Queens Community Yoga officially opened on Monday, Jan. 13, offering Maspeth residents a new space to unwind and take time for themselves.
Annie Herman has opened the studio with the idea of creating an environment in her community where people can come to “unplug, reset, and be together.”
Located at 55-25 69th St. in Maspeth, the studio is a welcoming space for people of all ages to come and practice yoga. Herman wants to change common misconceptions about yoga and show that it’s not about “getting into these crazy poses” but instead used for “calming the fluctuations of the mind.”
“It’s not about being able to hold a headstand for a long time. It’s more about moving in a way with your breath that’s good for you so that you’re able to open up the energy in your body, meditate, and clear your mind of all those fluctuations,” she explained.
The studio offers multiple classes with different teachers nearly every day of the week. To register for a class and view the schedule, visit here.
The Vinyasa Flow class explores the powerful connection between breath and movement through a dynamic flow designed to cultivate strength, flexibility, and mindfulness. Meanwhile, the Yinyasa class blends dynamic flowing movements with longer-held grounding poses to build heat and strength.
Other classes include Yin Yoga, Pilates, Inner Fire Hatha Yoga, Candlelight Hatha Yoga and Meditation, Restorative Yoga, and Core Fusion.
“We hope we can allow people to realize that, over time, yoga has the power to take you to this mental and physical homeostasis and that it’s great to connect with your community but also to ground yourself and connect simultaneously as well,” Herman added.
Herman hand-picked the studio’s team, taking the time to find “a very diverse and fantastic group of not only teachers but also individuals that I know the community will love.”
She has developed “powerful connections” with people through yoga and wants to be able to share that with the Maspeth community.
Herman moved to Maspeth from Philadelphia five years ago. Before the move, she had worked at the YMCA, which was like “a second home.” Since moving, however, she has yet to get that feeling again and hopes this studio will fill the void while providing the same experience for her new community.
The process to get the studio going began in August 2024. They partnered up with MotionScoop Dance Academy, run by Mari Vasconez, to run a shared space in the same location. There are walls between the studios.
Herman explained that the space leased by the two organizations used to be an office, which made it take longer to turn into a studio. They demolished the previous place and completely rebuilt it with their vision in mind.
“It’s been a long process with a lot of doubts and excitement, and now I’m just really excited to have the doors open,” Herman remarked.
Further down the road, Herman plans to engage with the Maspeth community through hosting workshops and community service events, but for now, they are focused on getting the studio up and running for their first few weeks of classes.
For more information on class pricing, including passes and gift cards, visit here.
