Carolyn S.
Yelp
Perhaps my expectations were elevated, after being pleasantly surprised at Courtney's Hatha Yoga class at the downtown location on Monday. I was eager to try another BSY class, and, despite being at 8:30 in the morning on a weekend, I rushed over to the new studio to try the Vinyasa Yoga class listed on their schedule.
Well, it looks like the online-schedule needs to be updated, because the "Vinyasa" class was actually a Power Yoga class, which I was not prepared for! While I am not totally inflexible, I definitely was not ready to do head stands or side planks, first thing Saturday morning. Plus, the instructor was pregnant, so she could not demonstrate the various poses, which made for a lot of head-turning for me, in order to figure out what the various yoga names meant.
While it's not the instructor's fault that the schedule listed the wrong class, I made the effort and time to attend a Vinyasa class, expecting to have more time to focus on clearing my mind, breathing and moving more slowly through stretches and poses. The Power Yoga class moved at a faster pace, which, I am assuming, is the nature of that class. Each pose was held only for about 15-20 seconds, before moving through to another one. There was little time for mental rest or for explanations about poses.
The class ended in Savasana, and I lay there, disappointed at how I spent the last hour. My neck and upper-back muscles were actually more tense than when I arrived to class.
I did appreciate the instructor's help with my Triangle Pose, and she adjusted my posture for better alignment. The class was small enough (9 students) for her to walk around and attend to each person as needed.
The new studio is sleek, with dark undertones, and fairly spacious, in an open, warehouse-type feel. There're doors on either side of the studio, allowing for a nice, feng-shui flow, I guess (and I am, totally guessing). Class faces the windows that face the parking lot and freeway, though, but I'm sure that in the evenings, when the candles are lit, the ambiance may be more mellow. Just like the downtown studio, there are plenty of mats and towels for rent ($2), bottled water and Gatorade for purchase, and blocks and blankets for support -- all for the generous, "suggested donation" of $10-15.
Overall, while I was disappointed with the start of my day today (please update the online schedule!), I appreciate Black Swan Yoga's philosophy of making yoga accessible to all, and I will likely return for another class (though with more caution and research).