're running out of blocks!" chuckled Kristen) and then helped me open my chest further. From here we moved into Ardha Chandrasana, several times on each side, and both Kristen and JB were diligent in helping every student maintain that key straight spine with its natural curve just where it should be.

And it was back to the wall we went! This time we placed our feet flat against the wall with straight knees, without a chair for our hands. Instead we clasped each elbow as we relaxed into the suspended rope, lifting our chins and chests, then folding over, five times. Returning to our mats we practiced Shalambasana with blocks (JB went to get more!) underneath us to get more elevation in our torsos. Coming onto our backs we stretched our hamstrings with a strap at our feet, and then finally melted into a juicy supine pigeon with a 4 quarter-folded blanket under our spines.

Kristen told me after class that themes are a regular thing at Yogasana, particularly in Level 2 and 3 classes but sometimes in Level 1s like this one as well. I thanked both her and JB for adding yet another level of knowledge to my practice, and went out into the summery day with a greater understanding of my "natural curves."


A drop-in class at Yogasana is $16 with a complementary mat rental; first-timers can try a class for $10.

-- Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Dana Flynn’s teaching lives up to her studio’s name. The room of about 40 students was in an uproar before the class even began, and we barely stopped. We did take a break in order to let Dana play her harmonium as we all chanted three resounding oms.

Dana, co-founder of Laughing Lotus, has a short flame of hair on top of her head, and some kind of lotus-inspired flame tattoo on her arm. She is truly a flame of a woman, wide awake and blaring love. In reference to the students coming in late, she said, “We don’t have to go too fucking far to see that our work is right where we are.” And in that moment, her annoyed students became wide awake too. We moved as we said our oms, and Dana encouraged us to “do whatever you want, just be sincere about it.”

Laughing Lotus has a dazzling orange and pink color scheme, with cheery paintings of smiling suns and Ganeshas on the walls. The first section of class was a strong asana flow that Dana crafted into a kind of dance. We were turning our forward-facing Warrior One’s into backward-facing Warrior Two’s into forward-facing Humble Warriors too quick to realize how absurd and beautiful this was. We were all sweating and expanding and Dana made it so fun.

As we took more time in lunging poses, Dana came around and straddled us into alignment. She encouraged students to go for crazy flying versions of poses and many could, seemingly powered solely by Dana’s raw enthusiasm, as well as the joyous music, which ranged from what sounded like Indian Tango to Led Zeppelin’s "All of My Love." At one point, Dana came to me and said, “Breathe through your nose. You could be awakened in the next moment.”

About halfway through the hour and thirty-five minute class, we began to cool down and move into floorwork. Dana drew the orange blinds on the noon sun, and somehow, despite continuing to be surrounded by hot pink and orange and Dana’s vibrating body, a calm fell over the room. “Who is that crazy lady talking?” she asked, mimicking the inside of our heads. “Oh, it’s me. I’m you; you’re me.” Then she sang along to the music, only her lyrics were “I love you, I love you.” At this point most of us were locusts.

Soon we found ourselves in pure sitting meditation, practicing alternate nostril breathing and meditating on being grateful. She explained that our work is always right here. Love your family. Your crazy dysfunctional family. Love them.

More oms and harmonium wrapped up the class, and I opened my eyes on a high, my shoulders lower, my heart expanded, my hips wide. Dana gave out hugs left and right. Outside, someone had made vegan gingerbread. I took some and had to laugh.

Hour and a half drop-ins are $16 with $1 mat rental. New students can purchase $20 unlimited yoga for a week 3 classes in a month for $30.

-- Emma Sartwell for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth heard that Lori McAlister taught interesting and creative vinyasa classes, so on a cold Sunday night I headed over to New York Yoga on York Avenue to check out her class myself.  When I arrived a lovely woman checked me in and I found my way to the front studio to set up my mat.  The room was cozy with dim lighting, a fireplace and exposed brick walls.

I found a spot in the middle of the room and I watched as seven other students entered the room.  Several exchanged friendly greetings, so I got the impression that they were regulars to both New York Yoga and Lori’s class.  

Lori entered the room, said hello and asked us to get started on our backs with thread the needle.  This gentle hip stretch always feels good to me!  Lori switched on some music setting a relaxed and energized tone for the class.  We then positioned ourselves in Supta Baddha Konasana, one hand on our heart and one hand on our belly.  Lori asked us to shut our eyes and connect with our breath.  

After about a minute, we moved into Supta Upavistha Konasana and then rolled up to Sukhasana for three powerful OMs.  Next up, cat and cow on the breath, warming up the spine and then lifting into our first Downward Facing Dog.  Lori told us to move around in dog pose, bending one knee and then the other, swaying our hips and finding our pose.  

She walked around the room and adjusted various students, really spending time to help each person find more in the pose.  I felt lucky to have received an incredibly lengthening adjustment;  it felt like she used her entire body to grow my spine four inches longer!  

Lori continued giving us specific verbal instructions as well, pointing out internal rotation in three legged dog and external rotation when we opened the hip. As the sequence progressed we prepared for deeper hip openers.

The class began to speed up with the first vinyasa, then Ardha Vashistasana, Vashistasana, Warrior II, to Ardha Chandrasana, three legged plank to yet more vinyasas, wild thing to wheel, lizard to pigeon, and Bekasana (frog pose).  The hips kept stretching, moving, opening!  I reminded myself to not think about the tricky transitions or if I could do each pose, but rather just to have fun and keep exploring.

We settled into Tadasana at the top of our mats and moved through Surya Namaskar A as Lori called out each breath.  Then she had us do four more rounds on our own, ensuring us that if anyone felt uncertain she was happy to guide them, though I don’t think their were any beginners in this class!

Lori again circled the room with an eye on everyone’s alignment, adjusting and helping people when necessary.  We moved on to Surya Namaskar B, Warrior I, Warrior II, Triangle, Reverse Warrior and then a series including Ardha Hanumanasana, Parsvakonasana, and Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, finally making our way to sit.

Lori took us through a series of seated poses that opened our hips even more. I found myself struggling with my tight hips and hamstrings in Upavistha Konasana.  Lori came to my rescue with a deep adjustment.  She placed her stomach on my back and with each breath I was able to move myself closer to the floor and extend my spine.  It felt liberating. Lori gave us the option of Visvamitrasana, which felt too complicated for my tired body at this point, but I went for the encore of peak poses, Zen straddle split!  

