Philly Power Yoga and Thrive Pilates

Category:  Yoga

Target Zone:  Legs, Arms, Core Location:  Rittenhouse

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The space. At 20th and Walnut, you can't miss the big sign that reads Philly Power Yoga and Thrive Pilates. Enter the front door, press the buzzer, and head up the steps into the studio--PPY on the first floor and Thrive on the second floor. There's plenty of space to drop your belongings before class, but there aren't any lockers. There are two tiny changing areas for a quick change, but no private area to shower or change for work. Bottom line: It's definitely not the fanciest studio, but it gets the job done. 

Flexible Scheduling. They have several classes throughout the day, especially on the weekends, so it's easy to find something that will fit your schedule. It's not one of those places that you where you need to sign up for classes weeks before. Who knows their schedule two Thursdays from now anyway?? You can easily sign up the day before (and usually day of), making it easy on your schedule. Need to cancel? Make sure you do it 3 hours before the scheduled class or you'll lose a class from the package purchased. 
Easy on my Pockets. The first class is free and there are several amazing, affordable packages that are definitely worth purchasing. Unlimited PPY and Thrive classes for just $165 a month-- not only do you get a variety of classes, but it's also one of the best deals in the city! Also keep your eyes and ears peeled for Gilt City and similar discounts for even better deals! I recently bought a 5 for $50 package that expired within a month. As the days were winding down, I realized I still had 3 classes left and only two days until the expiration. I reached out to extend the package for a few extra days, and they gave me another month within in minutes! 

The not so great stuff. The good definitely outweighs the bad, but I do have to say the classes can get packed. The mats are practically touching in some classes, and while I normally don't mind this, it can get a little tight. I've accidentally smacked arms doing some of the more intricate moves during yoga, and nearly kicked the girl next to me during Cardio Kickboxing in the Thrive studio. The other thing that drives me crazy is the constant buzzing you can hear throughout class, specifically towards the end of the class as the next group is filing in. The studio is not sound proof and it can be distracting to hear buzzing as you're trying to Ommmm. 
Yoga Lovers, Listen Up. Philly Power Yoga offers a retreat in Costa Rica for a week filled with yoga, surfing, and connecting! The week also includes organic meals to complete the total retreat experience. For all of the yogi lovers, check out more details on their website. 

Dhyana Yoga : In the Treetops of Our Urban Jungle

Category:  Yoga

Target Zone:  Core, Arms, Legs Location:  Rittenhouse

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Wandering down Walnut Street, past the Apple Store and Urban Outfitters, among honking taxis, and boisterous highschool groupies hanging out on the street, it’s hard to believe that you are standing in front of a yoga studio. 1611 Walnut Street, Dhyana’s Rittenhouse location is situated in the middle of it all, but luckily, all you have to do to escape is go up. Through a secretive door to the left of American Apparel is an elevator which takes you up to the 4^thfloor, and far away from the raucous scene outside.

Hands down my absolute favorite thing about Dhyana was the fact that I didn’t have to sign up ahead of time. I just showed up, bought a very reasonable package ($30 for 3 weeks unlimited as a first-timer), and went into class. I feel like in today’s world that is practically unheard of. The growing population of healthy/ fitness crazed people (women in particular) has made getting into your favorite classes like survival of the fittest… literally. Even if I remember to sign up on the right day, if I don’t get to it until 9am I often still find myself on the wait-list. Insane! Anyway, all the more reason that being able to show up for a 630 class on a Monday night was refreshingly amazing.

The studio itself is big and open, with brightly painted walls, and mirrors lining one side of the room. It’s an older building and I loved the big open space. So since I generally have anxiety about not being able to find a space for myself in these classes, I was there a few minutes early, psyched and ready to go... but after waiting for 15 minutes for our teacher who was late, my feelings for Dhyana started to turn sour, and quickly. Now I know that things happen and though I tried to stay very zen and patient about it, I’m sorry but 15 minutes is a long time to sit and wait… especially during your precious minutes of allocated “exercise time”.

Once the teacher did get there, he made a joke about it and went on with class, which I guess is really all you can do. But honestly I’m not sure that I ever really got over my earlier frustration. Probably my fault for not being able to let it go, but my experience was definitely not what it could have been. The class itself flowed well, however (per my review about Amrita and my general disliking for classes heavy on inversions) it felt like there was a lot of time spent upside down, or for me a lot of time spent watching other people go upside down. Ultimately, it wasn’t the sweat or experience that I had hoped for.

All in all, I think it was an unfortunate coincidence that my first time at Dhyana wasn’t their best showing and I am definitely going to go back and give it another try. The location, the studio, the people were all great AND knowing that I don’t even have to sign up ahead of time makes the possibility of a last minute drop-in all the more likely. 

