83 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
212.219.9635
Every time I see my landlady she tells me I have to check out the Open Center. I looked at their website and was impressed by the array of classes they hold, not just yoga classes, but meditation, writing, nutrition, etc. They have a lengthy list of visiting teachers that include such greats as Alan Finger of ISHTA yoga and Julia Cameron, writer of “The Artist Way”. Seeing all of these great names and teachers, I was a little intimidated to check it out and I’ll admit, I put it off for a few weeks. But, the other day, I was feeling a little less afraid and a little more open to the experience so I jumped at the chance before my fears held me back again.
Their only drop-in yoga class is on Wednesdays at 12:30, so around noon, I meandered my way over. I walked in and saw a plethora of fliers advertising upcoming classes. There is also a quaint bookstore to your right and as you walk down the hall the ground floor opens up to an area housing several reception desks. I spoke to a friendly woman at the first desk who directed me over to another desk where I could sign in. I quickly realized they didn’t take credit cards (I believe that only pertains to the drop-in yoga class) and had to run out to the nearby bank to get some cash.
Take two. With cash in hand, I re-entered the center and quickly filled out my new student registration cards, meanwhile discussing with the staff the many languages you can set your Facebook page to. (I enjoyed Pirate for a while, but it soon got too confusing to figure out).
I decided to take the stairs to the third floor instead of the elevator. I made my way up a grand wooden staircase and stopped on the third floor landing. I was a little confused as the stairs to the fourth floor were roped off, so I knew I couldn’t go any further, but I was afraid to enter as the only door to the third floor looked like it led into an office. Finally I knocked and a woman inside pointed to a second door inside the office that led to the yoga room.
Once inside, the teacher, Maureen, soon came up to me and introduced herself and pulled down a few props for me as I set up my yoga mat. The room was long and narrow and Maureen set herself up in the middle along one of the longer walls. The setup made it more intimate as we were only two rows deep, facing her from the front and both sides.
We started out slowly, doing some breathing and seated arm stretches as Maureen discussed the concept of yoga and its benefits to digestion. The class participants varied in age and physical abilities so it was very much an all levels class, and leaned towards a more gentle, slow moving practice. After our stretches we began a standing warm up including flowing half salutations. We transitioned into several standing poses with long, rejuvenating holds. It was a very laid back class and the students who needed to come out of the longer holds early, felt completely comfortable doing so.
After doing some backbends, our class wound down with a Shoulder Stand (the first one I’ve done in a group class since coming to NYC) and some reclined twists. We finished with a nice long Savasana.
As we were wrapping up, I approached Maureen and began to talk to her about the Open Center and their programs. She mentioned that they are planning a move to 30th and Madison. They’ve been working on it for a while so if you’re scheduled to attend a class or program, make sure to call and check in to verify which location they’re at. I am a little sad to see them go as they’re currently in a great neighborhood and building, however in keeping with the name, I want to keep myself Open to the opportunities their new, larger location will afford them!
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