Crash Course: Lyons Den Power Yoga is the only studio offering Baptiste power vinyasa classes in New York City. The Power Flow class is 90 minutes of vigorous heated practice that packs in a total body workout and promises to leave you soaked in sweat. Great conditioning for beginners, athletes, and everyone in-between. Just remember to listen to your body, because no matter what your experience level, it gets mighty hot in there! Click here for a full schedule of class times.
where: 279 Church St. | TriBeCa
bring: water, extra change of dry clothes, mat
perks: showers, mat rental, two free towels
sweat score: 10 out of 10
wear: you’re going to sweat so keep it light
instructor: Bethany Lyons
cost: $24 drop in / $89 first month unlimited/ $179 monthly for the year
Of all the studios back home I miss the most, Down Dog Yoga in Georgetown ranks at the top of my list. It’s a place I first discovered in college – before fit crashing, before this blog, and before I even really knew what yoga was. I went there for the workout and stayed there because of the incredible experience I had each and every time I got on my mat. DDY and I have been though a lot together: internships, college sports practices, graduate school, three marathons, broken hearts, loved one’s deaths, new jobs, and so much more. It truly is a place I consider home.
So when I moved to New York City, the first order of business on my fit crashing list was to find a substitute for Down Dog in my new home. A place where I could feel rooted, welcomed, and under that same sweaty spell I became so intoxicated with in DC. To my surprise, there is only one studio in the whole of Manhattan that offers the same Baptiste style of yoga as Down Dog. And to my great relief, it is a studio that – while still new to me – feels very much like home.
So let’s jump right in to the review, shall we?
Lyons Den is located on the third floor of a walk-up building on Church Street. It’s a little tricky to find your first time, so when you’re getting close look for the small sandwich board sign out front with the studio’s name. Come upstairs and sign in at the front desk – they’ll hand you two towels for use in class. I promise you’ll need them!
There isn’t a large amount of space in the common area of the studio, so get ready for lots of jostling and squeezing by when waiting to get into the studio. Everyone is very nice about it, but the space constraint is inevitable.
The common area has a small selection of items for purchase, including Mio Skincare products, Lyons Den gear, and other yoga-related items. There is also a fridge with cold waters and LuliTonix in case you need some refreshment before or after class. I’ve had both the Chia Life and the Chia X and can recommend them as being delicious.
The women’s locker room is located at the far end of the studio. In there you’ll find electronic-code lockers, a fully-stocked shower, hair dryers, and other amenities for sprucing up post sweat.
The shower is a huge perk because you exit class absolutely soaked in sweat. Next time I go I need to remember to pack an extra set of dry clothes to change into. I think it would make my commute home so much more enjoyable (for myself and those trapped on the subway with me), particularly in the colder months.
I’m also a huge fan of the fact that they have Fireballs casually stocked next to hair scrunchies and bandaids.
The studio itself has sparkling clean wood floors and beautiful exposed brick. It has a very welcoming, homey, unpretentious feel to it.
If you rented a mat, grab one from the back of the room and set it up so that you’re facing the brick wall. That’s the front of the studio. If it’s a full class you’ll be close to your neighbor but not packed in like a sardine, which can sometimes be intimidating or uncomfortable. I appreciated the community feel without having my neighbor’s sweat dripping on me the entire time.
Bethany is the founder of Lyons Den and teaches a powerful, stunningly authentic class. She has a clear vision of what she wants to create during those 90 minutes and it is a thrill to be along for the ride.
When I took her 90 minute Power Flow class, she had just returned from Level 2 teacher training and seemed to be absolutely overflowing with energy and inspiration. She asked the class if we were ready to “move” and then led us through some of the fiercest sun salutations I have ever done. When I had a moment to catch my breath after the fifth one, the sweat was pouring off of my face and the room was buzzing. This wasn’t going to be an ordinary yoga practice.
The sequences during class were athletic and challenging, with modifications and reminders to “listen to your body” sprinkled throughout. This is definitely one of the more physically rigorous types of yoga out there and you leave feeling like every cell in your body got a workout.
Some of the most memorable moments of class included:
Bethany encouraging us to leave the sweat dripping off of our bodies alone. “I like to think of each drop as letting go of something I don’t need,” she said. A total ah-ha moment for me – I put the towel down.
Occasionally hearing “BE A CREATION” when wobbling in side plank or half moon pose. I have never been given that cue before and I found it especially awesome. Somehow it made me want to be as big and energetic as possible. We were constantly encouraged to be playful in the poses, fall, mess up, and try again.
Moving into the hip-opening half pigeon pose (my nemesis) and having Bethany turn off the lights and put on an Adele song. That pose is known to be very emotional and some teachers say that it’s common to have feelings bubble to the surface while in it. Pair that with Make You Feel My Love for right pigeon and I Won’t Give Up for left pigeon, and, well…there were only a few dry eyes left in the house.
Overall, I left the class feeling incredible. Incredibly sweaty, incredibly clear, incredibly tired. It was that same incredible feeling that I first fell in love with in DC, and I am over the moon to have found it here in my new city. Lyons Den is not on ClassPass and is in the opposite direction from both my office and my apartment, but those blips won’t stop me from coming back again soon.
What yoga studio feels like “home” to you?
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