Boutique Fitness Classes in New York City
I Worked Out Every Day For a Week, and This Is What I Learned
Y7 Yoga
Y7 Yoga is responsible for the trendiest yoga studios in New York. With outposts in all the hottest neighborhoods, I knew I had to give it a go. Before I begin, I should give a disclaimer — I hate yoga. Not total hate, but 15 minutes into every class I've ever been to I start calculating how long till its over. A lot of friends told me I would love Y7 — its classes are different because they blast hip-hop instead of the usual rhythmic chanting you find in yoga classes and create a no-judgment vibe to the whole experience.
Walking into the brand new TriBeCa studio, I felt immediately cooler than I actually am. The blond wood floors, edgy merchandise, and superfriendly staff all made me excited. The actual yoga room smelled amazing and was extremely dark. The instructor immediately put us all at ease. She explained clearly the structure of the class and repeated several times we should not feel any pressure to do hard movements (hallelujah) and that if we felt tired or "over it" we should just relax in Child's Pose. The class was just as it had been promised: fun, nonjudgmental, and unlike any yoga class I'd taken before. The music was a huge plus for me. The instructor actually said at one point "Let Chance the Rapper take you through this flow," and I sure did. I didn't find myself counting down the minutes at all, and when I ate it trying to do a Warrior Three pose, literally no one cared. I left feeling sweaty, nicely stretched out, and happy.
Y7 is yoga for people who don't like normal yoga. It's fun, and you can adjust to whatever speed and level you want. It's dark and sweaty and a great place to destress for an hour. The main pros include all your favorite Drake music and the fact that it's dark enough that no one judges you. However, if you're aiming to learn to do a headstand by Summer, this is not the place for you. Oh, also it has a photo booth, because of course.
