Back in March, I signed up to take a class with Marco Rojas. Fortunately, it was cancelled. I say this because I was planning to run a half marathon the next day, and now that I have taken his class & know how hard it is… it was a blessing in disguise! Otherwise, I would have been SO sore the next day for my race!
Anyways… I signed up to take a 1.5 hour class with Marco at Ishta Yoga (Downtown), thinking it would be a tough class. However, this class ended up being much, much more than that (but I must stress, it was still hard!).
After taking a class with Dharma Mittra earlier and eating melted, gooey cheese & potatoes for lunch, I was ready for an advanced yoga class. Great decisions, I know… however, I was doing so much walking, my stomach was fine, and my body was stretched out and ready for round 2 (of 3 classes).
Upon arriving at Ishta, I found that while there was only 1 yoga room, the studio itself was so CLEAN. There was only 1 bathroom, but I arrived early enough to get into the bathroom and change before anyone else arrived. The bathroom was big & roomy, and it felt nice to not have to change in a cramped room with 6 other naked women for once. There was also a place to refill your water bottle with filtered water, and you could make tea.
Since it was my first time, I got a free towel to use, which ended up coming in handy as a buffer for my knee during class. The class was booked, so I went into the room as soon as the last class let out and secured a spot. I grabbed a block in the closet in the back, and placed my personal belongings in the cubby inside the room.
I sat down on my mat, waiting for class to start, when Marco came and sat down next to me. He got so close to me that I thought our noses were going to touch – and immediately began asking me questions – was this my first class with him? How long had I been practicing yoga? Do I have any injuries he should know about? I explained that my rotator cuff had been bothering me in my right shoulder, and he immediately instructed me on how I needed to externally rotate my shoulder while doing chatarungas – actually, my entire practice & everyday. He then began talking about Prana, and using the breath to heal my body. Use your prana – direct your lifeforce, your energy – while practicing.
Then – practice began.
Throughout the entire practice, I used my breath. A LOT. I’ve never been more present in any practice before – I felt like Marco watched me like a hawk, calling me out when I lost focus on my breath, when I was out of alignment. It was like he was in my body the entire class & knew it better than me. And the adjustments… I LOVE to be adjusted, and this man knows the body. He was aggressive, in a good way, and moved my body past any limits I thought I had. On top of all this, he talked about love… raising your consciousness… growing… opening your heart, your body… just amazing. Hands down, the best class I have taken to date in my life. By the end, my body felt amazing, like I had been opened up & stretched more than I have ever felt before.
Afterwards, Marco spoke with me in regards to working towards fixing my rotator cuff, which was extremely helpful. I wanted to stay and talk, but, class ran over 20 minutes (seriously, no complaints here, it was amazing!) and I had to run to my next yoga class at Equinox Greenwich with a friend.
In summary: Come take a class here, WITH Marco. The studio is clean, bathroom large, the staff is kind, and the instructor obviously awesome.
Pros: Inviting Staff. Large bathroom + personal space to change. Can store personal items in room you were practicing in. Filtered water refilling station. Lots of blocks, straps, blankets available for use. Can rent mats/towels.Free towel rental on first visit.
Cons: Studio was a little small, but most in NYC are. No shower (that I was aware of or told about).
Cost: $26 for a 1.5 hour single class pass
Trackbacks/Pingbacks