Core Studio

I love going to Core! Everyone is always warm and welcoming and the instructors soon start to recognise you just after a few classes. I started at this studio with a private intro course with Kim since I was pretty new to pilate. Kim is great! She’s always cheerful and energetic and really makes the class enjoyable for everyone. I also love classes with Roselby and Meghan because I find them incredibly challenging and always leave me with a good burn afterward. And Jenny, the main receptionist I think, is the sweetest person ever!
As far as the décor goes, I absolutely love it. I really don’t like how some studios have a bunch of ~fancy~ decorations and it just comes across as stuffy to me. Core is very simple with high ceilings and big windows so a lot of light always spills into the rooms. It gives it a more «down to earth» feel, if that makes any sense. I do find it a little pricey compared to some other studios when I was looking around other studios for price comparison… but I have to say I just think it’s worth it! I’ve gotten so much stronger since coming here and I’ve only been going to Core for about 4 months!

I used to really like Core and I feel like over the last year or so, it’s really changed. I was previously a member there but have recently switched over to ClassPass which for those of us who live in one neighbourhood and work in another, is a much better valued deal. I’ve been going to Mindful Movement Centre, Body Harmonics (Dupont), Misfit Studio, and YogaSpace the most and all of the above are professional, organized, friendly, with great instructors who take the time to not just run you through a class but really teach you about your body, individual movements and breath. Returning to Core this week, I was disappointed. The person working at the front desk seemed bored and was unwelcoming. The instructor was way too chirpy and seemed like a pilates drill sergeant instead of an instructor. She just came off as immature and unaware that everyone’s body is different and may need modifications. I have learned how important it is to listen to your body and stay within yourself, and I felt like the instructor kept trying to force me into positions that I was not comfortable in, without even asking about prior injuries/​tightness etc (both of which I’m monitoring closely because of heavy marathon training over the last two months). Anyway, really didn’t enjoy the class or experience. The studio itself is definitely nowhere near as nice as it used to be after their somewhat recent construction and move. I do remember liking Roselby a lot, so will return to her class but that’s probably it.

Now that I’m back in Vancouver, I’m really realizing how good I had it living within walking distance to CORE. By far the best exercise studio I tried while living in Toronto for three years. Wonderful staff and professional instructors who focus on good technique and form. I found the bootcamps were a great way to kick start my fitness routine– fun with results! I will definitely miss Core.

Love this studio. Great selection of teachers from various backgrounds providing different technique/​style classes.

Absolutely love this studio!
The studio has great atmosphere and is set in a beautiful Queen West heritage building. Teachers are extremely helpful and are always there to correct you. If you have a chance, Paul’s classes are a must!
I’ve tried reformer and mat classes, haven’t had a chance to go for yoga, but I’m sure it’s just as great!)

CORE Studio has been so good to me. Since starting here, they have really shifted to a more Pilates based studio. A great studio that caters all levels and I was able to slowly grow with them.
Definitely recommend taking classes with Monica, Tiffany, or Leigh!

I love core. they are the best studio in the city. The instructors are amazing, watch out for Paul!!! Monica the owner is so incredibly supportive and creates personal relationships with her clients. Core is more than a studio, its a community and I love it there. The brick room upstairs is so gorgeous and motivating, the classes challenging, the equipment classes fantastic. The schedule of classes is so varied and suits any schedule. I highly recommend core.

No surprise to me that Core has received such good reviews.
Well managed, great location, lovely artsie 2 story space, excellent quality of teachers. Nice people (both students and teachers)
I’ve been a regular for nearly 4 years.
It can get a little pricey for some perhaps, but there are options to keep the cost low for those who can be flexible with their times, and the studio is often looking for Karma «labour» in exchange for some class time.
Highly recommended.

Amazing classes, lovely instructors and a clean, huge stunning studio. Overall lovely experience. I did a 5-​class pass and would definitely continue if I weren’t leaving the city.

I can’t believe it’s taken me nearly 8 months of dedicated Pilates study at Core to write a review. Shame on me.
Fantastic studio with great instructors. Sometimes a little disorganized, but who isn’t?

