What is hot yoga? Why is it hot??

Hot yoga is simply yoga in a heated room. Why is it heated?? To maximise benefits from the poses. All heated yoga is hot yoga, but not all hot yoga is the specific Bikram Beginners Original Hot Yoga. The Original Hot Yoga is a sequence that’s been practised worldwide for over 50 years for it’s healing benefits, & is a set sequence 26 poses & 2 breathing exercises. It’s designed to maximise therapeutic health benefits from yoga & is particularly designed to help rehabilitate back, knee & joint pain. Bikram Original Hot Yoga is heated to around 37 degrees, while our Relaxing Yin is around 25 degrees, a gentle heat to help those of us who are stiff more easily get in & out of the poses. Yoga ShapeShifting is unheated.

Do you offer unheated yoga?

Can anybody do this yoga?

What if I’m not very flexible?

What should I expect in my first session?

Your first session is about getting used to the yoga. The teacher will guide you, but there are no expectations on you. You can have a break & rest at any time. It’s up to you to go at your own pace. In hot yoga, you may feel warm to start with, but over time you’ll acclimatise to the heat. Be kind to yourself & ease yourself into it. More is less when you first start & are getting used to the yoga. Do what you can, until you can do more.

Warm enough to thaw you out on a cold Yass day. For Bikram Hot Yoga, the room will sit around 37 degrees. At first, it can take some time to adjust to the heat & you may need to take it easy & take breaks to begin with. That’s perfectly normal. But chances are, after a while you’ll be more focused on the postures & will barely notice the heat. While you’re acclimatising to the heat, we suggest taking it easy & hydrating well & taking electrolytes before & after class. Yin Yoga is a gentle around 25 degrees & is an great option to start with if you’re nervous about the heat.

The heat, combined with the sequence of postures, is what makes Bikram Hot Yoga special & unique. The hot room warms your muscles, enabling you to work safely & with more efficiency towards a deeper stretch, whilst also helping to heal & prevent injuries. The heat raises your heart rate & so provides a safe environment for a cardiovascular workout. It also helps with pain relief for chronic injuries. A gentle temperature (25 degrees) is used for Yin Yoga, to aid those with stiffness/ inflexibility in getting in and out of the poses.

The heat is an incredible aspect of the yoga & has so many benefits, including pain relief for chronic ailments. Take it easy & sit down as you need while you acclimatise to the heat. Hydrate really well during the day before your session. Before your first few Hot Yoga sessions, we recommend taking an electrolyte supplement such as Hydralyte, coconut water or sports drinks for 24 hours before & after your session to make sure you have everything your body needs. This is particularly important if you get headaches, if you’re not used to sweating much or your blood pressure is on the lower/higher side. During your session, take little sips of water as needed.

Why should I try Bikram Hot Yoga?

We believe Bikram Hot Yoga is the best type of yoga for you if you’re after an unsurpassed feeling of vibrancy & wellbeing. After a few sessions, you’ll realise the secret about the yoga is that we don’t do it for flexibility. It’s designed to help you feel better, stronger, have a better posture, more toned muscles, a calmer feeling, better sleep patterns, & of course improved flexibility.

If you’re after deep, slow Zen yoga, then Relaxing Yin Yoga might just hit the spot. Designed to calm & balance the mind body gently, these sessions will include long, slow holds of seated poses. This is an incredibly relaxing style of yoga, perfect for you if you’re after a slow, gentle class. It releases fascia (connective tissue) & improves joint mobility.

Yes, Original Hot Yoga will. If you feel time-poor & fitting in exercise can be a challenge for you, Original Hot Yoga is a great option because it’s the best yoga to support getting fit & achieving & maintaining optimal health. Yoga ShapeShifting is also designed to improve fitness. Yin Yoga is a slower, gentler more passive style of yoga which is not designed to be a cardiovascular workout.

Bikram Original Hot Yoga and Yoga Shapeshifting are effective low-impact ways to support weight loss. They help to balance your metabolism, so whether you need to lose some weight or put on some healthy muscle mass, our yoga will help you tone & strengthen your body in all the right places. It also great for helping to balance your appetite & keep hydrated. Relaxing Yin Yoga is a slower, gentler yoga & is focused on deep relaxation, releasing fascia & improving joint mobility.

