HOW MOTHERHOOD SPARKED THE BEGINNING OF A WELLNESS JOURNEY FOR THIS LOCAL FITNESS AUTHORITY, CERTIFIED YOGI, AND SOULCYCLE INSTRUCTOR

BY AMANDA McCOY

Eve Lynn Kessner distinctly remembers the first time she climbed on a SoulCycle bike in a dimly lit studio, illuminated only by candlelight. It was 2011, when her second daughter was barely a few months old, and the Connecticut native had limited experience with any type of cardio or strength training. Only a few minutes into the class, she recalled, as the group pounded the pedals and sound system’s beats swallowed any lingering self-doubt, Kessner was hooked.

“I immediately connected with the energy of the room, the vibration of the music, and the cocoon of darkness,” she said.

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Seven years later, Kessner is now a Soul Cycle instructor in its newest studio, in Park Slope. Brooklyn’s third instalment of the New York City-based spinning franchise—with studios in 13 states opened one block from Prospect Park in the summer of 2017. The indoor cycling plus muscle-sculpting experience opened its first location on West 72nd Street in 2006, and is, for Kessner, something deeper than 45 minutes of intense calorie burn.

“It informs your mind and body to sync up with whatever type of energy you need,” she explained. “Some days it’s healing through its intensity, some days through the meditative quality of the rhythm…some days it just allows you to hide, which may be exactly what you need. Other days it allows you to show off and dance like no one, or everyone, is watching.”

Although the George Washington University graduate has been a longstanding proponent of yoga and practicing a healthy lifestyle, she had no early intentions in pursuing an exercise centric career. While she double majored in literature and creative writing, a garrulous spirit led to the creation of a successful fashion company before Kessner even received her diploma. The business was born from hobby; a part-time bartender at the time, she searched for trendy garb to wear to work, and ended up cutting and sewing her own vintage T-shirts. In time, the young entrepreneur turned that concept into a successful fashion enterprise in New York City. Her resume also includes jewelry making expertise and a stint in nutrition school, but it was not until the mother of two learned she was pregnant with her first daughter that her career path made its pivot toward fitness.

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“I remember the moment I realized I was housing a human in my womb, and the gravity of my actions from that point forward. Everything I ate, drank, and breathed, she did too. It was super eye-opening…how important these choices are what we put in and on our bodies and how and when we move them.”

In addition to her cycling knowledge, Kessner is also a 200-hour certified yoga instructor, and explained that while the two types of exercise work muscles of the body in different ways, they share common core principles. “My SoulCycle class was born from my inherent love for and understanding of yogic principles,” she said. “When you focus on the practice, you find a center, a euphoria…a yoga high, so to speak. The opportunity to tap out of your day and into something more challenging, but also simple, is invaluable.”

This opportunity to uplift, the instructor explained, is some-thing she strives to bring into the candlelit Park Slope cycling room every time.

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“It’s about connecting to something that moves you not just physically, but emotionally,” Kessner added, “something that feeds the soul, not just the body.”

Eve Lynn Kessner
SoulCycle Park Slope / 342 Flatbush Avenue
718.596.7685 / soul-cycle.com