I had just moved to TO and was looking for a good pilates studio in the city. I’d only ever practiced Pilates back in SF at Blue Sparrow, so I was a little anxious to find a really good studio with nice, easy-​going but attentive (read: non-​threatening) instructors.
I was very lucky to chance upon Core Studio on Unilocal,even though it was a 25 min subway ride away from where I was staying.
The Studio is bigger than what i’m used to, but doesn’t feel like an impersonal gym.
The pilates reformer class is pretty big– 8 people, but i did not feel like i wasn’t getting the attention i needed.
Because I was working «Pacific time-​PST», i could only attend classes on Saturday and the Noon class on Saturdays was only $ 19 + tax, which is about 40% less than my usual classes in SF (albeit smaller classes there) — awesome deal.
There’re a Lot of classes; bootcamp, bootcamp max, mat, stretch etc. I wish I was there long enough to try it all.
Lindsey is a great instructor.
Patient, easy-​going, attentive to what we were doing even though there were 8 of us and I got a very good workout every week.
The space is gorgeous; brick walls, high ceilings, right on Queen Street West, 1 – 2 blocks from all the shops and restaurants.
Everyone is friendly and non-​pretentious.
Would highly recommend to anyone seeking a pilates studio in Toronto

If you are a fan of non heated yoga practice or really into pilates, you would have love Core Studio.
As a stand alone yoga studio, the yoga classes does lack varieties or the «Hot» factor. But personally I think Core Studio is trying to use Yoga to compliment their Pilates and bootcamp classes instead of the other way around.
It is good for Core Studio in a way as it differentiate itself from all the other yoga studio that doing mostly yoga and have one or 2 Pilate classes a week or some yogalates class?
I do love the spaces… high ceiling… you don’t feel like you are in a cave looking out to the windows… The brick walls does add some rustic charm to it.
The Sunday late morning Yin/​Restorative class I attended using my Passport was both relaxing and energizing at the same time. I love how the instruction gave my lower back and my neck/​shoulders a little massage… using topical muscle relaxation cream. it was just this numbing sensation… Then when we were in the final savasana a lavender head massage! :)
The change room is small and no where really for your valuables… but they do let you bring your wallet into class.
The prices for reformer class can be pricey but I might give it a try!

I can see why everyone loves this studio, but for me it was. meh.
Its a great space that offers Pilates and Yoga. They have reformers in one big studio, a private reformer, and upstairs 2 other rooms. I felt it was a Pilates class that just so happened to have Yoga classes.
However, the instructor for the Yin class was really good. She was attentive, calming, and provided help where needed.
The people both working here and who attended the classes are really friendly, but I felt out of place as a first timer in the studio.
Maybe I’m just used to the hot yoga classes and so called yoga etiquette. I felt strange with everyone chatting in the room before and after the class.
The Yin class was supposed to be reduced heat class. I was a little cold because the windows were open, and even after it was closed. It was warmer in the middle.
It was challenging and a lot different in a non-​hot room (you don’t stretch as easily). You only get to do 4 – 5 poses which you hold for a long time. It’s something that would be good to do every so often to complement a regular workout régime.
The entry way here is tiny and I must have bumped into people so many times. The change room is actually a room, with some shelves. The door opens awkwardly so be careful you don’t flash anyone.
There is no clock anywhere, so i wasn’t sure when the class started, and if it already did, so I by accident walked into the previous class! Sorry!
The place it okay, but I don’t think I’ll be back. Just not for me. I like my Moksha classes and studios.
One thing I wanted to comment on was the person in the class who commented that this was the most relaxing yoga class she’s ever been to (Of course! It’s slow, and Yin yoga) and that all the other yoga classes she’s been to with her Passport was torture and even called it a Passport to Pain.
Of COURSE it would be if you keep going to Vinyasa and Asthanga classes — all yoga is different, you have to pick one that fits with you. Read the class descriptions, I find it frustrating that she would complain about something like that when it’s all in her own control.

It is no surprise to me that several reviewers have given this place five stars. I visited last night with my Passport to Prana and a girlfriend. Because of the busy holiday season, we both needed a break and wanted a restorative class to relax ourselves.
This studio is gorgeous. I would LOVE to live here. The top floor has a large brick walled studio with loft ceilings and a smaller studio with Toronto skyline views.
The owner of this studio is one of the warmest people I have ever met. Before and after class we were treated like longtime regulars and not first timers. We were honestly treated like members of the family. The happiness and warmth was memorable for certain. So welcoming.
The class itself was with Sunny, and was hands down the BEST restorative class I have ever taken. It was small, with about 8 people, with plenty of props for all of us. Restorative yoga involves using blankets, bolsters, bricks and straps to support your body so you have the chance to just melt. I had an Iyengar teacher years ago that referred to it as «delicious» and it kind of is.
Sunny had calming music playing loud enough to echo through the space (hooray music!!) and some lavender scent. She was calming, thorough and explained everything very well. She also did adjustments when necessary (!!) I honestly left the class feeling like I had just spent the entire day at the spa. I cannot believe I forgot how fabulous restorative is.
I do not do Pilates, but this studio has a Pilates bootcamp and Pilates machines, which vaguely resemble medeivel torture devices, but that I would love to try some day.
Fantastic Studio, Fantastic Teacher. Will return for certain. TRY THE RESTORATIVE WITH SUNNY. Trust me.

