Frequently Asked Power Yoga Questions

Here are answers to some of our more frequent questions about power yoga. Please email us at [email protected] with any other yoga questions.

What is Power Yoga?

Power Yoga is a style of yoga focused mainly on developing strength and flexibility. It began gaining popularity in the 1990’s as yoga teachers looked for ways to make yoga more accessible to western students. Power Yoga classes consist of intense, flowing yoga poses that appeal to those looking to get fit and for a good workout. Go to our Gallery of Yoga Poses to see pictures of some of the poses covered in class.

I’ve never done Power Yoga and am not very flexible. Is that a problem?

The great thing about Power Yoga is each person is free to develop their own individual practice. Every pose taught in class can be modified to your own physical ability. If the pose calls for touching your toes and you can’t, then you go to your shins or your knees – the important part is that you are challenging your edge, wherever that edge is.

It’s been a while since I’ve worked out. Can I do Power Yoga?

You should consult with a physician before undertaking a new workout regiment if you have any concerns. It is important to note that each person in class is developing their own unique yoga practice. If you are new to yoga, start out with our Power Basics yoga class. If at any time during the practice you need to take a break, simply come to Child’s Pose, catch your breath and join the class again when you are ready. As your conditioning improves you will become more comfortable with your ability to do the postures. Magic will happen if you stick to it and challenge your physical and mental edges.

What do I need to take a yoga class?

You will need a yoga mat. You may also want to bring a towel. You can read about yoga class etiquette on our Class Info page.

I don’t have a yoga mat. Can I rent or buy one?

No problem. Until you get your very own mat, you can borrow one of our community mats. Just clean and return it after the class. A spray bottle and towel for cleaning the mat are on the shelf above the community mats. We also sell Manduka premium yoga mats in the studio as well as mat towels that you can lay over your mat to help absorb sweat and provide additional traction for your hands and feet.

Are your yoga classes hot classes?

They are more like warm classes. We heat our studio around 85F. This is hot enough to get the sweat flowing and the muscles loose, but not so hot that the heat becomes distracting. If you are interested in the heat because you like to sweat, don’t worry. Because of the flowing nature of our yoga classes, you will sweat profusely.

Do hot classes make you burn calories faster?

Not so much. To burn calories, your body requires oxygen. The more oxygen you require for an activity, the harder you breathe and the more calories you burn. Studies have shown that increasing a room’s temperature causes your body to burn a small amount of extra calories to cool itself, but not a significant amount. So while the heat by itself doesn’t make you burn a lot of calories, our flowing power yoga practice does. To learn more, please visit our discussion Does Sweating Burn Calories? To see how many calories you burn during one of our classes, please visit our Yoga Calorie Calculator page.

What should I wear to class?

Clothes you can move comfortably in, like shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, etc. Keep in mind that the studio is heated to 85 degrees before each class. Be prepared to sweat.

I’m a guy. Can I do Power Yoga?

Yes. Because of the physical nature of Power Yoga, many guys love to practice this style. Our Power Basics class is a great place to start for guys who have never done yoga.

Where is your studio?

Our Hyde Park studio is located on Hyde Park Square at 3500 Michigan Avenue, Cincinnati OH 45208. It is in the same building as the lululemon store. The entrance is a couple of doors behind the lululemon store on Michigan. Get the map and directions here.