USC now has a yoga studio in its backyard. Corepower is a hot yoga studio with over 170 locations across the country, and one of them is conveniently located in the USC Village. What's more is that first week of Corepower is absolutely free. And if I know college students, I know that "free" is your favorite word. In this first week, you can take an unlimited amount of classes, which are offered all day. The first begins at 7:30 AM and the last begins at 9:30 PM. They even offer classes on demand, so you can do yoga from the comfort of your dorm. You basically have no excuse to not try Corepower.
You're a beginner? There's a class for you. Full-on yogi? Namaste, there's a class for you, too.
Corepower in the USC Village offers four different kinds of classes: CorePower Yoga 1, Yoga 2, Yoga Sculpt, and Hot Power Fusion. C1 is a foundation building class that's non-heated, so it's beginner-friendly and better for those just starting on their yoga journey. Yoga Sculpt is a combination of cardio and yoga, which is heated but with no added humidity for those who want more than a simple yoga class. Hot Power Fusion is beginner friendly as well, focusing on detoxing and working on stretching out your muscles.
C2 is a more challenging class that is heated with added humidity, for those with a bit of experience who really want to sweat it out. But don't fear- it's still beginner friendly. In fact, my Corepower C2 class was the first yoga class I've ever taken. The teacher, Joel, was very helpful in showing my friend and I how to fix our stances, and was really successful in helping us control our breathing, strengthen our cores, and feel better about ourselves overall. By the end of it, I felt confident, more relaxed, and significantly sweatier. As I reflected afterwards, I felt proud of what I accomplished, and looking at the other people in this class and seeing what they could do with their bodies only motivated me to push my limits further.
Mental and physical benefits of yoga? It's more likely than you think.
The benefits of yoga are endless. Of course there are the physical benefits, including increased flexibility and muscle tone, help with maintaining a balanced metabolism, and help with improving your cardio and circulatory health.
The mental benefits are just as significant as the physical ones, “Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns; relaxes the mind; centers attention; and sharpens concentration,” says Dr. Natalie Nevins, DO, a board-certified osteopathic family physician and certified Kundalini Yoga instructor in Hollywood, California.
What sets CorePower apart?
Corepower has even more benefits than these because it's not only a yoga class - it's a combination of power yoga, which focuses on physical aspects, core yoga, which focuses on core training and breathing techniques, and hot yoga, which is believed to decrease the risk of injury.
So instead of spending your hour-long study break watching old episodes of The Office, expand your physical and mental boundaries with Corepower Yoga in the USC Village. You may find yourself feeling better about your body, about yourself, and about what you're capable of.