I discovered hot yoga and yoga in general, 11 years ago in May. I had a co-worker give me her two weeks pass and decided I’d give it a try. I walked out of my first ever 80 min hot yoga class and was hooked. It’s been a journey, really understanding that it’s a day-to-day workout and I won’t be the same every day. It depends on my mental state as well as my body’s strength.

Two years into yoga is when I began to understand the nuances of practice. I learned to hydrate properly before class, to listen to my body when the heat felt overwhelming, and to embrace the discomfort as part of the process. As weeks turned to months, the benefits of hot yoga began to manifest in all aspects of my life. Physically, I noticed increased flexibility, strength, and balance. Old aches and pains gradually faded away, replaced by a newfound ease in my movements and breath. My posture improved, and I found myself standing taller, both literally and figuratively. Mentally and emotionally the practice became my sanctuary – a place where I could let go of stress, anxiety, and the relentlessness noise of everyday life. The heat allows me to sweat out not just toxins but worries and doubts as well.

One of the most unexpected gifts of my hot yoga journey has been the sense of community within the studio. Both the teachers and fellow practitioners, encouraging each other, moving. sweating and growing together. It has become a place where kindness, acceptance and mutual respect flourished.