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"Let Me Tell You" is a series of columns from our expert editors about NYC living, including the best things to do, where to eat and drink, and what to see at the theater. They publish each Tuesday so you’re hearing from us each week. Last time, Things to Do Editor Rossilynne Skena Culgan chronicled why she willingly spent six hours underground at a midtown subway station—and urges you to do the same.
I hate to tell you this, New Yorkers, but we have been victims of false spring. Those few rays of toasty sunshine and warmer air we felt last week have come crashing down around us with a forecast of thunderstorms and low temps in the 30s throughout the rest of the month. The good news, however, is that I have discovered the coziest spot to warm up, chill out and reset your state of mind as the seasons change: New Vibe Yoga in the East Village, which offers all-levels yoga classes next to a fireplace for a truly dreamy experience.
RECOMMENDED: The best yoga studios in NYC
When I arrived at 9 Saint Marks Place on a weekday morning last week, I couldn't help but gaze up at the multi-story red brick building in front of me with its perfectly symmetrical windows and beautiful moldings. I had done a little research and knew that the building dates back to 1836 and has had a fascinating past, including a bowling alley in the basement, Tammany Society gambling and fur coat sales.
Once inside, I encountered a soaring spiral staircase, the kind that would make the pages of an architecture magazine. Up several flights and inside the yoga studio, I unlaced my shoes and surveyed the room around me. I've been in lots of yoga studios across the country and lots of buildings in New York City, but I'd never seen one quite like this.
“I've been in lots of yoga studios across the country and lots of buildings in New York City, but I'd never seen one quite like this.”
It had all the typical trappings of a yoga studio—mats arranged neatly on the wooden floor, cubbies for storing belongings, beautiful artwork, a boutique with branded clothing and the smell of eucalyptus. But the space also boasts exposed brick walls, a gently crackling fireplace, high ceilings dotted with skylights, cabin-like wood paneling, tall lemon trees and a patio with even more fruit trees. I'm not exaggerating when I say it felt like an oasis.
Before the pandemic, I used to be a devoted yogi, regularly taking classes and even practicing at home. I loved the community of yoga, the quiet determination it built inside of my mind and the strength it built inside my body. But five years ago, the idea of deeply breathing with other humans in a room together became ghastly, and I abandoned my practice.
I was a bit nervous to get back on the mat, but it turned out that muscle memory kicked in. The studio, led by New Vibe's owner Alex Schatzberg, practices Ashtanga yoga, which was new to me. Thanks to Schatzberg's helpful cues, even a relative beginner like me could follow along and enjoy the practice. (There are dedicated beginner classes, too, for true newbies.) We started with a series of poses that got my heart rate going, and I worried if I'd be able to keep up. Eventually the rhythm of the practice became second nature, and I got out of my head, allowing my body to do the work of moving through warrior, downward dog, chair and tree pose. I reveled in the gentle heat from the fireplace, which Schatzberg says he'll keep using on chilly days through the spring. In this perch far above the noise of the city, I forgot about the news, my phone's notifications and the responsibilities that lie ahead of me.
“I found myself feeling a level of contentment and calm that I hadn't in a long time.”
As the 60-minute class came to a close, I found myself feeling a level of contentment and calm that I hadn't in a long time. I could have stayed in savasana all day, but I packed up my things and chatted with Schatzberg about the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga, which I'd just experienced.
There's yama (restraints or how you deal with others); niyama (observances or how you deal with yourself); asana (postures); and pranayama (breathing). These four focus on things we experience in the physical world. Next is pratyahara, which is about sense withdrawal. The final three limbs—dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (bliss)—are internal practices leading to higher consciousness. I can't say that I perfectly achieved samadhi, but I definitely left feeling a sense of bliss and warmth that I think we could all use right now. Soon, it was time to climb back down the spiral staircase and get back to my regular life.
To long-time yoga practitioner Schatzberg, the spiral staircase makes the perfect entrance to a yoga school or center for raising consciousness. He thinks of it as "a physical portal to transcend through taking people out of the mundane and into the magic of imagination." I can't recommend enough taking the chance to climb into that portal and experience some transcendent magic in the middle of Manhattan.