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flowerfem595 t1_j4i5he5 wrote

Can’t recommend Asana Soul Practice’s classes enough! They have such a good range of beginner-advanced classes, and the instructors are top-notch and so kind and helpful. I’ve found this studio to be the best, by far, in Jersey City.

I’d also advise you to steer clear of Urban Sadhu Studio. I didn’t have good experiences there at all, except for one teacher named Susan, who was splendid. The rest of the teachers were unfriendly, bossy, woke (in very much the stereotypical and toxic sense) white men that proselytized and issued corrections in a very bossy way more than actually helped and taught. One of these instructors (I believe Sam) actually had us identify our gender in front of the whole class and monologued during Shavasana about how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is pseudo science and dedicating to yourself to the divine is better than anything you could do for your mental health.

Again, nothing like this at Asana Soul Practice. Everyone there and the way the studio is run is simply wonderful and rejuvenating.

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Middle_Brick_3366 t1_j4kkw0l wrote

I made the mistake of trying Urban Sadhu bc I always saw the studio on the way to the PATH. The "teachings" were shallow and teachers not friendly. During my first class, the instructor Austin asked me where I had practiced before, specifically where I learned to do my asanas bc they were all wrong. He was more concerned about comparing their studio to another rather than showing interest in teaching me correct form which was very off-putting. The random proselytizing is excessive and uncalled for.

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Lonely-Wasabi-305 t1_j4jhwqt wrote

I would like the second the notion that this studio is to be avoided…. its insincere and cult like … seconded also to the proselytizing

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gigiwasabi_jc t1_j4lhdnn wrote

Agree, 👎🏻 on urban sadhu (formerly Jivamukti). They’d probably say they are traditional vs workout or gym yoga. But what a lot of ego for “traditional” yoga lol. Feels outdated now, and I don’t mean outdated from traditional or Indian roots, outdated from a white Boomer interpretation of those roots.

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flowerfem595 t1_j4m4qed wrote

Yes! And the kicker is the fact they don’t seem to have any POC as instructors whatsoever. I looked up their IG page, run by Austin I believe, and one of the posts says in all caps, “Eating meat is white supremacy.” These guys are delusional.

Gonna counter my extreme dislike of this studio with more praise for Asana Soul, whose instructors are from all walks of life, extremely diverse, and practice yoga with great expertise and care. Celeste, the owner, is a remarkable woman and I just can’t get enough of everything and everyone she welcomes into the studio.

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