About Revel Yoga
I created Revel Yoga because I wanted to cultivate a non-pretentious space where real humans mattered more than their social media highlight reels.
Simply put: yoga changed my life, and not because I discovered Lululemons and nailed some upside-down asanas.
Yoga changed my life by allowing me to be more present to experience it.
Long story short, when I first started doing yoga, I was a stressed out graduate student living in New York City, commuting two hours per day to and from work and school . I was a cocktail waitress and bartender by night and an actor by day . And I can tell you from experience: that all sounds a whole lot sexier than it actually is.
At the time, I was suffering from panic attacks and depression.
My roommate at the time thought it would be a good idea to drag me to a hot yoga class . So I reluctantly say yes, and walk into this hot yoga room in midtown Manhattan. And it’s hot (obviously), and it smells, and some folks are half naked and I immediately I think... “What the f*ck did I just get myself into?”
But the teacher was not what I expected a “yoga teacher” would be...
He was funny, charismatic, and cool . He felt more like a wise, inspiring, hip friend than a ‘yogi .’ I thought to myself “I wanna be like that guy.”
And as far as the practice of doing yoga? Well, I walked out of that class a different person. I felt like a film had been removed from me. I felt way more grounded and secure, like I could be present without so much fear. I felt calm and comfortable in my own skin. It was unreal.
I decided I’d keep going for a month and just see . What I saw was that it totally changed my life. I never looked back.
I learned that a yoga class isn’t just a workout. It’s a chance to walk into a room, shift your state of mind and body, and quite literally: transform.
If you’re injured, it can help you heal.
If you’re anxious, it can help you relax.
If you’re tired, it can boost your energy.
If you’re out of shape, it can gently strengthen you.
You can cultivate calm, patience, diligence, and balance - all with one class.
As a studio owner and teacher trainer today, I often think about that first class and how it changed me. How that class had its own beginning, middle, and end. How I started insecure and anxious and completed the class completely “at home” in myself.
And that’s the power of yoga. While life has had its ups and downs, yoga is consistent.
It’s one thing you can rely on to hold you, align you, and help you move through many ever-shifting and challenging chapters of life with wisdom and peace.
That’s why I love yoga and why it’s my mission to make yoga fun, approachable, and welcoming. Yes, of course having a yoga-fit body is nice to look at, but it’s even nicer to live inside of.
That’s why, at Revel Yoga, we focus on transitions and alignments in our classes. Not on making you an Instagram headstand champion for the sake of competition.
Because real yoga isn’t really about the fancy headstands or the overpriced, cute printed pants . It’s about being with your body, your mind, and your breath -- in community -- and showing up consistently for yourself. Because yoga starts on the inside.
It starts with what you can believe you’re capable of. It continues with you breathing into that belief as your mind tells your body what to do, and completes with your body opening and moving in ways and at depths it never had before.
At Revel, yoga is not a performance. It’s a slow, compassionate, and deliberate commitment to YOU. Here, you won’t get any “love and light” fluff, but you will get gentle yet firm nurturing to improve your practice and your strength, without injuring yourself.
Because practice is better than perfect.
And stumbling is better than straining.
(And it’s all even better when it’s set to incredible music. ;-) )
We’re here to help you start where you are and stretch what you have to feel the best you’ve ever felt -- and have fun doing it.
You ready? Let’s go >>
