For two weeks now I have been going to Yoga to the People right by Astor Place. The Yoga to the People philosophy is simple" Yoga made available to everyone. On their site it states:

"In a time where yoga as a business is getting a lot of attention, the fact that it is being priced out of many people’s reach is in direct conflict with what we consider to be the spirit of yoga itself. The question our studio seeks to answer is: Can a yoga studio maintain itself as a business while keeping the focus of its intention on providing yoga as a service first and foremost?"

All fees are donation based for the hour long sessions that are held throughout every day of the week.

I had always flirted with the idea of trying yoga out, and it had a perennial spot on my life's to-do list, but it was not until i was having lunch with my friend chi, who has been doing yoga for two years now, that i found a person who motivated me get out of bed at 10 in the morning and dive straight into the world of yoga.

The first time i went was last friday. I was running late and the new york city transit system kept on throwing hurdle after hurdle at me. Yet, two delayed trains, a run in with a subway elevator door that was just as determined to keep me out as i was to get in, and a profanity laced blind-date with a taxi cab as i ran haphazardly across the street--I found myself ascending the steps of yoga to the people just as the 10am session was beginning.

I did not know what to expect at all, and was worried that i was going to be "that new guy" who barges into the room late and disrupts the serenity of the entire class. Just like a child on christmas eve hoping for a glimpse of the present laden tree and worried that he'd be caught at any given moment--i tip-toed into the back of the room looking for a spot. I was pleasantly surprised that the instructor gracefully flitted to the my side, and taking me by the hand, escorted me to a spot at the front of class. Laying out my mat, and catching a stolen glance from chi--who was doing a top notch physics defying yoga maneuver, I smiled bashfully and began.

Now, i'm not sure how many of you have done yoga before, but it really is the most relaxing  and peaceful experience. In the next hour, between downward dogs, lightning bolts, rock stars, pidgeons, bridges and camels-- each breathe began flowing in a bit sweeter, and i felt my mind drift someplace else entirely as all my stress melted away leaving you with nothing but cashmere thoughts and a startling clarity of mind.

I went again this morning with the same effects. The experience was different, but the result was the same. I highly reccomend this to everyone here, and since it's completely free, why not?