CEO Corner: How Taryn Toomey Built a Movement-Based Method
The founder transformed her healing practice into a global movement
For Taryn Toomey, founder of The Class, the journey from fashion to fitness was not a dramatic pivot but one that quietly unfolded.
“It wasn’t one big moment,” she reflected. “I started in retail at Ralph Lauren, moved into corporate, and later worked at Dior. But I kept feeling like I didn’t belong.”
Seeking a break from the fashion industry, Toomey signed up for yoga teacher training on a whim. What she discovered instead was a sense of purpose.
“Once I started teaching, I realized how much I needed that space, and how much I loved it.”
What began as a personal path of healing soon became a shared practice. After relocating from New York City and returning just before the birth of her first daughter, Toomey began teaching movement classes in her apartment building, gatherings that would ultimately become The Class, now a cult-favorite method blending physical exertion with emotional catharsis, mindfulness, and community.
Launched officially in 2013, The Class defies easy categorization. It is a workout class that often incorporates calisthenics, plyometrics, and guided breathwork, but it’s also a space for introspection and emotional release. Rooted in Toomey’s belief that “movement, music, and breath” are key tools for processing life, the method asks participants to drop into their bodies, observe their thoughts, and connect to something deeper.
Toomey didn’t set out to build a wellness empire. “I do lean more into the creative side of things,” she said. “For me, creation comes from time and space and listening to the information that moves through me—the vastness of higher spaces, of the unseen.”
That philosophy permeates The Class, which now operates both as a physical studio in New York and a digital platform reaching members in over 60 countries. As boutique fitness and mindfulness-infused workouts crowd the market, Toomey believes The Class stands apart not because it tries to, but because it doesn’t.
“We’re not just layering mindfulness onto a workout,” she explained. “The intelligence and authenticity in the method is felt by the student.” She views The Class not as a performance but as an ongoing experience of self-discovery, “an experience of the body, the mind, and the heart.”
Its dedicated members often come for the physical benefits but stay for the emotional transformation. “You learn how to listen to the information from your body in a unique way,” she said. “It empowers you to act from your heart, not just your head.” Community, she adds, plays a powerful role: “All parts are kind, open, unique, and free-spirited.”
Since its early days in a Tribeca apartment, The Class has seen steady growth while remaining true to its core ethos. In 2017, it opened its flagship studio in Lower Manhattan, followed by a robust digital expansion in 2020 that made its method globally accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brand has since launched an on-demand platform, a retreat series called The Class Immersion, and a collection of audio-guided practices to support members beyond the mat.
While many fitness brands have struggled to balance in-person and online offerings, The Class has managed the transition by staying attuned to the needs of each space.
“Navigating between our digital Classes and in-person classes has been less about choosing one over the other, and more about listening,” said Toomey. The physical studio fosters real-time energy exchange, while the digital platform offers global access to the experience. “When the values and intention are clear, the medium becomes secondary,” she added.
Growth has never been the point, but it has come naturally. Today, The Class boasts a strong leadership team that balances Toomey’s intuitive vision with strategic execution. Hiring is deliberate and mission-driven.
“We share our values transparently during the interview process,” she said. “The goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive, with transparency at the core.”
This emphasis on alignment extends to the method itself, which is taught by a carefully selected group of instructors who undergo extensive training to embody the ethos of The Class. Each facilitator is empowered to guide members through their emotional terrain using music, movement, and breath.
When asked about her five most important wellness practices, Toomey lists breathwork, shaking practice (a somatic release technique), heart-centered community, and deep sleep. These practices reflect her belief that wellness is not a checklist but a continuous, embodied process, one that lives in the nervous system as much as it does in the mind.
While Toomey hints at continued expansion, including more in-person offerings and ongoing innovation in the digital space, her focus remains on the present moment. “Whether someone comes to us seeking a workout or something deeper,” she said, “they can access that same transformational potential, whether in the room or on the screen. The most authentic and potent communities are created when we allow ourselves to listen.”