Vanessa Flow Yoga Studio will soon be the first & only hot yoga studio in the Ribble Valley. These plans have been on our radar for a very long time, we've took our time, researched thoroughly & planned this move into hot yoga strategically.
And we are incredibly excited about it!
Hot yoga is intense, sweaty & incredibly rewarding. Personally speaking, the heat adds an extra little something to your yoga practice; that initial comforting touch of the warmth on your skin makes you feel at ease the moment you step onto the mat, the simplicity of the practice itself helps you find familiarity & easily track your progress & then when the sweat starts dripping from your brow & your knees your only focus is getting to the good bit, savasana!
And boy does it feel good!
I understand it won't be for everyone & if you do give it a go you might hate it, at first... but the majority of people i know who have tried hot yoga become addicted.
Please be reassured that only 2 out of our 24 classes available are HOT classes, so if you are a lover of our ambient classes, we still primarily offer non heater classes. I can hear the sighs of relief!
But for those of you who are slightly lured to the idea of hot yoga I wanted to answer a few concerns & it will hopefully reassure those who are a little dubious about trying hot yoga at Vanessa Flow Yoga Studio.
Here are our most asked questions so far, find comfort in knowing that when you choose to step into a heated class you know exactly what to expect & there won't be any nasty surprises!
I'm new to yoga, will I be okay joining a hot yoga class?
Of course! Our signature "HOT Sequence" class is a set sequence of postures which you'll have seen many times before or if you've ever done another yoga class in your life you'll have probably done some of the same asanas (postures).
The majority of the practice is standing, so incredibly wrist & hand friendly, with some seated postures towards the end. The practice is slowly than a vinyasa style & you hold most postures for 5 breaths similar to a "Warrior Flow" style, however there are no vinyasas, only one downward facing dog & that is really the only time you spend upside down, so no handstands or headstands etc.
Like any yoga practice there are always things you can do to modify or intensify your practice & our team of teachers are always there to help & guide you, offering rest whenever you need it & plenty of water breaks.
The more you practice, the more familiar the postures will feel & you should start to become more at home with the sequence quicker. We do always recommend that you find a blend of yoga classes to find a good energy balance being hot & ambient classes, yang & yin practices.
So overall a great yoga practice for beginners & experienced yogis!
The idea of a hot practice scares me a little...
I completely understand, the unknown is always a little scary & I was apprehensive when i first tried it.
Walking into the hot room for the first time everyone was slightly lighter clothed than i was used too, there were yoga towels being led out on top of their mats & hand towels at the ready.
But soon as the practice started everyone was so focused, I suppose on making it through to the end, the breath, the postures. It didn't matter what you looked like, the amount of sweat that was pouring from your face wasn't important (it's not a pretty practice), then the shorts & crop tops made sense in the height of winter. So don't worry about what you are going to look like whilst you practice, everyone will be sweaty!
The heat, yes, it can be intense! But we've zoned the studio, the more intense heat will be at the front & directly under the heaters. We've left a cooler zone at the back of the studio for those who want to practice but without the intensity of the heat, it will still be warm but not a MAX of 38C warm without the infrared rays shining directly down on you.
Our system is managed my a thermostat so we can monitor the heat at all times & our team will go of the energy in the room & the weather outside, so don't worry it's all controlled.
You can rest when needed by finding a comfortable seat with your head higher than your heart, child pose is probably not your go-to resting posture in a hot class as it will cause blood to rush to your head.
If you know it's not for you, know we have many non-heated classes available for you to try or if your curious, give it a go and see how you feel!
What do i need to wear/take to a hot yoga class?
Well first of all I'd advise lighter clothing options, layers where you might feel comfortable enough to strip down as you heat up. Most hot yoga class partitioners in the intensity of the class end up being in leggings/ shorts & a sports bra or shorts and no top.
A yoga towel is a great investment as it protects the longevity of your yoga mat, keeping it cleaner & prevents it getting smelly. It's a long, thin microfibre towel which you lay over your mat to absorb the sweat. We'll have a selection of these for sale at the studio & members will be able to get their special member discount off these!
Hand towels are a good idea to help mop the brow & towel off as we head down onto the floor too.
And of course water! You need to ensure you are well hydrated prior too, during & after class. With the large amounts of sweating, you'll loose important electrolytes that have essential roles in the body, so by adding some electrolyte powder to your water you'll help replace minerals that maintain your body's fluid levels, turning nutrients into energy and supporting brain function, heart rhythm and muscle control.
Once again, we'll have a stock of electrolyte powder sachets at the studio for sale & water incase you forget.
How do these heaters impact the environment?
We've done lots of research into how heating our large studio space can be made more efficient, not just for hot yoga classes but generally to maintain a safe & pleasant environment to practice in.
Infrared panel heating is way more energy efficient, as much as 50% compared to other conventional heating systems, meaning we don't need to use as much electricity to keep the space warm.
We've kept the classes which use these heaters as part of the class to only 2 a week at present & are scheduled after other classes which already heat the air of the room, therefore not needing to use the energy as much as other hot yoga studios in the UK.
Infrared heating can also be powered by renewable sources such as solar panels to produce a more carbon friendly approach which we'll hopefully get the opportunity for in the near future.
The studio has also invested in insulation to further help reduce the need for excess use of our heating system. I know having these heaters will only benefit our energy use & hopefully we can further reduce our carbon footprint in the near future with plans to encourage our studio community to walk or cycle to the studio with plans to get bike racking, reduce the use of cleaning products by advising students to use their own yoga mats instead of studio ones, we also love the idea of having a "Preloved" gym/ yoga wear collection where we can swap, recycle & re-love clothing.
We're always looking for ways that we can offset our carbon footprint & we'd love to hear your ideas if you have any.
If you have any other concerns or queries please reach out to use via our email: contact@vanessaflowyoga.co.uk or speak to one of the team at the studio.
We really hope you love our move into hot yoga, perhaps it's ignited an interest in yoga that was never there before, a new challenge, a new hobby or a new health benefit that could impact your life for the better.
Vanessa Flow Yoga continues to try and provide the best environment & offerings so that anyone can enjoy & discover the benefits of yoga.
Join us on the mat soon, wether thats with a mediative yin yoga practice or to sweat in the heat of our HOT Sequence.
Give them all a go & discover the perfect class for you with our 21 Day Intro Pass, unlimited classes for 3 weeks! Sign Up now!
See our full class schedule here and learn more about our 21-Day Unlimited Yoga Pass here.