I found yoga a long time ago but really only ever practiced at home.  I’d buy a dvd and a cute cheap yoga mat and I’d go to town in the comfort of my home.  Then one day I thought to myself, why not try a yoga studio?  I love doing it at home, why not show off my down dogs and warrior poses.

So the first stop was my local CorePower Yoga studio.  Oh my, did I fall in love!  I FELL IN LOVE.  I took a heated C1 (CorePower 1) class which is an “introduction to Power Yoga” class.  Its Vinyasa yoga done in a slightly heated room.  The studio, the heat, the music and the instructor made such a difference to my practice.  I instantly fell in love.  Although I had been practicing, it is amazing to have an instructor be able to adjust your poses and make sure your form is correct (something I love and appreciate as improper form can cause injuries).  What I like about CorePower is the variety of classes.  They have more advanced Vinyasa classes that become more heated and they also have a Hot Power Fusion class that is has a bit of Vinyasa flow but a lot of static poses that remind me of Bikram Yoga (a whole new world of yoga, in my opinion – I’ll write about my experience another time).

I really do love CorePower, it is a little less serious then some other studios I have visited, and I guess I’ll always have a love for it because it is always a clean fun environment, the one that opened my eyes to yoga outside my living room.  There is something about practicing in a studio that makes such a difference.  I live in a big city and could never find a place like that in the DVD’s I have at home. The studio allows me to be present only in my practice.  I’m not worried about my dog wanting to join me, the laundry that needs to be done or the dishes that need to be washed, I’m simply able to just be.

When practicing yoga, I notice an AMAZING difference in my life.  I’m so much less stressed, I feel strong and flexible and focus on breathing when I feel stress coming on.  I’m able to let things go, and being the Type A personality I am it really helps with my anxiety.  Since being pregnant, I haven’t treated myself to yoga outside the walls of my home, but writing this reminds me of the beauty of the practice and the difference a class at a studio makes…

Hmmm… What will you be doing this week?

Do you LOVE yoga?  What is your favorite studio? Why?