Student Testimonials
The instructors and how encouraging and supportive they are to all who join class
I love the facility and the teachers I just wish there were more CorePower 1 or 1.5 classes
My favorite teachers are Krish and NJ. They mix up the routines and in my humble opinion should be the "creative" directors of San Mateo Core Power. I love all my teachers, but they are exemplary!
Great staff, clean and large facilities.
Reena is the best teacher
I absolutely love both the San Mateo and Palo Alto CYP yoga studios! From the moment you walk in, you're greeted with such warmth and positivity. The classes are amazing—each instructor brings so much knowledge, energy, and mindfulness to every session. The studio itself is beautiful, clean, and a true sanctuary for relaxation and growth. The manager and staff goes above and beyond to create a welcoming, peaceful environment. The teachers at both San Mateo and Palo Alto are amazing. I especially love taking classes with the very experienced and knowledgeable manager Edna Barr as well as a few excellent teachers including Zoe B, Emma S, NJ P. I've never felt more connected to my practice. I leave every class feeling refreshed, inspired, and so grateful!
great!
Sarah C’s sculpt class was awesome!! Super fun, high energy, and loved her sequencing. Will definitely take her class again!!!!!
Everything! The studio is clean. The staff is terrific! Chase does an amazing class!
Excellent (and very challenging) work out! I like the combination of stretching and strength training.
Question- is there a line/wait to use the shower after the 7:30am class? During the week, 7:30am would be ideal for me and I would need to shower and change before heading to work.
Variety of classes and instructors! Flexible hours to pick as well.
Zoe’s amazing!
I would like to leave the positive feedback for instructor name Kate G! She always has full of energy with encouragement and my class meaningful as she always stated “it’s not my class, your class!”
I love her class sooooooooo much
Thank you for this opportunity
Instructor was great. It was my first time and I am not sure how much I like heated yoga.
Clean friendly
The only complaint classes should be 1 1/2 hours apart and more .
That way it would be easier to two classes.
TL;DR
• Lots of friendly, knowledgeable instructors who will challenge you to be your best while making sure the workout is accessible for everyone without judgment
• Several convenient locations available for use either at home or across the country all for the same membership price
• Multiple types of classes offered throughout the day – there is bound to be something that easily fits your schedule while providing workout variety if that is what you want
• I just completed my 62nd class in the last 66 days, many of them at the Redwood City location – I had previously taken two formal yoga classes in my life. That would not have happened without CorePower
More detailed review:
I am a reasonably fit male in my mid-fifties who has done CrossFit almost every day for the past eight years. My only real exposure to yoga in the past was through things like P90X that incorporated yoga once a week many years ago. I also complete the daily yin yoga sessions created by ROMWOD (now pliability) most days. If you had told me three months ago that I would now be going to hot yoga classes nearly every day, I would have said you were crazy.
Two of my daughters, who are in their twenties, were visiting us in early June and asked me to join them for a yoga class at a competing studio. I went and had a good workout (and even wrote them a positive online review), but it was not something I felt the need to do more of at the time. The following week, one of my daughters asked me to join her for the free week that CorePower offers. I said yes purely as an excuse to spend more time with her, not realizing how much better the style of Yoga CorePower provides makes me feel or that it would become such an important part of my daily routine.
I went to a C2 workout six times during my free week and left every single one feeling great. I enjoyed it so much that I agreed to sign up for the paid membership and have gone almost every day since then. The vast majority of the 62 classes I have taken over the past 66 days have been C2, but I have also taken a few Core Restore (these are fantastic) and even a Hot Power Fusion class (I didn’t really like this one, but I can see why some people might). I am not planning to take any Sculpt or CSX classes since I still get my strength training from CrossFit, but I think these are some of the most popular classes CorePower offers.
Like with most group exercise facilities, some of the teachers will be better than others, but I have always gotten a good workout. And the huge choice of class times and locations makes it easy to find classes being taught by the instructors you like the most at a time that fits your schedule.
I have been to three CorePower locations so far, and the Redwood City one is probably my favorite. It has two spacious studios with very high ceilings and more than enough free parking in a very convenient location.
TL;DR
• Lots of friendly, knowledgeable instructors who will challenge you to be your best while making sure the workout is accessible for everyone without judgment
• Several convenient locations available for use either at home or across the country all for the same membership price
• Multiple types of classes offered throughout the day – there is bound to be something that easily fits your schedule while providing workout variety if that is what you want
• I just completed my 62nd class in the last 66 days, many of them at the Palo Alto location – I had previously taken two formal yoga classes in my life. That would not have happened without CorePower
More detailed review:
I am a reasonably fit male in my mid-fifties who has done CrossFit almost every day for the past eight years. My only real exposure to yoga in the past was through things like P90X that incorporated yoga once a week many years ago. I also complete the daily yin yoga sessions created by ROMWOD (now pliability) most days. If you had told me three months ago that I would now be going to hot yoga classes nearly every day, I would have said you were crazy.
