Hot yoga classes have become an increasingly popular fitness trend in recent years and for good reason. The benefits of hot yoga look like glowing skin, weight loss, better flexibility and more mental clarity.
Over at Yoga London, the teachers are all too familiar with these benefits. “The heat allows you to easily get into your poses and hold those poses, which results in creating that real benefit,” said Favad Malik, owner of Yoga London.
Yoga London is a local studio with an abundance of yoga-related classes with an emphasis on hot classes.
When the studio opened, Favad knew he wanted it to be unique and beneficial for everyone. “Yoga gives you that sort of mental and physical well-being and aside from that, the heat element is something we thought we needed to do to create a differentiation between us and other studios,” Favad said.
The physical and mental benefits of traditional yoga have long been studied and in recent years, the study of hot yoga has become a popular topic.
Traditional yoga is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “a system of physical postures, breathing techniques and sometimes meditation derived from Yoga but often practiced independently, especially in Western cultures to promote physical and emotional well-being.”
Hot yoga is a derivation of traditional yoga, with added heat and humidity. “The studio uses infrared radiant panels to heat the body rather than just warming the air around you, averaging 104 degrees,” Favad said. “The combination of heat and humidity are known to enhance your flexibility by up to two and a half to three times, compared to a normal environment.”
Aside from increased flexibility, hot yoga offers better circulation and improved mental clarity.
“Doing yoga in a controlled environment with the infrared radiant panels, I think is key,” Favad said. “This really allows us to sweat in a way that’s focused on our bodies, our flexibility and our circulation.''
The environment at Yoga London can only be described as peaceful. From the candlelit classes to the energy of the teachers, the experiences shared here are magical.
“We are all rushing to get to the next thing. Our days are in a constant rush and it’s mentally fatiguing because we always think we need to be doing something,” Favad said. “This environment is an hour of setting you up for the rest of your day, evening or night, and overall, just helping you rest the mind and body.”
Whether you are a beginner or advanced yogi, the studio welcomes and encourages everyone to experience the benefits of all variations of yoga classes. Looking ahead, Yoga London plans to incorporate more wellness options for its members by collaborating with Massage Envy.
“We want to make the different classes and different teachers available for everyone to experience the physical and mental benefits,” Favad said. “By attending yoga classes regularly, people see the light, they feel something and they feel uplifted.”
For more information on Yoga London or to sign up for your first time demo, visit www.yogalondon.us.
Visit the September issue here to meet Yoga London's teachers.