Thank you for all the incredible comments on today’s earlier blog post! I’m happy to report that I went to my first class today… and loved it. I kept where I was planning to go vague in my previous post because I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it.
I had researched a bit and decided on Pure Yoga on the Upper East Side. There are a BUNCH of studios around my neighborhood. I first walked around an looked at the different places within walking distance. Most had fliers outside with the schedule and website links. (I also looked a lot up on Yelp.) Pure Yoga was not one that I was considering highly pre-research.
These were the things I took into account while comparing the different studios.
Major Considerations:
– Walking distance from apartment
– Different levels
– More than one room (so more than one class could be going on)
– Friendly!
– Spacious rooms or classes that aren’t packed*
More Minor Considerations:
– Pricing packages
– Amenities
– Responsiveness of staff**
– Overall “vibe”
* I took one hot yoga class while at Georgetown and it wasn’t the best situation. One crowded room that was PACKED with people. When the guy next to me stretched and his sweat started dripping on my mat, I knew I would never go back. (There was about half of inch between each mat and mine was soaked by the end… from his sweat.)
** A handful of studios looked promising from the outside, but the websites weren’t great and I couldn’t get a call back from a receptionist.
I can’t really make any judgment calls on if I’m a converted person or not just yet. However, I thought I’d share my first time experience with you… in the case that it might help someone else out get the courage to go for the first time, too.
Pure Yoga’s first class is free so I had been emailing with an advisor beforehand. I told her my experience (minimal) and what I was looking for in a class (no idea) and my schedule (flexible). She recommended an hour and a half Yin/Yang class for Level 1s.
She met me right at the front desk, showed me where to put my things (I can’t tell you why, but this was a big worry of mine?!), walked me around the entire place, and then my first class began! It was the perfect class to start off with.. I felt like I could do everything well-enough, but not perfectly. I looked around the room a bit to make sure I was matching up with everyone else and the teacher. I left the room feeling more relaxed and two inches taller.
The best part and the most convincing part for me was how nice everyone was at the front desk. The girls were around the same age as me and excited to share who their favorite instructor was! And they marked up a schedule with classes they love/recommend.
xoxo
PS Shira wrote an incredible blog post answering all of the questions I had! I’m so thankful that she took her time answering the questions I had so specifically.
From one Georgetown grad to another… I bet I know exactly which studio you are talking about! Sweat does become communal there 🙂
Glad it all worked out! The gym on my campus is having free classes this week, so I think I might look up the schedule and see when the next Yoga class is!
xx, Mikkaela
thesouthwesternprepster.blogspot.com
Having a great staff always makes the experience much more enjoyable! It's great you're venturing out to yoga again, I love how yoga is an exercise for the mind and body, cliché I know but it really is true 🙂
http://www.recalcitrantgirl.com
So glad you enjoyed your first yoga class! I've been practicing yoga religiously for the last couple of years and the benefits are amazing. I'm more flexible, less stressed and I just feel like I can make myself relax when I need to. Finding the right teacher is important – so don't be afraid to try different classes!
I hope you decide to become a yogini!
http://www.livinginsteil.com
I am so glad you loved your first class! If you develop a yoga routine or start doing at-home poses, you'll have to let us know 🙂
xoxo, Abby
http://www.classy-sassy-prep.blogspot.com
Just read this post and Shira's, and I have to say that this may motivate me to start doing yoga again. I've tried to start a few times and always ended up falling off the wagon because of time constraints. I've been thinking for a few weeks about starting again and the best way to go about it, and this may have just made up my mind to get on the ball. 🙂
It's great that you enjoyed your first class!
http://love-pink-forever09.blogspot.com/
I can totally relate about the anxiety of first joining a gym or studio and just not knowing the groove of how everything goes- where to put things, what you need for class, what you wear for class, etc. On another note that, I'm feeling so inspired to start some yoga classes to get back to the barre! I need something to get me out of the house every now and then since working from home can sometimes make me feel like I'm a hibernating hermit. Plus, it certainly wouldn't hurt to start getting into a good workout routine now for this summer!
Happy to hear your first class was a success! Looking forward to hearing more about your yoga endeavors!
-xo Cait
http://www.preppyinpastels.com
I love yoga! So glad you had a good experience with it!
Taylor // Prep, Please!
So glad to hear you liked it! Keep it up 🙂
That's great! I think you've inspired me to try a Spin class, which is something I've been wanting to do for over a year now!
Is that a Pelikan white tortoise that I spot? OMG!
It's nice to hear that you had such a pleasant experience 🙂
Glad to hear you had a good time, it'd be lovely if you decide to keep us updated with how you get on.
I love yoga! Love this post!
Love from http://www.trangscorner.com – a lifestyle, cooking, fashion blog
Good for you, Carly! I recently started getting back into yoga and I'm loving it! I had been going at my gym sporadically, but I never seemed to get enough out of a class to make it worth the time in my schedule. I just tried a new studio and it has made all the difference! I hope you stick with it and reap the benefits, I've already noticed improvements mentally and physically.
-Alex 🙂
I'm glad my suggestion worked out! Maybe I'll see you there sometime– although I'm more likely to opt for their barre classes. Have a great weekend!
Carly,
So happy for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you really really enjoy it. You are such an inspiration. Thank you for being so honest in your blog posts. I can relate with you so much on the social anxiety.
i've been interested in starting yoga too, i'm about to start taking classes. hopefully i'll have good results as well!!
chicresilence.com
Finding a good exercise programme is good for all of us who want to make lifestyle chances beyond our New Year's Resolution. I'm also liking yoga. I love yoga melt down. I do it at home.
Aphrodite+Kidd
Keep it up robesdemariee2013.com