A reader wrote in to ask where to find affordable yoga in town. A reasonable question: the going rate in Brooklyn is $16-$20 per class and $135-$175 for a 10-class card—expensive. I’ve grappled with this problem as well, and solved it in various ways: through trial-class discounts, Brooklyn yoga meetups and a few good DVDs.
I especially love Bikram yoga, and a lot of studios—say, Bikram Yoga South Slope—offer a “30-day challenge.” You pay for a month unlimited ($175), you go 30 days straight, then you get the next 30 days free. It can be tough, yes. But the financial incentive is huge.
Bikram South Slope also has a work-study option: you clean the studio (including mats) evenings and weekends for three free classes a week. Williamsburg’s Go Yoga has a work-study program as well. (“Please be mature, reliable, and comfortable handling responsibility. Previous experience with yoga is preferred, but not required.”) You might consider approaching your studio of choice, asking if they have something like this available.
Area Yoga in Carroll Gradens has a sick deal right now: both their 10-class card and one month unlimited are $75. I called to see when this offer might expire. “No expiration date on this.” Shambhala Yoga and Dance Center is surprisingly cheap (as yoga goes)—$115 for a ten-class pass. They also offer “community” pay-what-you-can classes 4-5 times a month, suggested donation $6. Third Root Community Health Center in Ditmas Park offers sliding-scale rates on yoga classes, calculated according to your monthly income.
I once met a woman in the changing room at South Slope who was studio-hopping for cheap introductory rates. She’d come all the way from Harlem to get the first-timers special at Bikram South Slope—$20 for a week of yoga (they also have a $90/month deal for first timers). Yoga Center of Brooklyn offers first-timers a $25/week of unlimited yoga deal. Park Slope’s Yogasana and Windsor Terrace’s Jaya Yoga both offer $10 classes for first-timers.
There are a lot of yoga meetup groups lead by certified teachers, the only difference being they lead classes in people’s homes, and in some cases studio spaces rented or lent to the group. Meetup yoga groups are generally cheaper than studio yoga. Example, the “Vinyasa Community Yoga Classes” meetup group gathers in Dumbo, requested donation $10. To find a yoga meetup group near you, do a simple search—yoga with your zip code.
Yoga deals pop on occasion on craigslist. I did a quick yoga/Brooklyn search in “community” and found $5 rooftop yoga off the Halsey stop on the L, plus a free yoga deal from Martial Arts-USA (759 Washington Avenue, 2nd Floor b/w Sterling and St. Johns, 3 blocks north of the Brooklyn Museum, yoganyc@gmail.com): your first class is free, if you refer a friend and they buy a five-class card you get another free class, and if you come to one class a week for four weeks you also get a free class.
I’ve spent months here and there doing yoga at home. There are countless DVDs out there, and I’ve bought more than few used from Amazon for $2-$10 dollars a pop (favorite DVD teachers: Brian Kest and Baron Baptiste). There are also plenty of yoga clips up on youtube. If you have a hard time with getting up and doing it alone, try inviting yoga-loving friends to do it as a group with a DVD. Start a meetup up group of your own—for free.
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I highly recommend the "City Stretch" guide, $15. It covers Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The authors went to every yoga studio in the book and noted essential elements (i.e. cost, level, style, vibe, an overall rating and comments). I purchased mine at Omala on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn. Great book. I've found it very helpful and saves me tons of time, not to mention money.
2 weeks for $40 for new students
1 month for $100 for anyone in january
http://www.sanghayoganyc.com
williamsburg, brooklyn
February:
*New Student Specials (1 week for $25 or 3 classes in 2 weeks for $40)
*$100 Unlimited Month for 1 person or $150 for 2 people. That's $75 each!
*$10 Community Yoga Classes Thursdays and Fridays. (check website).
http://www.sanghayoganyc.com
New Student Special: 3 classes/$30. Vinyasa yoga all levels welcome!
Green Fitness in Morgantown has a by-donation community class on Saturdays at 1. It is in the Ashtanga style.
Every Wed. @ 7 PM, Triskelion Arts Studios - 118 North 11th Street Brooklyn, NY, $10 1st class
http://www.meetup.com/CreativENERGYoga/
3 yoga classes for $25 plus donation classes at loom studios, loom studios offers a variety of Yoga and Pilates classes in Bushwick East Williamsburg. its the only full functioning Yoga studio in the bushwick area
Donation Based Yoga offered in Bushwick, 15 minutes from Manhattan on the M train.
1089 Broadway, Brooklyn, 11221
Mondays & Tuesdays @ 8pm-90min class
Experience a comprehensive and fun practice of a creative Hatha Vinyasa flow customized to you and your mind/body/consciousness. These candlelit classes allow you to turn inward and expect to go deeper in your practice in this personable environment.
Affordable private lessons and massage are also available.
Email us for future updates and New classes that will be added
kristinmirabelle@yahoo.com
http://BoutiqueYogaNY.com
(917) 651-7717
I actually have 24 classes to an amazing North BK studio with 3 locations that I can not use due to a back injury. Purchased for $264 but passing them off for $200. Would love to pass these classes on so they dont go to waste- let me know if anyone is interested. shook.lizzie@gmail.com
We just started offering donation based yoga at our design studio every sunday at 11am! Stop by! Holstee.com/yoga for more info!