I had never taken hot yoga, let alone yoga itself, until one of my good friends showed me Poweflow. My first class was on a Saturday, from 10:30 to 11:45 am and Christine Joseph taught the class. Now, be in mind that the class I took was a HOT Powerflow Vinyasa class, instead of a WARM Basics class. I decided to give it a shot and go all the way, with my best friend at my side.
The class was AMAZING. And I immediately fell in love with the way I flowed with my inhale and my exhale and the way all the teachers played good music that helped with the easy flow.
First off, my favorite teacher by far is Jennifer Vafakos. I believe it was two Sundays ago when I took her class and by the middle of the class my arms were so fatigued, I could barely lift myself up. But it was the best feeling ever. Jennifer plays a lot of classic music and classical with a hint of hip hop in her classes which I think helps a lot with the flow, the relaxation, and the hip hop beats help keep you energized. But back to the class. After the class, I couldn't even hold my mat for more than 30 seconds before my arms felt like they were going to give out. Again, best feeling ever. But then, from Sunday to about the following Thursday, I was sore EVERYWHERE from the neck down. It was AMAZING. I had never felt more proud of myself for working hard than in that moment when my shoulders ached and my legs and thighs felt so sore. And I have to give most of the credit to Jenn for teaching such a great class!
Next, is Jeff Scios. Now, unfortunately, I was only able to take his class twice since I'm in school and whatnot, but he is probably the most energetic teacher I've had. He's very good with adjustments and whatnot and he's hilarious. The first class I took of his, I was nearly on the floor rolling (theoretically) with laughter. Kudos to you, Jeff!
There is also Kanan Kapila, and I have only taken her class once because she was substituting for another teacher. But, her class was so much fun! She had such upbeat music and she turned all the lights off and pulled the shades down in the studio until it was almost pitch black in the room. Then, she gave us a few minutes to do a certain "routine" so you could say, and it was just loads of fun. :-)
Lastly, there's Melissa Kaban. The last class I took (which was yesterday) was so much fun. I had never taken her class before and she is just the most adorable little thing. And she's got a good sense of humor too! I liked her class a lot mostly because she focused on things that some of the other teachers don't. For example, a full wheel. I can do one since I used to do gymnastics but it has been so long since I've done gymnastics so I'm not as flexible as I used to be. :( But anyways, Melissa focused on the full wheels towards the end of the class and I was finally able to do a full wheel comfortably! She had us face the wall and place our blocks against the wall with a space in between the blocks for our heads. I never thought of doing a full wheel that way and it really helped a lot! Thanks Melissa!
But all in all, Powerflow is a great business. The atmosphere is relaxing and the classes are perfect for a stress-reliever and for a workout. The minute you walk into the studio you are welcomed with "Hellos" from both the teachers, and the interns (work exchange people). Then, you are filled with the aroma of incense and once you step foot on the cork floors of the studio itself, your feet and toes get nice and warm. It's a great thing the feel when you come in from a 30 degree wind chill!
Totally, 100% recommend Powerflow to anyone looking for a good yoga class with great teachers. Some might think it's a little pricey, but it's worth it. It's completely and utterly worth it. :-) read more
