CorePower Yoga - River Forest

Update: Studio is moving to Madison avenue at the end of September 2015.



This studio is a smaller one compared to the Roosevelt location. There is only one studio but it's a large room. So far I've tried C1, C2, Sculpt (my favorite) and Hot Fusion. Any beginner can take these classes you just have to go at your own pace. Don't be intimidated to try Core Power. The instructors at this location are amazing and so kind and friendly. I absolutely love that they place a lavender cold towel on your forehead during savasana. Plenty of parking in the lot. Convenient location because it's right next to Jewel so I always go grocery shopping when I leave class. And classes at 6 am! I'm a huge fan of this place.

CorePower is okay. Just okay. It was acceptable enough for the month I went on a discounted pass, but I never found myself feeling particularly welcomed or supported by either teachers or students--which, while it might not matter for some, is pretty important to me. The teachers offered minimal physical or even verbal adjustments, which is a big pet peeve of mine when it comes to yoga studios. This is, however, the same yoga chain that offers a weight training class to help you get a toned butt, so I can't say I'm super surprised. If it's actually rooted in a traditional practice, instead of a vaguely yoga-like exercise class, I certainly can't tell.

The flow sequences are decent, the class sizes are fine, and I actually really appreciated the women's locker room. But I'd say this isn't the place to go if you're really interested in furthering your yoga practice beyond a somewhat stale vinyasa sequence. Where are the inversions? Where are the arm balances? Where is the pranayama? Where is the progression? And what the hell is "star pose"? There are other yoga studios in the OPRF and Forest Park area that are better equipped to support a dynamic yoga practice. I'm all for getting a good physical workout from yoga, but will stick to my Ashtanga classes for that.

I have been practicing yoga for about 7 years. I also enjoy a good workout with free weights. This combines BOTH. At least the Yoga Sculpt.

First...I have to address the complaints ive heard from people who say Core Power is not "real yoga". I have had a really hard time finding a studio near me or classes where I can actually move forward with my practice. Honestly...most of the classes i have gone to in Oak Park and some in the city feel like "stretching" class. I was also training to be a yoga instructor a the Kriya Temple a few years ago because I thought it would deepen my practice. I had to stop because of a car accident. ANYWAY...if you want a relaxing class...core power has them. All of the poses in the core restore class are traditional yoga poses. The music is soft and relaxing. It is a good practice.

NOW...if you also want to rev up you heart rate and combine it with Vinyasa flow...Yoga Sculpt and Hot Power Fusion are fabulous. I love feeling like Ive had a great workout and then ending it with a relaxing corpse pose.

I've finally found my studio where i am encouraged to go deeper into poses, get a good cardio workout, detox in the heat and relax. Im almost done with my month long Groupon and I am canceling my FFC membership and joining Core Power.

yes. It IS still yoga. they teach proper alignment and correct you if you are wrong. The fast paced music is only blaring in the Sculpt classes.

I love the combo here.

I generally hate yoga. I really do. I also equally dislike being in 95 degree rooms with other sweaty people. So when my friend Amanda asked me to go to Yoga Sculpt with her, my knee-jerk reaction was NO. Eventually she talked me into it, and I went to my first class on a Saturday. The studio is clean, the staff is friendly, and the locker room is beautiful! As a new customer, I received one week of free unlimited yoga. This is great for anyone who wants to try this out without committing to anything!

I had my first class with Tiffany, and she is AWESOME. In my opinion, she plays the best music too ;) Poses are explained, the instructors help you correct your poses, and you are encouraged to listen to your body and slow down if need be. I personally enjoy yoga sculpt because it's not boring, there's fun, loud music, it's fast (vinyasa flow) and there's weights involved. I was hitting a rut in my workout routine and this helped me mix it up a bit. I burned anywhere from 320 - 450 calories per class, and felt as if I could take over the world when I left the studio! I even shed a few extra pounds in the two weeks that I attended class oh-so-religiously.

Quick tip - after your free week is up, you can extend your freebie another week by buying something from their retail boutique. It seemed like a win-win situation for me - I scored a cute new workout top, and another free week!

Downside - it's a bit expensive. Since I do not work, I wasn't ready to throw down the $100 or so it costs for a monthly membership. But I'm sure I'll be back and I'll just pay the $20 for a drop-in.

