“Remember to love your yoga,” our instructor stated in a reassuring tone, with a smile on her face.
As I returned to downward dog I hardly noticed the sweat dripping on my mat.
“Now flow through the vinyasa at your own pace, go with what you feel!” she added.
When the music takes over and you truly begin to focus on your breathing, the heated room really starts to feel more cleansing than overwhelmingly hot.
The “Hot yoga” craze has made quite an impact lately, with a number of studios opening up in the Bethel Park area.
There are many benefits that come along with the practice, making it so popular today. However, even as a regular practicer I still felt skeptical, and a little intimidated by going to a heated class.
Bikram yoga was the original style of “hot yoga.” It was developed by Bikram Choudhary, consisting of 26 postures designed to work every muscle in the body. Each pose is often held for longer than in other styles.
The practice takes place in a room that is heated between 95 – 100 degrees with 40 percent humidity. The heat is used to promote flexibility, detoxification, and build endurance.
Today, many hot yoga studios base themselves on this Bikram style, but are considered “flow” classes, meaning they more through a series of positions at a quicker pace. Usually, each breath is a different pose.
Like myself, fellow student Tom Welman wasn’t very confident in the practice before attending a class at Yoga Innovations, “I honestly thought it sounded miserable, but I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would and will definitely go back!”
In Bethel Park there are two studios: Yoga Innovations and Yoga Flow. Both offer great classes, leaving students rejuvinated. Other popular studios in our area include: The Hott Spot, and South Hills Power Yoga.
Yoga of any sort can help with relaxation, focus, and strength.
No matter what style you practice, the most important thing is to love your yoga.