Winding down, we made our way back to Supta Baddha Konasana just like the start of class.  My hips certainly felt open and it was nice to be surprised and challenged by Lori’s creative sequence.  Time had zipped by and the environment was very encouraging.  To close the practice we lifted ourselves to sit and chanted OM together one final time.

You can find Lori teaching creative and fun vinyasa classes at New York Yoga, Sonic Yoga and the new Kula Yoga Project in Williamsburg.  Expect to expand yourself both physically and mentally!

Walk-In Classes are $25, Mat Rental $2 York/$4 Hot (discounted rate for annual members)

-- Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Not too far from the Brooklyn Botanics and the Brooklyn Museum is the small and cozy community studio, Shambhala Yoga and Dance. There is no lobby or reception here; as soon as you walk in you’ve found the studio, and with fourteen people attending class the room was bursting at the seams. Sarah Schumann was upbeat that day: “We’re celebrating our 9th anniversary at Abigail’s tonight so we’re all very excited.” At the party there would be demonstrations from the studios yoga, she explained, as well as Salsa and African dance classes.

This particular Sunday, Sarah had us begin with partner poses. Almost everyone in class seemed to know each other and even though it was Sleuth’s first time at the studio she recognized several friendly faces. Shambhala is that kind of place. With our partner, we sat cross-legged back-to-back. “Inhale your arms up, twist to the right taking hold of your right thigh with your left hand and your partner’s thigh with your right hand.” A lot of giggling and confusion ensued. “Oh, it’s going to be one of those days,” Sarah teased us. “It’ll be a lot easier on the side.” Then one partner moved into a forward bend as the other partner slid into a supported backbend still in Sukhasana.

Thanking our partners we went back to our mats and began a slow-paced series of standing poses. To warm up we went from Child’s pose to a Cat back into Cow, then sliding into Cobra and back to Child’s pose. We added breath of fire to continue building heat in Plank pose. Standing poses included a series of Utthita Parsvokanasana, Parsvottanasana, Trikonasana and Anjaneyasana, a Half Hanuman (AKA Trianga Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana) and Bakasana (crow pose).

To end, we worked on a series of deep forward bends.  We began with Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, rotated into Janu Sirsasana and then brought both legs into Baddha Konasana and repeated on the other side except the last pose was Tarasana before unfolding into a peaceful and well-deserved Savasana, whether we were headed out to party that night or not.

Community Classes are by donation: Suggested donation $6.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

After a 48-hour bug that had just completed its sixth day, Yoga Sleuth needed to get off the futon and back onto the mat. My return to form began with a trip to the new Yogamaya in Chelsea, and the expert instruction and guidance of Jonathan Fitzgordon.

Yogamaya is a large and beautiful mahogany-colored space so spiritual and tranquil you can practically hear the walls Om-ing. It has two big Asana rooms, 10 changing closets, a large washing basin separate from the private restrooms, a water cooler and a spacious lounge area. In effect, it's a great place to be a Yogi even when class is not in session.

But class there was, and this one was practically "Core Central." (And that's exactly what Yogamaya calls it!) Jonathan is also the creator of the Fitzgordon Method Core Walking program (influenced by John Friend's Anusara), and in this class he brought to us his in-depth knowledge of core strengthening and alignment. While co-ed, the class is especially good for guys due to Jonathan' background in working with the particular needs of male yogi, as well as the emphasis on ab work, strength training and connecting to the center.

Jonathan began the class by checking in with us on the state of our bodies that day. Yours truly was quick to explain his Sacroiliac issues when prompted, and Jonathan proceeded to address those issues with a class that was as informative as it was comprehensive.

We started with some very focused stretching with the aid of a strap. On our backs we brought our right legs to the sky, careful to keep them straight, then abducted them to the side and finally over the other leg. "It's ok if the right shoulder comes up," said Jonathan, wanting us to get the full stretch in that outer hip. We repeated this on the left side and then came to our feet, taking the strap taut with each hand and bringing our arms behind us, opening the shoulders and broadening the chest.

Under Jonathan's instruction Down Dog became an exercise in core work. We placed blocks on the highest setting at our hands and practiced lunging forward on one leg. Then we pulled that foot up straight and took it back into a down dog split. We repeated this on the block at medium height and finally the low setting, increasing the intensity each time. The block necessitated the use of ab strength to go forward and back, and as a result was quite a workout!

We had a similarly intense experience after we brought our mats to the wall to practice L-shaped forearm stand. Jonathan assisted us all one by one. He helped me to position my forearms and square my shoulders to get the best expression of the posture, even pressing his feet into my back to show where it should ideally be. Then we played for a bit, kicking up into various degrees of handstand.

Coming to our backs we practiced bridge and wheel, but again the block was the key accessory. We squeezed it between our thighs as we came into the poses over and over; it was much harder this way but it maintained the proper rotation and alignment in our legs, and strongly utilized our core muscles. Jonathan assisted me with my Urdvha Dhanurasana (wheel pose), showing me how to keep it out of my sore lower back. We addressed that pesky lumbar area in our supine twists; as we stretched, Jonathan asked us all about our positions when sleeping, as that is a huge factor in sacroiliac and piriformis distress as we age.

"There's things that you can do at 43 that may not come so easy at 83," Jonathan explained as we settled into Savasana. "But the best thing for aging is yoga." And the best thing for learning all about what a core based, anatomy-focused Yoga practice can do for the body at any age is Jonathan Fitzgordon.

A single full-length class at Yogamaya is $16; hour-long classes are $12. First-time students can enjoy a week for $20 with a complimentary mat rental.


-- Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

The Park Slope Yoga studio has a groovy, whimsical vibe with its colorful murals. Sasha Slocombe balances that as a no-nonsense, grounded, yet very warm instructor, a Park Slope Yoga fixture and one of the treasures only Brooklynites know about (for now). Even her Friday 9:15am was packed.

Sasha began chanting three rounds of “Om Gum Ganapatayei Namaha” to begin the class, then promptly instructed us into Down Dog. From Down Dog we lifted into Down Dog Split, walking our hands to either side to stretch our sides before transitioning to the floor for a seated spinal twist.

