New York: The Yoga PassBook
The perfect holiday gift for the aspiring--or new-to-NYC--yogi in your life is the Yoga PassBook. It's a booklet of coupons for more than 300 free yoga, dance, and pilates classes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens with a smattering in Long Island and New Jersey. The bulk of them are in--shocker--Manhattan. That's a whole lotta chances to find a new favorite studio or teacher.
Most of the coupons are good for two free classes per studio, with some lasting a week or a month at more generous (and presumably less populated) studios. The site that sells them, Health-Fitness.org, lists the long roll call of participating studios--from Area Yoga to Zawacki Dance (plus tons of popular places like Exhale, Golden Bridge, and Jivamukti). Most of the passes are for yoga studios, but it's kind of neat that you can also indulge in an occasional Tango or African dance class. Some of the passes get you free private or semi-private Pilates sessions.
For the Pilates-inis and plain-old fitness geeks in your life you can get The Pilates PassBook and The Fitness PassBook. I just called and the very nice man told me that if you get two of the $75 Yoga PassBooks you get $10 off, or if you buy any three, you'll get a fourth one free--good reason to grab four friends and a calculator.
All the coupons you'd order now are good for 2008, with no weird blackout dates or classes or anything. I've bought these before, and they really are a cool way to sample the city's offerings. And you only need to go to around six classes to justify the price of a book--seriously better guilt odds that a month long studio pass or gym membership that you know you won't completely use.
Go here to order or find out more.
And here's someone blogging on the Passbook adventures: nyfitnesspass.blogspot.com
Have you gotten a passbook before? How'd it work for you?
yogajournal.com
vegetariantimes.com
backpacker.com
optimumwellness.com
wholefoodsmarket.com
betternutrition.com
Comments
This sounds too good to be true. Has anyone purchased this and are there any hidden restrictions?
Posted by: Sharon | December 7, 2007 12:58 AM
Pros-
1. It is very inexpensive and a great deal. For only $75 you get a whole year's worth of yoga. Really, there are way more passes than a person can use in one year.
2. You get to try a variety of different classes and styles.
Cons-
1. You'll always be going to a different studio. This could be a good thing, but you miss out on the whole student/teacher relationship.
2. Even though it is not always enforced, on the back of each pass, it says that the classes are for new students only. So you might be turned away if you try to use it at a studio you've already been to, or you might not.
3. Call ahead, sometimes the pass will only apply to certain classes on the schedule.
4. The studios DO NOT get reimbursed in any way in the sales of these books. What this means is that a studio agrees to be in the book and that they will give away an unlimited number of free/discounted classes. The idea is that students are buying these passes to try out classes and then to pick the studio they like best. Studios hope that students will pick them. Unfortunately, many people abuse the passbook and buy one year after year, returning to studios year after year, expecting free classes. Although the passbook itself says that passes are for "new students" only, they still sent me a notice reminding me to buy another passbook this year, perpetuating the cycle.
5. Sometimes, teachers are paid "per head" and "comp" students don't count.
Conclusions:
If you have a lot of time, buy the passbook, try out some classes. You only need to take about 4 classes to make it worth the purchase. Please keep in mind that the studios and teachers are providing you a free service, and be sure to thank them PROFUSELY!
Posted by: elise | December 11, 2007 7:55 PM
Thanks, Elise, for enlightening!
Posted by: Valerie Reiss | December 12, 2007 9:16 PM