Stretching in the Night: The after-hours yoga phenomenon

Billing your event as a way to escape nightlife is not an often-used marketing ploy. And, it’s hard to imagine such a shtick being very successful.

Zach and Kerry Maiorca, the creators of Midnight Yoga and the owners of the Bloom Yoga Studio, are, however, finding success with such a selling point. Their late night yoga workshop, touted as an alternative to barhopping, has been going strong for four years now, consistently gathering twenty-to-thirty people to its once-monthly classes.

“I kept coming back after first trying the class because it was such a relaxing way to start a weekend,” shares regular Veena Iyer. Sarah Pikcilingis also likes its weekend-improving effects. “After trying it the first time, I went hiking the next day and didn’t feel sore at all,” she says.

But is escape from Chicago nightlife really what keeps these late-night lotuses blooming (yogi-cally speaking)? Probably not. “We went to a bar first and then came here,” revealed Pikcilingis about herself and Iyer after Friday night’s class. Michelle Lingle displayed similar disregard for the class’ selling point. “Yeah, this class is a good alternative to going to bars but I think I am going to the bar next door right now,” she says.

Could it be that a pre-gaming (or post-gaming) with yoga trend is the real source of Midnight Yoga’s success? Unfortunately, other workshop attendees contradicted such a revolutionary conclusion. Ian Bonso confesses, “I just come for the free cheese.” (Meaghan Strickland)