yoga day 7 | kula yoga project

I had quite the “relaxation” yoga experience yesterday, so I thought a more challenging yoga should be on tap for today. I need to keep my energy up as my movers are arriving first thing Monday morning – Memorial Day! I’ll be celebrating the nation’s freedom and MY freedom.

I looked online and found a “boutique” yoga studio downtown. The description intrigues me – “creative and invigorating flow”. I like the sound of that.

Location: Kula Yoga Project 28 Warren Street 4^th Floor NYC

Cost: $18 + $1 for towel rental (or bring your own). The towel is a small hand towel, so I suggest bringing your own.

Venue:  Very salt of the earth, no frills studio. It’s located in a walk-up building, so you get your chakras flowing before you even start class. You’re showing up to exercise, so the fact that you have to walk a couple of flights shouldn’t scare you off. If so, then you’re lazy. The only thing that did bother me a bit was the lack of air. The room was stifling and my “hand” towel did nothing to help. I’m a panzy I guess. If I was in a “zen” state of mind then this probably wouldn’t have bothered me (read review and you’ll see what I mean).

Class: Kula Flow.

Class size:  20 (5 were dudes with very hot bodies)

Level: Intermediate

Description: Kula Flow is a vinyasa (or flow) style yoga with an emphasis on creativity and alignment. Classes are inventive and thoughtful sequences of sun salutations, standing & seated postures, back bending and inversions guided by a steady breath to tone and calm the mind. Most teachers also use bandha open and strengthen the inner body. (Classes differ in tone and vior depending on the teacher, so if you have special needs/interests please contact schuyler or jen@kulayoga.com.) For students with a regular yoga practice.

Summary:  hmmm. I should have taken the description more seriously and called first. I guess I fall into the “special needs” category. The class was definitely a challenging workout, but that wasn’t the hard part. The hard part was trying to keep up with the yoga pose commands that the teacher was instructing us to do. Seriously, she might as well have been speaking Hindi, or what I like to call Yogindi (yoga + hindi). I was lost. She would holler a command and everyone would quickly jump into formation. I spent most of my time looking around the room trying to emulate people and at the same time try and bend myself into the pose – very awkward and stressful. By the time I figured out the pose, she would holler out another command and I would have to do it all over again. She spoke way to fast for someone like me that took the “short” subway to class. I definitely need to brush up on my Yogindi.

The class was full of some of the best looking people I’ve ever seen in one room. It was like a hot body yoga convention. The class emphasizes creativity, and there was this one girl in the front right hand corner of the room that took it very seriously. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She would do her own variation of poses, which was so distracting. Somehow she would lift herself into a handstand from the seated position?! I was so impressed and jealous. She was breathtaking to watch. I want to be able to do that.  wah :(

Between my lack of understanding the Yogindi language and this chick in the front of class, I didn’t exactly find my zen that day.  I would definitely go back as some of the other classes sound awesome (this one was – just not for me). I will definitely call first next time. ;)

Btw, they have a really cute little shop in their studio. I purchased another yoga top from YogaHyde (Taryn halter).  Love it!  They carry them at yogaworks as well. I bought two from there!