Moving your body in a room where you are not the odd one out.
Updated October 2026
A good movement class is part exercise and part belonging. Plenty of studios say they are welcoming, but it is easier to relax when the people who run the place share your lens, or at least say clearly who they are for. This guide collects yoga and Pilates studios in Brooklyn and Manhattan that we could confirm, from their own sites or published profiles, are woman-founded or woman-owned. For more ways to get moving with a community, see our guide to queer activities in NYC.
We are careful with labels. Where a studio's owners describe themselves in a particular way, we say so; where we could not confirm ownership, we leave it out rather than guess.
10th Muses, a community for Queer & Lesbian Women, Trans & NB Folks, 30+, keeps a Fitness, Health & Wellness group on WhatsApp for "healthy activities, wisdom, & accountability at every level", a friendly place to find a class buddy. Its events range from fitness meetups to parties and dinners.
Look for signals beyond a rainbow flag: language that includes nonbinary and trans people, pricing that does not gatekeep, and teachers who ask about injuries and pronouns rather than assuming. Donation-based and community classes make a studio easier to try. When in doubt, email the studio and ask how they welcome queer students. A good studio will answer plainly.
Kristin Leigh and Barbara Verrochi opened The Shala in Union Square in 2002, and it expanded to Fort Greene in 2011. Its Fort Greene schedule has included a donation-priced gentle class, Yoga For Every Body, so check the current schedule for lower-cost options.
Vessel Studios in Crown Heights describes itself as a woman-owned yoga and movement studio. It offers yoga and mat Pilates and calls itself a yoga and Pilates community for women that is welcoming to all, so ask whether a particular class fits you.
Harlem Pilates was founded by Tiffany Mason, who taught its first classes in her apartment before opening a studio at 60 West 129th Street. Its site now lists three Harlem locations.
Sky Ting Yoga was founded in Chinatown by Krissy Jones and Chloe Kernaghan, and it now has a NoHo studio at 324 Lafayette Street. Its teachers blend yoga styles with meditation and breathing practices.
Try a beginner or all-levels class and arrive ten minutes early to introduce yourself to the teacher. If you want something slower and more body-aware, look for class names like yin, restorative or somatic movement, and ask how the class is taught. Our community directory lists more studios and wellness providers recommended by members.
Going with someone helps. If you are a sapphic beginner who would like company on the mat, join 10th Muses for free and ask in the wellness group who is heading to a class this week.
Each card links to the studio's page in the 10th Muses community directory.
We could not confirm a queer-owned yoga or Pilates studio in the city for this guide, so we list studios that are woman-founded or woman-owned, such as The Shala, Vessel Studios and Harlem Pilates. Ask in community groups for current recommendations.
Look for inclusive language on its site, donation or sliding-scale classes, and teachers who ask about pronouns and injuries. You can also email the studio and ask how it welcomes queer students.
Some studios offer them. The Shala's Fort Greene schedule has included a donation-priced class, Yoga For Every Body, so check its current schedule.
Yes. Most studios offer beginner or all-levels classes. Tell the instructor about any injuries before you start.
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10th Muses — Social Club for Queer & Lesbian Women, Trans & NB Folks, 30+ in NYC. Founded in September 2025 by Andrea Himmel.