On my first venture, I figured I would go easy on myself and revisit a studio I’d been to before. I’d previously attended a Heated Vinyassa class at Providence Power Yoga, but left with mixed feelings. When I saw a seemingly more challenging class offered on their schedule, I was quick to dive back in.
This class was hosted at their Annex, just a block down from their Flagship studio on Basset Street in Providence. It’s a much smaller space and they don’t host any “heated” classes here. The parking situation is about the same as the other venue, where attendees double, triple and quadruple park in the lot in order to fit everyone (meaning you have to sit in your car after class and wait for everyone else to move to get out, especially if you’re an early arrival like me).
The lobby of the Annex is very tiny with a wall hosting a few cubbies, so I don’t advise bringing a lot of stuff here with you.
I found the practice room to be super cozy, and perfectly spacious for the amount of students attended that day. But I have seen photos of other classes and, yikes – it can get full!
We were instructed to gather props for the class – a blanket, two blocks and a strap, and got settled in while waiting for the instructor.
Class started with some arrival and a breathing exercise, but also an announcement that this was the last time this class was going to be offered. Oh? I guess I better not like it that much since it’s only my first time coming!
We began with some soft movements go get ourselves warmed up. From there, we took on some stronger postures where I definitely felt challenged. There were lots of hip openers, leg extensions and focus on the core – all stuff I sorely need!
The most challenging parts of the class came towards the end, where we used the blanket under our feet on the hardwood floor in order to get deeper into postures. I thought my core was in pretty good shape from practicing so much Inferno Hot Pilates at my home studio, but I was wrong. We got into a bridge position with the blanket under our feet, and were instructed to slide it up and down while remaining in bridge. It was crazy good and crazy difficult.
We also used the blanket under our leg getting into splits, with blocks in each hand for support. I’m used to getting into splits when I’m super warm in the hot room, so I was very cautious here. However, I found that I was warm enough to get to my usual edge and use the props to push a little further.
I found the instructor to be excellent with description, so much so that I hardly had to look up front to figure out what I was doing. This made it easier to focus more inward during my practice and really hear what my body was telling me.
Though I enjoyed this class so much, and would probably enjoy other classes at this brand of studios, this is just not a place that can be made part of a daily routine. They lack the amenities to do so. As mentioned previously, the parking is awful, and they do not have showers at the studio with heated classes. So, this is not a place where you can attend an early morning class, jump in the shower and head to work. There’s a process involved – and as a person with anxiety, I would find that process creeping into my thoughts during practice if I had another place to be afterward.
Hatha Morning is definitely something I could get into, with postures that are a bit more active than my regular Yin practice but with similar benefits. Perhaps when I am on vacation from my evening job, I will take a Hatha Intermediate class here at night!
Though this class didn’t give me my normal cardio workout that I love from my Original Hot Yoga practice, I still left here feeling grounded and energized to tackle my day!
New England Yoga Tour 