I have rarely had bad experiences at different CP locations across the country. What I will say…read moreabout this experience is that, while it was not horrible, it did not leave me feeling like I wanted to come back. I don't think I've ever felt more like I didn't belong at a yoga studio before, and that's actually saying a lot given the ethnic make up of some of the people who were there when I stopped in. I get it, it's Georgetown, there's a certain level of pretentiousness that they have to maintain, but the snottiness that I have witnessed and experience, even during what was supposed to be a "community" class was laughable.
Merari, the studio manager, was the instructor for my community class. I've taken community classes at other locations, as well as other classes at various locations. I find other community classes to be warm in a lot of ways. This one was not. In fact, I found it quite comical that prior to class, the staff members checking you in at the front desk (which took way longer than I've ever seen before, btw) encourage you to pick up one of those circles that allows you to indicate if you would like hands-on assistance. At the beginning of class, this particular instructor said, "you probably won't need those. I actually don't do hands-on assisting because my instruction is very clear." Ummmm, sis, as a longtime yogi, please get it together and recognize that hands-on assisting is often for far more than that. In fact, it's often used to help further deepen or correct postures, which aren't always clear to folks, especially newer people. Additionally, for someone who is as hyper flexible as me, I really appreciate hands-on assistance when it comes to deepening certain moves.
I just found her overall vibe to be relatively condescending . In so many ways, it was almost as if she wanted to come out of her face and say something to be effective, "you guys are here for a free community class. Do what I say, and if you can't, that's on you."
Definitely wouldn't return to this location, which sucks because overall, the actual practice was about a 4/5.
OTHER THINGS HEARD DURING CLASS FRLN MERARI:
"Did I just hear a cell phone? No cell phones in class. I already said that."
*during a slight break* "No talking in class. I said no talking in class. This is a quiet space."