Category: Blogs

The need for pandemic relief…
Did you know that fitness studios have been among the industries hardest hit by the pandemic? That’s especially true here in New York City, where “indoor group fitness” (like yoga) was kept on the sidelines for more than a year. Yes, we got creative by live streaming classes and offering things like Self-Practice, but operating in one of the most expensive markets in the world has left us (and many other studios) with huge deficits. Thousands of studios across the country have already closed their doors for good, and without specific and direct relief many others are sure to close as well. We do not want to be part of that statistic!

What exactly is the GYMS Act?
On February 5, 2021, U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) filed the Gym Mitigation and Survival (GYMS) Act (H.R. 890) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic specifically because most of the previous economic relief packages left the fitness industry out in the cold. If passed, the GYMS Act will create a $30 billion fund to provide grants to affected businesses in the health and fitness industry. Simply put, this would provide us with the support we need while we struggle to resume normal operations.

Is there reason for hope?
The other industry particularly hit hard by the pandemic was hospitality, and the Federal government recently passed the Restaurant Relief Fund (RRF) as a way of providing direct support to struggling restaurant owners. The GYMS Act is modeled very closely to that piece of legislation and so there are high hopes that Congress will step up and save our studios!

What Can You Do?
Click the link below to learn more about the GYMS Act, and follow the prompts to contact your representatives. It takes just a couple of minutes to reach out, but we need you to tell them how important this is to you and your community!

A competitive gymnast in her youth and an avid athlete in her adulthood, Holly knows the importance of functional movements. Specializing in core stability, balance, and flexibility, she believes a healthy body is a happy body. She combines her enthusiasm and love of yoga and fitness with a knowledge of alignment and body mechanics. Her approach is an athletic style of yoga, always focussing on keeping it fun, challenging, creative, and safe.

After more than a year of being shutdown, we were finally able to resume in-studio classes on Monday, March 22. For the safety of our community, we’re taking a phased approach to reopening beginning with our UES location. The other studios will follow in the coming weeks. If you’ve been away, we want to take this opportunity to officially welcome you back into the hot room. Yes, you’ll notice some changes:

• Masks must be worn at all times
• Studio capacity is being restricted to 33%
• You must bring your own mat and towel
• Showers are currently unavailable

And while it may not be ideal, our practitioners keep telling us that the trade-off has been well worth it. The thing we keep hearing over and over is how good it feels to be back. To be honest, it’s been an emotional time these past four weeks as we’ve been reconnecting with our community in-person once more.

If you’re still unsure about some of the COVID protocols, you can READ ABOUT THEM HERE.

If you’re curious about the new membership options, you can CLICK HERE.

Next month our very own Chrystine Cooper will host a four-week workshop titled “Yoga, Ayurveda, and You.” It starts Sunday, April 11 and runs for four Sundays, culminating in a 90-minute Original Hot Yoga class focused on integrating Ayurvedic concepts to help deepen your practice. It’s a beautiful way to bring new perspective to the 26 + 2 Series. But of course, the question many of you may be asking…

WHAT EXACTLY IS AYURVEDA?

Ayurvedic Medicine (“Ayurveda” for short) is one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems. It originated in India more than 3,000 years ago, and stems from two Sanskrit words: ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). Together it roughly translates to “knowledge of life,” encouraging natural therapies meant to strike a balance between body, mind, and spirit. Its main goal is to promote good health, rather than fight disease.

Think of it as the original wellness plan, a preventative approach to good health and happiness.

THE PHILOSOPHY

Those who practice Ayurveda believe every person is made up of five basic elements found in the universe: space, air, fire, water, earth. They combine in the human body to form three life forces, called doshas. Together, they control how your body works. There is Vata dosha (space and air), Pitta dosha (fire and water), and Kapha dosha (water and earth). It is believed that everyone inherits a unique mix of the three, but that one is typically stronger than the other. By understanding your unique dosha, you can gain a better understanding of yourself.

