Turn up the heat

WHEN a friend asked me what hot yoga was many moons ago, he also pondered on the necessity for such practice because, well, Malaysia's weather is hot and humid as it is.
His questions got me thinking, so when I found out about LavaBody FIR Hot Yoga in Desa Sri Hartamas, I decided to give it a try.
Claiming to be the first far infrared hot yoga studio in town, it uses specialised heating panels that produce far infrared (FIR) heat rays and negative ions to create a highly anti-oxidised environment.
According to its co-founder and chief trainer Angel Ng-Tashveer, the studio, which is dubbed the "Hot Lava Cave", is aesthetically enhanced with pure volcanic rocks that are imported from Indonesia.
"When I was living in Bali, I realised that the villagers whom I mingle with have beautiful skin – even their wrinkles are fine – and I discovered that their secret lies in the air that they breathe. Since they are surrounded by lava rocks, the negative ions uplift and rejuvenate their skin.
"Then when I couldn't find a hot yoga studio in Kuala Lumpur that resonates with me, I had the idea of combining hot yoga with Ganbanyoku (Japanese hot stone spa). I decided on volcanic rocks because it's more beneficial as compared to the conventional hot air blowers that dries up your skin," she said.
As we talked in the lounge area, the calming aroma of essential oils wafted through the air. The studio – which is contemporary, warm and inviting – provides you with all the conveniences that you need for class: yoga mats, towels, lockers and shower rooms.
I appreciate this thoughtfulness as not only does it make going for the lesson a hassle-free experience, but it also eliminates any feeble excuse to skip class when workday blues hit.
The class that I went for was the Hot 90 session. It was a classic hot yoga class that honours the Absolute Hot series to which Ng-Tashveer explained that hot yoga is one of the many disciplines of yoga.
"Malaysians tend to think that hot yoga is when you practise yoga in a hot room or environment, but it's not. Hot yoga is actually a consistent series that you practise in a room heated up between 38°C to 40°C and certified hot yoga teachers have specific ways of pushing students to reach their limits.
Metaphorically speaking, hot yoga is akin to the real world because you have to focus in spite of the heat, which can be distracting, so you need to learn to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations."
Although I have been living in Malaysia since I was a baby – and therefore I should've been accustomed to the heat – I was still wary of the high temperature.
My reservations, however, turned out to be for naught because the warmth was tolerable.
I did 50 yoga poses throughout the 90 minutes and not once did the heat felt too stifling. It was hotter compared to the other yoga classes that I've attended, but rather than being a hindrance, it was an added advantage – the heat helped me to stretch and ease into each posture better.
"Let's put it this way, if you try to bend a rod when it is cold it might break, but when you heat the rod up you can bend it with no problem. Hence, it is safer to stretch in a hot environment and this is also one of the ideas behind hot yoga," expounded Ng-Tashveer.
A corporate director who found her calling in yoga, she was an admirable instructor who navigated the class with her dulcet tones, encouraging guides and positive mindset. Since it was a multi-level class, she constantly suggested variations for each pose so that it's tailor-made for both beginners and advanced practitioners.
Time passed by quickly and before I knew it, it was time for Shavasana (the Corpse Pose) to mark the end of the class. Despite how I was drenched in sweat, I enjoyed the lesson tremendously. I was promised a good yoga session and the studio delivered that and more.