ClassPass Review #2 - Kula Yoga
4402 France Ave S, Edina, MN 55410
(952) 836-6316, kulayogamn.com
As you already know, early February I signed up for a ClassPass account. You can read about that here. Below is a recap of my second class using the "pass". If you'd like to read other studio recaps, use the search bar above and the search term: ClassPass.
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Having successfully completed my first ClassPass visit on Wednesday morning, and doing a 1500 meter swim that same evening, I woke up Thursday feeling a bit stiff. Knowing that I was well overdue for my newly self imposed weekly yoga session, I decided to hop onto ClassPass and see what was open last minute over my lunch hour.
Lo and behold, a studio within a reasonable distance from my office had a lunch hour class with openings still available. RESERVE!
*note that I actually took the Feb 12th class
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Driving to the studio took a little longer than I had anticipated, and in fact, I practically drove right by the place. I didn't realize the building had an upstairs area, and being so focused on the street level shops, I totally missed it at first glance.
Once inside, I was still somewhat confused ... the signage for the studios wasn't totally pronounced and the lobby was a little haphazard. After peeking into some windows, I realized I needed to go to the door towards the far end of the lobby, ditch my shoes there, and then come inside.
Once I did so, I was greeted with a studio that looked somewhat like this (although it was empty of course):
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Before I could even say boo, upon entering the studio I was warmly greeted by Sydney - both my instructor for the class, and the studio owner (who is freaky limber, btw ... I mean, yeah, you would expect that from a seasoned yogi I suppose, but still!).
Similar to most other studios, since it was my first time there, I signed my waiver. And ... well, that was pretty much it. Sydney said I could roll out my mat wherever I pleased (oh - FYI, bring your own mat), so I did. Then I headed back to the changing area, took care of business, and relaxed into my mat.
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Being that this was a gentle flow vinyasa class, when class got started, I wasn't expecting what happened next.
Although the class was on par with its name, for some reason within 5 minutes of our practice, I started sweating bullets. It was somewhat embarrassing, actually, since I appeared to be the only one in the studio overheating. I'm not sure if I was just fatigued due to my previous day's activities, or perhaps it was due to my poor choice of a long sleeved wicking top, but I was smoking hot.
Despite my hot flash, the class itself was good. Sydney offered up positive encouragement whenever she could, paid careful attention to form and prompted when needed, and even made adjustments when she could. I was pleased.
After about 45 minutes of standing poses that flowed through a fairly basic sun salutation variation, we moved into some seated work, and ended with the standard savasana. By the end, I noticed the stiff feeling I woke up with had started to fade, whoop!
Luckily I had cooled off enough during the seated portion that I wasn't still dripping when the students came out of savasana and started milling around. Unfortunately, though, with the sub zero temps we had ... my hair that was damp from sweat froze into a mess on my walk back to the car. Blah, I was embarrassed all over again. Thank god I work with a bunch of older men who could care less about my bad hair afternoon, and for the fact that I keep an emergency brush in my glove box.
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So, what did I think overall?
As far as difficulty, I would rank this class as a low. Typical of yoga, this class does not take loads of strength or endurance to complete.
DIFFICULTY - low
Yoga, however, is not so much about physical difficulties as it is mental. First, you need to know and understand the pose. Second, you need to listen to your body. Being that this is a flow class and jumps right into asanas, I would not recommend someone who has never done yoga before attend this class. But, if you have a basic knowledge of poses, or even if you are a yoga pro, pretty much anyone else will enjoy this class.
SKILL - best for those with basic+ yoga knowledge
In regards to staff and environment, I would rate this studio high in regards to knowledge and friendliness, but would deduct a few points for overall environment. It's not a bad place, but for a boutique studio, it was a little smaller and offered fewer amenities than I would have expected.
STAFF AND ENVIROMENT SCORE - high on service, slightly lower for environment
And of course - the most important part: would I do it again?
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? If I can pull myself away for another lunch session - definitely!
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So now, what class is next?!
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