Dear Family,
I’m thrilled and honored with the responsibility Lauren Hanna has given me to lead her studio going forward. There are words, and there are deeds. Lauren, by her deeds, has been the biggest supporter I’ve had since I discovered this practice.
Fact: Sonic Yoga would not have survived the pandemic lockdown, and its aftermath, without the foresight, creativity and diligence of Chris Temple. Whatever I’m able to accomplish with the studio going forward, will only be possible because of Chris’s foundation. The things I’ll focus on are only viable because of the mechanisms he’s put in place.
Mitchell Polon is a bulldog. But he is our bulldog. He fights for our interests with a passion that is unmatched.
Speaking of fighting, it is no exaggeration to say that Sonic is at the vanguard of a defense of a culture that is fast slipping away. Intention is everything- it sets the vibration and the frequency of any energy set in motion. The intention that brought yoga to to these shores by Swami Vivekananda was pure. The movement that followed and was held up by so many others brought a culture shift in the West epic in scope. Slowly, then rapidly, this movement has been shaded by profiteers, putting the future of independent studios in large urban centers in doubt.
What will we do about it? We will lean hard into what makes us unique. We won’t chase the examples and energy of corporate entities who co-opt this practice and philosophy, bend it to their will, and reduce an ancient practice to vaguely esoteric calisthenics. We’ll stand in faith and express our knowledge of the whole practice.
Some classes will get a little longer. Some will be offered a little later. The vibe will trend a little edgier. As the office job paradigm that shaped our offerings has been turned on its head, and the culture that surrounds us seemingly darkens by the day, we will narrow our gaze and fight.
We are an independent, woman-owned yoga studio in the heart of Manhattan, here since 2001. This is rare. We are special. This why talent such as Todd Christopher Henry, Pam Scoca and Pamela Kalechofsky still stand with us, ready to drive this narrative with me. Now Rebecca Light joins to add her perspective and intelligence to the operations of the studio. We’re blessed, truly.
If you are reading this you were drawn to Sonic at some point largely, I believe, because you felt something. Remember, we are special. And that’s a responsibility. We will stay together, fight together, and take courage from the knowledge that the vibrations we set off together will cause our numbers to grow. Like-minded individuals will feel our pull, join us, and Sonic will thrive.
Hari Om
Keith