From there we did a round of Khapalabhati pranayama, then stepped back to hold plank pose for a continued round of Breath of Fire. The rhythm of the class was conducted with a beautiful, flowing choreography. Sasha kept building on the theme of twists: twisted high lunge, twisted Utkatasana, Parivrrta Ardha Chandrasana keeping the hands in a prayer culminating in more difficult arm balances such as Parsva Bakasana (Side Crow) and Eka Pada Koundinyasana I.

Even the sequencing for getting into Side Crow was carefully and gracefully crafted. From Tadasana we rose onto the balls of our feet and back down three times, then squatted on the balls of our feet then back up to Tadasana three times before moving into Side Crow.

Sleuth was then surprised that more than half way through class she had us do a couple of rounds of Surya Namaskar A, a refreshing change to the standard Vinyasa class.

To end this powerful class Sasha gave us a Marichyasana I, Seated Parivrtta Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana to Paschimottanasana. She then gave us the option of staying in a seated meditation or rolling down into Savasana.

To add to my surprise, at the end of the class Sasha offered her apologies for “fumbling around” that day. “Thank you for being patient with me,” she said rather humbly, though Sleuth noticed no such fumbling, but rather a creative and fun flowing class. “I hope you are as patient with yourselves as you are with me.” It reminded me that my teacher Hari Kaur once said a good teacher should have strong command and be humble at the same time. Sleuth found Sasha to be a delightful combination of both.

Drop-in $18, $2 mat rental.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

Students came to Prema Yoga on Halloween Sunday dressed up in devil horns, reindeer antlers and bunny ears. “I came as a pregnant yoga lady,” Lesley joked, alluding to her seven-month pregnant belly.

There was a chill in the air, but that was just from an open window. “I’m just going to keep it open a little longer,” Lesley said, “because some sage was burnt in here and I think it smells like pot. Not that I have anything against pot; it’s just never appealed to me. I'm tired and hungry already!” More laughter erupted in the room.

Lesley's theme of the day was humility and she shared a story of how John Friend once made a big movement while teaching Flying Crow, immediately asking, “What was that?” To which a room full or yoga teachers replied with answers involving something to do inner thigh rotation and foot flexion, etc. Finally Friend answered, “You know what that was? I just fell!” Message received.

After we settled down, Lesley started our warm up with some Kappalabhatti breathing, followed by four rounds of holding Navasana for five breaths, with the melodic sounds of Jai Uttal’s “Radhe Govinda” playing in the background.

Lesley encouraged us to return to the idea of humility as we practiced our Sun Salutes and standing poses, which included Ardha Chandrasana, Trikonasana, and Utthita Parsvakonasana. Having trained at Jivamukti, Lesley's classes feature classic Jivamukti sequencing, but she inserts her own individuality to keep things interesting such as Agni Sara - Fire Wash.

We were kept on our toes (or was it our heads) when midway through class we came up for Headstand. To round out the class we flowed through complex backbends that included Salabhansana, a Praying Snake, Full Frog and a Full Wheel.

Throughout the class Lesley offered more stories of humility from her Ananda Ashram Days, as she walked around the room adjusting people for their twists.

Our Halloween yoga ended with a Paschimottansana, Baddha Konasana, Shoulder Stand or Supta Baddha Konasana for those not inverting. For Savasana we relaxed to some Gurmukhi music, “Gobinday Mukanday” by Sada Sat Kaur, an example of how Lesley embraces other yoga traditions.

Drop-in classes are $17, plus $1 mat rental.

—Marie Carter for YogaSleuth

How many questions do yoga teachers have about Uttanasana? Judging from a recent alignment focused class taught by Nikki Costello at Kula’s Tribeca studio, the queries can be endless. Each week this thoughtful and methodical instructor brings her knowledge of Iyengar Yoga and other traditions to a hardy group of yoga teachers and advanced students. In Nikki’s classes, students slowly go through a series of poses designed to allow access to deeper levels of physical and mental awareness.

At the class Yoga Sleuth attended, Nikki was concentrating on the legs as they fit into the pelvis. Sounds simple, right? Simple maybe, but not easy, especially when you are being asked to pay attention to every detail of your alignment.

Because the class is identified as a “teacher’s class” there is a lot of give and take between Nikki and her students. “Can I bend my legs in uttanasana?” someone asks. “Well, if you bend your legs in Uttanasana then you’re not really doing the pose,” Nikki responds. She adds “to learn the pose it’s better to keep the legs straight and raise the hands…on blocks or a chair.”

“Can I lift the heel of the extended leg off the floor in Supta Padha Gustasana?” another person queries. “No, you can take the top of the thigh back,” the teacher responded and then went on to discuss other ways to keep the knee from hyper-extending which causes the heel to rise.

Clearly this is a room full of self-described “yoga geeks” who enjoy Nikki’s dissection of each pose we take. From Supta Padangusthasana to Pandangusthasana to Uttita Hasta Padangusthasana the students investigate the similarities and differences in each asana. We take Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana in the center of the room and at the wall. We take Virabhadrasana III both ways as well. Each time we notice the placement of our toes, the lift of our inner ankles and the tops of our femur bones.

When we get to Urdva Prasarita Eka Padasana or “standing splits” we analyze the relationship between our standing and lifted leg in minute detail, trying to fully understand the fulcrum that is our pelvis.  After more questions, we are reminded that the way to teach the poses is through our own practice with continued inquiry and curiosity.

We end with Sirsasana and Sarvangasana, taking eka padha variations in both poses.

I realize while getting ready to rest that this class is one of exceeding value. Nikki has created a lovely collegial atmosphere: it’s a weekly hour and 45 minute mini teacher training. With that thought, I smile and relax deeply.

--Brette Popper for YogaSleuth

Kula Yoga Tribeca has a new room with a beautiful wide-planked restored wood floor and warm brick wall where Nikki’s class takes place.  Blankets, belts, blocks and bolsters are available to use. Drop-In is $22 plus $2 for a mat. Multi-class discounts are available.

Lining the walls of the bright and warm Viva Vinyasa studio in midtown are photographs of yogis and yoginis in various inspirational poses, among them a large image of yoga teacher Edward Vilga dropping back into Wheel.

It was a dull, rainy day, the kind that has people retreating to their homes, but luckily for Sleuth and an elderly gentleman, the only other student in class, we got lots of attention being just the two of us.

