Whether you have done a single yoga pose or have been taking classes for years, the Yoga Sculpt class at Corepower Yoga in Bethesda takes the yoga experience to a whole new level.

Although Corepower has been around for some time, it has recently grown in popularity among CESJDS students, so I decided to try a Yoga Sculpt class. My prior yoga experience was limited to my grandma’s yoga study. Yoga Sculpt definitely wasn’t grandma’s yoga.

A Yoga Sculpt class is a very intense and hard core yoga class that gets your whole body moving and strengthens your muscles with each move. The class uses weights to enhance the workout.

The intensity of Yoga Sculpt was very appealing to me, especially compared to traditional yoga classes. I prefer fast paced workouts, and Yoga Sculpt fit the bill.

I was nervous that I would not know how to do a single move or pose, but the yoga instructor was very upbeat, helpful, lively and ready to teach an intense yoga class. She played fun pop music, dimmed the lights and got everyone moving.

Corepower makes it easy to give workouts a try: your first week is free. After the free week, each class is $27, which is pricey. However, you can pay a monthly fee of $139, which will be cheaper in the end if you utilize your membership.   They also have a student membership for $119 per month.

There are other costs as well. If you do not own a yoga mat, you have to pay an extra $3 to rent one for each class. This is similar to both SoulCycle and Zengo Cycle, you must pay an extra $3 for the shoes if you do not own a pair of special cycle shoes.

At Corepower Yoga there are five different classes to choose from, and there is always a class running during the studio’s hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.

Depending on the class you take, workout intensity, room temperature and the use of weights may vary. In my class, the temperature rose to 103 degrees which made the workout harder and more fun. If you like working out in the heat and humid air or prefer a more extreme workout, I recommend taking the Yoga Sculpt class. If you’d like a more mild workout, the CorePower Yoga 1 class looks like a good bet.

Walking into the building you are greeted with a very aesthetically pleasing reception area which includes lantern style lighting above the desk, wooden accents and white cabinetry. The studio itself has many big windows that allow ample sunlight to flow in as well as glossy hardwood floors throughout. The studio is very modern and is a nice environment to enjoy a yoga class.

If you ever want to try something new like I did, learn a new way to exercise or just have fun, I recommend taking a class at Corepower Yoga, especially the Yoga Sculpt class.

Corepower Yoga is located at 6708 Wisconsin Ave Suite 300, Bethesda, Md. 20815.

This story was featured in Volume 37, Issue 1 print edition of The Lion’s Tale, published on Aug. 27, 2019.