CorePower Yoga - Mission Bay — Local services in San Francisco

Although there's another CorePower location closer to my work, I've always enjoyed coming to this one on weekday evenings and weekend mornings. The studio is smaller here, but that's the only "negative" thing I can think about the moment, and it isn't really a bad thing.

Now for the pluses: When I go to class, even when the yoga room(s) are full, they still aren't suuuper packed. I've always been able to find a space to put my mat without any difficulty, and there's usually space on each side of my mat too, so I don't feel totally packed in like a sardine I usually walk here, but if you're not a walker, it's close to transit (MUNI + Caltrain) and there's street parking available that's free after 6pm. The teachers are very friendly and helpful, with optional hands-on adjustments There's different classes to take depending on your level (or at least, comfort level), and I've never felt bad if I was unable to do a pose or set of poses Lotsss of lockers. A problem I have sometimes at another location is that there are so any people and not enough lockers, so more often than not, there's stuff left in the unlocked closets and even on the floor. There's mat + towel rentals. There are locks for the lockers too, but I'm not sure if that's free or if you need to pay (I usually just bring my own since it's also easier to identify) The change rooms also have small amenities (feminine hygiene products, hand sanitizer, spray deodorant, etc.) and showers

I recently bought a class pack (cheaper than buying the classes individually), so another plus is that the class packs work at all the CorePower studios, even outside of Cali.

Great experience so far, and I can't wait to be back for more. I find the classes good but challenging, so I definitely want to get used to the whole hot...

Negligent in hygiene After a happy year with the studio, attending 4-6 classes/week, in May’22 I got a severe skin infection… and subsequently discovered that Core Power does not use professional cleaners. All cleaning is apparently done by teachers and volunteers. My overall isolation combined with the facts that my spouse never got infected and that my infection started at my feet – the feet that are bare in the studio! – pointed to Core Power. However, learning that they do not see cleaning as their basic responsibility made me think that my horrific experience – I lost nearly a week of billable hours and 3 months later, still have scarring from the blisters that covered my whole body – was not an unfortunate accident but rather the product of willful negligence by a corporation.

Like me, many may assume that hot-yoga studios, like gyms and other places where people sweat and shed lots of skin cells, engage commercial cleaning. Learning that Core Power does no such thing concerned me so deeply that I could barely focus. I suspended my membership and contacted Core Power’s regional management for clarification. 7.5 weeks and several follow-ups later, still nothing. I am very sad. I miss the teachers I love. I miss hot yoga. But I simply cannot expose myself and my family to who knows what risks. Neither can I make it okay for Core Power to rake in fees and pandemic stimulus money – let alone profess to care about our wellness -- while putting our health at risk.

Core Power is negligent and should not be in...

This is a clean, perfect-sized facility and once the class begins, the yoga instructors are knowledgable and inspiring. I particularly love taking classes with Cassidy if I can make them. I'm giving the experience a 3/5 because the culture of the studio is pretty cold and I often feel uncomfortable and unwelcome with the other yoga students. For example, today I went to class and the instructor was in the bathroom, and locked the front door while she was away. I checked my phone, it was 11:59am and the class started at noon. A key part of this note lies in the fact that I was not late, I was on time. I knocked on the window of the class before it began to request assistance for someone to let me in and a class full of people watched me and didn't try to help at all. I had a yoga mat in my hand, pointing to the door. It felt very unkind to me. I'd prefer to attend a studio that has a sense of community...