Students notice physical as well as mental and emotional benefits when practicing in a heated room. With regular practice, you will discover how using your breath (Pranayama), releasing your tension and remaining on your mat for the entire class builds incredible self-discipline and fosters tremendous will-power, endurance and perseverance. The heat is designed to allow the human bodies physiology to relax. Once a certain temperature and environment is reached the body will unwind from the inside out. It is a calming neurological reaction that provides this change. As the tissues of the body soften and the nervous system relaxes the yoga practitioner will find it much easier to deepen their practice and access areas that they normally would have a difficult time getting to. A simple obvious effect of the heat is sweating which, releases toxins (acids) through the skin (your largest excretory organ). However, sweating is only a small part of “Why the Heat”. The temperature and environment must be very specific and here in our Hot Yoga studios we use state of the art technology to achieve the perfect environment nearly every time. It takes experience and knowledge to do this and that is one thing we are not short on.
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It is best to include regular water intake into your every day lifestyle and diet. Sipping water throughout the day is the best way to absorb liquid and help create a happy digestive system. This is also a great way to prepare for hot yoga. Have an extra few glasses in the hour leading up to your class, and you'll be ready to sweat!

We also recommend you keep an empty stomach a couple hours before class. If it is an early morning class, a piece of fruit, juice or shake prior to class will allow you to remain energized without feeling 'over full' during the postures. If you have just woken up prior to class (for our 6am classes), try hot water and lemon as this is absorbed quickly into the body and helps increase hydration in a shorter time period.
Our recommendations for hydration before, during and after exercise are as follows:
1. At least 2 hours prior to hot yoga practice drink minimum 500ml of water (coconut water may be substituted).
2. In hot yoga, we wait approximately 20-25 minutes (warm up) prior to drinking in order to create the desired conditions internally for ultimate detoxification benefits. It is best after the warm up to drink small sips of water as needed, as many of the compressions and balances in yoga become difficult if too much water is in the digestive system.
3. After class it is important to restore the correct balance of electrolytes, minerals and other essential cellular fluids which may be lost during practice. Again, water or coconut water is fantastic however an electrolyte substitute may also be added for a speedy recovery.
4. Regular yogis benefit from ensuring they remain hydrated during the day and night as part of lifestyle habit, not just prior to a hot yoga class. And remember, a good quantity of the water you intake comes from the types of food you consume (vegetables and fruit etc.) as well as water itself.
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You will find every class no matter what style challenging. All the postures combine flexibility, strength, and balance to work the entire body. You heart rate will go up! With dedication and commitment many people have seen weight regulation, increased muscle tone and strength, increased flexibility, and postural improvement (improved stance and gate). If you live a hectic life, as many do in today's society, a regular hot yoga practice is vital to ensure your heart is able to pump fresh, oxygenated blood through each cell of your body not only during rest but even in times of stress and fatigue. Read Less

Daily practice rejuvenates body, mind and spirit. For life changing results five or more times a week is recommended. A practice of two to three times a week, if consistent, will create transformation over time. Regardless of your level of commitment you will gain numerous benefits from your Fire Shaper Hot Yoga practice. Sometimes all it takes is a single step. Read Less

Absolutely, we have formed an encouraging environment in which all levels and abilities can practice yoga. We encourage beginners to pace themselves in class and recommend beginners to commit to coming to 3 to 4 classes in the first week. This will build a solid physical base and awareness that will improve strength, focus, endurance, and flexibility. Read Less

to get the most from my Hot Yoga practice?" Fire Shaper loves all forms of yoga regardless of temperature and we know that the practice of yoga will greatly impact your life. However, when shopping for "Hot" remember, not all "Hot" is the same "Hot" and Fire Shapers goal is to provide you with the ultimate HOT experiences! At Fire Shaper we specifically control the temperature and environment in the room to produce MAXIMUM RESULTS! Once you start to practice with us you will notice how the heat helps to "un-wind" your body all the while releasing tension, toxins and fat. To bring your body and nervous system to the point of these deep effects the heat must be controlled to a specific range and when you visit Fire Shaper you will quickly appreciate your greatest strengths and human potential. Rather than dabbling in the "warm" temperature ranges, Fire Shaper takes the heat over the 100° mark to create a true Hot Yoga experience. Fire Shapers custom designed Hot Yoga classes in conjunction with their advanced heat delivery system takes your benefits to the next level. Fire Shaper Instructors are highly trained and educated professionals in the practice of HOT Yoga and know how to use the heat to help you, to support you and to challenge you. All of our Instructors share a common mission: To inspire and empower the people of our communities, to help people find their deepest strengths and express their true nature. Whether brand new to Hot Yoga or an experienced practitioner Fire Shaper Instructors strive to provide the best Hot Yoga experiences. Temperatures vary from 95 to 104 F (38 - 40 C) Read Less

