Miami Circle's infamous Red Hot Yoga, well, it started out as a mix of miserable and draining, now it's still draining, but there's a spiritual, peaceful element to it.
My first review still stands true for the newbies, it is hot hot HOT in there! You will sweat profusely, probably get nauseous and/or dizzy, and will have to constantly take a "time out" as well as drink water and wipe off your sweat every 2.5 minutes. But after the first two classes things will look up :-)
Overall, Hot yoga/Birkam yoga is like doing yoga in a sauna, that's the exact feeling. It's very humid, very hot, and very sweaty, but the body somehow adjusts to it. The greatest feeling is the one I get when leaving a hot yoga session. There's an immediate calmness and peacefulness that I experience on the drive back home... it's wonderful! Removing those toxins from the body via sweat makes the skin glow, which you will especially see after the shower you take after a session.
THE CLASSES:
I've managed to go to a variety of sessions now, morning, afternoon, evening, Hot 1, Power 1, Lunch Crunch, different instructors and feel like I have a well-rounded view of the studio. I started with the Power classes, then Lunch Crunch, then Hot... and once I did the Hot class I quickly realized that I had done things in opposite order, lol.
Hot 1-- it's broken down into sections, warm-up, balance, core, etc... it's very organized and "proper" and much easier to catch onto, learn, and control.
Lunch Crunch-- is like a shortened Power class mixed with other elements. I used to love this class b/c it was not too crowded & has one of my fav instructors Ann (love her voice it's very calming), but it has gotten way too crowded & I don't like the wall exercises
Power 1-- this class is a beast! It's literally a mix of aerobics and yoga, in an extremely hot room for 90 minutes. This class will kick your butt, but it's well worth it, especially if you're trying to burn the 500-1000 calories they say Birkam yoga can help you burn. This is the class that will do it for you! If you wanna do this in lieu of working out.
Hot 2-- is an elevated version of Hot 1. After months of Hot 1, this was a must try
Power 2-- definitely for those who are more experienced. (I haven't taken it yet)
Yin-- is the only non-hot class, I went early one morning and it was very calm and relaxing
As far as how busy the classes get, well it's just luck of the draw. I've been to packed out mid-day classes and packed out night classes, I've been to smaller not as busy morning classes and non-busy night classes. You just never know. Generally speaking the later the class the busier it might be, but you still never know.
WHAT TO BRING:
Yoga mat, 1 liter of water (or two bottles of water), 2 towels (1 towel to put over the mat to help you not slide & a face/hand towel to wipe your sweat)
THE STUDIO/LOCATION:
The studio itself is nice, simple, clean and to the point. I really like the hardwood floors. Parking can be a b*tch, but no worries you'll find a space even if it's on the street.
THE PEOPLE/CLIENTS:
I love the mix of people at the studios, beginners and gurus, a lot of different body types (which makes it very comfortable), older and younger, women and men. Thankfully there are still more women than men, but that groupon really has men coming out and I have to be honest and say its a little annoying sometimes especially when there's a guy in front of you acting as if yoga is a competition sport, forcing movements, and totally blocking your view of the mirror... ugh! the worst!!! It's not all guys though. It's become a bit of a social club before class, chitter-chatter chitter-chatter, way too much for a yoga environment-- totally takes away from the experience.
INSTRUCTORS:
Generally speaking most of the instructors are very nice and smiley, which definitely aids you in feeling comfortable. But there are some not as good instructors-- some of them just don't have the timing down they'll hold stances for uneven amounts of time, they'll TALK WAY TOO MUCH which becomes sooo annoying. And sometimes they have little snappy attitudes to ppl who want to leave the room. I also prefer it when they are constantly changing the temperature sorta, the sound of the heat/air is calming and adds to the atmosphere especially when there is no music. Also one of the instructors created a puddle of sweat right next to me once... which totally grossed me out, she stood in the same spot for about 5 minutes, ugh, lol... no worries tho
GOOD TO KNOW:
If you feel dizzy/ tired/ ovewhelmed anytime during a session SIT DOWN. Be safe!
ETC:
This studio is great, especially with the deals. The only reason I left out one star is because it can get very crowded, sometimes unbearably crowded, but I commend them for not turning anyone away... they just need more Hot 1 classes times early in the day. Also they don't start and end class on time anymore, they've become very very lax with that read more