I recently paid a visit to MNDFL  in New York. I look for new trends in the realm of yoga and spirituality and see a new trend emerging. The studio is located in the Washington Square area of Manhattan.

In any expanding business or cultural marketplace look for offerings that specialize in what had been a broad category. In the world of yoga studios the norm is the studio that primarily focuses on asana: the physical postures. Within the realm of asana there has already been diversification: power yoga, heated yoga, Iyengar, Bikram, gentle yoga, yin yoga and more.

Less frequent is the studio that offers the full spectrum of the yoga experience: asana, pranayama, meditation and philosophy. This is what we offer at Pilgrimage of the Heart.

Now I am seeing the emergence of studios that are solely focused on meditation and mindfulness. I think the trend will continue if we see more studios like MNDFL emerging. They have the key components for success.

The manager and staff were extremely engaging. They offer a clean zen like ambiance, a small retail boutique with books based on their teacher’s suggestions, a lounge community is encouraged by comfort and free tea, and two nice meditation rooms – one that holds 22-40 and another for privates that holds 2-10.

They have taken the basic techniques of mindfulness and made them all the more accessible by focusing on specific aspects of the practice: sound, intentions, heart center and more.

Mindfulness works and studios like this will provide a neutral ground where people can delve into a life changing practice.

MNDFL charges $150 for unlimited membership. The big question is what is the right price point in your community for such an offering.

Sujantra