A Dose of Culture With Your Wednesday Night Workout : Yoga in the Art Museum

This is why I love our city so much. A yoga class, taught inside one of the most beautiful, world-class art museums in the country, by a fabulous teacher from Dhyana Yoga?! Pretty incredible! So since by most accounts the apocalypse is coming tomorrow in the form of yet another snow/ice storm, I figured there was no time like the present to check it out. 

What to Know. While its pathetic to admit, I can't say I'm exactly a pro when it comes to navigating the cultural landmarks of our city ... and by "not a pro" I mean, pretty much all I know about the Art Museum is that the steps out front are a great part of my exercise routine, the bootcamps that meet out there at 6am and on summer nights look intriguing, and its a gorgeous piece of the Philadelphia historical landscape. Where to find the Grand Hall Stairway Balcony? Absolutely no clue. And walking in with my Lulus, winter boots, and yoga mat in tow, I must say I felt a bit like a fish out of water. That only lasted a minute though as I was quickly greeted by a Museum volunteer who directed me to exactly where I needed to go, and told me what I needed to do: First, buy a General Admissions Ticket, which on Wednesday nights are "Pay What You Want".  Then walk up one flight of stairs, turn left and you can't miss it... Spread all across the "balcony" was a sea of yoga mats and a friendly teacher, Emily, from Dhyana Yoga greeting everyone as they came in. Important to note ** Get there a little early to get a good spot! I was a bit late and ended up on the end which happened to be right in front of the elevator. Definitely surprised a few unsuspecting Museum-goers when the doors opened and there I was in full Down Dog! HELLO! 

Bottom Line. This class is all about the experience. If you're a hard core yogi looking for a challenging practice and a cleansing sweat, you should probably get it in before heading to the Museum. If you are someone looking for a different kind of week night activity / a fun way to get some culture in with your workout, this is perfect. Make it social and plan a fun dinner somewhere nearby.... You probably won't need to shower before because there isn't too much sweating going on! I'm sure the fact that it is 10 degrees outside wasn't helping.. but the room was a bit chilly. Even though it is classified as a Vinyasa Flow class, this is definitely on the more "restorative" side as opposed to a "power flow". However, the teachers do change weekly so other teachers may have a different style than Emily. Either way, coming from a girl who likes her sweaty power flow, this experience was enough to outweigh the lacking "sweat factor". So as long as you know what to expect (aka if you need a hardcore workout, do it in the morning and then come to the Art Museum at night), it is definitely worth it!

Unite Fitness: Twelfth Street Treasure

Category:  Cardio, Strength, Yoga

Target Zone:  Legs, Arms, Core Location:  Midtown Village

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We LOVE Unite Fitness. It's intense and results driven, designed to improve your endurance, strength, and flexibility... all in just an hour and fifteen minutes. Each class is a special cocktail of cardio, strength, and stretching - testing your stamina, keeping you motivated, and strategically working to improve your overall fitness at a rapid speed. Intrigued? You should be. Whether you're a competitive athlete, or someone who dabbled on a high school JV team, if you want to take your fitness to the next level, Unite will help you do it. 

www.phillymag.com

Break it down.  30 mins of cardio, 30 mins of strength training, and 15 of yoga/stretching. That's the standard "Cross-Training" class (not to be confused with CrossFit!!), however there are different series (A,B, C, D and Express) where you will have slightly different allocations of time. My personal favorite: Cross-Training D. 45 minutes of heart pumping out of your chest cardio. Go to this Saturday morning class and you will feel totally OK enjoying the rest of your weekend knowing that you worked for that R&R.. and bottle of wine on Saturday night :)
     Part One: Cardio. In the "cardio room" you will find a fleet of treadmills, spin bikes and rowers. The choice is yours as to what machine you want to use, so choose wisely. In some classes the cardio segment will involve stations on each (or maybe even the seven flights of stairs in the hallway). In this portion of the class the teachers set the parameters and structure for your workout; giving you a target pace (as a % of your max speed), incline and time for each interval, but it's up to you to set your own speed. So PUSH it. But really, with the teacher pacing around and checking your speed, a guy next to you grimacing in all out exertion, and music pumping all around you... You won't be slacking off. 
    Part Two: Strength. Don't be fooled into thinking that once the cardio is over its an easy ride to the finish-line. It's not. This segment is essentially a circuit training class, incorporating weights, bands, TRX, and other functional resistance exercises to tighten and tone, strengthen and build muscle. In conjunction with the cardiovascular benefits of the cardio segment, this element of strength training will help keep your metabolism ramped up and burning for long after you leave the gym.
    Part Three: Stretch. After your cardio and strength circuits, its time to slow it down. Focusing on flexibility is essential to preventing injury, and lengthening the muscles that you have just worked out during class. On top of these physical benefits, your mind will be ready for a break too! A quick meditation at the end of class allows you to lay back, close your eyes, and just allow your body to feel the benefits of the major workout that you just rocked.

