Let’s review the facts.
Fact #1: Yoga isn’t always your favorite.
Fact #2: Unless you’re doing it in front of a giant stuffed giraffe on a custom Manduka mat under a sky light in the middle of China Town.
Then Yoga’s kind of your favorite.
You usually know what you’re in for when you venture into Chinatown
–change isn’t exactly rapid south of Canal.
However, things got a whole lot more interesting–and innovative–when SkyTing opened up its doors back in July as the new go-to spot for Yoga.
The downtown NYC scence is a mecca for the dedicated yogi. Yes there are a lot of studios and people practicing. But like everything else in New York, the style and vibe of each studio and class differs dependent on the neighborhood or borough.
Co-owners Krissy Jones and Chloe Kernaghan are curating the experience. It’s the kind of space you’ll want to drop by, plunk down in the cushy seated area, take in their rotating gallery of art, and dig into some Dimes (nutritious bites they offer onsite) while sipping on an Evian. Just outside the boutique/lounge lies the stairway to heaven where the classes take place. The decor’s strictly no-frills: Light wood floors, white exposed brick walls, and lots of windows. Which is good, because we could all use more of those in our lives. Oh and don’t mind the giant stuffed giraffe that lives in the corner, appropriatley named Sky G. Raff, he’s chill. Why you ask? Well I say, why the hell not?
And as for the workout….
If you’ve always been the type to color outside the lines. You consider speed limits a friendly suggestion and white after Labor Day–well, you’ll just see how you feel in September. Then Katonah yoga’s your jam.
The method brings together traditional Hatha yoga, pranayama breathing techniques and strong vinyasa sequences. There is a lot of imagery cueing to help move the mind through the body, and deepen the understanding of the individual poses.
I took a mid-afternoon class with Krissy Jones. Her practice was very visual, which I found helpful considering if it’s not a pigeon, warrior I, downward dog or child’s pose you’re asking me to do I’ll probably look at you like you have three heads. She demonstrated what she wanted us to do, how she wanted us to do it, and explained why we were doing it.
Krissy’s playful, lighthearted demeanor throughout the class was refreshing. There’s an easy coolness about her, and her quirky cues that’s pretty hard not to like or make you smile at least once. “Sit back with your hips over your heels, stretch out your arms and look forward. Stretching out like a dog. Aw dogs!”
She explains that she’s into everything fitting together, not contortion. “If you’re doing contortion you should be getting paid, because it will do a number on your body.”
The class was challenging, but in a very achievable way as she guided us through each step making sure to warmup the body just enough to reach the next level. It’s ok to fall. No wrong moves here. Pick yourself up again and again, and then go with the flow.
One of my favorite parts was at the end when she said, “Breathe in a circuit. Inhale fire from the belly up through the back of the body to the top of your head. Exhale like rain out of the front of the body into your open palms.” It made sense, and it felt damn good.
My take away from the experience… A good reminder that perfection is too heavy a burden to carry. It’s such a relief to embrace the idea of being perfectly imperfect. All too human. However you want to think of it, it’s a total liberation.
They have 15 instructors, and offer about 36 classes per week. Krissy and Chole also co-teach a class on Saturday morning and Sunday evening which fills to about 40 people (the room holds 45 max).
This place is going to rock your boat. If you want cool music and a splash of irony with your asana, check out SkyTing Yoga.
Single class $20, bring a friend with you who has never been to SkyTing and get one free class or day added to your package.
