Music Pumping, Candles Burning, People Jammin’… The Hottest Club? Soul Cycle!

by Karen Elizaga | Posted: June 2nd, 2010 | No Comments »

A couple of weeks ago, Susan wrote about her first Soul Cycle experience. Of course, she loved it! Today, after 15 years of being in the spinning seat and wondering what could possibly make Soul Cycle so different from other spinning classes, I made my way down to Soul Cycle‘s TriBeCa location. I had a taste for myself, and like Susan, I adored it!

Spinning has a very special place in my heart. In 1995, with my dear friends Elizabeth and Amanda, I began spinning. A former aerobics instructor, I was always on the lookout for the latest and greatest workouts, as were my two workout buddies. Spinning – full of blaring beats and profuse sweat – was right up our alley.

Spinning is also one aspect of our early relationship that Jay and I look fondly upon. We made it a Saturday morning ritual to spin on the upper westside with a guy named David Rosenbaum who led us – with the most inspired music selection – through visualizations along long stretches of road and up mountain peaks. Talk about an endorphin blast!

Since then, many of my friends have sung Soul Cycle’s praises, spinners and non-spinners alike, but honestly, I wondered, could it really be that different? And this morning, I figured it out!

I have never experienced anything like it. Darkened room, burning candles, mantras adorning the walls… It was not only a tough, sweaty workout but a beautiful experience. A part of the Soul Cycle mantra embodies the experience perfectly – “We are a fitness community raising the roof at our own cardio party!” You do get the sense that your fellow classmates are there to have fun – as a group. The owners’ motivation for founding Soul Cycle to begin with? They wanted a cardio workout that would “make their hearts sing!”

So what is different about Soul Cycle than any other spinning class you’ve been to?

• They purposefully incorporate a core workout (who doesn’t want flat abs?)
• The instructor leads you through an upper body workout on the bike – with weights!
• But it’s not just about the workout – the instructor encourages spiritual reflection. For example: “What change must you make to create the life you want? You’re NOT going to hold yourself back from the goals you really want to achieve!” (Could that be any better suited to me?)
• The towels smell deliciously like fabric softener
• The burning candles create a totally different aura from a regular gym
• It really feels like a community
• You dance your ass off!

All of those things, I believe, lead you to work just that bit harder. You have just that much more fun. And your heart really DOES sing! At many points, I was having way too much fun and felt like I was boogieing at a dance club. The class sped by in what seemed like 5 minutes! Thanks, Pam Murphy for encouraging me to come with you, and thank you, Susan, for kicking me into the Soul Cycle studio! VIB highly, highly recommends Soul Cycle! We love it when our hearts sing!