Yoga Fix

I spend a lot of time in downward dog. For the 10 years I’ve been practicing yoga, it has evolved into more than just a workout for me. These days, I crave yoga for its spiritual aspect. It centers me more than anything else and when I haven’t practiced I feel it — mentally, physically and emotionally.

Nothing beats the feeling of lightness and calm perfectly balanced by a sense of energy and renewed spirit after a sweaty, challenging class. When your troubles melt away onto the mat, you feel as if you can take on the world.

One year, I bought a Yoga Pass Book which offered coupons for one or two free classes at every yoga studio in NYC. As a result, I visited almost every yoga studio in Manhattan. The downside was that I never felt as if I had a homebase for my practice but the upside was that I was able to try various studios to learn which ones I liked.

Not only did my own practice improve, I now have a short-list of favorite places to practice.

Juvamukti Yoga: I love the yogi vibe in this studio and the challenging practice. The classes are about 90 minutes long and every teacher is fantastic. The chanting is uplifting and inspirational and completes the experience for me.

Yoga to the People: Anything goes at this donation-based studio. I love that it is bare bones and the focus is less on appearances or form and more on doing what feels good for your body. Depending on location, there is Hot Bikram yoga or Hot Power Vinyasa yoga. The hour long classes are so sweaty that they might as well be a cardio workout.

Kula Yoga Project: One of the most unique studios I’ve ever visited, this place oozes with charm and is so worth the trek up four flights of steep stairs. The regulars are like family at Kula and the classes, which range from one hour to 90 minutes, take every asana one step further each taking on the personality of the instructor.

The term “yoga” means union so it would make sense to practice in a setting with other students. In fact, that is always how I’ve practiced. But lately, my mind and body have been asking to practice in a different way — alone, in the comfort of my home. The view from my living room of ships sailing on the Hudson River and the heat of the bright late afternoon sun glaring through the windows create the perfect setting for my own personal practice.

I’ve downloaded some free podcasts from Yoga to the People and a few others recorded by Jivamukti instructors. I choose one and follow along at my own pace. There has never been a more perfect way to start or end my day.

What is your favorite way to practice yoga or your favorite yoga stuido?