There are 26 positions in one of these sessions, along with 2 breathing exercises that are done over a 90 minute session. Most people sweat profusely during the sessions. If you have a sticky, scratchy mat you will need to have a thick towel to be comfortable on it. The sticky mat is so that you do not slide around during your workout. A Bikram Yoga mat works kind of like a combination of a sticky mat and a towel.



It's simple. In between sets of weights, I do a yoga pose (or two poses). Assuming I do 15 sets of weight lifting, I'll get about 15 minutes of yoga/stretching done over the course of my weight routine. Often that's more than enough stretching for me. Sometimes I'll do another 10 minutes post-weights.

A good yoga teacher should be aware of the deeper teachings of yoga which are in the scriptures. There are scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita that talk about 'yoga' or the idea of union and also about 'atma' or the soul and philosophy. There are also books such as 'Hatha Yoga Pradipika' that talk about diet, 'asana' or posture practice and so forth. A good yoga teacher should have a good understanding of all parts pilates memphis of yoga.

I also notice new muscles that weren't there from my previous yoga practice. I must have created them during hot yoga. I feel stronger, especially in my lower body. Now I get out and walk around the park more. It has inspired me to get out of the house, and that is certainly burning more calories.

This meditative form of exercise originated in India. Today, it's spread all over the globe. Not to mention, there are more than 100 types of yoga. One that's emerging in popularity is hot yoga. People instantly get curious when they first learn about this. As the name implies, hot pilates is yoga done in a hot environment. The room is heated up to 100 degrees and the humidity level is at 40 percent.

Perhaps you may be wondering, "What's so special about a mat anyway? They're all the same!" This is false, because not all hot yoga mats are created equal. There are different mats on the market that come in different sizes, features and thickness. As with the clothes you wear, investing in a reliable yoga mat is integral to getting the most out of your yoga practice. When you have the right one, you'll be able to perform a range of different poses, meditation poses and relaxation poses at your most comfortable and happy state.

But a few months later, a friend of mine talked me into going to another Yoga class with her. Being the Yoga expert that she was, she had her own mat; and she even had an extra for me. I scoffed at her when she asked if I wanted her to bring it for me. I think my response was something like "I don't need your fancy mat". But being the girl she is, she brought it for me anyway. And that was when Yoga became a whole new ball game for me.