Yoga rooms in a heated or 'hot yoga' environment can vary in temperature and humidity based on the location in the room. So how do you know where it's best for you? Do you want to be in the hottest spot in the room? Or the coolest spot? As a studio, can you take steps to help find the balance in room temperature or warn a new student they are in the hottest spot in the room?
A Kestrel meter is ideal for checking studio readings.
Recommended meter is the Kestrel DROP D2 (In AU: Kestrel DROP D2) with LiNK (bluetooth) and view the historical readings right from their free app. You'll easily view how the temperature and humidity fluctuate throughout class. They can also be put in different parts of the room to see variations throughout the room, or as you experiment with different spots in the room.
You can literally bring one to your classes and note the temperatures by connecting to your phone after class and view it.
Temperatures vary depending on the type of yoga practice.
Before trying a hot class, or any yoga class for that matter, it's a good idea to check with your healthcare provider to make sure that it's an appropriate activity for you. And make sure to drink water before and during hot classes! Here is a heat index for six of the most popular hot styles.
BIKRAM
Bikram (hot yoga) temperatures are slated to be heated to 105 F and 40% humidity. Bikram yoga is a trademarked class with 26-poses that are always done in the same order. After some bad press on the founder of Bikram, many studios removed the name Bikram and just call it a hot yoga studio. But they will also turn up the heat to around 105.
COREPOWER YOGA
CorePower Yoga 2 (C2) class, which is their all-levels hot flow class, is taught in a room maintained between 93 and 98 F. They offer sculpt classes, hot yoga (like Bikram) 105 F room, C1, and C3 classes. Along with bikram at these temperature, a towel is needed over you mat or ideally a ridgeback yoga rug, that will not move under your feet during practice.
EVOLATION YOGA
Located in the U.S., South America, and Australia, with additional affiliates in Europe and Asia. Co-founder and former Bikram instructor, Mark Drost takes the Bikram sequence under the moniker Primary Hot Series. Classes are the same at 105 F. They also offer classes that range in temperature from 75 to 90 F.
MOKSHA YOGA/MODO YOGA
This Canadian-based yoga franchise with locations in eight U.S. states (and counting) keeps their "green" classrooms at 103 F. 40 pose sequece, which takes about 90 minutes. A shorter, condensed 60 or 75-minute version of the sequence or a vinyasa.
YOGA TO THE PEOPLE
Yoga to the People studios has Traditional Hot Yoga classes at 105-108 F.
YOGA RUG INSTEAD OF A TOWEL
In our years of heated and hot yoga practice, every towels slips, bunches, twists, corners curl, they stink. Many new 'microfiber' towels are pretty and soft, but microfiber actually leaks microplastics into the water supply when washed, so we do not recommend them.
Best suited is traditional yoga rug, and in particular the new in increasingly popular ridgeback yoga rug which is superior to the ubiquitous yoga towel. While prices high, there is yet to be a match for this hand made piece to hit the market.
To be used over a mat for these classes is essential for absorption, and known for never moving while practicing. Note many users claim to go many many practices without washing and only need one rug as opposed to those with microfiber towels that have many that need to be washed daily, and hold stink.