Charleston Power Yoga

I would like to give this business three and a half stars because I am on the fence. On the one hand I am an addict because I cannot stop going and haven’t found another yoga place in Charleston like it; on the other hand, the class quality largely depends on the teacher and varies markedly in caliber, quality and overall hardness. The crowd is usually the college crowd if you’re a 5:45pmer but there are adults and lots of guys who go here. It’s a great work out for strength and fitness albeit sometimes it is too hot and the endurance of the practice can leave you exhausted. All of this said, I highly recommend classes with Mimi and Bethany. Ashley is good but she will kick your butt — make sure you don’t have much walking or lifting planned for the next day. Before coming to Charleston I was an ashtanga yogi and this is the closest I’ve found to ashtanga here, different in that it is a slightly hotter room (not bikram 100 but 88 – 90) and the practice varies which is something I enjoy.

Just so bad

My experience with Charleston Power Yoga was not at the studio, but on the beach at Isle of Palms as we had one of the instructors, Bethany, come teach our group of 12 a private yoga class on the beach as we stayed there for a bachelorette party weekend. The class and experience could not have been any better. Bethany came right to our house with clean yoga mats and music, and we found a spot on the beach for our 60 minute vinyasa flow class. Our experience was simply wonderful! Bethany taught the perfect class for our group, reading our athletic and energy levels (after a night out celebrating the night before), offering variations, taking photos of our group, and making us feel totally comfortable with the entire experience. Her friendliness and expertise were evident and welcomed. At $ 10 per person, this class was so reasonable and a truly wonderful experience as part of our weekend. I would recommend CPY and Bethany to all who are interested in this type of class!

The signature power vinyasa class is not very well grounded in the principles of yoga. It is an aerobics class on a yoga mat that incorporates some asanas but prefers to be a rah-​rah workout with self-​congratulatory clapping at the end. The room was too hot and during the class I attended two people fell while doing handstands and the instructor giggled and joked about it. Loud music to pump you up for yoga? Bizarre. That belongs in a gym. This is not a place for those looking for a true practice.

I also travel for business and am always on the hunt for a studio to practice. In this case, my daughter goes to CofC and while she was shopping with Mom I went to yoga. This place is perhaps the best I have visited. You need to have an understanding of proper body alignment and want to flow and sweat. Its no-​nonsense yoga (if there is such a thing for yoga) and you will work. There is a high level of energy here too. Get there early. I enjoyed both studios, Downtown and Mt. Pleasant. All the instructors are outstanding, well practiced, introduce unique and fun flow styles and know how to choreograph an artful way of getting to the pose. How inspiring! I practiced under the direction of Cortney/​Nicala, Susan, and Holly. If you are visiting Charleston put this place on your tour. Take advantage of the Introductory special if its your first visit. Om-​Peace!

Long, oblong room with free-​standing mirrors along the front. It’s a tad cramped if the mats aren’t staggered properly. Warm temp, nice lighting, good music and I really liked the teacher. I rented a mat for $ 1 and yogi toes mat for $ 3. Walk-​in rate was $ 15. Very happy I went!

The afternoon Power class was well taught and challenging. I did not know all classes are hot, so be prepared to SWEAT! Bring a long towel for your mat, they have hand towels for use. They have coconut and regular bottled water for sale. There is a shower at the downtown location with soap and shampoo. The class was completely full with mats inches from each other, so arrive early if you want to be positioned at a particular place in the room.

Been going here for a couple of months 4−5x a week. Great vibe from the instructors and other yogis. The teachers will definitely help you out with pointers on your poses. And most of the instructors are funny. Nothing like a good laugh to break you out of your so called sweaty reality. Fun and serious. Definitely a work out between the level of flow and 90 °F heated room. If you are into the more physical side of yoga, definitely recommend it!!!

Awesome class, teachers, assistants and community! Beautiful, simple space.

I’m addicted! Love it!

Taking a yoga class when I travel has been something I started doing couple years ago. Every studio/​class/​teacher is different, but I love that they all have a universal goal of mind-​body wellness. I was in Charleston for a mini vacation and I decided to take a hot yoga class in the area. They were to first to pop up on the internet search. I emailed the studio ahead of time during the week prior to my travel and asked them couple of questions I had about their studio/​class/​etc. They were really courteous and responded to me immediately.
I dropped by 15 min before class and filled out the new student form and was guided towards the yoga room. Upbeat music played while students waited for the class to begin, but the music stopped when their 90 min vinyasa yoga began (I wish they had kept the music going). The room was small and narrow but I came to the early class on Saturday morning so I had not problem finding a spot. I’m not sure if I would have been able to take the class if I came to the later class.
Overall I really enjoyed the class and my visitor experience was positive. I would have taken an advantage of their shower before heading out, but their showers were all in use and next class was coming in so I quickly changed in their changing closet and went on about my day. I would love to take another class when I get back to Charleston.

After practicing yoga (vinyasa style) 3 or 4x a week for a couple years, I found myself needing a challenge. CPY was just it. You flow, sweat, and detox like no other. The teachers (owners) are the best. They say the most wonderful things, make adjustments when needed (which always helps), and push you to your edge. The vibe in CPY is always right and so is the way you feel when you leave. They have yoga revolutions every once in a while and will revolutionize any body type– 5x a week for 4 weeks. The lavender towels at the end of class are always a huge perk. Power 1 and deep stretch classes are also available for any yogi. Try it out, you won’t regret it and just may get hooked… in a very good way– 1^st time is free – namaste.

I’ve been practicing yoga on and off (with varying degrees of seriousness) for the past 10 years, and in the process have logged time in a lot of studios in a lot of different places. CPY is easily among the very best of the studios I have been to. The owners (who teach most of the classes) and everyone else there are warm and welcoming and at the same time help you to work at your edge, so that you can get the most out of the practice. It is a serious workout, but the benefits go way beyond the changes in your body (which, depending on your commitment level, can be tremendous). Find yourself on your mat here and I promise it will help you to find greater joy, calm, and balance off the mat as well.