Y7 Yoga Studio

After a long flight I often try to book time at a local yoga studio to unwind the knots that 15 hours of traveling imposes on my neck and shoulders. While I have a few favorite New York City studios, I knew that this time I wanted to try Y7 Yoga.

Since their Flatiron location opened in April, I’ve read countless positive, rave reviews on the studio and it’s unique vibe. Friday morning Theodora and I flowed through the 60 minutes of poses, loosening the stress of our weeks.

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As I climbed the stairs of their Flatiron location, I knew I was in for a refreshing experiences.

Y7 Yoga Stairs

Their stairs greet each participant with inspirational Drake lyrics reminding them that they’ve made progress just by choosing to walk up the stairs towards an hour long yoga practice.    IMG_0815

Once inside I was greeted by a fresh, bright space including a check-in desk, storage cubicles, yoga mats, towels, a seating area as well as two bathrooms. The bathrooms feature an adorable “I woke up like this” area which allows yogis to go from sweaty to office-ready with dry shampoo, deodorant, blow dryers and large mirrors. While I always hope for a shower, this is a great backup option.

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There are four key things that separate Y7 from other yoga studios I’ve frequented in NYC – heat, light and music.

  • HeatEach class is practiced in a studio which is warmed by infrared heat. Infrared heat is different from space heaters or radiators because it heats objects versus just heating the air. According to Y7 co-founder, the benefits include increased calorie burn, improved skin tone, lower cortisol levels and more. Now while there isn’t much to support these claims, I will say that the heat was warm and calming versus the stifling and stinky heat experienced in many hot yoga classes.  Evidently Y7 is also the first studio in New York to offer full-spectrum infrared heating. I recommend bringing an extra towel, or two, to make sure you don’t slip in your sweat. The studio also rents YogiToes towels for $2.
  • Light, or lack of light – Class is practiced in a dark studio, only lit with small candles. Initially I was worried that this would negatively affect my practice; now allowing me to watch the instructor. I quickly realized that this had the completely opposite affect. Instead of spending class being intimidated by other yogis or trying to push beyond my limits, I found myself focusing inward and calmed by the candle light. For this reason and do to the intensity of the class, I would not recommend it for beginners who may get lost with only verbal cues.
  • Music – This studio bucks the norm by blasting hip hop music throughout the class versus the traditional yoga chants. Who knew that one could get so relaxed while listening to JayZ, Sam Smith, Notorious B.I.G but our 60 minute flowed perfectly in time to the beat of each song.
  • Free Flow – After going through each flow sequence three to four times as a group, the instructor gave us a few minutes or one song of free flow. During two of the free flows I did the yoga sequence on my own, but the third one I took my warm muscles through inversion practice. I loved that the instructor was on hand to help anyone who was working on inversions, holding legs or spotting us into position.

Would I go again? Heck yes! In fact, I wish I could go to this week’s WeFlowHard Hip Hop Vinyasa – Nicki Minaj vs Lil Wayne!

Cost: You can book individual sessions at $22 per single class or buy a package which can reduce rates down to $16. You can also book a spot at any of their locations using ClassPass.

Address: I went to the Flatiron location, located at 25 West 23rd Street, 4th floor. However, there are 3 locations, Williamsburg, SoHo & Flatiron.

What to wear: Be prepared to sweat! Most people wore tank tops, sports bras and shorts or light crop pants.

Have you practiced yoga in the dark before?

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A New Favorite NYC Workout Class

When Bo and I planned this trip to New York City, I knew that I wanted to squeeze in a few workout classes. Typically I go for my usual favorites – Uplift Fitness and Barry’s Bootcamp. But, after making a list for the past few months of new instructors or classes, I was inspired to try a few new classes and instructors instead.

After referencing my list in iPhone Notes, I started strategically planning the classes. As we have an Indian wedding in the city Thursday night through Saturday night, I knew that I needed to frontload the classes. Since I was working from our midtown office Monday through Wednesday while staying in Brooklyn, classes located in Flatiron or Brooklyn worked best for the early morning schedule.

Five days of classes left me feeling lean and strong – just in time for the wedding weekend! I will wear my rented saree and lehenga with confidence while dancing and celebrating Raj & Asha! 

Of the five classes we took, The Fhitting Room was our favorite overall workout. IMG_9391

A high intensity training boutique fitness studio located in Flatiron, everything about the workout experience impressed us.

Upon arriving, a bright, vibrant space greet you and the green color theme is visible throughout the studio. A large calendar is posted adjacent to the check-in desk, making the upcoming schedule visible to everyone with just a quick glance.

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There are also lockers and a bathroom on the main level, along with the primary studio.  The staff also briefly explained the studio’s workout concept  – using functional movements, strength training, high intensity intervals, total body focus and highly varied exercises in order to strengthen and change participant’s bodies.

Before our class we were given a quick tour of the downstairs space, which is home to a smaller, private fitness studio and the main locker and shower area which includes two bathrooms, two showers, lockers and a few vanity areas for blow drying hair and getting ready. The studio provides everything you need to get refreshed after your workout including large towels, blow dryers, and toiletry products!

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Back upstairs, it was time to get down to business! Our class, which was party of NYC Fit Week, had 15 students and 2 instructors.

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Let’s talk about the 2 instructors because that is the primary thing that makes this workout stand out from other similar workouts. Not only were the two instructors, Emily and Dyan bubbly and energetic, but they were constantly walking around checking and improving form. In a HIIT class, I feel that form is easily compromised which can lead to injuries. Having two instructors watching us at all times helped both Bo and I ensure that we pushed ourselves WHILE maintaining form.

