What to Expect

Welcome! You’ve made a great choice considering Bikram Hot Yoga.

Before you read over all the details, please review the 3 amazing core concepts about the yoga, the studio, and why millions of people receive incredible mental, emotional and physical results.

1. Everyone who shows up and tries the yoga will get results! Everyone.
It’s not about doing the poses perfectly and it’s not about how you look; it’s about trying the right way. All you have to do is try and you will succeed with this system and get results. You’ll see people who have lost 20-100 pounds, and people who are just starting that journey. You might practice next to people who are recovering from hip or knee replacements, cancer survivors, new moms, professional athletes, teachers, firefighters, retired couples or high school/college students.

To get benefits, all you have to do is show up and stay in the room, even if you only do a few poses. (That is what separates this style of yoga from everything else).

2. This is a beginning yoga class. No performance expectations are required.
No one expects you to know how to do anything – that’s why we have certified Bikram teachers in the room. Each teacher has personally invested over 800 hours of training and years of effort to have the privilege of teaching you. They love new students!

All you have to do is listen to the teacher as they deliver a very detailed set of instructions, known as Bikram’s dialogue, and look at the students in the front row as a reference.

It doesn’t matter what you look like, everyone looks different in the poses in the beginning. In fact, if you are not flexible, can’t touch your toes, or maybe even see your toes, you are and excellent candidate for yoga!

3. You can be HOT and COMFORTABLE at the same time.
It’s HOT yoga for many reasons, but Bikram Yoga Tempe is different than almost every other studio in the country when it comes to our heating and fresh air ventilation system. Bikram Yoga Tempe has a state-of-the-art ventilation system that not only heats and humidifies the air, but cleans and filters it, AND brings in fresh air continually. You don’t feel stuffy, because there is fresh air being pumped and circulated throughout the room. Given a few visits – everyone comes to love the heat, and the incredible detoxification and flexibility benefits it gives you.

OK… The rest of the information in this section should answer most of your questions. We’re looking forward to seeing you in the studio.

One more thing, Bikram Choudhury says, “Attend 60 days in a row and you’ll change your life.” It’s true! Ask the students you meet at the studio.
“Its never too late, you’re never too sick, and you’re never too old to start from scratch once again. ” – Bikram Choudhury

What to expect your first class…

The hot yoga room is only a couple degrees warmer than your body temperature. When you first walk in room, you will notice the heat at first. As soon as you start to sweat, your body will adapt and acclimate to the heat, thus making you cooler. Don’t worry about wiping off the sweat. Sweating is good! Our state of the art heating/ventilation system will keep you comfortable. The air flow will help give you proper ventilation and our ‘green’ ERVs (energy recovery ventilators) will bring in fresh filtered oxygen throughout class.

As new student, you’ll place yourself in our “New Student Section” located in the back room just to the right of the entrance door. Place the middle of your mat over the back blue line. Make sure you have a thin yoga mat, a large towel (like a beach towel), and lots of water. You will be in the back so your visuals are in front of you. The people in the front row are good examples to watch.

Please remember to BREATHE throughout class. Breathe in and out through your nose unless otherwise instructed. Breath determines your focus and focus determines your reality. The better your focus, the better your balance!

The first water break will take place after Eagle Pose, 25 minutes into class. Please refrain from drinking water until then. A few other water breaks will take place during the rest of the class; if you can, please wait until they occur.

Dizzy? If you feel dizzy or nauseous, please don’t panic. Take a knee or relax on your back and see if it will subside. A LOT is going on during the class: you stimulate and massage all of your muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, organs, glands, tissues, bones, and fascia. During that process, you can release toxins and maybe even negative emotions. You sweat the toxins out through your skin, one of the many reasons why the room is heated. You also exhale out the toxins in the sit ups. Sweating and stretching are two of nature’s best detoxifiers. And you’ll burn hundreds of calories in every class!

The class is 90 minutes. We know that sounds like a long time, but it will go by fast especially after your first class. It is highly recommended to take your second class within 24 hours of your first. You will already know what to expect and can work on pacing yourself. That second class will go by faster than the first. We promise!

With regular practice, you will notice you acclimate to the heat easier, you will breathe easier, and the yoga’s benefits will multiply. Watch out! You may need to buy a new smaller wardrobe, medical bills may decrease, you will sleep more soundly, you will save energy on your air conditioning bills since you won’t need your house as cold in the summer! Speaking of AZ summers, summer won’t even bother you like it did in the past!

What if you can’t do the poses or don’t look like the people in front of you? Don’t worry! Just try the right way and come to class every day. Your poses will improve over time with practice. Please don’t compare yourself to anyone else in the room. Your first class can be humbling to the ego.

If you have any questions during class, please wait until afterwards to talk to the teacher. After class, feel free to speak with the teacher in the lobby and they will happily answer your questions!