An iconic Toronto venue is transforming for ’emo pilates’ and other goth-inspired fitness classes

As Toronto residents vigilantly battle the seemingly inevitable forthcoming redevelopment of legendary music venue, watering hole, and Tex-Mex restaurant Sneaky Dee’s, the College and Bathurst landmark has added a novel new series to its already extensive roster of programming — and it’s not likely one you’d ever guess.

In between packed, impassioned emo nights, sweaty 2000s-themed dance parties and live gigs across genres, the establishment’s upper level now serves as home base for the Black Mat Society, a budding fitness collective that runs atmospheric, candlelit yoga, HIIT and pilates classes that don’t just take place within Sneaks’ graffiti-covered walls but feel like a true extension of them.

“Black Mat Society is built for people who don’t see themselves in traditional wellness spaces. Our classes exist to redefine what fitness looks and feels like… creating inclusive experiences that meet people where they are,” co-founder Alaina Galati tells us.

“We blend strength, movement, breath and music-driven intensity with a dark aesthetic, welcoming those who don’t resonate with conventional studios and connect to heavy music, underground culture and alternative spaces.”

We know: If you try to imagine a typical Toronto yoga class, you’ll likely conjure up a setting that’s likely quite antithetical to the city’s oldest dive-bar venue. Perhaps you’re imagining a pristine, muted and airy, sunlight-bathed room populated with expensive matching Lululemon sets.

But that’s the whole point. Much like Sneaks itself, Black Mat Society represents something no one else offers: catering to a previously unserved demographic seeking something different, and the community that comes with it.

As tempting as it is to say “these aren’t your mom’s yoga classes,” they totally could be, if she’s one for embracing the darkness. The sessions are set to a curated list of heavy and doom metal, which drives intentional movement and the entire spirit of the class.

Upon your first breath on the mat, the pairing will feel so natural that you’ll wonder why no one had considered it before. Thankfully, the ladies of Black Mat did, and they’ve honed the theme perfectly.

As deep, slow riffs thrum through you, you’ll sink into a state of dark zen that, with Galati’s steady guidance, permits you to embrace discomfort and push past your limitations, both mentally and physically.

Whether that’s one more breath in a difficult pose, one more rep when you thought you were maxed out, or sitting deeply in a feeling you were avoiding — Black Mat is there to hold you through it and help you get to the other side.

And though a punk rock dive bar floor may not be the most intuitive setting for a fitness class, it’s just another example of how versatile Sneaks is, and how it continues to serve Toronto communities in so many ways after so many years — plus, there’s surely no other fitness studio in the world where you can grab brunch, nachos, or even a beer with fellow class-goers just downstairs, to say nothing of the history and cultural significance that the building has.

As Galati says, “Sneaky Dee’s brings a raw, lived-in energy that can’t be replicated in a typical studio. A room that’s held decades of music, sweat and subculture. And after class, the transition to cool down, order nachos and stay connected is seamless.”

Originally published on blogTO. 

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