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The main studio includes rows of different “toys” or workout gear. One mirrored wall is dedicated to TRX training while the other sides include rowing machines, kettle bells, bosu balls, boxes, and even foam rollers! Even though the studio has been open for a few months, it was still well organized and spotless. The floor is a special, cushioned floor which makes burpees and other jump movements far more comfortable. Before the class kicked off the instructors walked us through the workout which included a dynamic warm-up (high knees, mountain climbers, froggers, air squats, etc)  followed by intense circuits which rotated through in small groups. The workout was posted at the front of the room so we knew what was coming.

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For the next 45 minutes we worked our way through the workout while rocking out to a great playlist. While I can’t remember each part of the workout, these portions stood out in my mind:

  • Bosu foot taps by side to side jump overs
  • 2 minute erg followed by ab pikes using the erg seat
  • Kettlebell step ups followed by box jumps
  • TRX rows and curls
  • TRX hamstring curls and TRX planks

There was no “calling in” the workout as every minute the instructors were there pushing us harder and making sure we were engaging the proper muscles. By the end of the class I was BEYOND sweaty and my muscles were fully fatigued. It should be noted though, that while we were exhausted, we were already wishing we had time to sign up for another class this week! 

Cost: $35 but there are packages available to reduce cost including new participant 2 for 1 class

Location: 31 West 19th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue

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1Rebel London – Your Body Will Thank You

This week I spent a quick 36 hours in London for a work training. The training, hosted by Contagious, talked all about consumer experience across the multiple consumer touch points. It was a fascinating eight hours, which allowed us to be inspired by other brands and companies.

When traveling, I love spending at least one morning trying out local fitness studios. As soon as Charlie heard I was coming, she suggested we go to 1Rebel together. The studio, which opened in London this January, offers two types of classes: RIDE (spin) and RESHAPE (treadmill & weights high intensity interval training). Always a fan of HIIT training, we opted to kick our butts into gear with their RESHAPE class.

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1Rebel’s description of their RESHAPE class was quite accurate!

45 minutes of physical and mental intensity. Exertion that you never thought possible. This highly intensive group experience is designed to condition and resculpt selected muscle-groups. The latest Woodway 4Front treadmills and the bespoke and patented 1R workout platform will help mould your body and break your barriers.

Charlie, Margaret and I signed up for the RESHAPE lower body class with Mila, one of RESHAPE’s master trainers. One of the great things about 1Rebel is that they offer more than 6 classes per day, meaning that they have a class to meet your schedule. If you come in for their Full Body 30 during lunch, you even get a free Roots & Bulbs shake or juice!

 1Rebel UK Schedule

The workout: We entered the studio, greeted by black lights, pumping music and an energetic instructor. After checking for injuries she quickly instructed each of us to start in our pre-assigned spot, either on a numbered Woodway treadmill or at a weight bench. Our class was broken up into three different sets of treadmill workouts and weight workouts. The treadmill portions ranged from five to eight minutes and included lots of hills and two rounds of full sprints.  The treadmill portion was very similar to Barry’s Bootcamp, though I loved the way our instructor came up to each of us pushing us just a little bit faster. In addition, the final treadmill portion included dynamic mode, where we propel the treadmill belt with our own strength.

IMG_8846The weight portion is where 1Rebel really differentiated itself from other classes I’ve taken. We used free weights and a weighted medicine ball to do a combination of squats, squat thrusts, jumps, burpees, and swings. These were absolutely killer and Mia didn’t allow any of us to give less than 100% effort. She corrected form frequently, quite bluntly calling us out when we were doing things incorrectly. The hardest portion for me was the last weight section when we did box jumps on the steps followed by leg raises.

IMG_8844 IMG_8847 IMG_8820My only negative comment about the workout was the weight bench. In the dark, I had a hard time finding the correct weights and then accessing them from the bench. The bench, which was similar to an elevated step, had all the weights racked so tightly beneath it that I couldn’t see the weight until I removed it, causing many awkward fumbles.

1 Rebel Weight Bench

Otherwise, as promised, the class was 45 minutes of non-stop high intensity workout. I barely had time to pause for swigs of water, which meant my heart rate stayed high the whole time.

The Locker Room Situation: Before hearing about 1Rebel’s workouts, I heard about their locker rooms. I kid you not! When this new kid on the block opened in London, everyone was raving about their large locker rooms which includes copper code lockers, cold towels, more than 10 private showers, multiple beauty bars including hair straighteners, blow dryers, deodorant and other beauty products. Getting ready in the locker room was a treat yesterday, versus a stress.  (Picture source)

1rebel womens locker room

Refuel: After your class, 1Rebel makes it easy to refuel. Their healthy cafe, Roots and Bulbs, offered fresh made smoothies, juices and other small bites. Similar to Barry’s Bootcamp, you may order your juice or smoothie ahead so it’s waiting for you after class. The Whey of the Gods smoothie, which included almond milk, banana, maca, peanut butter, whey protein and sesame seeds kept me fueled all morning and was DELICIOUS! I want to try and recreate this smoothie at home!

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Pricing: They have a special price of 10 pounds for your first class. After that, individual classes are 20 pounds or may be purchased in packages which reduce the price. In addition, 1Rebel is available on the London Classpass.

Would I go again? Heck yes! I loved the class and 24 hours later I can feel that the combination of treadmill sprints, hills, box jumps, and medicine ball exercises worked my muscles in new ways. If I lived in London, I would definitely go at least once a week.

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