As a trained runner, my competitive spirit and energetic personality has always found it hard to relax and settle in to the slow practice of hot house yoga. I have taken yoga classes at other studios in Virginia Beach before and never could really get into the flow. I always looked at yoga more as something I should do rather than something I wanted to do.
My philosophy on fitness has always been that if you don’t love it, you should do it. That is probably why I never stuck with yoga before. I also think that in a group fitness setting such as spin, Pilates, or hot house yoga the teacher makes all the difference. You must connect with their energy to have a truly successful experience and that is something that was always missing at my other yoga attempts.
Hot House Yoga has always had the best reputation in the local area and beyond as being the best facility to practice. The words “Feel The Difference” are right there in the logo. Several of my running friends rave about Hot House and incorporate hot house yoga into their regular weekly workout schedules. A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to have my first class there and my entire opinion of hot house yoga changed.
From the moment I walked in the door I was greeted with a warm welcome by the front desk. I felt the difference. I also had the privilege of meeting owner and teacher John YA. The afternoon 60 minute Hot Inuyasha class was starting soon, but John made time to give me a quick tour of the studio. I then made my way into one of the two yoga rooms and found a spot in the middle along the wall. I laid face up on my mat and tried to relax as I looked up at the cloud painted ceiling of the comfortably warm room. The class would be just an hour and I must admit, I worried that my mind would keep drifting away and count down the minutes.
In previous Vinyasa classes I have found myself wondering things like, how much longer is class? Will I get too hot house yoga? Will I be able keep up? Vinyasa is a form of hot house yoga that moves with more of a flow style instead of holding poses for extended periods of time. A few moments later class began, it was being taught by John. He started the class with an inspirational message and then we began standing in mountain pose on the front of our mats. As the class progressed, John explained each pose in detail and made it extremely easy to follow along, even for a new comer like myself. He didn’t just announce the pose, but he cued it and offered subtle corrections and adjustments as the hour went on. As the logo suggests, I could feel the difference.
I was able to easily follow along and enjoy the class unlike before. In other hot house yoga classes, I never really was as sweaty as I thought I would be. This left me feeling like I didn’t get much of a workout. During this particular class, I left soaked and felt that my time was well spent. I felt the difference. After leaving class, I went directly to meet my running group for a workout. I felt stretched and ready to tackle the speed on tap that evening. I completed one of the best track workouts I have ever had and that was all the proof I needed.
The next day, I tackled a 90 minute hot house yoga class. The 90 minutes passed quickly and it was a great way to spend my Wednesday morning. I felt the difference. Wednesday is a non running day on my workout calendar and has now been filled with the hour and 1/2 long class. I am on my third week of incorporating hot house yoga into my weekly workout schedule. I even find myself trying to remember poses outside of class and do a little practice of hot house yoga.
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