If you’re new to OYF, or new to the yoga community in general, welcome. We’re happy to have you here. You may know that our classes take place in an infrared-heated room. When you hear hot yoga, we understand if that sounds a bit intimidating. Yoga can already be hard enough, twisting and contorting yourself into seemingly impossible positions. Why would you want to add slipping around on a sticky mat while you’re boiling in a stuffy room? We’re here to dispel some rumors and set expectations for your first class for you. Hopefully, by understanding a little bit more about what hot yoga is and how it’s practiced at our studio, you’ll be a little more comfortable walking into the studio.
First off, you might be wondering what hot yoga is and what infrared heat
Hot yoga, as you can probably guess, is a yoga class performed in a heated space. The practice started in the 1970s, popularized in large by Bikram Choudhury who started teaching yoga classes with heaters in the room, though Choudhury’s own legacy has been called into question as he’s faced accusations of sexual abuse. But hot yoga itself took on a life of its own, with hundreds, if not thousands, of studios opening around the world.
As it turns out, there’s a lot of benefits to working out in a heated space. Working out in a heated space can help improve your flexibility. It burns calories. It can decrease soreness, improve lung capacity, and even help us feel happier, according to Women’s Health Mag. It can help with weight loss, strengthening muscles, pain relief, and working towards a more toned body, as explained by WebMD.
Now, if you think of doing yoga in a room filled with heaters, that might sound uncomfortable. You might be thinking, okay, I understand the benefits, but is the discomfort worth it? The good news – the heat you’ll experience in OYF workout classes is nothing like the hot and stuffy heat you might expect. At OYF, we heat the studios with infrared heat, meaning instead of using a conventional heater, the studio is heated with a type of invisible heat that penetrates deep inside you instead of simply warming the air around you. This type of heat both allows for further benefits from the heat and a more comfortable experience while you work out.
What about yoga?
Stepping back further, if you’ve never done yoga before, you might be curious to learn a little more about what it even is. Yoga, as a practice, far predates hot yoga. In fact, it’s thought to have been practiced years before the common era. And while all classes will vary to some degree, today when you walk into a yoga class, you can likely expect a mat based workout made up of a combination of what we call flows and poses. Poses are positions we hold to focus on a specific area of our strength, flexibility, breath, or mind. Meanwhile, flows you could think of as a little routine which moves us between poses and transitions. Yoga focuses on both your mind and body, so while there will definitely be parts of the class focused on improving your flexibility or gaining strength, there will also be aspects of the class which focus more on your mind.
What to expect
One of the great things about yoga is that it’s designed to meet you wherever you are at. When you step into the studio, you’re not in competition with anyone else in the class. But, we do always ask that you show up for yourself the best you can on that day. What this means is that taking any class should be equally fulfilling whether you’re a first time student or an established yogi. You can modify poses to be simpler as you build up your strength, and at many times modifications or different options will be given out by instructors, but as you get more comfortable in the studio you’ll see there’s always something else you can work on, whether it’s squaring your hips, pushing further into your stretch, or working on clearing your mind as class progresses.
What to bring
When you come to class, you’ll want to wear something you’re comfortable moving in. You’ll likely want to practice in bare feet and will want a mat to practice on. Don’t forget a water bottle for hydration, and a towel to wick away sweat if you want one. Other than that, all you need is yourself, an open mind and a willingness to try something new. Or, if it makes you feel more comfortable, you could always bring a friend too.
If you’re still nervous about trying out your first class, don’t worry – our staff and community of members are all excited to welcome you and answer any questions you may have. And remember, every one of them – members and teachers alike – was once in your place, taking their very first yoga class. Check out our website for any more questions you may have and we’ll look forward to welcoming you in soon.