Yoga is one of the biggest trends in the fitness industry, and with good reason!! Derived from an ancient Hindu philosophy, the western world has transformed yoga into an extremely effective form of physical exercise. Though it doesn’t do much for you in the cardiovascular department, yoga is a great way to strengthen your body and improve flexibility. The combination of stretching and strengthening exercises builds muscles that are long and lean. The use of breath increases the flow of oxygen in your body, helping your muscles burn more calories. And one of the things I like best about yoga is how it teaches you to be in tune with your body. You learn to feel and understand how your body moves, which is important in being able to assess its needs.
The problem is that everyone seems to be capitalizing on the yoga boom. There are as many yoga studios as there are Starbucks, but many of them are very pricey. Fortunately for you guys, I’ve found some inexpensive (or even free!) yoga studios that are more interested in teaching than they are in making money. So, without further ado, here are eight very affordable places to get your yoga on!
Bryant Park Yoga - What could be better than free yoga in a beautiful park on a warm summer day?! Provided by lululemon athletica , Bryant Park offers free yoga classes for people of all levels. Check out their website for their calendar of events to see which dates and times they offer their free yoga.
Yoga To The People – This is a donation based yoga studio with a $10 suggested donation. They have four locations throughout Manhattan (the East Village, Chelsea, and Herald Square) and one in Brooklyn (near McCarren Park). YTTP offers power vinyasa flow, hot vinyasa, and traditional hot yoga classes. I have had a lot of friends take classes with YTTP, and they all love it!
Do Yoga Do Pilates – This studio in TriBeCa offers both yoga AND pilates! They are also a donation based organization with a $12 suggested donation. Their classes include vinyasa yoga, pilates mat, and restorative. Do Yoga Do Pilates offers classes seven days a week.
Brooklyn Yoga School – Located in the beautiful Park Slope, Brooklyn Yoga School has a full schedule of classes for only a $5 minimum donation (cash only). They only teach vinyasa yoga at this school, but they offer a variety of different class levels from beginner to advanced.
Hosh Yoga – This is another donation based yoga studio, though they don’t list a suggested donation on their website. This little studio in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area offers classes such as fundamentals, prenatal, sweat and restore, meditation, restorative, a vinyasa “explore” class, and an open class for all levels.
The Three Jewels – Located in the Union Square area, The Three Jewels offers a variety of classes for a suggested donation of $12 per class. Their main focus is Tibetan heart yoga, but they also teach dharma yoga, conquering lion vinyasa, and power vinyasa.
Yoga Agora – For anyone who lives near Astoria: I have a studio for you too! Yoga Agora offers a full schedule of vinyasa classes for only $5 a class. They also have many classes available that are donation based (their schedule lists which classes are donation based and which are not). In addition to the vinyasa classes, there is a beginner class and a class en Español!
Yoga Vida NYC – Yoga Vida is located in the Union Square area and they also have a new studio opening up in NoHo. Classes are only $10 each, or $5 if you have a student ID. They have a variety of vinyasa yoga classes, including vinyasa flow, basics, advanced, restorative, prenatal, and a master class.
Well, I think I’ve given you plenty of studios to try out for little to no cost. More donation based studios are popping up all the time, so be sure to check back for updates. In the meantime… go yoga!!
The problem is that everyone seems to be capitalizing on the yoga boom. There are as many yoga studios as there are Starbucks, but many of them are very pricey. Fortunately for you guys, I’ve found some inexpensive (or even free!) yoga studios that are more interested in teaching than they are in making money. So, without further ado, here are eight very affordable places to get your yoga on!
Well, I think I’ve given you plenty of studios to try out for little to no cost. More donation based studios are popping up all the time, so be sure to check back for updates. In the meantime… go yoga!!