Adam, a former Equinox teacher and now owner of Viva Vinyasa, asked if we had any requests. Sleuth is rather predictable in this regard and requested her favorite pose, Hanumanasana (Splits), while the other student asked for some hip opening. Thus began the challenge of our duo yoga session.

The class began with a dancer like flow while classical music tinkled in the background. We walked our hands to the back of the mat and then tucked one foot behind the other, then switched. From there we moved on to a series of lunges, Parsvottanasana and transitions through Warrior poses.

While we were being challenged by variations of lifting the toes of the front foot in Warrior I, for example, Adam had his own challenge of teaching a class of two people with very different practices. At one point midway through he had me to doing Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, flexing and pointing the foot. As for the gentleman, Adam had him do this same pose on the floor with a strap. In Prasarita Padottanasana, he offered blocks to my fellow yogi, while offering me a Prasarita to Sirsasana B.

Sleuth got to do her Hanumanasana afterall, and received some terrific adjustments that made my hamstrings and inner thighs work harder. My fellow student got to do some restorative poses that helped open up his hips.

For the finale, Sleuth got to do Sirsasana with the challenge of bringing both my legs to 90 degrees, then 45, and back up again, while the other student lifted into Salamba Sarvangasana, shoulderstand.

The ability to modify and mold the practice according to who is in the room is the mark of a good teacher. Adam’s adaptability and skill as an instructor shone that day, and helped me move beyond any remaining dreariness I might have brought on the way in.

Express classes are $10 drop-in; $2 mat rental

—Marie Carter for YogaSleuth

Yoga Sleuth was feeling mentally stressed out and physically tight after several days of running around the city, working non-stop and having my cell phone die.  I knew just the thing to ease my body and mind, restorative yoga!  I headed to YogaWorks on the Upper East Side for Cathy Lilly’s Sunday, 6:15 restorative class.  

Cathy is a seasoned restorative and therapeutics teacher with a wonderful reputation, so the studio was packed to capacity with students eager to let go.  I found a place against the wall and grabbed two bolsters, three blankets and three blocks.  Cathy came around and sprayed our wrists with lavender oil, a scent that is known for it’s calming qualities. 

She had us sit up bolsters, close our eyes and connect with our breath. Cathy asked us to set a dedication for our practice and then we chanted OM three times. We gently fluttered our eyes open and moved towards our first pose.  

Cathy had us set up our bolsters in a cross shape, a block was placed under the top bolster giving it a lift.  We sat on our right hip leaning against the bolster, placed a blanket between our bent knees and then rested our torso and head on the top bolster.  My body immediately felt the gentle twist.  Cathy explained that this action was ringing and squeezing out our vertebrae, incredibly good for the spine.  I melted into the twist closing my eyes.  I took in the sweet sound of Wah! which was playing on the stereo.  

Twists can become intense, even in restorative, so Cathy kept us in this pose for only ten minutes and then moved us to the other side. Next up, one of my personal favorites, Supta Badha Konasana.  We didn’t even need to move our props around, we just slowly moved our backs against the upright bolster.  Our knees were open and resting on blankets and with bent elbows we rested our arms on blocks.  

Cathy placed my lavender pillow over my eyes and covered my legs with a blanket.  She explained that our body temperature drops while in these poses, so it’s best to cover our feet.  I was no longer focusing on my cell phone or the stress of the week.  My chest started to open and my breathing felt less restricted, more expansive and free. 

Cathy talked about creating space in our chests.  She said your heart is big and open and it can hold so much.  What hurts are you holding on to? With each breath out release the pain a little more, let go of old wounds, samskaras, habits and create more space.  Be compassionate to yourself.  

We stayed in this pose for quite some time…I am not sure how long because I was so deeply relaxed.  Cathy gave me the gentlest assist on my shoulders and neck and then we prepared for our final pose, Savasana. We placed the two bolsters parallel, one for under our feet and the other for our calves.  Our heads rested on a folded blanket.  Cathy placed another blanket across my thighs, so the weight could release my back.

With the scent of lavender floating through the air and Cathy floating around the room like an adjustment fairy, I could not feel more relaxed. My breathing felt long and steady and my heart beat felt slow and peaceful.  There was no muscle tension to speak of and my mind was no longer racing.  

Moving out of the deep relaxation, Cathy had us gently wiggle our fingers and toes, deepen our breathing and roll to the right.  She gave us extra time to transition into a comfortable seated position.

Once again, she mentioned being compassionate to ourselves, Ahimsa, non-violence in thought, words and actions, and opening our hearts towards others.  We completed the practice with a final OM and Namaste. After thanking Cathy for a beautiful class, I left the building feeling lighter, calmer and more connected to myself.  I definitely slept well that night!

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Hoping that I did not drink that pumpkin-flavored coffee too close to class time, Yoga Sleuth embarked on the 17 floor elevator ride to the beautiful refurbished studios of Om Factory.

I was greeted at the front desk by my about-to-be-teacher, Julie (Jewels) Ziff Sint. Smiling under her cowboy hat, she complimented me on my unique last name (and pronounced it right!) and heralded me on a vigorous Vinyasa journey that invigorated me for the rest of the weekend.

Once we were settled on our mats, the playful Jewels (also an accomplished circus arts performer) came over to each of us to ask what we needed from our practice that day. After I told her about my lumbar soreness, she promised some stretching that would address the problem; her attentiveness and positive energy motivated me to work those pesky kinks out.

As the noon sunlight streamed into the pristine white Asana room, lighting up the Sanskrit "Om" poster at the altar, Jewels made a suggestion...that we be so "in the moment" that we treat each pose as if the expression of that Asana was our whole essence. We were to let everything else fade away and just "be" the posture.

Jewels is an excellent flow sequencer, and the class had a perfect rhythm and pace—one pose warming us up for the next, the latter building energetically on the former. Lying on our backs we practiced eagle arms and legs, and sure enough these would inform our forays into Garudasana deeper into the class. Later, as we unwound in supine twists, we would take this same crossed leg variation, completing the circle.

Although we were in a fast-paced flow, Jewels was able to take time out to assist us all. In my Down Dog she helped me realign to take some of the pressure off my wrists. In high lunge she recognized that my edge was further than I, myself, realized, and put me in a wider stance. Conversely, in my camel pose she guided my hips forward and had me untuck my toes to grab my heels (I had been struggling to reach my feet with them flat on the floor).

