So, I've taken a few more instructors at CH that I want to share before going into my final ratings. The first is Gioconda who I had taken classes with at BFree - I have to admit that I loved her there and she's just as good at CH :) However, since she's not unique to CH I don't know that it's a huge selling point for the studio itself. The second is Christina Sells.
I was told that Christina is famous. She has written books, been doing yoga forever, taught numerous current instructors, etc. I have taken one class with her and I will say she is very skilled. She also gives off an air of really loving what she is doing and getting excited at accomplishments that her students make in class. For example, we watched some demonstrations of things to try and when it was over we'd clap. Then if someone else tried...we'd clap again, a lot of clapping :) The disappointment I had was with how many times we stopped to watch others, I didn't feel like I got much of a practice in. I completely understand that there were a lot of instructors in the class and that they want to learn more, but as a practice it was slow moving and a little random, plus we did TONS of back bends (oooh shoulders!)
Those two instructors rounded out my evaluation of Castle Hill (CH for short). Overall, I felt the classes were OK. The problem I had was with the inconsistency, for example, one class with the same description was way too easy for me, while another one was very challenging...make it a total toss up until you got the hang of it. Unfortunately, once I got the hang of it I realized there were only two instructors I enjoyed in that I would come back on a regular basis: Jeremiah and Gioconda. One is leaving and the other teaches across a few studios.
The other class issue I had was with the times. I explained this in my initial update but the morning classes are only the self-guided classes, which I strongly disliked. In addition, there is only one time for evening classes (6pm) so they were very easy to miss if I had to work late, with no extended or evening options. I did think though that the weekend availabilities were good. Black Swan was still my go-to for flexibility in my practice throughout my time with CH.
Castle Hill is a maze of exercise. There is a cafe, 2 yoga rooms (with a 3rd across the street in it's own building) and so much equipment. The yoga room in which I took most of my classes was upstairs...and next to another room where there were dance and martial arts practices. Numerous times the floor started vibrating in our relaxation due to the music of the other room. The studio across the street was great. It was perfect for yoga with all of the tools to use, good light, nice floor...but since it's separate you have to sign in at the regular desk and walk over...I think that's why there aren't more classes taught there. I was surprised actually because it was the nicest facility in the entirety of CH.
Going back to my initial post - there are perks to having a full gym, including shower, bathroom, lockers and space. The feel though was more of a gym than a yoga studio - I like the quiet, relaxed understanding that all yogis have before and after practice that is disturbed some by others who were just lifting weights to loud iPod tunes. Trust me I like that too...but not when I'm going to practice yoga :)
Overall, I can see how some would really like CH - especially if you are looking for a yoga + gym membership or if you are a big fan of Christina Sells (she is a fantastic influence on yoga). It wasn't for me so I'm done at CH and moving on to Yoga Vida...stay tuned.
Ratings:
Classes: 3/5
Facility: 2/5
Overall: 2.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment