YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Stretch and sweat in this week's unique fitness class!
Twisted Roots Yoga offers several yoga flows at their studio at several times of day, but their Bikram Yoga class offers all the classic yoga moves with an added element of high heat.
"The Bikram Yoga in particular is the hottest yoga," with the room temperature coming in at a sizzling 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit, said Chrissy Wilson, owner of Twisted Roots Yoga.
“The benefits of the hot is the release all of those toxins, and getting that mental toughness, and that physical ability to know that you can just make it through,” said Wilson. "If you can make it through there [in class], you can make it through anything."
When people attend “most will experience a sense of calm or peace after a yoga class,” said Wilson. "It’s an opportunity to look inward and be at peace and know that you are where you are supposed to be at this time."
This is what makes the practice of yoga overall so special.
“One of the limbs of yoga is pratyahara, which is withdrawal from the external,” said Wilson. "So once you come into this space—and a lot of people call this their happy place—once you come into this space, all that external stuff gets to go away for at least an hour and you get to just be and breathe with yourself."
This practice in particular can benefit the physical, the mental and the spiritual.
There are “lots of physical benefits," said Wilson. "It helps to relieve back pain and headaches, things like that. It creates an overall sense of being. You can work your body, gaining flexibility or the balance of flexibility, as well as experience weight loss and leaner muscle mass.
“It’s a mental practice as well, because the first couple times you do it you want to just get out of here because it is [so] hot. You are overcoming that sense of 'I can’t do it.' Whereas once you develop that mental perseverance, then you know you can get through things."
Wilson also says that it can have a positive impact in overcoming emotional or mental health and trauma experienced in one's life.
It's all about “bringing it all together with the emotional, mental [and] physical toughness, so to speak," said Wilson.
Every day, your body responds to activity differently, and even after all the years that Wilson has been teaching, she still has her good and bad days in the heat. She says that whenever she gets to the end of the class, though, the heat comes full circle, and she can enjoy the final release of any extra pent up energy in the savasana.
This class is available to all skill levels, and if needed, you are able to leave the room to take breaks from the heat, especially if a beginner. If you are someone that does not do well with exercise and high temperatures, feel free to check out the other classes provided here.
It is preferred that participants bring a water bottle, a yoga mat and a towel that can be used on top of the mat. You may also bring an additional towel to wipe sweat away. Twisted Roots Yoga also has showers provided for clients to use after class.