Our peak pose was Parsva Bakasana (side crow), which we entered into from Eagle. I was thrilled as that also had been the climactic Asana in a different class the night before (makes one wonder if a collective yoga consciousness was at work!)  We tackled the pose with enthusiasm, Jewels reminding us that: 1) it's not only ok to fall, but is, in fact, encouraged:  ("I love it when people fall!" giggled Jewels), and 2) when we do, we're mere inches from the ground anyway!

She came over to assist me on both sides of Crow, helping me lift my hips higher and create a shelf for them with my triceps. As my arms lost contact with my slippery thighs, Jewels whispered to me the true secret to mastering side crow: "long pants!"

Our final pose was a restoring Supta Baddha Konasana that sealed our practice perfectly, making me feel like my sacrum – and everything else – was popping back into place. As we eased into Savasana, Jewels echoed our opening theme with a lovely parting thought:
"As all else fades, know that you are everything, and everything is you."

Even pumpkin coffee. Though one final tip: Hold off on that until after class!

Drop-in classes at Om Factory are $17 with mat included.


--Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth was feeling energized from the warm weather and headed to Life in Motion on the Upper West Side for a Hatha class with Danielle Zuccheri.  I entered the studio and was greeted by a sweet and spunky woman at the front desk, who explained the payment options and gave a quick tour of the studio. The large and bright practice space had two full walls of floor to ceiling windows, so the sun came shining in and gave the room a warm glow.  

I set up my mat and looked up to see Danielle at the front of the class exchanging hellos with regular students and introducing herself to new ones.  She instructed us to grab blankets, blocks and a strap and then to come sit in Virasana on our mats.  We closed our eyes and took in a few deep breaths.  

Danielle talked about the mind being like a snow globe and all the scattered flakes being our thoughts.  We were asked to check in with ourselves and try to settle the snow.  After a few more breaths, we opened our eyes and began shoulder openers that included lifting our arms up, while pressing down into our sit bones, Gomukasana and Guaradasana arms.  We began to move slowly into Down Dog, Plank, Salambhasana and several Cobras.  When we moved back to Down Dog, Danielle asked us to check in with ourselves again.  Were the snowflakes moving around the globe or settling nicely?  

In order to continue to build heat in our bodies, Danielle took us through several Sun Salutations.  She changed it up by adding low lunges and slight backbends. In lunges, Down Dog and plank we were told to press our naval to our spine and shoot our tailbone to our heels.  After several repetitions, the instruction really seeped into my movements.  

As we moved from pose to pose, I could see Danielle moving around the room and giving each student attention.  She answered questions, gave adjustments and modifications, while still keeping with the flow of the class. Every instruction that Danielle gave was precise and encouraging.

For Parsvakonasana, Danielle had us do it several times with different variations. For one, we kept our arm up like Trikonasana and expanded that arm back, really opening our chests.  It gave me a whole new perspective, so when we came into the full expression of the pose with the arm over the ear it felt different, crisp, open.

Moving on we used the belt around our arms in Uttanasana and Parsvottanasana.  As we turned our palms to face forward, I could feel my chest opening up and my shoulder blades pressing into my back.  The belt gave us feedback for this wonderful action!  Next we made our way to the floor for Ustrasana, and again Danielle had us use the belt for the first few rounds to help open up our chests.  She talked about working the place behind the heart, the middle back and how it is often forgotten.  Back bends give us the opportunity to expand this space and open our heart more. We took off the belts and tried again. This time I was able to recreate the same action because my shoulders remembered the imprint of the belt.  

We finished up with several bridge poses and then forward bends to counter the back bends. This was a wonderful release. Last, but definitely not least a juicy spinal twist and a peaceful Savasana.  Danielle really made the class approachable for newer students and challenging for more advanced students.  She is a strong, precise and incredibly sweet teacher.

Life in Motion has a warm and neighborhood feel to it.  The staff is really nice and willing to answer any and all questions about the variety of classes offered.  Drop in classes are $18 and your first class is only $10!  If you purchase a package at the time of your first class, you receive a 20% discount.  Also, you can use your pass for classes at the gym around the corner and mix up your fitness routine.  I think the next time I take Danielle’s class, I will follow it with Zumba…why not!

-- Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Warmups began with a four flight trek up the stairs to the cozy, beige-painted walls of Cherry Blossom Yoga. Housed inside the New York Theosophical Society’s town house, the space is a warm welcoming studio.

Harkaran, a friendly and cheerful Kundalini instructor, was taking us through our paces with a sequence for the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system facilitates the movement of salts, water, bacteria and wastes, and it does not have its own pump like the circulatory system so it must be kept healthy through movement, breathing and good eating habits.

Consequently, Kundalini kriya sets for the lymphatic system are notoriously difficult. Here was no exception.

We began with three different arm exercises, one bringing our arms up above our head then down by our ribs, another bringing our arms towards our shoulders as though throwing something over our shoulders, and another involving arms straight out to the side and above the head with very slight subtle movements.

“A lot of lymph nodes are in the armpits,” Harkaran informed us, as we sweated our way through the arm exercises.

Of course, more physically intense movements followed with three and a half minutes of Frog pose (squatting up and down with elevated and lowered heels). We also bicycled our legs to focus on the navel point and then again bicycled our legs in shoulder stand.

Finally, we rested in Savasana, which included a sweet gong bath from the 20” gong.

For our meditation, we chanted the Laya manta, “Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam Siri Wahe Guru” in Sat Kartar’s version. During the Laya mantra you imagine three and a half coils making their up from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. The naval point pulses in three times after “Ek Ong Kaur” then “Sat Nam” and “Siri Wa.”

“This means ‘There is one creator, truth is its identity.’ I feel ecstatic when I come to this realization,” explained Harkaran.

This meditation left us all a little spaced out so the yogi tea that was served at the end of class and friendly chats were gratefully welcomed.

$7 introductory price

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

It is dark. Raindrops beat down on the skylight at ISHTA in Greenwich Village and I am content. Mona Anand’s beautiful Indian-accented voice reminds me that I can find true intimacy in the simplest of poses. I hug my knees into my chest and extend my legs up. Then hug them in again and twist fully from side to side. I have nothing to prove, nowhere to go. And even though I am in a room with 30 other yoga students, I am just present, listening to the sounds of nature, my own breath and the inhales and exhales of others around me.