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On the people. The trainers at Unite are legit. Seriously. These aren't just instructors who have gone through a Unite teacher course, every single one of their trainers are certified personal trainers... These guys (and girls) know their stuff but they aren't just kick-butt trainers, they are also SO friendly, helpful and welcoming. I walked in for the first time and they already knew my name--did I have "new girl" written all over my forehead? Probably... But whatever, the teacher immediately came and introduced himself, set me up on a treadmill, explained everything that we were going to be doing, and made sure I was totally good to go. And it didn't stop there. All through class he was checking in to make sure I was good, and afterwards took a solid 10 minutes to walk me through all of the different package options and benefits that come with becoming a Unite member. Love the personal service.

Packages/Pricing.  First class is FREE. Just go onto the website and sign up. You will get an email from an instructor asking what class you want to take and then all you have to do is show up! After your first class, if you think this is something you want to stick with, it definitely makes sense to buy some sort of package. Yearly and monthly memberships are a good option if you think you will make it to at least 3 classes a week (which is ideal to see results quickly, but also can be tough to accomplish). You can also buy 10 class packages or just stick with the Drop-In option. 

Specific class and teacher reviews to come soon! Enjoy!

Sweaty With A Side of Zen : Anjali Power Yoga

Category:  Yoga

Target Zone:  Core, Arms, Legs Location:  Rittenhouse / South Street Intensity:

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Did you know that Forbes Magazine recently ranked Philadelphia as the third best city in the US for practicing yoga?? Venture down to the Linc on a winter Sunday and you might find that hard to believe… Yogi’s by day, aggressive (or as I’d prefer to call it “passionate”) sports uber fans by night. Only in Philly. But seriously, recently I feel like it’s hard to walk two blocks without seeing at least one yoga studio. Eager yogi’s hustling past with their stretchy pants and yoga mat backpack in tow is a pretty standard occurrence these days. I don’t need anymore proof- the yoga scene in Philadelphia is booming, no doubt. And so, even though I still love my Saturday mornings at Philly Power Yoga with Steve Gold, I decided to stretch my wings and venture down to South Street and Anjali Yoga. 

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You’ll Feel Right At Home. Literally, you are pretty much in the owners living room- she lives right upstairs! My first time at Anjali I opened the front door and suddenly had this “oh-my-god I think I just entered someone’s house instead of the yoga studio” feeling. Luckily that was not the case, but don’t be alarmed when you walk inside and wonder if you are in the right place.. You are! The hospitable and communal feel of Anjali will put you immediately at ease, allowing you to sit back, find your zen, and get ready to sweat. 

No-Frills, No Problem. Remember, this is about the yoga! While the aesthetics may be less glam than you will see in other spots around town, the charming simplicity of Anjali makes the experience feel even more authentic. And after a few vinyasas, the only thing on your mind will be how you’re possibly going to get through 75mins of the sweat bath that you are entering. 

Get Ready To Sweat. Make sure to bring an extra towel and lots of water, because the combination of a heated room (usually to around 90 degrees) and the vinyasa flow style will have you dripping by your first down dog. Love it, and embrace it. When you walk home feeling like you’ve just cleansed every toxin out of your body, you’ll be happy you stuck with it. 

Male-Friendly. In my mind, seeing guys in a yoga class can mean one of two things. Either its a super athletic, ultra sweaty, awesome workout OR... there's a super hot teacher. It's a pretty basic equation (sorry guys). The class I most often attend is Monday nights with John Wylie, and while he is really great, I think it’s option # 1. So while I know "yoga" can be a tough one for guys, the teachers at Anjali make the experience that much more enjoyable AND beneficial by offering multiple variations of every pose. This isn't a mirror lined studio so you won't have to see yourself struggling to get into that elusive pidgeon-pose, and most importantly- you won't be alone!

anjalipoweryoga.com

Multiple Locations. Work in the burbs? Or looking for a place to stop on your way home from the city? Anjali offers multiple studio locations making it that much easier for you to find a time and place to squeeze a session into your daily routine. I have only experienced the South Street studio, however Anjali also has studios in Westmont, Maple Shade AND in those summer months... Avalon too!

It’s A Steal. The first-timer deals at Anjali are so good that you really have no excuse not to sign up. First month unlimited classes for $50, or 10 days of unlimited classes for just $20. Don’t feel like committing? Drop-ins are a perfectly reasonable $12 per class. Bottom line: Anjali will leave you feeling all the benefits of a toxin-cleansing, muscle lengthening and body strengthening workout, without feeling a major hit to your bank account.