In discovering the amazing card that is, «Passport to Prana», I feel my eyes have been opened to a world of different Yoga studios. So, on this, my second passport use, I decided to try a different practice of Yoga. Yin Yoga, the opposite of my Yang life, is slow and deliberate. Not a drop of sweat, but nonetheless I feel like I learned so much about my body and yoga. The instructors are super nice and make you feel welcome.
When you walk up the stairs, keep on walking past the Institute of Traditional Medicine and take your shoes off on the landing. Inside the office, you are transported to a calming place. The change rooms are large and uncluttered with room for all kinds of winter clothes. I didn’t need to use the showers, so no comments on those yet. The main yoga studios are up another flight of stairs.
My class was in the back room of this two-​floor studio. The front room has gorgeous brick walls and high ceilings, I want to live here! While doing the ‘double shoelace’ pose, I was able to gaze lovingly out across the city and see the Canada Life Assurance light indicating the weather is getting colder. I’ll certainly be back, and isn’t that the point of the passport? To lure you in with good service, and good yoga and then get you stay awhile?

My review is only based on on lunchtime pilates session but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The instructor was very helpful with my friend and myself, who were newbies. The vibe was relaxed and even the receptionist was welcoming. I hope to get back again but it is a little farther away than my usual gym. I really want to try out the reformers…

My visit here via Passport to Prana was really great! The weather was perfect so our yoga class was brightly lit by the sun streaming in from the open door with a view of the Toronto skyline — fantastic! The instructor, Caren, provided excellent series of poses that kept my attention and challenged each person according to their level of practice. There were clear instructions for modifications, so nobody really needed to resort to sitting it out. There were a few new poses thrown in — regular students commented on this, so obviously Caren is a dedicated teacher!
I REALLY like that this studio doesn’t have silly rules about not bringing your bag/​purse into the room with you. Too many other studios adopt this policy without providing secure lockers! The studio was well-​equipped with yoga blocks, straps, and cushions for everyone, which made it a more effective class for the less-​than-​limber (like me!) There is also the option of renting a mat for $ 1.
I would definitely return here and I hope I have to opportunity to do so before too long.

During a recent stay in Toronto I needed to find a yoga studio for just a few days and was referred by my friends at Average Joe’s Café to Core. They are in a downscale but funky part of the city near Chinatown and Kensington Market, at the top of a steep flight of narrow steel stairs, which opens through the front door into a beautiful, warm, complex of rooms on two floors dedicated to both yoga and pilates. Lovely, friendly energy greets you via the ambiance and welcoming attitudes of the two receptionists I encountered. I saw a large room used for pilates instruction, what looked like a small room for massages, a cosy men’s changing room, a larger women’s changing room, a small bathroom (with shower), and upstairs a mid-​sized yoga room, and my favorite — the huge and awesome yoga practice room, with wood floor, and old exposed red brick facing inside, looking out from the this top story at the cool old buildings across the street and beyond.
I took classes from four separate instructors over four days using their $ 40 (2 week) unlimited intro offer. First, Monica Plewes, who I understand is the owner, was a warm Norwegian woman who was a very confident, very interactive instructor leading a Vinyasa class. Next, Amber J, a tatted woman with a bold muscular presence gave a class called ‘Fusion’, which I heard her say she had designed, and which combined pilates and yoga. Day 3, I took a Vinyasa class from Caren Cooper, a reserved and confident instructor, and then finally, day 4, I took Vinyasa from Mandi, who had the softest style of the four, while being very warm and spiritual.
I have to say I loved every class, I loved the different energy from each, and when I go back I will try to make sure I get a class from each one, rather than feeling anyone was a ‘favorite’. Then on top of that the place was so welcoming in spirit (I chalk that up to the receptionists in particular as they were my guides in a sense), which frankly in a place overwhelmingly filled with strong women, isn’t easy for a foreign male out-​of-​towner to feel, that overall I have to say Core Studio MADE my Toronto visit (I was there to spend several days with my Mom at the nearby hospital).
My thanks to Core Studio for making a tough visit a healthy, warm, calm mind/​open hearted experience! SO happy I found you!

I’m one of those people who is nervous about doing new things that involve physical activity. I never felt that way when I started going to Core. They are amazing. The staff is friendly, they know your name and they make you work. I’ve seen amazing results, and have actually enjoyed getting into shape. The space is fantastic and bright and the equipment is always clean, in great working order and the instruction is amazing. I love Roselby who’s been my personal trainer for the past 6 months. Alice is also a stellar instructor. The studio is warm, without attitude and has personality. Something that was important to me if I was going to be getting into sweatpants.