Reflections Reopens

After losing their lease because the building was being converted into a hotel, Reflections Center for Conscious Living & Yoga had two choices: close or find a new space.

Owner Paula Tursi, who's been running the studio for six years, decided she would only open in one if she could secure a long lease. In the magical way the universe tends to work, she found a space tucked away on East 24th between 2nd and 3rd Avenues in Gramercy Park. A 10-year lease and a wildly successful Indigogo campaign that helped raise $25,000 to build it out, has guaranteed Reflections longevity for the foreseeable future.

When entering the lobby, it's immediately apparent that this is still Reflections Center for Conscious Living. The vibe is exactly the same as the previous location with a centrally located welcome desk and a full-sized kitchen that give the whole place a feeling of home.

All around you’ll find subtle but intimate details that at first might go unnoticed but are instrumental in creating the warmth of the space. Near the kitchen is a living room-esque seating area that makes you want to pour a cup of tea, plop down on the couch and grab one of the books off the nearby shelf. Random pops of color and architectural features like a robin's egg blue barrel vaulted ceiling and an outdoor Zen Garden that can be viewed from halfway across the studio show how much love and care Tursi put into small touches.

The center still offers several different studios and practitioner rooms for both classes and event rentals. The largest studio is located on the first floor with tall frosted windows looking out onto 24thStreet. Tucked away behind the front desk are two smaller practitioner rooms equipped with massage tables that can be used for yoga privates or other one-on-one sessions.

The stairway to the floor below leads down to two more studios and the Zen garden, which can be seen through a glass paned wall the moment you begin to descend down the stairs.

While Tursi admits it was a big, and slightly scary, leap to completely change neighborhoods, she has found that some of the students from the old neighborhood are making their way over and she's excited about now being in a more residential area with much less noise and chaos than their previous location in the heart of Times Square.

As a pre-grand opening event and re-introduction to the health and wellness industry, Reflections is hosting the upcoming Body Local Social event on October 9th. Tursi passionately believes that everyone's path towards enlightenment and wellness can come from many avenues like yoga, tango, Reiki and everything in between. She says, "We've learned lots of lessons on love from our amazing Tango instructor!"

Her mission is that Reflections will be utilized as more than a yoga studio - it will be a true center for conscious living. "Kind of like the Open Center, but smaller," she jokes. With that mission in mind, they're excited to bring in several master teachers from various Eastern traditions including QiGong master Robert Peng Microchakra and InnerTuning Founder Sri Shyamji Bhatnagar and Zen Teacher, Adi Roshi.

Their official grand opening weekend is October 11th and 12th. To celebrate, all regularly scheduled classes will be free. There will also be complimentary massage and reflexology appointments throughout the day as well as hour-long workshops in the afternoons on Franklin Method, Coaching, Essential Oils and their signature Eye Gazing. Check out the Reflections website for the full schedule.

- Allison Richard

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