Nueva Alma Yoga and Wellness Studio, Yonkers

Erica Garcia bends over backwards to accommodate her students, whether organizing girls-night-out-style yoga parties in her intimate studio or tending to uninitiated students in yoga flow or fundamentals sessions. With signature humor, she spurs classes on, helping them push past asana plateaus in blended classes that include styles such as Vinyasa, Hatha, Iyengar, and Ashtanga. To create a serene atmosphere, Erica leads healing postures in a warm room that glows with flickering candlelight and resonates with motivating music ideal for lending an upbeat tone to ghost stories.