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In Celebration Of
15 Years of The Class
Friday, October 16 marks two important days: 15 years of The Class and the birthday of the one and only, Taryn Toomey. While we don't know the exact date The Class began in 2011, we've decided to tie it to the day Taryn was born. To celebrate both, we're looking back at the milestones that helped us land upon this special threshold and opening the doors to our studios wide.
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Let’s Begin
1978
While The Class organically began in 2011, we like to say it really began when Taryn Toomey was born -October 16, 1978.
The Early 2000’s
Some time in the early 2000s, Taryn meets Mama Kia in Peru, whose heart-centered way of living became a huge inspiration to her life. Mama Kia created a children's home in Peru, Casa de Milagros.
After Mama Kia passed, Taryn started teaching in 2011, as a way to keep her spirit alive and continue to send funds to the children. All proceeds went to Casa de Milagros. The Class continued sending donations until the last child transitioned out of the casa in 2024.
~2006
Taryn meets Jaycee Gossett while on retreat with Allison Sinatra in Peru.
2011
The first version of The Class is taught to friends in a storage room in Taryn’s apartment building.
The Class existed with no name for years. Friends would come in, drop a donation for Casa de Milagros in Taryn's daughter's trick or treat bag and begin. Everything was tracked in spiral, college-ruled notebooks.
2012
Taryn's teaching eventually grew to more spaces, like the decks, basements, and gyms of friends. Let the noise complaints begin.
2013
Jaycee Gossett and Natalie Kuhn learn to teach The Class by reverse engineering it alongside Taryn, eventually becoming Founding Teachers of The Class.
The Class finally gets its name and very own website. Due to a growing number of regular students, Classes move into Downtown Dance Factory in NYC.
2014
The Class gets its own Instagram page.
The Retreatments begin, with the first one on Martha's Vineyard, led by Taryn and Kevin Courtney.
The Airelume is created, inspired by the idea that you can wear jewelry to remind and anchor you into an intention, like a talisman or touchstone. Taryn chose the stones and designs personally.
They sold out immediately.
2015
The first official Teacher training commenced out of a mashup of rented spaces. Cue more noise complaints.
2016
Natalie moves to LA and brings The Class with her.
The TT bouffant era begins and The Class launches in Vancouver.
After meeting on The Retreatment DR, Becky Wright joins to run the business and, via surrender from Taryn, the name changes from The Class to The Class by Taryn Toomey to abate the endless confusion of "What Class?", "The Class", "Yes but what Class?!"
The lease for the mothership, the crystal palace, the original womb - the Tribeca studio - is signed and construction begins. Due to mercury retrograde, Taryn covers the agreement in crystals, sage, and Mama Kia's ashes before signing...and 3 months later, only to find out the 1912 building's floor could not withstand 40 people jumping. Cue a personal loan from the bank, a street closure to boom steel beams and pour a concrete floor through the windows... never sign a contract during mercury retrograde.
Laying the crystal grids under the floorboards.
During construction, TT played mantras for 24/7 in the space, much to the contractor's confusion.
2017
Courtney Deri becomes a Teacher.
The Tribeca studio finally opens. She's an Aquarius.
Taryn gets her very own New Yorker cartoon, leg warmers included.
The Taryn Toomey x Lulu Lemon collection is created, Lulu's first fitness collaboration. TT's visions of soft palates of mauve, sage, green, and taupe flooded the activewear space. It sells out on launch day.
The first Global Immersion in New York, led by Taryn, Natalie and Jaycee. The Global Immersion was a 4 day, guided self-study program that happened in cities around the world.
2018
Across the year, Hannah, Mallory, Sophia, then Soeuraya become Teachers.
The Bridgehampton studio opens at The Barn.
2019
Testing for the Digital Studio.
The Digital app launches. The Class goes on tour to NYC, Boston, Chicago,Nashville, and Washington D.C. The original concept for the Digital Studio was to go on tour with live musicians every quarter, and use the app to keep the community connected as we left. It originally launched with Connor Youngblood and Caleb Spaulding. And... detour. Lockdown hits.
2020
The pilot for The Class in schools begins, tested as a P.E. program. Then, detour, the pandemic hits. (To be continued...)
Karla and Sam become Teachers.
The pandemic hits, and studios closeto the public and the lockdown at home practices begin. Teachers solo livestream out of Tribeca, Brooklyn, TT's home, LA, Vancouver, London, Miami, and Sydney to thousands of students in countries around the world."Huh'ing" can be heard all over the world (basements, sheds, parks.. noise complaints go global).
Music collaborations are created on the Digital Studio. Originally as a means to get more on demand content while music licensing was navigated, they blossomed into a beloved series with 54 different artists.
As time begins to blur, our leaders share motivational time stamps.
2021
Across the year Amanda, then Aimee and Katie become Teachers.
The Class podcast and The Class Sculpt launch.
We slowly re-open to the world.
2022
After many years and many locations around LA, The Class makes an official home with the Santa Monica studio.
The Class x Free People Collaboration.
2025
Christina, James, and Dom become Teachers.
2026
Caitlin and Jenny, then Libby, and Andie become Teachers across the year.
The Class opens in Montauk for the summer.
The Class moves beyond the mat.
Field Study, the 200 hour somatic education certification training, launches.
In the words of Einstein "past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion". The memories and milestones listed here are just a small representation of the last 15 years and the seeds of all to come.
Thank you for the years, thank you for the tears. The heart opening, the healing. The wiggles, the burpees. The individuality, the community. The love, the love, the love.
Here’s to more, together.