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Yoga in the City: The Urban Yogi

Therese M. Pope | May 12, 2008

The last time I visited New York City I was amazed by how many people I saw riding the subway with yoga mats strapped to their backs. In Manhattan, there was a yoga studio on every corner (next to the neighborhood Starbucks). As a long time student who took yoga classes at a downtown Sacramento gym, I noticed how more people attended the classes over the years and how studios quickly cropped up in Sacramento.

The Yoga Boom in California Cities

According to Vaughn Medford, manager of Sacramento Pipeworks, (http://www.touchstoneclimbing.com/sp.html), a rock climbing/fitness gym located in downtown Sacramento (California’s capitol city), yoga is a good fit for athletes.

“Climbers, cyclists and runners engage in yoga for the cross training aspect. So much of what yoga focuses on (breathing, posture, form, core strength) are really valuable in these other activities like climbing and cycling. Aside from the physical, members are also probably drawn to something that has a certain spiritual aspect,” comments Medford.

Pipeworks may be popular for its rock climbing, but yogis are still filling up their small upstairs studio for yoga classes.

A Natural Fit with Other Activities

“We offer yoga because it’s a natural fit with all the other activities we support. I think yoga is great and I witness, on a daily basis, the fundamental positive changes it can bring into people’s lives. Our classes are designed so that anyone from a neophyte to advanced yogis can get a good workout.”

Yoga studios can also be found on every corner in San Francisco. Yoga teachers, like John Marino, are offering classes that are affordable to students. The Yoga Society of San Francisco takes donations and it is not mandatory for students to pay for a class if they can’t afford it.

With students ranging from actors to pop music stars, Los Angeles yoga classes are inundated with celebrities. Many stars are leaning towards private yoga sessions due to hectic production schedules and paparazzi in Hollywood.

Elena Brower Offers Haven for New York City Yogis

New York City yoga teacher, Elena Brower, owner of Virayoga (http://www.virayoga.com) in New York City, has drawn A-list celebrity clients to her studio as well as the average city yogi. Her classes are always full of students in her non-descript yoga studio in Soho.

Her “Element: Yoga for Beginners” DVD is the best-selling yoga DVD in stores. The practice in her DVD combines the physical action with inner listening in an idyllic setting. Her second DVD it will be released this Fall.

Brower offers a unique perspective as to why New Yorkers are drawn to yoga in urban environments.

Creating an Internal Space

“For me, it’s the only way to make space, a commodity in cities, both literally and figuratively. First, we make space in our day to begin the physical practice and experience the body in a different way. Then we realize that the space we’re making is actually internal. We start externally, move internally and then that internal experience benefits our external lives. Celebrity or not, the beneficence is real,” shares Brower.

Brower who teaches Anusara yoga advises students to go easy on themselves in class.

“Make listening to your breathing your priority and accept the reality that we are all connected and very much the same. The pressure we all place upon ourselves melts away with those three points.”

Yogis in the Big Apple

Although, some students find yoga as a relaxing retreat from their busy lives, others find yoga classes in New York City not as serene.

“I've found in New York City it isn't so easy to find a place to practice where your stress doesn't increase (someone else's mat is too close, people being competitive, inexperienced or egomaniac teachers, or high prices), but they do exist,” comments Karen Tuominem.

Tuominem touts the benefits of yoga, which helped her overcome stress in her corporate job and helped her to lose weight.

Melissa McNeese, who has been taking yoga classes on and off for the past 23 years, thinks yoga is a good to escape from the chaotic city environment.

“It’s almost as easy to find a yoga studio as a nail salon in New York City now. I think part of it is the trend. Part of it is you need some peace in this sort of environment and sometimes you can’t even find it in your own apartment. A yoga class can become that haven.”

Urban Yoga: Accessible and Relaxing

Havi Brooks, a yoga teacher from Portland, Oregon, notices that the awareness of stress from urban living leads people to actively seek out ways to calm down and become more grounded.

Yoga is also easily accessible and an affordable luxury that doubles as a quick fix (cheap therapy), which gives people that brief buzz of hormonal relaxation and balance.

“When you’re in a big place full of people doing all kinds of wackiness, yoga doesn’t seem all that weird,” comments Brooks.

Sources:
Interviews: Vaughn Medford, Elena Brower, Melissa McNeese, Karen Tuominem
www.touchstoneclimbing.com/sp.html
www.virayoga.com