CorePower Yoga New York City

Get excited New York City – CorePower Yoga is finally coming to Manhattan.  This May CorePower Yoga is opening the doors of it’s first New York City location at 70th and Broadway on the Upper West Side.

For years, I’ve heard friends and fellow bloggers rave about CorePower Yoga. With over 160 studios nationwide, it seemed like there was a studio in just about every metropolitan city except New York. Focused on helping students live their power, push beyond their boundaries and turn stress into sweat, CorePower Yoga is far more than your typical yoga studio.  Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to preview CorePower Yoga thanks to a lovely morning event hosted by CorePower Yoga and Well+Good NYC at Central Park’s Tavern on the Green.

Evann and I attended the 11 AM event together, during which we enjoyed a hybrid class, hosted by three dynamic and energetic women who are leading the opening of the NYC location. The hybrid class blended aspects of two of their class offerings,  Yoga Sculpt and Core Power Yoga 2, together in one 60-minute class.

Can we take a minute to appreciate the sunlight that flowed through the space? Tavern on the Green’s atrium was the perfect venue for a morning flow as we were able to enjoy the blue skies and morning sun as we stretched and energized our bodies.  Even though it was freezing outside, it was warm and toasty on our mats.

Since this was my first time experiencing CorePower Yoga, one of the first things I noticed were the hand weights which they recommended we place on our mat. Unlike other studios, one of their signature classes, Yoga Sculpt, include light hand weights to intensify each yoga pose. In addition, throughout the flow weights are incorporated into strength-training moves such as squats, lunges and bicep curls.

Once we were all situated on our mats, the three instructors welcomed us, introduced us to CorePower Yoga and explained the flow of class. As you can see from this picture, they were on Cloud Nine, thrilled to finally be sharing CorePower Yoga and the news of their new studio with so many New York City yogis. Their positive energy set a great tone for class before we even started. I loved when they told us each to not take class too seriously – it’s only Saturday morning yoga.

After a few minutes of intention setting, we  started the flow with time in child’s pose, grounding ourselves, before quickly transitioning into the flow portion.  During the flow, which moved at a pace fast enough to induce a sweat but slow enough to ensure proper form, the instructors were hyper-focused on form and adjustments, which I always appreciate. They also created a supportive, inspiring environment for the students motivating us to do our best and be present in the moment.

After thirty minutes we regrouped and transitioned into the challenging but fun yoga sculpt portion of class. Unlike any yoga class I’ve taken before, this class mixed strength, cardio and flexibility into the practice. For example, in chair pose we would hold the pose and then begin doing arm exercises using the weights before flowing to the next move. I really enjoyed the use of weights and appreciated the added challenge EXCEPT for the transition points on the mat. This may have been that the lighter weights didn’t have enough space to be held properly while also allowing for wrist movement but I felt clumsy during plank and sun salutations.  The cardio bursts were also a fun change of pace, incorporating things like mountain climbers into the middle of a plank series, or burpees following a flow.

By the end of the class, I was exhausted but completely zen. My muscles were still shaking from the strength training and my tank top was sweaty from the cardio but I was standing taller and feeling lighter due to the yoga and positive vibes. Regardless of your level of practice, CorePower Yoga offers a class that is right for you. I appreciate that under one roof you can find sculpting, cardio and zen.

Even though it is a trek from our apartment in Carroll Gardens, I will certainly be heading to the Upper West Side to enjoy classes once they open.

Interested to learn more about CorePower Yoga’s UWS location? Head over to their website to learn more about the studio and their limited time 25% off special.

Thank you to Turner PR, Well + Good NYC and CorePower Yoga for inviting me to a wonderful event. Photo credit: Barbara Corella, Evann Clingan and Well+Good NYC