You Don't Need a $10,000 Wellness Membership to Feel Better
Written by Sonia Onasi, Guest Writer
Don't get me wrong. Do I want access to all the luxurious, members-only wellness clubs that keep popping up around New York City? Yes, of course I do. I have a passion and a keen eye for interior design, and I'm a sucker for good ambiance and a good sweat.
But some of these memberships now run $10,000 a month. Gating wellness behind a price tag like that, and making people believe a healthy, balanced lifestyle isn't within their reach, is just wrong. There has to be another way. I believe there is, because I've been living it.
Running on empty
Let me explain. Seven years ago, I was exhausted. My commute was an hour and a half to work on a good day, and almost two hours to get home. Working out on a weekday evening? Almost impossible. I didn't have time to eat properly, so I had nothing to fuel my body, let alone give everything to a workout.
I vividly remember how badly I wanted to work out more regularly. So one Saturday morning, I pushed myself to a SoulCycle class without eating, thinking it would be better for me and help me lose weight. I slowly started feeling lightheaded and almost fell off the bike.
I'm telling you this because you might be there too and might not be sure how to get out. You might keep finding reasons that keep you away from your mat or the gym. You know that moving your body helps you physically and mentally. You know it helps you release stagnant energy and anything that no longer serves you. But how do you actually do it?
Wellness was never the expensive part
First things first, humans aren't meant to be glued to a desk for hours the way we are. Technology can be such a blessing and a curse. What we've forgotten is how to stay in tune with our bodies and move with intention.
Here's what I've learned from years of teaching: the breath, the movement, and the stillness feel the same on a $40 mat as they do in a $10,000 club. The setting is the expensive part, not the practice.
The way we prioritize our everyday lives often leaves out taking care of ourselves. But guess what? You can't show up for others if you're not showing up for yourself first. No matter what your schedule looks like, you should be able to carve out at least 15 minutes a day for you.
Treat your week like a project
I turned my life around after years of being exhausted, rushing to yoga class, constantly late and out of breath, because I simply could not live like that anymore. The pace in New York is already so fast that if you don't check in with yourself constantly and stay intentional, then girl, you've lost the plot.
In my work in preconstruction, nothing gets built without a schedule. So I started treating my week the same way. Once you decide enough is enough, break your day into blocks and look honestly at where your time goes. For a girlie with a 9 to 5, the biggest blocks might look like this:
Morning routine
Work block and lunch
Movement, a work event, a social event, or any other obligation
Dinner
Nighttime routine
Then build every week with those blocks in mind, and alternate them to balance out the week. Some evenings are for movement, some are for friends, and some are for self-care.
I used to go into every week with no plan, trying to fit everything in, overextending myself day after day and running without fuel. When there's a plan and you move with attention, you can stay committed for the long run. Otherwise, you have one good week and then you fall off the wagon.
Wellness on a real budget
Here's what those $10,000 memberships are really selling: community. And you can find that feeling at local studios in your own neighborhood. Building community is possible by showing up consistently. A few ways to practice without the price tag:
Community and donation classes at local studios
Work exchange programs, where you help around the studio in exchange for classes
Intro offers at new studios, so you can try a space before you commit
Free outdoor classes in the parks during the warmer months
Fifteen minutes on your mat at home on your busiest days
Pick a studio near you and go at the same time every week. Learn the teacher's name and say hi to the regulars. That's your club.
A steady paycheck is a wellness tool too
Financial stress is stress. I kept my full-time job while I built my teaching, and I don't see that as a compromise. A steady income with health benefits means I'm never choosing between rent and my practice. It also gives me the freedom to teach what I love instead of what pays the bills.
Wellness isn't reserved for people with free schedules and unlimited budgets. And you don't have to shrink yourself to fit the image of what a wellness person looks like. You can lead at work and still show up fully on your mat.
Choose yourself, daily
It's not about being selfish. It's about taking care of you in the best possible way. When you stay committed to showing up for yourself, you stay focused and you stay present, at work, at home, and on your mat.
You don't need a $10,000 membership. You need a plan, and 15 minutes a day that you refuse to give away.
Balance isn't a distant ideal; it's a daily choice.
Sonia Onasi, Guest Writer
Sonia is a New York City preconstruction manager and 500-hour certified yoga teacher with a 50-hour HIIT Pilates certification, originally from Greece. She teaches at three New York City studios, Yoga Space NYC, Lucky Honey, and Healspace, and is the founder of Namaste City, a wellness platform for professional women who refuse to give up their practice.
