This post is part of my 2017 New Year’s Resolution to try every group fitness class offered at my gym, The Equinox in Chestnut Hill. See the full list of reviews here.
Progress: 46 Classes Down, Approximately 1 or 2 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)
I brought a friend with me to class today! Turns out, we get guest passes at the Equinox (3 a year and I believe you can purchase more) and I’ve never used mine…. until now! With a teacher workshop day after a four day weekend, it seemed like the perfect time to bring a friend to yoga and let our kids (who are thick as thieves) play in the club play space together. We enjoyed the company, and she enjoyed class!
Last week I actually went to B/Spoke for the first time with another friend, so I’m on a social work-out roll here. It’s really nice to have someone you know there and then grab a snack afterwards. One of my goals for 2018 is to see more of my friends, and joining them for a class they love or inviting them to the Equinox with me is a great way to do that.
Class: Sweat and Surrender with Renu Shukla
Class length: 60 minutes
Description from the Equinox: A combination of vinyasa, restorative yoga, and breathwork to create an energizing yet relaxing practice. This harmonizing practice will help bring the body, mind, and nervous system into balance.
What Class Was Like
Flowing sequences intermingled with a few restorative poses.
A frequently used sequence was this version of sun salutation: upward salute, forward bend, flat back forward bend, high plank, chaturanga, upward-facing dog, downward facing dog. We flowed through the poses, making this a better practice for those familiar with common yoga poses because verbal cues tended to be the names of positions rather than step by step instructions on how to enter and align in the pose. Those looking for more instruction and time between poses might enjoy Alignment Flow Yoga, a class that breaks down poses more because of its focus on precision and alignment.
Other poses mixed into the practice: cobra, chair, crow, shoulder stand, locust, boat, warrior one, warrior two, side angle, child’s pose, cat, cow, rag doll, side plank and savasana.
This class feels similar to vinyasa, and the amount of time spent in plank, side plank and downward dog meant it required more strength than I think is implied by the breakdown on Equinox’s website.
Who would love it: Anyone who enjoys yoga and is familiar enough with the practice to allow pose names to be their cues. Renu offers corrections, is welcoming of all levels, and offers options for many of the poses, but attendees will feel most comfortable and get the most out of class if they’re familiar with yoga going in.
It’s a good class for working your upper body, breathing deep into those stretches in between the challenging work sequences (that’s the surrender part!) and walking out a bit stronger. I always enjoy Renu’s classes and feel like I’ve worked hard when I leave.