I have finally found my home yoga studio in Charlottesville. I’ve talked about Elements Hot Yoga on the blog before after they opened 2016, but I wanted to share a tour of their new space! They moved from further up 29N down to the Shops at Stonefield (next to Rocksalt) over the summer. The new location is so convenient and closer to town. I love going to Mezeh for lunch afterwards! The owners of Elements, Kendall and Monica, are so nice. Thomas and I take both of their classes the most!
The studio is gorgeous with lots of cool lights and reclaimed wood. The locker room entrance:
They brought the color-changing lights from the old space, and the studio is a steamy 90+ degrees at all times. Just looking at this picture makes my stress melt away! I often get there 10 minutes early to enjoy meditating in the heated room before class begins.
I know there are a lot of people who are afraid of hot yoga. (I meet them all the time in person.) I’ve heard people say they might faint of heat stroke, are nervous about being trapped in a class, or are otherwise apprehensive about trying something new. Let me tell you why I love hot yoga and this studio so much!
Five Reasons I Love Hot Vinyasa Yoga
Going to yoga feels like going to a spa.
I never have to make myself go to a yoga class – it always feels like a treat! From the super nice locker rooms to the warm studio heat that greets you like a blanket, to the lavender towel at the end, I feel so relaxed going there!
Refreshing shower anyone?!
The heat allows my muscles to fully open and my stress melts away.
While with yoga you always “build heat from within,” walking into a warm (90 degrees or warmer) studio means that muscles are never cold. I can’t tell you how many not-hot yoga classes I have shivered my way through! I am cold by nature, so I need the heat (and I am not afraid of sweat!) There is nothing like a deep triangle pose or revolved half moon when the muscles are warm. Yoga is about equally as beneficial to my muscles as a good massage.
I get a great workout and then a long rest.
I love hot vinyasa style because it’s a challenging flow workout that burns the muscles, gets your heart rate up a bit, and pushes you to the limit, but it ends with a lovely little rest. If I simply lie down for a nap I don’t enjoy it as much as if I work hard first, and the same “work hard, play hard” mentality is the backbone of a good vinyasa class. Savasana feels that much better after I’ve twisted and stretched for the 50 minutes prior. The cold face towel at the end is the perfect icing on the cake!
Music and dim lighting help me meditate.
I have one of those brains that is hard to turn off, and thus I’m one of those people who probably needs meditation the most. I love having music in class because it actually helps eliminate distractions. Music, while sometimes stimulating, allows me to ignore all the sounds of the other people – coughing, creaking, breathing – that can sometimes drive me crazy. I love the way Elements starts and ends with at totally dim room, only brightening the lights for the most energizing portion of the class.
Yoga spreads positivity.
What attracted me to yoga back in 2009 was all the love. Classes are often opened with inspiring quotes, instructors give little talks on overcoming obstacles, and I feel extra thankful for all my body can do. I always leave the class with a positive attitude.
In addition to yoga, Elements has a full cycle studio! Their newest class, The Fifth Element, combines cycle, strength and yoga into one power hour of a class. They offer core strength classes in the yoga studio, and all kinds of cycle combinations.
Here are some of their upcoming events to check out:
- Chakralate Flow – Yoga flow followed by a Chocolate & Wine/Tea Pairing – Feb 17 (TOMORROW!) @ 4 pm – $25
- Yin Yoga and Massage – Feb 18 @ 4 pm – $55. In this class you hold long posts and the instructors come around to massage your muscles during the class! I’ve taken the class, and it’s so relaxing.
- Nutrition Overhaul Workshop – Feb 21 or 24 – $35
Tell me what you love about yoga, hot or not!
I am receiving yoga classes in exchange for spreading some good yoga news!
I wish I had a go-to yoga studio too! And I need to start doing vinyasa yoga… next on the list! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
We have CorePower Yoga here in DC, and I’m obsessed with all their heated classes, especially the Sculpt class where you flow with weights and do some cardio bursts throughout. It’s such a tough workout, especially in the heat, but I somehow always leave feeling relaxed. I’ll have to try Elements next time I’m home in C’ville, it sounds great.
I have been to a few Corepower classes and loved them!
Wow, i’m blown away by the yoga studio. It looks like a spa too with beautiful amenities!
I’m a sweater. Not the nice kind that keeps you warm and cozy, but the kind that makes you look like you took a dip in the pool when all you did was wave at your neighbor. 🙂
I am curious about hot yoga, but feel as though I would just slide into downward facing “splat”. How do you keep from sliding off the mat during hot yoga?
Thanks!
A Deodorant Devotee
Hahaha. It’s crucial that you use a yoga towel or you would slip and slide all over! I also find that wearing pants makes it less slippery than shorts because otherwise my legs get too slippery and I can’t do poses like crow. Everybody sweats a lot, so you wouldn’t look out of place 🙂
Thanks! I’ve thought about trying it for quite some time and will bring an “extra-strength” yoga towel, so I can flow with the “glow”.
You rule, Kath!
Laurie
One of the biggest benefits of hot yoga is the massage that your organs receive. A great book to read is “Bikram Yoga: by Bikram Choudhury.
Love this Kath! I’ve been doing vinyasa yoga now religiously for about 10 years. I also teach it! I mostly enjoy hot classes, but now that I’m pregnant, I’ve slowed down my practice a bit, and now teach and practice prenatal yoga with a strengthening vinyasa-style flare. I can honestly say that yoga has brought me so much body awareness and anxiety relief, and it’s within the last few months of being pregnant for the first time that I have really understood how powerful yoga is for my overall health and well-being. Thanks for spreading some yoga love and encouraging others to start practicing!
Congrats on your pregnancy!
I LOVE hot yoga!! Sadly with getting married and buying a house it’s just not in the budget right now to buy a monthly membership 🙁 so I catch free or discounted classes when I can but I hope to in the future incorporate it a lot more. Everything you outlined is all the reasons why I too love hot yoga.
I was once one of those people afraid of becoming faint from blood pressure changes with the poses done in such a heated space, but I can vouch that it’s amazing!! I don’t feel unsteady, & all of the points you made are spot on with how I feel. I signed up with a special discount for 10 classes at a really cute new studio in Knoxville, & I’ve attended several times & love it! I always feel so thankful for what my body allowed me to accomplish, & it really helps with my anxiety.
THis studio looks soooo nice. Way nicer than the studio I’m going to this morning. I love hot yoga too and agreed with everything you said. I wish this place was in my town!