The new 90-minute yoga experience is designed by women, for women.
For women, building community can be just as valuable as building physical strength.
Nearly two-thirds of women say all-female groups have a positive effect on well-being, according to a recent Pew Research survey. That said, 15 percent of women report feeling lonely or isolated all or most of the time.
Equinox’s latest offering helps satisfy the social, physical, and mental pillars of health. EQX ARC Yoga: Women’s Workshop, a new 90-minute yoga experience designed for women by Equinox instructor Clio Manuelian, is now available at select Equinox Clubs.
The journey opens with conversation. You first gather in small groups to share your “why” and what you hope to gain from practice. “I just think that having a connection with other people, and especially other women, is so beneficial and so uplifting,” says Manuelian. “...But I don't think we've included it enough, especially in group classes. Like, here we all are together, so say hello to somebody. Make a little connection, and it will build.”
Then begins slow, static work and guided breathing to settle your mind and prepare it for the intense movements to come. Once grounded and present, the instructor guides you through a dynamic, progressive warm-up that mobilizes, stretches, and strengthens. Each section of lunges, twists, folds, and extensions builds on the last, igniting the core and elevating heart rate. At the workshop’s peak, you practice balance-testing inversions and backbends that match experience and comfort level. A wide-leg fold is encouraged just as much as a full headstand. “I think it's also very empowering for women to feel that they can have the strength and the suppleness to get themselves upside down and get themselves right side up again,” says Manuelian.
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Following those moments of intensity and effort, the instructor offers a cool-down of deeply restorative postures. Embrace the silence and tune in with your breath. Then transition into savasana for a final moment of peace before reflecting with classmates.
The entire experience is designed to meet women where they are. “I want to give women the education for them to take care of themselves and to still be able to get the benefits of their practice,” says Manuelian. Blocks, straps, blankets, and wall space are used for support. Modifications for injuries are welcomed, as are options for pregnancy (when lying flat on the back for prolonged periods is discouraged) or menstruation (when cramping and dips in energy might occur). Adapt, push limits, grow. But don’t ignore the external factors that might affect your practice — your menstrual cycle, stage of life, health conditions, or daily stressors.
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This combination of physical, mental, and social work is designed to leave you feeling not only strong, capable, and energized, but also centered, rejuvenated, and attuned to your body.
EQX ARC Yoga: Women’s Workshop is open to all female-identifying members, regardless of yoga experience, and is ideal for those who enjoy power, hatha, vinyasa, yin, or restorative methods.
Sign up for EQX ARC Yoga: Women’s Workshop at select Equinox Clubs throughout May in the EQX+ app.