East West Yoga

By Danielle Winston

Enter an eclectic yoga world, with almost as many types of classes as there are assanas. Whether you’re browsing through the luxurious bookstore, adorned with lavish silk scarves and crystals, or sipping gourmet tea at the lovely vegetarian café after class-it’s apparent that much time and mental energy has been spent tending to every meticulous detail at East West Yoga.

“Don’t let the glamour fool you,” says Jan Mathews CEO of East West International, “this studio has deep roots in the Himalayan sages.”

With her blond hair and blushing complexion, Jan looks at least ten years younger than the “Sixty,” she professes to be with a proud smile. A source of boundless energy and enthusiasm, Jan can be found working at East West seven days a week, and rarely gives it a second thought. She speaks loving of the center’s founder, “Swami Rama has been my guru for half my life. I’m a modern Yogi.” Never forgetting its roots, Jan makes an effort to maintain tradition at the center, while at the same time affording all the en vogue conveniences.

And East meets West all right: here you can take classes like punk rock yoga, yoga for creativity, or even psychic development mediation. But if you prefer the traditional route, give Kundalini, Chinese or Vinyasa yoga a try.

In addition to classes, there are numerous other happenings such as: readings, movies, and workshops. Jan laughs, “You could easily spend every day of the week here and not get bored.”

Teacher Brian Williams’ punk rock yoga class has garnered much attention, he tells me “East West embraced the class and have helped it become a favorite among students and staff. There is a high level of love for this place in everything we do. Students say they can feel it when they walk in the door. I certainly feel it as a teacher.”

Athanasia is a student at the center, who responds to the challenging aspects of the core strength Vinyasa classes, she explains, “I find them essential when it comes to connecting with my true-self.”

Sadie Nardini is the creator of core strength Vinyasa and the Director of East West. Tall, sleek with an auburn Cleopatra-style hairdo--she looks as though she might’ve just leapt off the cover of this month’s Yoga Journal. We’re in the café, drinking tea, at a table adorned with a dish of scarlet rose petals, when I ask for a description of the style she formed. Sadie takes a breath, carefully choosing her words, “Core strength Vinyasa is a vigorous style meant to draw each posture back into center. So we use a lot of inward direction in yoga. In many classes you’re going out. We start in. And until you can hold your foundation and your center, you never overreach. So it’s a very powerful direction of teaching.”

Sadie wants me to understand how the student dynamics of East West differ from other studios, “Each style of class naturally forms a community and students come here to learn that particular teaching.” She says, “The groups often become social and spiral off to chat in the café. And because of all the different choices people feel safe enough to try something new.”

By the time I leave the center it occurs to me: this is not your ordinary studio. It’s a spinning wheel of yoga choices, each one a new life experience. Sort of like traveling from the East to the West, packing nothing more than a rubber mat, and never leaving Greenwich Village.

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Q & A

with Sadie Nardini and Jan Mathews

What is the attitude of the front desk?

They feel a clean happy vibe. We have our mind on Feng Shui and organization every day.

How is this place different?

Each of the studios around has their own style of yoga. We wanted to be a bridge from East to West. It’s many diverse styles of Yoga. We have Chinese and other eastern modalities there. We have healing arts. We don’t promote only one path as a way to your spiritual center.

The sorts of people come here are...?

From a three-month-old baby to an eighty-five-year-old person.

Jan: We also have Jewish traditions here. We celebrate the Jewish holidays here. The rabbis come to East West. They talk here and they shop here, they take crystal-healing classes here. We’ve got Buddhism, yoga, different philosophies that come here.

What are the Teachers like?

Jan: They have to have at least five years of experience before they come here and are experts in the styles they teach.

Tell me about the styles taught?

We have been careful not to have one type of yoga predominating. Every class is a jewel.

East West is different why?

It’s unique in that the individual jewels of classes create our community. People come in for the classes. They are magical classes.

Describe the rooms.

They are simple and have a high-energy vibration. There are no mirrors, which I love. It’s an airy embrace.

Jan: Everything is brand new including the bamboo floors, which is important, because they give a soft resilience. We even have an air purification system.

How many students are in the classes?

Primetimes you can expect anywhere from 20-40 people. During the morning you can probably expect 10 or more.

What can a new student expect?

A new student can take any basics class. We have a class for Yoga for the inflexible. A student will come out feeling like they weren’t rushed. Like they’ve learned more about their yoga practice. Calm, centered and in their own skin.

Jan: I think the most important thing is that our yoga is not competitive. People do not have to dress for success here. Our teachers are not competitive and they know what injuries students have.

What would you say to a hesitant new student?

We go over the schedule and explain what they might experience in each class. We are a gateway to the proper class for them already. And we ask them questions. We are constantly asking people what they need? Are they happy? No matter where you are now there is a class for you.

How do teachers handle adjustments?

Most of our teachers are encouraged to ask if anyone is uncomfortable with hands-on adjustments. We start by asking if there are injuries or limitations that we should know about.

In your opinion, what’s the most common misconception about yoga?

Jan: You have to be thin, athletic, strong, to do yoga. But really yoga is about your own inner development and in not comparative. Another misconception is that yoga is not for men. But some of the most advanced yogis I know are men.

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East West Yoga

78 Fifth Avenue 2nd Floor
Nearest Subway Stop: East 4, 5, 6, to Union Square 1,2,3, E, F, NR to 14th Street
Phone: 212-243-5995
Hours of Operation: M-Thurs 10 AM -7:30 PM, Fri. 12:30-6:30, PM Sat 11:30 7:30 & Sun 10-7:00
Website: www.eastwestnyc.com
$25 - New Student Special - week of unlimited classes

Special activities:
Qi Gong, astrology, yoga for men, women’s health, Ayurvedic medicine. Jan Matthews gives a free daily netipot demonstration in the café.

NEXT ISSUE: JIVAMUKTI Yoga School

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