We take Downward Facing Dog and Plank. We take a Standing Forward Bend. All the while Mona asks me to be accepting of my state of mind and body in the current moment. I am fully in my body and my mind. Soft music plays. We take modified Sun Salutations. We can jump back to Chatturanga if we choose or walk back to take “Knees, Chest, Chin.”

Three quiet rounds go by. I am paying attention to my hands, my feet, my breath. Through the set of Surya Namaskar I am being coaxed by this lovely teacher. My heart beats strongly when I am finished but it is controlled and pleasant, not hot and unrestrained.

This is an open class and as we take standing poses, I at last look around and see the diversity of ages in the room. Mona is leading a group of men and women from early 20’s to late 60's .

A well intentioned assistant teacher helps. When making adjustments, Mona quietly speaks to a student gently coaxing a more complete turn of the belly in Trikonasana or a broader pelvic opening in Ardha Chandrasana. We take Prasarita Padottanasana. I go upside down with little effort. I am not straining. Even though Mona is not giving me a lot of physical alignment, she is asking me to align my breath and my understanding of the pose from an energetic standpoint. Am I straining?  Am I desirous of a specific result?  Do I have expectations? Sweetly, patiently and discreetly Mona suggests I ask these questions of myself.

Crow Pose is next, then an optional inversion, backbends, forward bends and twists. Nothing very anatomically complicated. No big “tadah” moment. No crazy arm balances or legs behind the head. This practice is the pure pleasure of being simple. Everything we do just easily flows from the breath. I am practicing contentment in its deepest form and during Savasana I realize that Mona Anand has helped bring me there.

ISHTA Yoga has a well stocked retail space when you enter. Class was $22/mat included. The check in process was easy, the studio is very clean and there is a seating area for students to put on shoes and chat quietly after class.

--Brette Popper for Yoga Sleuth

“Clarity can be found in stillness,” advised Alex Schatzberg as we closed our eyes and sank into the first downward dog of the evening. “Like a glass filled with water and mud. If left alone the mud will sink to the bottom, and what remains will be clear.”

Twenty-two of us had gathered just before sunset in the beautiful and spacious Yoga Vida studio to clear the mud in our personal glasses. Alex sat cross-legged on a table before us, the picture of serenity, to guide us through every inhale and exhale. Soon we were flowing vigorously, from Tadasana to Urdvha Mukha Svanasana and everything in between, always staying for a respite of five breaths in down dog, counted aloud by Alex.

The theme of the evening would be forward folding, he explained, and sure enough we found ourselves letting go in Uttanasana, Janu Sirsasana, Paschimottasana, and Upavistha Konasana.

“In Uttanasana we fold towards the future, but our gaze is to the past,” said Alex. He urged us to approach the pose symbolically, to remain conscious of the past on an intellectual level, while letting go of it emotionally.

Alex was able to make a 65-minute class feel like a 90 minute one in the best way possible; we experienced a full and challenging Asana practice while still having plenty of time for a luxurious Savasana. On the way to that rewarding end, Alex provided plenty of guidance and assistance. In locust pose he helped me stretch to my edge and clasp my palms behind my back. He sat on my thighs to keep them grounded while I concentrated on opening my chest. In fish pose he adjusted my head so that the crown was firmly on the ground and my neck and throat open in the best expression of the pose.

Moving deeper, we began to spend more time in our forward bends; 5 breaths became 6 and so on, until we were taking 10 cleansing breaths as we let go fully. This all set to a buoyant mix of music, from eastern to modern soul and back again.

As the sun disappeared and the room dimmed, Alex lit candles, setting the tone for the final portion of the class as we folded into Baddha Konasana and pigeon pose; the latter seeing us reach our arms as far as they would go on the floor to deepen the stretch and our sense of letting go. “Many people think of Yoga as just about being flexible,” said Alex as we came to a down dog split, releasing the hip of the raised leg. "But it’s actually half-flexibility and half-strength. And mostly, it's about moving your energy." Alex explained that for most of us, our days are spent in stagnation, both physically and emotionally, and it is Asana that can move that blocked energy.

Our energy now freely flowing, we shared Namastes, and were ready to head back into the world. Before we left,  Alex invited us to become his friend on Facebook as well as “being friends in real life!”

Classes at Yoga Vida are $10 with a $2 mat rental, and new students can spend a whole week at the studio for just $10 as well.

-- Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth couldn’t decide if he wanted a powerful Vinyasa flow that would leave him invigorated, or a relaxing and restorative practice that would leave him blissed out. So (hmm), I thought, why not try both? This brought me to Joschi Body Bodega and the unique talents of Donnalynn Civello.

Upon entering the Joschi studio one is immediately struck by its atmosphere of warmth and community, profound even by Yoga studio standards. It is truly a place “where everybody know your name,” as was evident by the camaraderie in the lobby among teachers and students. As I left the dressing room I caught a glimpse of Joschi himself, preparing to teach a class in the larger room. The smaller room, which I shared with 6 regulars, featured wine-colored walls and ebony floors (freshly painted, as I discovered later in my forward fold). The vibe was soothed even more with the entrance of Donnalynn, a teacher whose enthusiasm for the practice and care for her students was immediately palpable.

We began in child’s pose, where Donnalynn treated us to an aromatherapy lavender oil massage of the arms, neck and back. As she went around the room, she told us the story of a good friend who was in danger of having to leave the country if she didn’t find a job by a certain date.  “Don’t try, just trust,” was Donnalynn’s advice to her friend, who, having stopped trying, got two job offers the day before deadline. As we settled into easy pose, Donnalynn regaled us with a second lesson. She suggested we look at life as a series of trapeze bars. The message: Some people stay holding on to the same bar forever, but it is always better to be leaping for the next one, even if you don’t know what it may bring.

In heaven from the aromatherapy and emboldened by the parables, we began a high-energy Vinyasa flow. The mini-spa treatment energized me as I sailed into Suryanamaskar A, repeating it several times, taking the flow faster and faster and building layers each time. I knew I was bathed in sweat, but with the cooling aromatherapy treatment I could barely feel it. Seeing that I needed some help on Parsvotanasana (intense side stretch), Donnalynn adjusted my hips till they were square to the front and gently bent my torso forward until I was in my best expression of the pose.

