Below are some of the most common questions we are asked about hot yoga. If you can’t find what you are looking for you can email us with your specific questions or drop into one of our studios to talk to us. Of course you can also see us on Facebook or call us on the telephone (how retro!).
What is hot yoga?
Hot yoga is a series of postures and breathing exercises performed in a heated room. The heat allows the body to stretch and compress more deeply, minimising the risk of injury or strain. The heart lungs and circulatory system are required to work harder, giving you a cardio vascular workout. The warmth aids sweating and thereby giving you the added benefit of a detox.
What do I need to bring?
Men wear shorts and sometimes a t-shirt based on your preference. Women tend to wear capri shorts and a sports top. We have changing rooms, toilets and showers. We sell and hire mats and towels if you don’t want to bring your own. Our mats are washed and dried after each use. You can bring your own water, but we also sell soft drinks and energy bars in studio.
What are the benefits of hot yoga?
- Total mind and body workout
- Helps sporting and other injuries
- Increases flexibility and strength
- Boosts energy
- Relieves tension.
What are the differences between your classes?
We run a number of different classes at Feel Hot Yoga – we recommend you buy the intro offer and try each out!.
Am I fit enough to attend?
Anyone with any level of fitness can attend any class, however be prepared to work hard, sweat a lot and feel like you’ve worked every cell, nerve, muscle bone, tendon and ligament in the body. There’s a great relaxation part at the end, which will feel so worth it.
How can I book my first class?
To book your first class you have two options. You can simply arrive at our studios 20 minutes before the start of the session and buy the intro offer (remember to bring your ID and arrive early to guarantee a space). Or you can register and buy online by clicking “Sign Up” under the classes tab. Once you have made yourself a login you will be able to buy and reserve sessions.
Do I need to be flexible? I can’t even touch my toes!
You don’t need to be flexible – that’s one of the many things hot yoga will help to improve.
Is this the same as Bikram yoga?
Bikram Choudhoury was the first yoga teacher in the west to suggest heating the studio environment to reap the benefits of working more deeply once the body is warm – replicating the average daily temperatures you can expect in India (where yoga originated). Many ‘hot yoga’ studios offer a strict sequence of poses that never alter, as such they have often been slated in the press for extreme heat and sometimes militant teachers shouting instructions to students. WE DON’T DO THIS. All our teachers have continued their study and are highly qualified and fully insured to teach all the yoga postures (not just 26) along with a variety of breathing exercises and meditations. The room is gently warmed and the heat is monitored to achieve the best balance for safe and pleasant practice. Our teachers aim to deliver a more tailored session to suit the particular needs of each class. AND we never ever shout.
Will I over stretch and do any injury to myself?
No is the simple answer. The point of the heat is to warm the muscles and to allow the joints to be bathed in synovial fluid. It also allows blood vessels to dilate and for your immune response to be gently elevated. The asanas are undertaken in stages, to prepare the body and to give you an option to stop or rest or relax if it becomes too challenging. Our classes are not competitive in nature and although you will work hard, we encourage students to find balance, breath and grace in their practice.
Are there dos and don’ts in class?
Yes, we do have some guidelines for studio etiquette.
Which class is right for me?
General rule of thumb is the shorter the class e.g. 60 or 75 mins, the less intense the experience. We encourage newbies to stick to the shorter sessions and avoid the 90 mins or 100 mins sessions until they have been practicing for a few weeks. But you are able to try any class. Take a look at the different classes we offer.
So will I get the exact same experience every time?
Each teacher brings many years of teaching and practice experience with him/her. Feel hot yoga actively encourages every teacher to share their yoga knowledge. So although you will get a hot, dynamic yoga class every time, the poses and the sequences may change from teacher to teacher and week to week. You may develop favourite teachers, just check the class scheduler to find out who’s teaching when.
I’m pregnant, can I take class?
If you are a regular practicing yogi and you fall pregnant, we ask you to inform us as soon as possible. Whilst we don’t advise that you take hot yoga sessions at this time, we run Warm & Mellow classes that are suitable for everyone. It is important you are otherwise fit and healthy and ideally have passed the first trimester. Please always check with our teaching staff and front house before coming to class. Once baby is born, assuming a textbook pregnancy and birth, we are able to welcome mums back to hot yoga classes after 9 weeks. Please call to discuss your particular circumstances.
Can any age attend?
Any age from 14 to 80. The body’s heat regulatory system is still developing up to the age of 14, for this reason we recommend only children above that age and then only with a responsible adult with them. Keep checking our class timetable as we will be offering some not so hot classes that can accommodate a younger yogi. Children under the age of 14 should not attend our classes. Children between the ages of 14-16 will need to be accompanied by an adult.
Are there any other times I should avoid class?
