Tiny New South Kensington Yoga Studio Offers a Change of Pace for Philly Yogis

Paperbox Studio | Photo via Gabrielle Sigal

Just a few weeks ago, we told you guys about Grace & Glory Yoga’s new Fishtown location, and now we’ve learned of another yoga studio that’s opened north of Girard Avenue. This studio, called Paperbox Yoga Studio, is located at 1639 North Hancock Street in South Kensington, and unlike most yoga studios in Philly, which focus on flow-style classes, Paperbox is solely dedicated to Iyengar yoga.

As owner Gabrielle Sigal, who has taught at neighboring studio Amrita Yoga and Wellness since they opened, tells me, “The thing that sets Iyengar apart from other practices is the precision of alignment; classes are sequenced in a way to take people through the poses and, many times, postures are held longer than your typical flow class. There are also lots of hands-on personal adjustments.” She goes on to say, “It’s not the flashy kind of yoga with hula hoops and playlists. It’s just yoga.” And while we love ourselves some fast-moving, flashy yoga (We did host a Beyoncé-themed yoga class, after all.), we totally see the value in toning your practice down sometimes.

For now, the studio, which opened in September and fits 20 yogis, has a very limited schedule with just two classes on the roster: a long Monday morning class, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., called “The Foundations of Iyengar Yoga,” and a regular Tuesday evening class from 6 to 7:30 p.m. But Sigal, who is still teaching at Amrita, hopes to expand these offerings to include a morning and evening class Monday through Friday. As she says, “We’re growing slow and steady.”

But Sigal doesn’t just want to grow her class schedule; she hopes Paperbox will grow to be a yoga collective of sorts, a place where Iyengar instructors and students from all over the world can come together as a community. As she tells me, “There’s a small collection of Iyengar teachers around the world, smaller in Philadelphia. I would like to bring them together and have a space where they can teach workshops and educate folks about what Iyengar is.”

For now, anyone is welcome to drop in to Sigal’s two weekly classes. A single drop-in will cost you $15, and she also has class cards at a lower rate per class. You can find out more about Sigal and the studio here.

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