Quick Thoughts on SoulCycle

The thing about SoulCycle is that it’s totally fucking inane. The mottos, I mean. They’re plastered on the walls, labels like “athlete, warrior, legend, renegade, rockstar” and they’re shouted by the instructors on the podium, ‘forget everything, you’re here for yourself! You’re not here to think!’ And they’re right; you’re not there to think. I know this because, as stupid as all of these words sound in hindsight, I can hardly remember a single one of them. (Except one time, when the instructor asked someone what their favorite ocean was, and proceeded to shout, “Do it for the ocean! Do it for the Atlantic Ocean!” That was unforgettable.)

I’m not there to think. I’m there to be there, to forget whatever else is happening and focus on that moment on the bike, that ridiculous tap back or hill. Shut your brain off and focus. That’s why it works.