I have been practicing Bikram style yoga for over 15 years and in over 10 major cities worldwide. I am also trained in the teaching style of it. Having recently moved to the Santa Clarita area I found Hot for yoga nearby nestled on a quaint street. It is an exceptional studio and Ravinder and the other instructor sets the postures up with so much grace and good instruction, so as to get the deepest benefits possible. After not practicing yoga for a year and half (baby and pandemic), it is an absolute pleasure to get back into my body and have the mental, physical and emotional release that yoga, especially hot, brings. I am overjoyed to have found Hot For Yoga and so grateful for it being nearby!
To be honest, I never had experienced any physical body issues before trying Hot Yoga. I was an avid treadmill runner, I took tons of cardio, step, and weight lifting classes, and I also danced on stage professionally. I considered myself to be quite fit. But, until I tried hot yoga, I’ll admit, I got bored at the gym. I often tried to pass the time watching TV while running on the treadmill. I felt like I was just biding my time in cardio class because my body got so conditioned to the movement, and weight lifting tended to make my arms look bulky, not lean.
I tried Hot Yoga in 2008 for the first time in the Philippines. I was doing a show in Manila and the Hotel gym was very small and uninspiring. My first Hot Yoga class, I was completely hooked! It was extremely difficult, even though I was pretty flexible and had decent coordination. The heat was beyond anything I had ever experienced and I had to focus so intently on my breath that it forced me to stay completely present. Even though the class was so intense, after class I felt euphoric. I continued to go to class and felt so renewed it made me giddy, like I had discovered a secret that know one else knew about.
I continued taking class throughout my travels and when I came back home, I knew that yoga was something I would do for the rest of my life. I also wanted to share my passion by becoming a teacher.
I have been a certified Hot Yoga Instructor since Spring of 2012, and I absolutely love teaching. I’ve dealt with personal injuries myself and I feel it has improved my teaching. I experience painful arthritis in my knees, and have bulging discs in my lumbar spine. Because of these injuries, I’ve had to find ways to modify postures and be patient with my body. The act of having to listen to my own body has made me more sensitive and aware with my students. Even though I’m committed to the accuracy and technicality of the yoga postures, I also thrive on creative ways to explore yoga posture modifications so that all students can know that any body type is capable of doing yoga.
I teach the traditional Bikram 90 every Sunday at Noon. My class is for everyone at any level in their yoga journey. I can promise you two things if you take my class…you will have fun and you will feel better than you did after completing my class. I can’t wait to see you in the Hot Room!!