I Tried It! CorePower Yoga Review

Recently, Brian and I have been really enjoying practicing yoga together.  A personal goal I set for myself this year was to practice yoga at least once a week, because I love the way it loosens my muscles that get super tight from more intense workouts (indoor cycling, running, Bodypump, HIIT, etc) and it really allows me to clear my head and set me in the right frame of mind. The perfect combination of a mind and body workout!

tara and brian yoga

I am really proud to say that I think there have only been two weeks this year that I have gone without yoga 🙂

When it comes to the type of yoga I practice, I am always open-minded and willing to try new things but I absolutely love a quicker-paced more powerful vinyasa yoga class.

That being said, while living in Indianapolis I heard of a yoga studio called CorePower Yoga that we didn’t have in Indy.  I knew that the studios were popular out West, but what I didn’t realize was that CorePower was founded in Denver and there are SEVERAL studios throughout the city.  I couldn’t wait to try it out!

Last week, Brian and I did our free week with CorePower Yoga (this is something available to all new members!) and I wanted to share our experience with all of you!  Like I mentioned before, I am not a certified yoga instructor and still consider myself fairly green when it comes to practicing yoga so this review is written from the participant’s perspective 🙂

corepower yoga

CorePower Yoga

What Is CorePower Yoga?

The mission of CorePower Yoga is “share our authentic passion for yoga and healthy living to inspire everyone to live their most extraordinary life.”  Basically they want to share yoga and it’s benefits with the masses, and I think they are doing a pretty darn good job of that!  They originally started out at the Grant Street Studio in Denver, CO in 2002 and are now located in 13 different states.

CorePower offers a variety of classes, and Brian and I were able to try three of them.  I believe all their yoga classes are heated with added humidity.

What to expect?

You should expect to literally sweat more than you ever have in your entire life!  Brian and I had attended one hot yoga class prior to this and honestly didn’t sweat much.  During that class, the instructor mentioned that there was a problem with the heaters but it felt warm and cozy in the classroom so I thought that was how it was supposed to be.

We tried three classes and sweated our butts off in each one.

  • CorePower Yoga 2
  • Yoga Sculpt
  • Hot Power Fusion

While each class was a little different, it appeared that these classes are a bit more exercise-focused rather than spiritual and they all played AMAZING music.  I even started following the CorePower Yoga music channel on Spotify!  Even though the focus was less spiritual, the instructors still had amazing “words of wisdom” that they shared at the beginning of class for us to think about during our practice.

Also, I want to make it clear…we loved the sweatiness!  It was just a shock the first time we took a class. 🙂

Sweaty and red-faced after Yoga Sculpt

corepower yoga

We attended classes at various times throughout the week (7:30am, 10am, 8:30pm, 4pm, 9am) and every single class was full.  Each class is first come first serve (no online reservations) so definitely make sure you get to class about 5-10 minutes early to claim your spot.  Getting to class early will also give you a little time to lay in Savasana to clear your mind, or stretch anything that needs to be stretched before starting class.

I attended classes at the Grant and Broadway studios here in Denver and had very positive experiences at both CorePower Yoga locations!  The instructors remembered my name, they were friendly and welcoming, and they stayed after class to answer any questions.

CorePower Yoga 2

This class really focused on strengthening postures and engaging the core.  I enjoyed it because I could tell that each “C2” class was structured the same.  We always started with a warm-up, then we did some sun salutations, then we would learn a sequence and go through it slowly one or two times before picking up the pace and getting deeper into the poses.  Each class ended with some core work before the final Savasana.  We went to a few of these in our free week! Really a great starting place for CorePower beginners.

Yoga Sculpt

Yoga with weights.  It sounds pretty self-explanatory, but I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into with this one and Brian and I both loved every second of it!  The room was heated with the light addition of humidity and we grabbed 5lb dumbbells.  As soon as the instructor came in and turned on the upbeat music I knew we were in for a good time.  This class was fast paced, high energy and FUN!  We started with a yoga warm-up, then we added weights to our yoga poses and even did a cardio segment in the middle.  The next thing we knew we were all laying on our backs in Savasana and class was over.  The entire hour felt like 15 minutes!  As we were laying there Brian turned to look at me and said “I love it!!”  When we took this class it was only day two of our trial and I felt like we had just taken a big gulp of the kool-aid and loved every sip of it 🙂 This was when I knew I was officially hooked into CorePower.

Hot Power Fusion

This class incorporates Hot Yoga and Power Yoga.  It definitely had a more “meditative” feel than the CorePower Yoga 2 class.  The room was very hot, and it smelled as if there was some incense burning which really set the mood.  The instructors recommended that I try this class after a cycle class, so I did just that!  I did a cycle class at another gym that morning, then I did Hot Power Fusion class later that night.  It felt great on my muscles and on my mind.  I loved the meditative aspect, because it slows down my mind that seems to go a million miles a minute!

corepower yoga

What to Bring/Wear

You can rent a yoga mat for $2 and a towel for $1, so Brian and I brought our own mats and rented towels to sop up all the sweat.  Many girls in class were wearing full length pants and tank tops or sports bras, however, I prefered to wear spandex-like shorts and a tank top.  I felt like my legs needed to breathe due to the heat!  Almost all the guys went without shirts at all and wore regular athletic shorts.  Probably the biggest thing you don’t want to forget:  WATER!  You will need it before, during and after class.

Pros

  • We felt like a million bucks after each class.  I love the “yoga high” feeling.
  • There are classes offered all the time, and when you have a membership you can use any studio.
  • The instructors are friendly and easy to talk to.
  • A variety of classes to try catering to all levels, and always something to work towards.
  • The mental and physical benefits of yoga 🙂  So many!!!
  • They have CorePower Yoga online  I haven’t tried this yet, but I definitely think I need to!

Cons

  • Price.  Brian and I did not join CorePower (sadly) after our trial simply because of cost.  While there are a lot of options for membership and packages, it’s just not in the budget for us right now.
  • Location.  They are growing quickly, but they still don’t have a location in every state, so I’m sorry if there isn’t a CorePower near you!
  • The sweat…usually after a yoga class I can fix up my hair, throw on a little makeup, change my clothes and be good to go but there is no way I could go without a shower after one of these classes…I am drenched in sweat!

I don’t think I have ever sweat more doing anything in my life.  Each class went by quickly, and the instructors were friendly and knowledgeable.  If you want to sweat, stretch, and work your muscles to fun, uplifting and energizing music then you should definitely give CorePower a try 🙂

Question of the Day:

  • Do you practice yoga?  
  • Does CorePower sound like something you would try?  If you try CorePower, let me know what you think!
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    • Yes, such a great couple’s workout. It’s fun to help each other out and practice the really challenging poses 🙂