We Flow Hard at Y7 ✨🙏🏽✨ Upper East Side Style

“Yoga For People Who Put On Gangsta Rap and Handle It”

— Vogue

Y7, WHAT IT DO

Going to manhattan last month, I made my way around the city eating up the culture, digesting the sounds and sights along the way. The amount of people just walking about made me want to close my eyes and just exhale through the chaos. It was a good chaos though. Almost like a calm rush that comes over you when you feel centered in even the midst of waves crashing all around you.  

It was in the upper east side that I found myself experiencing this controlled intensity. 

For years, I've wanted to visit the y7 studio in brooklyn. I was so inspired by co-founder, sarah levey, who pushed for a new movement in yoga, bringing soul and song to classes. You could take a vinyasa class and still hear jay z and j dilla or fetty wap all in the same hour. A new age of yoga is here.

And this was the style that I had dreamed of teaching to. You see, in my yoga school of thought, we were mostly traditionalist. I flashback to moments when I would raise my hand in class, I would ask about "Black girl magic yoga" and "Trap yoga" and how yoga could be renewed tastefully with the current trends. The response was lacking, it made others uncomfortable because I don't think they saw yoga as an agent for social change. I was one of the only people of color in my group. So my inspiration came from a place that only I could relate. Sorry boutcha. It wasn't better or less than, it was just focused on something outside of comfort zones. People don't want to talk about race, economics, and psychology in yoga. But the idea of "Access" is very important to me.   

If I'm being honest, my first goal as a yoga instructor was to bring healthcare and wellness to communities in need, those coming out of trauma, anyone who could not afford health insurance, and the like. I wanted to show my creativity and build a space for expression, letting us do things the way a generation is supposed to. Change does not mean we forget the principles and truth and creed. We can still hold our values and yet, live a little. Y7 studio is doing just that.

In the studio, I had this amazing experience of curated playlists, culture, open-minded movement, and acceptance. 

I took the weflowhard vinyasa classin the morning. Our instructor was so pleasant, staff was helpful and the studio was gorgeous. Black on black on black. I loved going up the stairs, each step reading inspirational lyrics from remy ma and fat joe. Inside the studio room, it's dim. Only lit by candles. It sets the mood for self improvement. You almost don't worry about others around you. It's one hour of heat, inspiration, hip hop, and sweat.

Every city I go, I always make time to learn something from that place. Y7 taught me how to flow hard, how to build a peak class and create an environment for challenge. As an instructor, I'm trying to learn how to be okay with placing challenge in the room.And I'm getting better. Y7 studio has a way of making you feel comfortable and aware. The playlist is a plus.

By the way, you can purchase the we flow hard y7 guide here. The merch is amazing too! Sweatshirts, sports bras, and candles (I had to take one home with me.)