New Holy City CrossFit Yoga Opens Near Campus

The journey to Holy City CrossFit. Photo by Gabi Loue

Walking to Holy City CrossFit is an interesting experience. The building itself, though addressed at 80 ½ Society St, is not technically on the street. Instead, you must turn down a small alley, where you will see a square building set back against a fence with a yellow sign exhibiting the words “Holy City CrossFit.” While this may seem a bit sketchy, don’t let appearances fool you.

I attended Holy City CrossFit’s free yoga class last Thursday (Aug. 27) and while I wasn’t quite sure what I was walking into, it exceeded all expectations.

Upon entering the building, I was immediately greeted by co-owner and founder, Jessica Scully, and smiling yoga instructor, Jessie Ray (who also teaches free yoga class for College of Charleston students Fridays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at George St Fitness Center). This created an immediate feeling of community within the four white walls of the gym that lasted throughout the entire practice.

The practice was about an hour long and took place in the middle of the gym. A large fan positioned at the back of the room circulated cool air as the other yogis and myself breathed in and out through a wide variety of different poses. I have been doing yoga for about four years now, and one thing that struck me as particular unique was the strong focus of not only your body moving, but how you were supporting others in the practice merely be showing up and moving through the flow together.

Yogis prepare for the first class of the season. Photo by Gabi Loue

The environment was comfortable and almost familial. There were no mirrors to be seen, which in my opinion greatly reduced the amount of stress and anxiety that usually comes with practicing in a larger group of people. Comparisons weren’t as easy to make and you could instead focus on how you felt, rather than how you looked. As the free yoga class was meant to give a trial run to entice people to buy an entire package (more on that below), I think this is very telling of how the gym will operate as not just an institution, but a community of people working to better themselves and support the others around them.

Holy City CrossFit will be offering yoga classes twice a week, every week. On Wednesdays at 7 p.m., the focus will be on restorative movement and beneficial stretching, while the Saturday class at 10 a.m. will be more power yoga based. There are many price points to choose from, with options ranging from a single session pass to 8 classes a month. So whether you’re a seasoned yogi or just looking to try something new in a cool, comfortable environment, Holy City CrossFit is the place for you.