Two of my daughters, who are in their twenties, were visiting us in early June and asked me to join them for a yoga class at a competing studio. I went and had a good workout (and even wrote them a positive online review), but it was not something I felt the need to do more of at the time. The following week, one of my daughters asked me to join her for the free week that CorePower offers. I said yes purely as an excuse to spend more time with her, not realizing how much better the style of Yoga CorePower provides makes me feel or that it would become such an important part of my daily routine.
I went to a C2 workout six times during my free week and left every single one feeling great. I enjoyed it so much that I agreed to sign up for the paid membership and have gone almost every day since then. The vast majority of the 62 classes I have taken over the past 66 days have been C2, but I have also taken a few Core Restore (these are fantastic) and even a Hot Power Fusion class (I didn’t really like this one, but I can see why some people might). I am not planning to take any Sculpt or CSX classes since I still get my strength training from CrossFit, but I think these are some of the most popular classes CorePower offers.
Like with most group exercise facilities, some of the teachers will be better than others, but I have always gotten a good workout. And the huge choice of class times and locations makes it easy to find classes being taught by the instructors you like the most at a time that fits your schedule.
The criticisms in most of the negative reviews I have seen particularly as it relates to the Palo Alto location tend to focus on three things:
• The facility is not the best (the studio has relatively low ceilings, the hallway and check-in area are relatively cramped, the studio has a smell and there are not enough showers)
• People were not let in to class even though they were “only a few minutes late”
• People felt the CPY staff was not friendly enough
None of these seem like valid complaints to me. Taking each of them in turn:
The studio – yes, the studio has relatively low ceilings, but I am 6’ 2” and have never had any issues with mountain or any other pose here. This might become a problem for someone who is 6’ 6” or taller, but I have never seen anyone close to that height in any of my classes. Anyone who has mentioned this complaint is likely not to have been negatively impacted by it at all based on my experience.
There can be a bit of a smell, but you (or at least I) quickly get used to it and it has never detracted from my workout.
The hallway and check-in area can be cramped and I believe there are only two showers, but these seem like first world problems to me. This studio is located in one of the most expensive zip codes in the world, yet CorePower does not charge a premium for people to go to classes here. Anyone that complains about the lack of space does not understand economics in my opinion. I am just happy they decided to open a studio in such a convenient location.
Not accommodating late arrivals – I understand how frustrating it can be to not be let in to class even if you are “only a few minutes late,” but this is a clearly stated CorePower policy that should not be a surprise. There is a relatively simple solution to this – plan to arrive 15 minutes before class starts or wait to sign up for a class until you are in the Town & Country parking lot.
Unfriendly staff – I have never seen this at CorePower. If anything, most of the staff have gone out of their way to make people feel welcome when they arrive. My guess is that anyone who thinks the staff is not friendly is just mad that the staff is enforcing corporate policies that they have no control over.
Bottom line, I am extremely happy with my CPY membership in general and my experience with the Palo Alto location in particular. It’s not perfect, but it is definitely more than good enough.
Sculpt class was a superior experience. I felt very powerful with the weights, and feminine with the yoga flow. Great workout for all levels.
I love the early morning sculpt classes. I would really, really like the time to be 6:00am. Us teachers need to be at school early!!😜😊. Even 16 minutes makes a huge difference.
What I liked most about my experience was definitely the workout and sweat in the hour. I've never experienced anything like that. The ease of checking in, locker room and studio just makes everything seamless and easy to use. Everything being clean and sanitized makes it a comfortable experience too.
The instructors are great motivators and really encourage you to stay engaged in class
Friendly yoga teacher and studio staff, excellent yoga class. Thank you!
I liked how clean the studio was.
nice facility, clean, everyone was super friendly
Every time I take a class I leave feeling full of energy and peace!
Great instructors and studio!
Great instructors make the difference!!! Maria and Laura are awesome. Thank you.
Excellent teacher, beautiful studio with showers
Fantastic instructors and well maintained facility
I like the spacious tall ceiling rooms. They make the classes feel a bit more comfortable despite the heat.
I enjoy EmmaD's class on Tuesday and Chase's last Friday class definitely makes my week.