Yoga Maya

Every once in a while I like to venture to a new studio. NYC is full of so many yoga studios. As I am working on improving arm balances with push ups, the recent choice to take Karate classes, and taking Dharma's Master class & class with Isaac at Sankalpah...I had heard about an instructor named Raghunath from Dice and Bri after they did our inversion/arm balance workshop at Bamboomoves. To be honest, I sometimes opt out of the arm balances, due to fear which is foolish, but being in classes where you know handstanding is the norm, can be inspirational. The energy at least inspires a hop. I heard Raghunath is a handstander. I also heard that Yoga Maya is a lovely new studio. I went to Yoga Maya, walked in to see gorgeous intricately cut, typical Indian wood wall dividers decorating various parts of the studios and acting as doors. Lovely colored walls and friendly faces. I sign up for class, and place my mat behind a nice guy (obvious hand-stander) and start to stretch out. The studio is colored with lovely light blue paint, their is nice light from an overhead skylight like window, and the dark wood dividers cover some of the other windows. In walks a vibrant, Curly haired yogini fairy with a British Accent, who calls our attention to her stalk of green veggies she bought at the Union Square Farmers Market. Yummy! She announces that she will be subbing the Open Level Class. She begins with a reading from a book, the Om as she plays along on the Harmonium, and then class. We flow through a somewhat super easy vinyasa class (which I didn't expect since it was an open level class) but I enjoyed. My intuition on the guy in front of me proved right, he was a hand- stander and took any and every opportunity to pop up. The instructor, Deborah gave a really lovely class. Her accent made it seem as though it was yoga with Mary Poppins which was extra fun! After class I found out the the guy in front (Marco) did his teacher training with Raghunath, and that is how he learned his handstand. Hopefully, I will get to come back to Yoga Maya. It really is a gorgeous studio. Thanks Deborah for a wonderful class. It was lovely to meet you!

Pictured: Deborah & Ambria at the Yoga Maya Studio