Yogapod

This week I finally made it across the inlet and ventured into the wonderful land of North Van. Much like Kits, North Van is an affluent, outdoorsy community - it's no surprise there are lots of yoga studios there. This week I tested out Yogapod, a studio located steps away from Lonsdale Quay and the Seabus.

What: Yogapod

Where: 101 - 260 West Esplanade Street, North Vancouver BC

When: June 30, 2010, 9:30pm-11:00am

Class: Core Essentials

Teacher: Hope

Drop-In price per class: $15-20

Types of classes offered: Hot Foundation, Beginner, Vinyasa, Anusara Inspired, Tragically Hips, Core Essentials, Bhakti Shakti, Shakti-Pod Groove, Prenatal, Mom and Baby, Kids Yoga, Karma Classes

Space:

This studio was beautiful. The front entrance had a little boutique that sold yoga wear, books, mats, etc. There was a cute tea room/waiting area outside the main studio. I always love seeing tea rooms in studios - it gives it that community feel. The yoga space itself was quite large and spacious. It definitely was built with large classes in mind. The floors were carpet, which I didn't love, but maybe it was that sanitary carpet that they have in the hot yoga studios. I am always partial to hardwood floors in yoga studios, though. Anyhoo, there was a nice scent in the main studio - the first time I ever noticed the aroma of a studio. I could see that some people could be bothered by it if was any stronger. In terms of amenities, there were beautiful washrooms and changing area. The only thing missing were showers. Usually, I don't mind if there are no showers and the studio only offers hatha/vinyasa/yin/etc, but this studio had tons of hot classes! Even the class I went to (Core Essentials) was in a slightly heated room and I was sweating my butt off by the end of it. If you take transit like me, going home all stinky and sweaty can be a bit annoying/embarrassing.

Atmosphere:

I loved the esthetic of this place. You could easily call it "girly" with the bright pink walls, but it had other touches that just made it a cut above the rest. There was a water fountain in the hallway with "Namaste" written in the tiles and a drain covered with rocks, giving it a waterfall-like appearance. The tea room was very calming and had a wall with announcements and info to look at. There were also photos on the adjacent wall, giving it a community vibe. I really felt welcomed here.

Teacher/Class:

The class I went to was called "Core Essentials" and was taught by Hope. It was taught in a slightly heated room, which I didn't mind at all. I absolutely loved her teaching style! She had excellent flows and paid particular attention to setting up the alignment properly. I later found out she did her training in Anusara - go figure! The thing I liked the most about her class (in addition to the ab-busting exercises) was her choice of wording - she had this vocabulary that just complimented the poses so well. And man did she ever pack in a lot of poses in that one class! I can't believe how many poses we did in the 90 mins! It was a total body experience and left me feeling like a million bucks at the end.

Rating: 9/10. Great studio and location. Lots of interesting classes to try out as well. The only thing that would have given it a 10/10 would be if it had showers. Still a great studio to try out if you're ever on the North Shore!