In a typical 75 minute class, you may burn 900 or more calories per session but, remember that anyone can stand in a hot room and do nothing any day of the week. You still have to provide the effort and the more you give to yourself the more you get back in return. Read Less

YES, Students who give 100% effort, regardless of whether or not they can fully do a posture or not, get 100% results. Building muscle strength and control is a major component of holding our yoga postures. Fire Shaper has expanded their hot yoga class offerings to include variations that use pilates, fitness, barre and many other techniques to influence the size and shape of your frame. Try a mix of classes for the best in results. Read Less

introduced to America in the early 70's Fire Shaper draws on decades of knowledge and experience to bring you the most experienced instructors in the industry. Led by Dr. John and our lead training team the Fire Shaper teacher training program educates all of our Instructors on the art, philosophy and science of Hot Yoga. Our Instructors dive deep into the effects of the heat and how it enhances and challenges our students experiences. We can confidently say that in terms of "hot yoga", Fire Shaper instructors are some of the most knowledgable and responsible instructors in the hot yoga industry. Each instructor is specifically trained to care for and assist our students whether new or experienced in their hot yoga practice. Both Dr. John and Natalie (the founders of Fire Shaper) have practiced and been trained in the origins of this transforming hot yoga experience. Since the mid 90's Dr. John has professionally assisted tens of thousands of clients and families to help them heal their bodies and improve their lives through exercise, chiropractic, healthy eating, meditation, and personal development. Unique to Fire Shaper, It's Dr. John's experience and knowledge that sets Fire Shapers practice and teacher training programs apart from others. Most importantly, it's how we apply that knowledge to enhance our lives that truly makes the difference and bringing it all together to deliver you a team dedicated to your outstanding results and growth. Read Less

radiator in your car. As blood gets too hot it will go to the skin to get cooled down and then be sent back into the body to go to wherever it is needed the most. During your hot yoga practice you are purposefully manipulating the flow of blood throughout the body in a strategic healthful way. Warmed up blood will still go to the skin to get cooled down but, in a true hot yoga room the evaporative effect is less harsh and you will not feel cool and will not experience the "chill" effect as you would in a warm yoga room. In this hot yoga practice, the warmed up blood is used as a tool to loosen the body and relax the nervous system. In a "warm" yoga room the body has to heat up almost exclusively via muscle exertion and the effects of this process generally does not go as deep and will only slightly affect the nervous system if at all.

What is interesting is that body cooling rules for people, situations, and activities are quite different when given different circumstances and goals. For example, you would not want the high school football or tennis team to play in a hot room while playing a game or having a practice. Certainly the heat would impact performance and of course safety.
Same would apply if you were an aged person sitting back at your local market on a blistering hot day. It wouldn't be the best environment nor the safest for that person to be in and quite often people in these circumstances can experience heat stress. Yet apply the proper heat and humidity into your hot yoga practice where you strategically and methodically practice yoga asana, and you get an incredible life enhancing experience.

The effects heat and humidity have on the human body are incredible and over the years Dr. John has worked with people from all walks of life like the US Military, USA Summer Olympic teams, and huge multi-billion dollar corporations to the friendly grandma down the road all to help them find their best performance or to simply improve their quality of life by improving their body cooling. To find some of the best body cooling products on the market please visit www.arcticheatusa.com in the USA where they sell the Arctic Heat body cooling ice vests. They can also be found on www.icevests.com or when a quick cool down in Australia is required it's www.icevests.com.au Read Less