Fitness Friday: Yoga Six — Aesthetically Athletic

This review is a LONG time coming. I'm a bit mad at myself for ignoring this studio for song long, to be frank, considering it is my absolute favorite place to go for yoga. I've written about yoga's impact on my life and mentioned Yoga Six before, but I want to dedicate an entire post to them this Friday.

I discovered Yoga Six the Saturday I came to Chicago to view what is now my apartment. My parents and I were walking around the neighborhood and I saw the sign for Yoga Six Gold Coast, and right then decided that was the studio I wanted to join. It was close to home, reasonably priced and had a good reputation.

There's a lot about Y6 that makes it one of the best in the city. The facilities are large, spacious, modern and clean. They host a lot of unique events, and additionally, they offer a wide variety of classes, from Flow, to Deep Stretch, to Vinyasa, to Power. You read that right: Vinyasa and Power are two different classes, as they should be. That's obviously not everything they offer. You can check them out HERE (and tell them I sent you!). Additionally, if you join Classpass (which you can do HERE) you can find their full range of classes on there as well (unlike CorePower).

I do want to share a few of my favorite things about Y6 Gold Coast with you, though keep in mind these are my personal favorites, and you should give every class and instructor a shot at least once! I prefer traditional yoga. Some contemporary music is cool, but I don't want weights and squats, etc. Y6 does a great job of educating you about how yoga began, its purpose, and the culture surrounding it.

My favorite class is Power. Hands. Down. And I basically only take it with Lauren Bellagamba. I'll pretty much take anything she teaches, to be honest. I've tried out a lot of yoga with a lot of instructors, and she's still my favorite. I think it's because she reminds me of my first ever yoga teacher. A common theme at Y6 is to make adjustments to make yoga work for you. If you go in thinking you're going to magically be able to hop into a pose, you're just kidding yourself. Adjustments and modifications are encouraged and help you grow. Lauren is especially good about this.

Deep Stretch has to come next. I do love me some Performance Stretch at Studio Three with lacrosse balls and tennis balls, but Deep Stretch is my go to for actual stretching and calming both inflamed muscles and my mind. It starts out with a very easy flow, before moving into held poses to really stretch you out. I always leave feeling amazing!

The final I'll mention is meditation, because I'm so excited it's back! I have a LOT of trouble shutting off my brain. A lot. I want to meditate, but I just can't do it at home. I do spend two minutes every morning just existing (with a nice bit of rain sound in the background) but I can't just sit and meditate for 30 minutes. This class makes that possible. I usually go to Flow before, then stick around to meditate. I can't say how it will be now that they've brought it back, but formerly it was on Sundays. The leader will provide either a breathing exercise, a Sankalpa (like a mantra or intention) or both. They help you get comfortable either sitting (in a variety of different ways to keep you comfortable so you can focus) or laying down on your mat. I recommend being ultra comfortable! I usually put on big sweatpants over my yoga tights, and a hoodie. I keep angling that they'll do Nidra once (which is guided relaxation) and comfort is especially important in those classes. Once you're set up and comfortable, it's time to get down to business. Those 30 minutes once a week can change so much in your attitude. I highly, highly recommend giving it a shot!

A year and a half later, Y6 is still my ride or die. After developing a love affair with SoulCycle, Barry's Bootcamp and ClassPass, I have ended my membership at Y6, but I'm highly considering renewing, especially now that mediation is back!

I would love for you to give Y6 a try! If you drop by, tell them I sent you and be sure to let me know what you think!

--B