After Surya A turned into Surya B, we practiced our forearm stands. “Come into child’s pose when you’re done,” said Donnalynn, chuckling as she spied most of the class already there.  Next. Donnalynn workshopped an Eka Pada Galavasana (Flying Crow) in stages…from straight standing leg (with hands in prayer), to bent leg, to palms planted on the floor, and finally with the formerly standing leg soaring behind us. Donnalynn invited us to stop at whichever stage we wanted, but most of the class went all the way—leaping for the “next bar.”

We peaked our Asana practice with sets of Urdvha Dhanurasana (wheel), the second set seeing us lift a leg at a time (or trying to in my case). After a long stint in headstand and a calming Paschimottanasana (forward fold), we sank into Savasana. Donnalynn was there to give us all healing adjustments not once, but twice, soothing our third eyes and necks with a mix of essential oils. “Just let go,” Donnalynn whispered to me, and I was happy to comply.

Coming to easy pose once more, Donnalynn saluted the light within us as we bowed down to the light within her, reminding us once more to stop trying and start trusting, and to never be afraid of taking that leap of faith.

A Drop-In class at Joschi is $18, with a $1 mat rental.

-- Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

There are so many classes labeled “vinyasa” in the city, and most people will equate the term with lots of sun salutations, a fast pace and an over all good workout. But the true meaning of vinyasa is simply step-by-step, or linking breath to movement. Essentially, vinyasa is not exclusive to sun salutations and can link any combination of poses from Dandasana to Purvottanasana to Paschimottanasana on the breath.

Sleuth decided to make her way over to YogaWorks on the Upper West Side  for a vinyasa class with Jodie Rufty to investigate. Jodie’s beautiful smile and sweet nature can welcome anyone into a room, whether you are a brand new beginner or advanced practitioner. Her classes usually involve readings, a bit of chanting and an alignment based flow. Today we were going to dive deeper into the meaning of vinyasa.

Jodie explained that the breath dictates movement and alignment, and that we should count one inhale or exhale for each our movements, and to pause for five long breaths at the end of each sun salutation. We began with a few cat and cows, on the inhales and exhales, and then moved into a flow of eight sun salutations. Instead of calling out the poses or breaths, she had us each take our time to move through the vinyasa on our own breath.

Jodie asked us to observe the length of our inhales and exhales. Many times before, I’ve been in class and moving so quickly I couldn’t really connect with my breath. In this class the breath felt luxurious. Focusing on long inhales and exhales, I felt emotional and joyous as the breath seemed to lead me and didn’t feel forced.

Next we moved into several standing poses, including Parsvakonasana, Virabhadrasana II, Trikonasana and Ardha Chandrasana, holding each pose for five full breaths. I felt more patient with myself, taking my time to find each shape. Still moving meditatively on the breath, we transitioned into Virabhadrasana I, Parivrtta Parsvakonasana and then jumping into Bakasana from down dog and jumping out of it into chaturanga. This is quite fun and challenging, especially when you are trying not to hold your breath!

On to the floor, Jodie led us into several seated poses, still emphasizing the movement matching the flow of inhales and exhales. With more attention on the breath I felt like I could go deeper in Ardha Matseyasana and realized that I actually held my breath during Navasana. It felt good to simply observe and not judge my practice. The apex of the class was headstand and shoulder stand. When we finally came to rest in Savasana my breath became even deeper and more peaceful. We closed the vinyasa practice with three lovely, lengthy OMs.

Jodie Rufty is a senior teacher at YogaWorks. She teaches several classes at a Level 1/2 (advanced beginner) and Level 2/3 (intermediate/advanced) Jodie's classes are informative, intelligent, challenging and fun!

Drop-in classes are $22.

--Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Yoga Sleuth was feeling sluggish from a long week and intense humidity, and so she decided to head over to Yoga High on the Lower East Side for a Move & Mellow class with Sara Little…just what the doctor ordered!  Yoga High is a lovely and bright one-room studio, with a wall full of windows looking out onto the bustling street below.

After introducing herself and inquiring about injuries, Sara asked us to sit on a blanket where we were invited to close our eyes, let go and relax our breath. Together we chanted three OMs, and softly fluttered our eyes back open.  Sara started us moving with a few cat and cow poses, warming up our spines and connecting with our breath.   After several low lunges, gentle twists and Sphynx pose, we moved on to Surya Namaskar A.  

We flowed into a fun version of Goddess pose with Eagle arms, Sara making her way around the room giving each student gentle assists, helping them to find alignment and move deeper in the poses.  She made sure to help Sleuth with forward bends like Uttanasana, because tight hamstrings are a real issue!  But she wasn’t touch and go—she helped me flow into the next pose, too.

We continued with several more standing poses including Parsvakonasana, Trikonasana and Ardha Chandrasana, as well as Surya Namaskar B to build the heat in our bodies. Sara continued to remind us to connect with our breath as we moved.  After Devotional Warrior, we transitioned to the floor to explore Salambhasana and Dhanurasana, then pigeon and ankle to knee, which Sara announced was Yoga High’s pose of the month.  She encouraged us to breath into any discomfort and just let go.

After forty-five minutes of moving on the breath, Sleuth was just about ready for the mellow part! Sara demonstrated how to set up our blankets to assure the most comfortable restorative stretches.  We started in Supta Baddha Konasana, letting our hips gently open up, as our breathing deepened and we melted into the pose.  Sara came around and gave gentle assists here as well, helping us feel comfortable in the poses, which we must have held for at least ten minutes.  

Next, a supported twist on each side, supported Goddess pose and finally Savasana with blankets under our thighs to release our lower backs. Rubbing her hands with scented oil and placing them on my shoulders and neck, Sara released any remaining tension I was holding.  Sleuth loved being nurtured.  

The Move & Mellow class Sara created had an intelligent and flowing sequence that was good for all levels, even students new to the practice.  She gave a lot of attention to each student, allowing everyone to feel nurtured, and improved their practice under her guidance.  Sleuth highly recommend taking this invigorating and relaxing class!

- Margie Suvalle for Yoga Sleuth

Escaping from a chilly morning, Yoga Sleuth arrived at Mala Yoga in Cobble Hill and received a warm greeting from co-founder Stephanie Creaturo. "There's room for you in the front," she said, catching my worried eyes gazing at the packed grey and violet Asana room. "Any injuries?" I told Stephanie what felt wonky that morning. "No problem," she said. "Just like we customize our latte at Starbucks, we can also customize our practice."

