If you know me, you know that I am not a yoga person. Ironically, I am probably the one person that needs it the most. Ever since I turned 40, my body has been vocal, much more vocal, about the little things. It reminds me on a daily basis that I have been beating it with all the jumping, running, sprinting, etc. Over the past few months, I've noticed that it can take me days to recover from a workout. It took me a full week to recover from a lifting session with the Boss. I was so sore from that lifting session that I had to take extra days off! That's how bad it was.
So when my friend, Kolena, asked if I wanted to go to CoreYoga for a Monday night class, I said, 'Why not?'. I've been to CoreYoga before and written reviews on their classes so this wasn't my first time taking a class. I liked the workout but didn't LOVE it. Once again, because of the yoga piece. So I cannot say that I was excited about going, it was more of a good opportunity to see Kolena and stretch out my body.
We decided to go to the CorePower in UDistrict. I'd never been to this location and was surprised when I pulled up. It's tucked away next to a Residence Inn in a newer building. We had signed up for an 8:00 PM class on Monday so parking was not a problem and we were both able to get spots right in front of the building without having to pay.
The studio has the same fresh, new, open space feel that the Ballard and Capitol Hill locations have. When you first walk in, the storage lockers and cubbies are on the left and a small set of stairs will take you down to the check in desk. The team working the desk was friendly and welcoming, even at 8:00 PM on a Monday! To the left of the front desk is access to the locker rooms, a retail space and then a door that leads into the studio.
The class we were taking that night was their C1 class taught by Kate. I immediately liked Kate. She had a calm and friendly demeanor. Like a lot of the good instructors, she started the class with a note about how this is for 'you' and no one else. She reminded us to listen to our bodies and only do things that felt right.
C1 is CorePower's Beginner Level class. It's the first class they recommend you take to get familiar with the movements and build a strong base for their other classes. This class is also unheated and does not have any added humidity. It allows you to become familiar with the movements and is really taught in a way that builds upon fundamental moves and then repeats the flow until you are fully comfortable with your movement, your breath and the flow. I honestly loved it.
I think for the majority of yogis, this class would be far too boring/slow/unchallenging, but for me it was perfect. Kate did such a good job of breaking down the poses in baby steps and then helping us put them all together that by the end of each flow, I felt like a veteran. I also liked that she was always offering up more challenging options to build onto your existing flow, should you choose. I definitely took advantage of this as I became more comfortable and confident in what I was doing.
This was the first yoga class I have ever taken where I didn't feel bored or lost. It flowed at the right speed for me and kept me engaged throughout the hour (which is unheard of for me when it comes to a yoga class). Best of all, I felt refreshed and my body felt more relaxed. I never thought I would say this, but I think I've officially overcome my fear of Yoga!
Workout Scale:
Cardio: 1/5
Core: 3/5
Legs: 3/5
Arms: 3/5