THE FIERCE CLUB

I teach yoga at a great spot in New York City, The Fierce Club. It's almost exactly the kind of place I would have opened if I were opening a studio. It's airy, sunny, and bright. White walls,

and tall ceilings, some great murals on the walls by cool local artists, and staffed by funny, talented and original teachers who have something to really add to the world of yoga. Fresh

perspectives, insights, and moves that draw on traditional postures, creatively sequenced

in order to strengthen the core, stoke the inner fires, and focus the mind.

The other day, a yogi I know said "The Fierce Club. It's a really aggressive name for a yoga

studio." The thing is, in NYC, every yoga studio advertises itself as "an oasis in the middle of

the concrete jungle...a retreat from big city bustle and noise....a quiet sanctuary" or something

similar. We are about yoga in the city. We're about finding quiet, finding your strong center even in the middle of noise and chaos, in the middle of drama. We're not a retreat from that, and we don't believe you have to run away from the world in order to find peace.

We offer you a chance to learn how to thrive, to live a centered life no matter what's going on around you.

If you look at yoga, it's not some sappy new age practice anyway. Three of the most common poses are the "warriors." I might have said to my friend "well, with that logic, we should rename the warrior poses--they sound too aggressive." I don't believe yoga teaches you to be passive. I think it teaches you fierceness...there's even Ukatasana--which translates as "fierce"

pose.

At the Fierce Club, we're not suggesting you live your life screaming at people and getting up in everyone's face. We're more about the FIERCE life---we want to live lives that are important, lives that are about giving out from a place of inner alignment, lives that are reflective of our core values...and though I can't speak for anyone other than myself, I believe the chief philosophy behind the fierceness relates more to reflecting your inner values in your outer life more than any kind of "aggressiveness."

The owners of the place, Sadie and Shannon, are awesome, and both of them continue to inspire me with the way they run their business--ethically, honestly, and with a lot of integrity. That's fierce!