If you are very dehydrated, or suffering from any cold or flu like symptoms. Everyone is asked to complete a brief health questionnaire prior to taking class, there may also be some circumstances whereby it may be inadvisable to practice, if you have any concerns or would like further clarification please contact us.
Why the heat?
The heat allows the body to warm up – specifically the muscles but also allowing tendons and ligaments to receive much need blood supply. This allows you to work more deeply in the poses whilst greatly reducing the risk of strain and injury. If you consider where yoga originated – India – average daily temperatures are in the 80’s and 90’s (Farenheit) it makes sense that we should prepare our bodies with heat before stretching.
The heat also encourages the synovial fluid in the joints to become ‘runnier’ and lubricates the joints. The heat makes you sweat which aides detoxification via the skin.
We focus on the breath in class, this brings our attention to the expellation of CO2 and any other toxins which have built up within the body. Proper “Pranayama” deep breathing uses the lungs full capacity to take in oxygen and helps increase their elasticity.
- Muscles, fascia and connective tissue become elastic allowing for greater flexibility with less chance of injury
- Promotes sweating, which assists the detoxification process using the body’s largest elimination organ, the skin
- Blood becomes thinner which clears the circulatory system
- When the body is between three and five degrees above normal temperature, T cell output from the thymus gland is multiplied 20 fold. T cells fight infection which in turn keeps the immune system functioning properly
- Warmer temperatures produce a fluid-like stretch that allows for greater range of motion in the joints
- Heart rate becomes elevated, which improves the cardiovascular system (heart and lungs)
- Warm muscles burn fat more effectively; when we stretch, the fat has no room to sit, so it redistributes to the blood stream and is used up as energy
- Capillaries respond to heat by dilation. This allows oxygen to muscles, tissues, glands and organs, helping the removal of waste products
- Higher temperatures improve the function of the nervous system, meaning that messages are carried more rapidly to and from the brain or spinal cord (you think clearer)
- Allows oxygen in the blood to detach from the haemoglobin more easily. When blood passes through warm muscles, oxygen releases more easily from the haemoglobin.
- Blood passing through cold muscles releases less oxygen
- Improves strength, because proteins can be utilised more effectively
- Speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids
- Provides strengthening of willpower, self control and determination.
The Piezoelectric Effect & Bone Density / Osteoporosis
To create and maintain healthy bones, people must engage in physical activity. Mechanical stress on the bones e.g. stretching, compression flexion and extension performed in yoga postures, causes calcium phosphate crystals in the bone to produce tiny electric currents. This piezoelectric effect stimulates bone-building cells (osteoblasts) to deposit more mineral salts to strengthen bones in the stressed areas. Without mechanical stress for a prolonged period, bone-reabsorbing cells (osteoclasts) will tear down unnecessary bone. Yoga encourages the secretion of calcitonin, a thyroid hormone that inhibits the bone-reabsorbing osteoclasts. In addition to strengthening muscle and promoting bone density, exercise improves balance and coordination, which decrease the risk of falling. Most fractures that afflict us as we get older result from a combination of falling and brittle bones. So… Stay young and supple by practicing yoga!
Mum & Baby Yoga FAQs
When can I start coming to Mum & Baby Yoga?
The most important thing to remember is that your postpartum body may be very different than the body you had before getting pregnant. If you did pregnancy yoga, you probably learned about listening to your body and not pushing yourself too hard. Ease yourself back into physical exercise – getting back into shape is a process.
After your baby is born, providing there are no complications, you can come back to practising physical yoga after 6–8 weeks when you have been given the OK from your doctor. This period may be longer if you had a caesarean. You can, of course, practice breathing exercises and meditation at any time with wonderful benefits to yourself and baby.
What can i expect in Mum & Baby Yoga?
Bring baby’s blanket so you can lay your baby on it at the top of your yoga mat. We’ll do yoga which involves baby and hopefully give you a workout as well. You are free to pick up your baby, comfort him/her or walk around the room if he/she cries at any time. Hopefully, you’ll still get to do some yoga. Don’t feel the need to act every time baby makes a noise! No one expects a quiet and meditative yoga class with baby present. We love all babies, however this class is best suited to newborns up to 12 months. Babies who are not yet walking independently. Come and try it..
Don’t underestimate the value of getting out of the house and meeting other new mums in a stress-free environment.
Will my baby like Mum & Baby Yoga?
Some babies delight in the new sights and stimulations and are happy to just observe and take it all in. Others are disturbed by these same stimulations and may cry. They eventually get settled. All babies love the baby massage and the nursery rhymes, so don’t give up if the first class doesn’t run smoothly. Please aim to arrive 20 mins early on your first visit to be sure to have plenty of time to register and meet your yoga teacher (and we can get a coo and a cuddle…)