Curbing my sudden coffee craving, I set up mat in the front row, my block, strap and blanket already waiting for me courtesy of Stephanie's assistant Ann. Stephanie regaled us with a story of her recent sojourn to the west coast where she had a run-in with a strangely competitive and Type A class. "I'm a New Yorker," said
Stephanie. "I don't need that!" And then we were off on our own, distinctly not Type A Asana journey.

Stephanie is all about anatomy and alignment, and was always quick to remind us that we were all in individual bodies with different shapes and needs. She called each yogi by name, even the newbies like me. "Pull in those ankles!" she called to me as we sat with our toes tucked under, giving those neglected digits some overdue attention. Both Stephanie and Ann were a great help with physical assists, spying my floating hips in child's pose and proffering two blankets, and
adjusting my plank pose into something actually resembling a plank. In tree pose we were encouraged to close our eyes. "You may fall, so see what it's like," said Stephanie. She chuckled, pointing to the trees outside the window as they began to sway as if in sympathy.

Next it was trikonasana time, but not before a tutorial on how to do it right. As we gathered around Stephanie showed us what triangle looks like without the abdominal and pelvic locks engaged. "There's a disconnect," she explained. Then she engaged the bandhas, and her alignment was instantly corrected and her heart open. Now that we saw what the right way looked like, we tried it ourselves so we could feel it.

The next pose to workshop was extended side angle. This time Stephanie picked a volunteer from the yogi audience. Wrapping a strap around the student's hips, Stephanie came into chair pose and pulled, as the student came into side angle. the assistance stabilized her foundation and allowed her to open her torso even more. We all broke into groups of two to give it a try.

The final pose in the spotlight was Paschimottanasana. Stephanie showed us a new way to set up; two blankets in a "V" shape, one for each sit bone. With Ann pressing gently on her lower back and a strap around her feet, she folded elegantly into the pose, showing in words and action that it's not about the legs, it's about the spine.

After Savasana, Stephanie reminded us to congratulate ourselves for coming to the mat and looking after ourselves...not just today, but every day. Though class was over, a line of students with questions formed in front of Stephanie, eager for more of her guidance and wisdom.

Drop-ins at Mala are $16, with a $1 mat rental.

-Jim Catapano for Yoga Sleuth

Nancy Elkes is a vivacious, energetic personality with a background in Vinyasa, Kundalini and Pilates. Now she’s designed her own forty-five minute class, Buddha Belly combining elements of all three. It’s a great class for inventive core variations.

Nancy began class reading a poem from Rilke’s Letters to God with the inspiration to let things unfold at their own pace rather than pushing it. The first part of class was spent on Sun Salutation variations. While in low lunge, Nancy had us pulse our back knee up and down, keeping the hips in the same place and moving from the core. “Imagine the crown of your head reaching toward the front of the room and the back heel stretching toward the back of the room.”

Jumping all the way through to sit we then did Pilates 100—that is shoulders and feet are both a foot off the ground and the arms pump up and down to the count of 100. “Just hold for ten more!” she encouraged, counting down enthusiastically.  Classic yoga poses such as Warrior I, II and Trikonasana were added into the fold while also putting the Kundalini killer, Stretch Pose into the mix. Stretch is legs and shoulders up six inches off the ground while doing breath of fire. We also worked on variations of a Pilates move called Corkscrew lifting our legs up ninety degrees and twisting down and around to the right and left.

Nancy then had us come off the mat to use gliders, a sliding round device that helps you skate around the floor when you put your foot on it. Using the core and coordination we did squatting variations and straddles with arms held up and sometimes out to the side.

We did some Pilates Teasers, coming into Navasana then lowering the back onto the floor then coming back up. We also lay on our back and came back up into Pascimottanasa then folded back forward. and did a Pilates variation on Salabhasana kicking our legs together and out to the side while coordinating our arms hitting the side of our ribs then spreading the arms out wide. Class ended with a Baddha Konasana, a nice respite in this challenging and core-fueled class.

Membership only.  Call or go to website for guest day pass. Mats are free.

—Marie Carter for Yoga Sleuth

One of Sleuth’s first teachers used to say that yoga without the breath is just exercise. "Just" exercise brings a lot of us to yoga—including yours truly—so for years this instruction went in one ear and out the other. Now, after several years of Vinyasa and Ashtanga style yoga, Sleuth can fill in her own breath calls when her teacher doesn't and knows her Ujjayi from her Kapalabati.

So when J. Brown told her that his 6 PM Sunday open class at Abhyasa would focus on the breath, she rushed to unroll her mat in the (beautiful, brand-spanking-new) studio. We began practice by chanting before we moved into Vinyasa-style breath work. While lying on our backs we brought our arms overhead to rest on the floor with our inhales and released them down to our sides with our exhales. We repeated the motion with each leg. This movement, some simple seated and prone twists, and other easy physical movements like them filled the first half hour of class. As we went through these simple Asanas, J. repeatedly told us to "Let the breath be the work.” He coached us on strengthening our Ujjayi, often putting his hands on our bodies as a physical cue where the breath should go. 

Typically, if I’m not working at my edge and sweating profusely, I’m bored—and I think J. sensed this. He singled me out for special attention (although personal attention is a calling card of this class). J. placed his hands behind my right shoulder blade and instructed me to breathe into the tension there. The chronic pain I've carried in that spot for years retreated and released a bit. J. moved on to the next student as I thought, "How did he know?"

Release, rather than work, is the theme of this class.

We did move into sun salutations, a series of standing poses (warrior I, triangle, warrior II, extended side angle, etc.) and seated bends, but we continued to focus on breath—not alignment, not power, and not speed. Breath. It has been a long time since I had a teacher so closely examine my practice (the small class size, about seven students, helped). J. pointed out the hyperextension in my arms and showed me how to address it right away. At his prompting, I committed to practicing downward dog with bent knees for the entire class, and finally felt the deep bend in the hip creases that the pose is supposed to foster.

This style of practice isn't for everyone (diehard cardio-vores, for example), but then, as J. pointed out, maybe full Hanumanasana shouldn't be for everyone, either. "You have the forms. Maybe your practice needs something else," he told me at the end of class, before a restful Savasana. It does, and I'll be coming back to Abhyasa to get it.

Drop-ins at Abhyasa are $17; mat rental is $1.

--Ruth Curry for Yoga Sleuth