I found the holy grail of yoga classes for the yoga lover with an aversion to “ohms” and the attention span of a gnat.
Cornelius Jones Jr at Yoga Sculpt at Corepower Yoga in Sherman Oaks
Cornelius Jones Jr., the handsome African American man every Jewish woman secretly wishes was her gay son, teaches Yoga Sculpt at Corepower Yoga in Sherman Oaks. It’s one hour in a blazing hot room doing a challenging flow class with weights and kick ass hip hop music. The first few times I felt like I was gasping for air on a lifeless planet, but once I acclimated to the heat, lack of oxygen and all around brutal workout, I had fun..ish. Cornelius makes it impossible not to. He starts every class off with a laid back smile and a perfectly unfunny joke. Then he welcomes all new comers with a warm smile (again) only now, with a curl of foreboding “good luck.”
Cornelius is 100% charisma and 0% pretension. He has a way of rapping as he calls out the poses. He makes you feel like you have rhythm and strength and someone rooting for you. This yoga class is perfect for people who are comfortable with challenging workouts but may not be armed with intricate yoga poses. It feels more like a boot camp than a yoga class. So, if you’re looking to practice arm balances, this isn’t the place for you. If you’re looking to get a crazy cardiovascular and strength training workout while stretching your body and clearing your mind with an awesome teacher in one hour, Corepower Yoga Sculpt (schedule) is the perfect class for you. And me.
Bring a towel. Drink water. And please, don’t be a douche bag and wear perfume or make up.
Written by Meredith Morton Meredith is a mom of three perfectly behaved and always impeccably dressed boys who never cuss or fight. She prefers exercise to the side effects of lithium. You can follow her on Instagram @meredithmorton but don’t expect too much.
Meredith Morton is our latest Groomed LA contributor. Sure, go try and be her best friend, but get in line, I’m first.
Cornelius Jones Jr., RYT 200, a natural born mover began his career sprinting alongside running backs on patchy football fields while pirouetting and harmonizing in Glee-like Show Choirs at concert halls, amid coming of age in Richmond, VA and Washington, DC. He attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA where he received a BFA in Musical Theater. Broadway bound, at the age of 22, was cast in his first Broadway show Thou Shalt Not, directed & choreographed by Tony award winner Susan Stroman. He then went on to perform as dancer & singer in the Broadway, 1st & 2nd National tour, Mexico, and Las Vegas companies of Disney’s The Lion King. It was at The University of the Arts where Cornelius first met Hatha Yoga, as a course requirement. At the beginning of his Lion King journey he discovered Bikram Yoga for physical recovery. His love for Hot Vinyasa Flow birthed after completing a rigorous Masters Degree and releasing an abusive intimate relationship, as way of mentally & physically detoxifying. He received his HOT power training through CorePower Yoga. Cornelius teaches with love for all, out the box energy, and an open heart. He’s a spoken-word artist and author and loves bringing a lyrical, metaphorical, and spiritual flow to his class. Just breathe: Art Heals, Yoga Heals. Namaste. Visit him off the mat at www.corneliusjonesjr.com.
Any opinion expressed are the employee’s own and do not represent those of CorePower Yoga.