Tiffany, Emily, Christy, and Tatiana are all AMAZING sculpt teachers. The 6am class is a fantastic way to start your day! Hurry on over to Core Power Yoga and let me know what you think!

i love love love corepower yoga. my first experience with CPY was back in february/march. one of my girlfriends got me into it. i tried it out and started at the south loop location. plus, i had a free month from groupon, so hey why not. i absolutely loved the experience. i can honestly say that the hardest part is actually getting off my ass and taking myself to class. luckily, every time i tackle that little set back i never regret it and come out of class feeling amazing.

i was never able to afford a membership because i was a new grad looking for a career, but i tried replacing my practice with my gym membership which had yoga classes included with my membership. never ever compared. not even close.

groupon had another free month offer this summer and i jumped on it instantly (even more convenient CPY offers a free week for newbies to try, so really there is no excuse). i haven't used my groupon yet, but the oak park/ river forest location ( which is closest to me) actually offers two free beginners/CP1 classes a week (very convenient for me!). i decided to continue going to those til i build up my strength again and save my groupon for the big kid harder classes like sculpt, hot, fusion, and etc.. (ive tried before at the south loop and they are intense, so i figured id be patient and make the most of the coupon when i can).

i plan on becoming a member soon after i use my groupon and am able to budget myself for the monthly. its a bit steep for a new grad budget, but now that i have some income, i think its def worth it. i can't wait.

after every class i feel less stressed, relaxed, stronger, more at peace with myself, and i can go on and on. studios clean and peaceful. instructors are knowledgeable, laid back, and motivating. the place and staff are all together awesome.

as for the missing star.. i agree with the previous post. the oak park/ river forest location could use a few more class times. although, i do understand that its a smaller location compared to the south loop one. but, i must say that i would and im sure many others would benefit from having more class times available.

I am new to Yoga, but I think this place is great. I have been going for about 2 weeks between this studio and the Park Ridge. CorePower has convenient locations for me and a variation of classes. My favorite teachers are Tiffany and Kate Q. they are both awesome. The studio itself if clean and the staff friendly. I have tried all classes except the YogaPilates, hopefully they get this at the River Forest studio soon.

I must admit, I have never tried another studio or type of yoga, so I don't have much to compare it too, but for me it is a good work out. I can't wait to go back.

It's been about a year since I stepped foot in this studio and feel inclined to update my review. Even though I'm sticking with a 4-star rating, my impressions have changed a bit. I have had the opportunity to try many classes with many teachers and while some aren't the most authentic yogis, I found a few teachers whose classes I really enjoy - for the "workout" and for the yogic knowledge they share with students. At this location, Kate Q, Aly and Julia are my favorites- all have a great presence and a wealth of knowledge about what they are teaching.

The yoga practice at this studio is more about physical fitness than it is mind/body. If you take a faster-paced course, you will definitely feel the sweat pouring off you. The practice contradicts a lot of what I learned from great teachers in the beginning, so it's hard for me to participate. However, all of the candlelight yoga instructors have been great. I have never been able to meditate during practice or savasana during any of the practices here.

I will preface this by saying that I have been practicing yoga on and off for 10 years. I practice Ashtanga yoga at home, and I like taking VInyasa classes as the same set of poses over and over again can get boring. So I like to mix it up. I saw a Groupon for here and thought why not?

Maybe I am being a yoga snob, but my experience is that this place is not real yoga. This is more like yogarobics. It is a workout place. Yes yoga is a workout, but for me, it is much more than that. I rarely leave a yoga class feeling annoyed, but for the first time ever, I felt supper annoyed at a yoga instructor. The music was blasting, and throughout corpse pose at the end she kept reading from some book about how you are supposed to be in the moment-nice, but that means allowing silence!! I wanted to sit up and say let me be in my moment -SHUT UP!!! However, I did not-I was nice. At her defense, I think she is inexperienced, and was likely nervous.This place is a great place for a workout, but not for a yoga practice.

So I am on week 2 of my Groupon. I will go because I hate throwing money down the drain. However, my mindset is not that it is yoga. I am going to workout. It has helped with my regular practice, but this is not something I am going to pay full price for. I will stick with Yogatrek. They have amazing Vinyasa and Ashtanga classes. The teachers also understand a bit more about the deeper purpose of yoga.

Holy crap! I am not sure what I was expecting but I took the second level class and it was great. It was 95 degrees! and fairly fast paced but not too fast. Afterward I felt really stretched and my muscles felt great--sore but good. The amazing thing was at the end of the class the instructor placed an iced lavender lemon washcloth over our eyes. Aromatherapy wins me over every time! Can't wait to try another class!