Ever thought Bikram was the only type of Hot Yoga around? Yep, me too. In honesty, I’ve always found the yoga system quite complicated. I’ve been to a number of different classes, none of which I could likely tell you the strand of, only that they definitely involved some downward dog, and great confusion over what exactly was my ‘sitting bone’. I’m also a big fan of what I’ve come to refer to as ‘quiet time’ at the end of each session, where the lights are turned low and the opportunity to nap arises.
Regardless of which studio I end up at, I never fail to leave feeling as though my edges have been softened. There’s a lot to be said for yoga – not only can you actually feel it working, but the concentration it takes to fold yourself into the various positions is a welcome distraction to, well, everything else you’ve got going on. The sweat feels well earned, on both a physical and holistic level. Imagine then, how good you could feel when that sweat is ramped up a level. Welcome to Hot Yoga.
“The 100 degree temperature and sweating seem to be emotionally cathartic,” Michele Pernetta explains to me. I’ve come to meet with the London-based guru, credited with bringing Bikram to the UK, to discuss her own form of Hot Yoga, Fierce Grace. “Many Hot Yoga students have said it feels like they get “90 minutes of summer”, as they get to sweat and feel warm, and so the winter seems shorter and more enjoyable and their mood is brightened.”
Fierce Grace, as I was swiftly informed after mentioning Bikram in error, is not Bikram. “The main difference is that Fierce Grace isn’t just one class or two or three disconnected classes, it is an interconnected system,” she continues. “It offers a blend of Bikram, Ashtanga, power and hatha yoga, but within one system, to address your every need.”
“I believe that the body should be moved in a complete variety of ways to cover every possible movement; sometimes static, sometimes flowing, sometimes soft and sometimes energetic. The system of six classes came from the desire to ensure that people were not just repetitively doing the same movements all the time, but having the opportunity to work in completely different ways. Mixing and matching classes doesn’t really work, so a core set of 10 poses run throughout the entire system like markers, so that your body always works the foundation in a similar way. Your body develops the core systematically throughout every class while the variety of the classes confuses muscles and allows Stormont muscles to start waking up creating whole-body health and integration.”
For those of you who need to catch up, Hot Yoga is exactly as it sounds – yoga, in a heated studio. The heat is credited with allowing you to press further into poses, allowing for a deeper stretch, but also for increasing your sweat count, which in turn allows stresses to be released. In a word: detoxification. In a feeling: bloody great. And there’s a real zeitgeist for it in our favourite cities.
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“People like Bikram yoga especially in New York, because it is a moving meditation,” says Tricia Donegan, founder of Bikram Yoga Lower East Side and teacher to Lady Gaga. “You have to embrace the challenges of the practice and elements to minimize stress outside of the studio, in your life. At our studio we require a lot from our yogis – it’s all about effort and willingness and we will keep you accountable to receive more than you think.” Michele agrees: “It seems that the stress of living in the city has contributed to the popularity of hot yoga, because the heat seems to add an extra level of catharsis. Sweating physically or emotionally allows us to let go of stress.”
So where can you get your hit? These are – literally – the hottest studios in London and New York to get your sweat on.
LONDON
Fierce Grace, Kentish Town: Michele’s outpost in Kentish Town offers classes as courses – there’s no mix and matching here, it’s about working your body through her cleverly developed methods to give your body the best workout possible. Prepare to feel worked.
Sohot Bikram Yoga, Soho: This Soho spot is a favourite in central London for Bikram, offering silent, candlelit and standard 90-minute classes, as well as an express 60 minute version that you can fit into your lunch break.
Yotopia, Covent Garden: Yotopia incorporates more traditional Vinyasa yoga poses, which offers an opportunity to learn the importance of breath movement. With classes flowing from beginner to advance, it’s the perfect place for graduated improvement at your own pace.
NEW YORK
Bikram Yoga Lower East Side, Lower East Side: Tricia and her team promise their community of students, “confidence, balance, love and glitter” – which helps you to understand how unique the studio is. As one of the most sought-after hot yoga workouts around, you can be sure to leave feeling truly sweaty, and smiling.
New York Yoga, Lexington: New York Yoga is another hot spot for Vinyasa Flow, the poses for which run smoothly together, almost like a dance. It’s perfect for learning concentration and body dynamics, as well as stamina whilst seeing away toxins and poor flexibility.
Moksha Yoga, West Village: A Canadian import with 70 studios worldwide, Moksha Flow is similar to Vinyasa, but the studio has a strong eco focus. Hot Yin will also see you holding poses for up to five minutes – you might just leave feeling a few inches taller.