My goal upon returning to New York from a two-week trip to Mexico was to keep the full beard that had sprouted as I unwound in a Oaxacan beach town. A low bar, you may be thinking, but I suffer from a condition WebMD is calling “trichotillomania,” which causes me to pull out my own facial hair as a self-soothing mechanism. Removed from expectations of the everyday and the chaos of the city that wear away at my fragile psyche, I no longer needed to self-soothe because I was mollified by everything around me—sun, surf, sand. (Yes, I invented the concept of a beach vacation.)
I had gone to yoga twice in Oaxaca, and I thought attending some sessions in the city could help maintain my serenity-pilled spirit. My high-vibrational friend Kento suggested I try a new studio he heard was good that offered a $35 unlimited week. To make sure I got the most out of the deal, I started going multiple times a day. Searching for new student specials, I hopped around from studio to studio, instructor to instructor, practice to practice—Bikram, Hatha, Ashtanga, Qi Gong, Vinyasa, Yin, Ya…
Login or create an account to read three free articles and receive our newsletter.