Hot Yoga – Is the heat worth it?
Hot Yoga is something that has intrigued me for the past few years and when the opportunity came up to attend on the Hot Yoga classes in French Vanoli I jumped at the chance. I have done yoga in the past and really enjoyed it, but hot yoga is something that I have always been a little nervous to try a class as I had heard that the heat was intense. The reason that I decided to try it is that I had been to French Vanoli before (you can read about it here) and I found the staff so helpful and friendly so if there was ever a time to try it – now was the time.
French Vanoli is renowned in Galway for quality classes that really work. It was established in 2007 and is owned and run by Claudia Vanoli who has over 16 years experience in fitness and rehabilitation. This experience really shows as the team that she has pulled together are all very well qualified and people that you feel you can trust. They “want clients to understand the importance of adopting proper technique to every movement; minimising the effort put on our joints and spine, and making our muscles work optimally for the best possible results” {via}.
I was advised to bring a yoga mat and some water and then in I went. I was more than slightly nervous going in but after a few minutes I relaxed. Our instructor was so reassuring and she didn’t push me to go any further than I was able to. This was brilliant as I was nervous that she would try and get all of the class to do the same exercises and poses and since it was my first class I knew that I wasn’t quite the yogi yet! But I really shouldn’t have worried. For any exercises that required more skill she also gave a slightly easier version for the likes of me to do. But she didn’t so it in an obvious way so I didn’t feel out of place.
We went through a series of classic yoga poses that is meant to promote balance, strength, flexibility, and overall wellness. The heat allows you to stretch deeply, cleanse the body and calm the mind. The class itself is Hot Yoga not Bikram Yoga – they have a newly designed studio where the levels of heat and humidity are carefully controlled and it’s not so hot that you are drained and dehydrated but warm enough that your muscles get nice and warm and lengthen with ease. This was such a relief – you are definitely in a very hot environment but I didn’t feel overwhelmed at any stage.
It was actually the after effects of the class that impressed me most. I felt so relaxed and there was no tension in my neck! My neck and shoulders is where I carry my stress but it was all gone. I didn’t expect that at all I thought I would just feel more bendy and well let’s be honest sweaty 🙂 But the effects lasted through the following day and I was much more focused in work.
So…. Hot Yoga – Is the heat worth it? It’s a simple answer – YES! I am now a convert. I will be going back and a looking forward to it. I would advise anyone debating trying it to just go for it – you can pay on a by class basis so there is no obligation to pay for a months worth of classes in one go.
According to French Vanoli – these are some of the benefits of practicing Hot Yoga;
- Stretches and tones the muscles
- Increase your flexibility
- Strengthen your spine & relieve back pains
- Increases supply of oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body and improves energy levels
- Calm your mind, Improve and control your breathing, learn to meditate
- Balance your metabolism and stimulate your auto-immune system
- Develops good posture by balancing, strengthening and aligning your body to its correct and natural position
- Boosts energy levels, stamina and performance
- Allows for a deeper stretch and is ideal for all athletes
The hot yoga classes are currently on every Monday at 8.30pm and Thursday at 7.15pm and if you do want to gothen you will need to call reception on 
091 483 666 to book your place as places are limited.
You can check out more details about French Vanoli on their website, and they are also on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They also offer other classes such as Reformer Pilates, Pregnancy Pilates, Floor Pilates, CrossFit, CrossFit Kids, CrossFit Teens, Strength & Core, Power Yoga and Yogalates so there are plenty of options as well as the Hot Yoga to go to.
This was a collaboration with the Into the West Blogger Network and French Vanoli. All opinions expressed are my own.
