For the past three days, Robin and I took advantage of a free pass from the New York City Yoga Journal Conference and attended classes at Pure Yoga, located at 86th Street on the Upper East Side. We were greeted by Brittany Butcher, Membership Advisor, who took us on a guided tour of this fabulous upscale facility.
The first class, which was Jivamukti style, was taught by Alanna Kaivalya (who was also at Yoga Journal Conference and Solstice in Times Square). This was my second class with Alanna, and I was not disappointed. The poses, while not punishing, were certainly challenging. Robin agreed with me, although she is an advanced practitioner and teacher, while I am a relative beginner. While we were in Shivasana (Corpse Pose), Alanna serenaded us with a lovely rendition of "I'll Be There." Her musical talents add a unique approach to teaching.
Afterwards, we headed to the changing facilities to freshen up. Believe it or not, this was a major highlight of the whole experience! This "locker room" is more reminiscent of a spa. The spacious room is divided into a locker area, showers and bathrooms. The pristine showers (which are large enough to fit several people) each contain shampoo, conditioner, body wash and shaving cream. Plush towels are readily available. Each sink has bottles of hairspray, gel, mouthwash, razors and even a blow dryer. The setup is obviously geared towards helping busy New Yorkers make themselves presentable and hurry along to their next appointment.
The other two classes that we took (Slow Yoga)one on Wednesday at 6:30pm and one on Thursday at 5:00pm were also simple enough for beginners, yet challenging enough for intermediate to advanced levels. Our friend Ardie Hollander of Brand Marketers joined us on Thursday.
The amazing thing about Pure Yoga is that the prices are actually reasonable (as far as Manhattan yoga studios go). A year long membership average out to $17 per class, while drop-ins cost $30.
This is one studio I will be keeping my eye on!
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