DEEPENING YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

Both Ayurveda and Yoga are ancient forms of medicine intended to keep the body vibrant, energized, and balanced. In this four-week workshop, Chrystine will introduce you to these key concepts and help you discover your unique dosha. She’ll then demonstrate ways to integrate this knowledge into your practice, as a way of deepening your connecting to the traditional 26 postures found in the Original Hot Yoga Series.

Two years ago, Live Streaming wasn’t even on our radar. But then the pandemic hit and we went virtual basically overnight. Now, exactly 12 months after we shut down we have a robust Live Stream schedule, an incredible On-Demand Library, and a beautiful, new website to house both of those platforms. We’ve worked hard to keep our community together, and have even found ways to broaden that community.

“We’ve retained a core group with auto-renews and annual memberships. Plus, we’ve met new people worldwide, including Germany, London, and two sisters split between Boston and Seattle. They miss each other terribly—but the virtual platform allows them to practice together.” — Jen Lobo, co-founder, bodē nyc

Virtual has opened many doors for us. Of course, it doesn’t replace being in the same room—but we’ve acknowledged the reality that people want more flexibility moving forward. We believe virtual classes will continue to play a role even as we look to resume in-person classes this spring. Check out the video about how our partnership with Mindbody has deepened over the past 12 months, as we strive to serve our clients better.

LET’S TALK ELECTROLYTES

At the time, I didn’t understand how electrolytes play a crucial role in maintaining fluid balance in our bodies. Since I consumed only plain water and sweated out both water and salt (sodium chloride), I was becoming dehydrated from an imbalance of water and electrolytes.

Dehydration causes our energy level to drop; because of that, mental and physical functions can become impaired. Maintaining water intake is very important, but how do electrolytes help during activity? Muscle contraction is dependent upon the presence of sodium, potassium, and calcium. Without sufficient levels of these key electrolytes, muscle weakness or severe muscle complications can occur.

After learning that I needed to add electrolytes to my hydration routine, I started looking for products that could help. Sports drinks were designed to provide both a caloric energy source and electrolyte replenishment. Because I didn’t want to feel full or bloated, I didn’t like consuming calories too close to game time — and definitely not during games — so I looked for a simple way to consume electrolytes without calories.

After looking at the zero-calorie “enhanced water” products on the market, I noticed that despite what I was reading on the packaging, they often had only trace elements of certain electrolytes. I would look at the nutritional facts panel and see “0 Sodium,” which was confusing because sodium is the main electrolyte that we lose through sweat.

These products were basically mineral waters, but that wasn’t going to help me replace the sodium I was sweating out.

DO I HAVE TO WEAR A MASK WHEN I PRACTICE?

Back in October we launched our Self-Practice Sessions as a way of helping our practitioners return to the hot room. While the City of New York allowed gyms and other fitness clubs to reopen at 25% capacity, “indoor group fitness” was left out in the cold. Nearly a year after the mandated shutdown of all non-essential businesses, yoga studios and other boutique fitness brands here in NYC are still not allowed to resume “indoor group fitness” classes. This has been devastating to our business, forcing us to make very difficult decisions. We introduced Self-Practice as a way of working with the guidelines to keep our business afloat. The question we get most often is this: “Do I have to wear a mask when I practice?” The answer is yes. New York State is requiring all gym members to wear their masks while they work out; we are simply following that mandate. While we have upgraded our ventilation systems and are limiting the capacity in the studios, we are continuing to follow the science. The CDC, WHO, and NIH all agree that masks work. We’ve found that lightweight surgical masks offer the best ventilation for Self-Practice. I myself have tested a couple of different mask options, and found the disposal surgical mask so lightweight that I forgot all about it by the second set of Awkward Pose.

What do people need for class?

Gliders are the only thing you need (here’s the link to the ones we’re recommending ; they’re only $8)… But if you don’t have gliders, don’t worry! A small towel or washcloth will work great on a smooth floor; and we’ve found paper plates and magazines can be used on carpet!