Less cycle, more soul

SoulCycle — part-fitness class, part-cult — has long inspired spandex-clad attendees to chant affirmations over pumping music in a candlelit room.

Now, per Inc., founders Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler want to hone in on the high of that post-sweat camaraderie with their new venture, Peoplehood.

Centered around their newly coined concept of “relational fitness,” Peoplehood will:

• Hold 60-minute sessions called “gathers,” led by instructors, AKA “guides.”
• Offer a group conversation in which participants both speak and listen.

Attendees will learn to practice active listening: Verbal responses aren’t allowed in class, just physical gestures like a hand over the heart or finger snaps.

The business is currently in beta, opening online in January followed by in-person classes in New York City (and, if all goes well, countrywide).

What’s this all about?

We’re facing a loneliness epidemic exacerbated by covid and our digitized lifestyles. Plus, the decline of organized religion has left a void of communal gathering places.

Loneliness can have serious health implications, so startups are creating cures:

• Apps for friendships, like Bumble BFF, Hey! Vina, Yubo, and Meetup.
• Places for in-person gathering, such as Groundfloor and Chief.
• Online audio communities, like Clubhouse and Humans Anonymous.

Once it heals you, Peoplehood is building products to fix your relationship (Couplehood) and your workplace (Peoplehood @Work) next. *Snaps.*