Bikram Original Hot Yoga is designed to improve back health. Many students first try Original Hot Yoga because of its reputation of helping with back pain (Lauren & many of our students included!). The heat warms the body & facilitates the joints to move more fluidly. The postures are designed to build strength, especially in the back area. The postures work through ranges of motion, increasing flexibility. Take it a easy to start with but you should quickly start to notice increased range of motion & reduction in pain in your daily life. First seek clearance from your medical practitioner & let us know about your condition so that we can keep an eye on you accordingly.

Short answer, no. Lauren’s been teaching students in their 50s, 60s & 70s for years. Our yoga is designed to be accessible for all ages. It’s beginners yoga. It’s a low-impact cardiovascular workout that helps improve the functioning of your joints, strength, balance & maintaining bone density. Many students start yoga in their middle years nursing chronic ailments. Yin Yoga is a more gentle option to start with. However, Original Hot Yoga is also designed to help rehabilitate the body, whatever your age. If you have medical clearance to do gentle exercise in a heated environment, you can come.

Kids aged 6+ are welcome to do Yoga ShapeShifting and kids aged 12+ are welcome to do Hot Yoga with a parent or guardian. Make sure kids are well hydrated & take regular breaks as needed. Kids are more susceptible to the heat while their sweat glands are still fully developing, which is why hot yoga is for ages 12+.

As often as you can! For best results, we encourage you to come 2-3 times a week/

How quickly you progress will depend somewhat on your natural ability, but mostly on the honest time & effort you give to your yoga practice. Make a change to your schedule & include yoga twice a week as part of your commitment to your health & you’ll likely see changes within a few short weeks. Most people are surprised & excited by how quickly they see & feel changes after only a few sessions.

Wear comfortable close-fitting clothes suitable for hot conditions if doing hot yoga. Looser clothing tends to be harder to move in. For women, we suggest for women a singlet/crop top & leggings/shorts. For men, we suggest a singlet & gym shorts/footy shorts/boardshorts. Wear what you feel comfortable in, the more important thing is that you show up for class. No swimwear please.

Please hydrate really well during the day before your session. Before your first few Original Hot Yoga sessions, we recommend taking an electrolyte supplement such as Hydralyte to make sure you have everything your body needs, particularly if you’re not used to sweating much or if your blood pressure is on the lower side. During your session, take little sips of water as needed. If you find you’re drinking lots of water after your session & still feel thirsty or a bit light headed, we recommend drinking some electrolytes with your water to help you hydrate properly.

We recommend that you don’t eat a big meal less than 2 hours before your session. Small snacks (for example a piece of fruit or handful of nuts) are good. Make sure you eat well during the day beforehand so you have lots of energy. With a regular practise, you’ll start to learn what feels good for your body beforehand.

A big water bottle. A yoga mat. A beach/bath sized towels. A change of clothes. Yoga mats & towels are available for hire if you need.

The studio is 5-10 minutes drive from town from IGA at 2a Hardwick Lane. At the corner of Coolalie Road & Hardwick Lane look for the Yass Hot Yoga sign. Take the service lane down the hill & look for the big, green shed down the second driveway on your left.

Being a boutique home-based studio, we have limited capacity. Book online to secure your spot for the session you want to attend. We’d hate for you to show up & miss out because the session is full! Having trouble booking online? We’re happy for you to contact us to help you out with booking. Bookings close 1 hour before your yoga session so we can prepare for your yoga session.

How many people will there be per session?

Our boutique yoga room holds up to 16 people. We’ll make sure you receive personalised attention. Don’t feel comfortable in a group setting? Ask us about our private or small group sessions.

A Covid-19 Plan is in place. Please follow the NSW health advise relating to Covid-19. For the health & wellbeing of others please do not attend the studio if you have any cold & flu symptoms, or feel unwell. Please do not attend again until you have tested negative for Covid-19 & are feeling better.