Why is the room hot?
Any exercise requires our body-temperature to rise before we start burning calories. The heated room just makes the 60- or 90-minutes of your exercise that much more efficient. The heat means we can get into postures more deeply and effectively. Plus, the benefits of the postures come more quickly. Like thousands before you, you will find that practicing yoga in the warm room creates a satisfying and almost addictive feeling of achievement. The heat also allows:

Fat to be burned more effectively; fat may also be redistributed and burned as energy during the class.
A fluid-like stretch promoting for greater range of safe motion in joints, muscles, and ligaments
Capillaries to dilate which helps oxygenate the tissues, muscles, glands and organs, and eliminate toxins
Peripheral circulation to improve due to enhanced perfusion of extremities
The metabolism to speed up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids
A strenghtening of willpower, self-control, concentration, and determination due to the challenging environment
A complete cardiovascular workout
Detoxification and elimination through the skin, which is the body's largest elimination organ
An improvement in T-cell and immune system functioning
An improvement in nervous system function, allowing messages to be carried more efficiently to and from the brain
Muscles and connective tissues to become more elastic, allowing greater flexibility while reducing the chance of injury and enhanced recovery

I am not very flexible. Should I do hot yoga?
ABSOLUTELY! In fact, if you believe you are inflexible, Hot Yoga is a great starting point because the heat of the room helps loosen and lengthen muscles, enhance synovial fluid flow between joints, and helps prevent muscle pulls. Students of all fitness levels, and ages are welcome to our classes.
Our certified teachers will help modify postures to suit your needs as you attend the first few classes. In a yoga studio, there is absolutely no judgment. In fact, just sit or lie down on your mat and acclimatize your body to the yoga environment -- even that might challenge you.

How soon can I see the benefits and lose weight?
Like any other exercise, the key to improved health and fitness from yoga lies in consistent, regular practice. Usually, students taking three to four classes a week will start feeling a physical and mental change within two months. Within three to four months, students usually start noticing change in their shape and overall improved fitness levels. For new students, we'd recommend a blend of 3:1 Hot Hatha to Power Vinyasa Yoga classes to realign your body and to build muscle strength.

I am a runner. Can I benefit from Hot Yoga and Power Yoga?
Funny you ask! One of the founders of Yoga for Life, Inc., is a former competitive long-distance runner and soccer player and knows the results Hot Yoga can bring. Isometric exercises like Hot Yoga build overall strength in every muscle group, particularly for runners. Yoga strengthens the heart muscle and increases lung capacity, which are essential for racing endurance. By gaining more flexibility, your stride will become longer, more fluent and natural. Your legs will get less fatigued, and you’ll naturally be faster. Body alignment is one of the key benefits of hot yoga, and this will manifest in better alignment of the feet, ankles, patella, hips, shoulders and neck. Read a Marathon runner's story and race time improvement.

Can I get a good cardio workout from Hot Yoga and Power Yoga?
YES! Hot Yoga burns between 600 and 1,500 calories in a 90-minute class. This would only be possible if there is a cardio component in Hot Yoga. Just for comparison, a 140-pound person could burn up to 800 calories if they ran for 90 minutes consistently at a 5.2-mile-an-hour pace. At a Hot Yoga class, the same 140-pound person could burn over 900 calories, with a lot less impact to the joints, bones, and ligaments than the runner. Yes, you will get a thorough and intense cardiovascular exercise from both Hot Yoga and Power Vinyasa Yoga classes. Still doubtful? Come in and try a class!

How to prepare for class?
Please drink lots of water! The human body is about 60% water and proper hydration will keep cells, organs, and tissues in top health. For vigorous activities like Hot Yoga and Power Vinyasa Yoga, it becomes even more important to hydrate well as you will sweat a lot. That sweat releases minerals and salt, which must be replaced.
Avoid eating up to two hours before class.

I am pregnant. Can I take Hot Yoga classes?
With any specific medical concerns such as pregnancy, please consult your physician to find out if Hot Yoga is right for you. For to-be-mothers, our instructors can suggest modified postures that avoid any undue stress to the belly and spine.