After a solid month of looking intently for a room to teach my own yoga classes, I found one. I looked at over 50 spaces in total.
I was picky. I wanted:
– beautiful space
– bright
– shiny wood floors, sprung (meaning they have some cushioning to them)
– well-maintained
– housed in a place with lots of artists around
– quiet, ideally sound proof
– good subway access
– doorman
– elevator
– affordable
– professionally managed
– amenities like clean restrooms, wi-fi, and a comfortable space for students to wait if they arrive early
– ability to move to a smaller or larger room to accommodate the class size
– mirrors
– easy cancellation / re-scheduling policy
I asked for the world. In truth I was pickier about the space than I was about finding my own apartment. I wasn’t willing to live with less. If I’m going to ask people to come to my class and pay to be there, even if it is a modest $10 a class with $2 donated to a charity of the student’s choice, I’m going to make sure it’s perfect. And as Brian always tells me, “You get what you settle for.”
Pearl Studios NYC located at 500 8th Avenue between 35th and 36th Streets will be home to my very first independently run yoga classes as part of Compass Yoga. Classes start on Sunday January 30, 2011, 6pm – 7pm. The class on the 30th will be free to anyone who’d like to attend. Thereafter, they will run every Sunday from 6pm – 7pm. Schedule will always be posted here and on this Facebook page. I hope you’ll join us!
The photo above is a picture of the room where I’ll be teaching yoga at Pearl Studios. (We’ll move the piano!)
Christa Avampato 