Amrita Yoga: My New Fishtown Favorite

Category:  Yoga

Target Zone:  Core, Arms, Legs Location:  Fishtown / Northern Liberties

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There were a lot of highlights in my first yoga experience at Amrita Yoga & Wellness, however it wasn’t the very high sweat level, the cool eco-lodgy feel of the studio, or the zenned out quasi-hipster yoga vibe that I will remember most about this adventure. No, for me, it took a trip to Fishtown to achieve what I had basically conceded was the impossible .. a real-live HEADSTAND. Quite honestly I didn't even know I cared about doing a headstand before, but after those 10 seconds spent balancing upside down, now I’m hooked. In fact there is a good chance that I will be setting up a pillow barricade in my living room tonight so I can “practice my tumble”. Wish me luck!

So if you are anything like me, the type who actually tries to avoid classes that spend a lot of time on inversions since mostly you just end up watching these crazy people stand on their heads while you get colder and feel worse about yourself (pretty much the opposite of what yoga is supposed to achieve).. don’t worry, this is not an inversion-centric class at all. This is an hour and a half of strengthening, lengthening, twisting and rinsing. Our teacher Emile’s style mixed super challenging sequences with more restorative poses, while at the same time setting a spiritual but also funny and somewhat competitive tone for the class. The room is heated to around 85-90 degrees, fueling a major sweat but not like Bikram where you start sweating immediately even before working a single muscle. 

The studio (which isn’t even really the right word to describe Amrita) was unlike any place I had seen before in the city. Stepping inside you feel like you are entering more of an urban yoga retreat, than a standard studio complete with one big room and a few changing rooms/restrooms if you’re lucky. This bi-level space has multiple rooms, hallways, and studios.. To the point that from where I checked in, I actually had to be shown how to get to the right room! Exposed wood, little rock gardens and mini-streams of running water weaving around the interior help to create an atmosphere that will quickly transport you away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and into this organically therapeutic little yoga retreat... even if only for a couple of hours. 

The packages at Amrita are arguably the best in the city. For $70 you can buy an unlimited monthly membership which means that if you go just 3 classes a week you are paying less than $6 per class. That’s a pretty ridiculous deal, however, I will say that unless you live in the neighborhood, you could easily make up the difference by paying for your transportation to get there and back. One good solution.. Rally some friends to go with you and split the cab 3 ways. Your friends will thank you and so will your wallet! 

All in all, I felt like I had uncovered a gem when I left Amrita on Sunday. I loved seeing a new part of the city, feeling like I had ventured into some unknown territory, and discovering this fabulous yoga retreat in the middle of our urban jungle. Happy sweating!