WARM YOGA VS. HEATED YOGA: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE AND WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Ahhhhh yes, the ever so elusive “hot yoga”. The words either evoke feelings of excitement or dread, depending on what your personal climate preferences are. While the term can bring to minds the image of sweaty bodies moving rhythmically in Downwards Facing Dog, this is not always the case. As the only heated yoga studio in Downtown Brampton, we understand that your affinity to heat is as individual as you and your practice. This is why we have created different levels of intensity in temperature, offering both heated and warm classes here at The Aura House. Yes, they sound similar but! These two environments have distinctions which make them feel like worlds apart. Let’s break down the differences between the practices we offer here at the studio, which often get confused with one another, to see which one is the right fit for you!
Warm Classes: intentional to guide release
In our warm yoga classes, the focus is not the raising of temperature but more seen as the supporting factor to the style of class. The room temperature is slightly elevated to 27 °C with a maximum of 30 °C using heated panels through out the ceiling, inviting your muscles to loosen and aids for deeper flexibility and mobility in your body. With this level of heat, it is not overwhelming but rather an elevated environment to add to the benefits of the practice.
The warm yoga offerings we have at The Aura House are gentle practices, such as Warm Restorative with Karen on Tuesday evenings and Warm + Slow Stretch with Rebecca on Thursday Mornings. The warmth can help aid in the boost of serotonin and endorphins released through physical movement, making these stress release focused practices all the more impactful. These classes focus more on creating mind + muscle connection with the warm temperature guiding the body to open up in a more intentional way to the poses. Instructor Rebecca says “The warmth in my morning classes help the body wake up from sleep, make certain stretches and poses more accessible since it’s the beginning of the day. I find the warmth also boosts moods, setting a great tone for the rest of your day.”
The focus in these practices is creating awareness of the different areas of tension in the body and using the warmth to guide the act of letting it go. The sequences are more intentional in release, with poses held for longer periods of time with the support of props such as bolsters, blocks and straps. With both a morning and evening offering, our warm yoga classes are the perfect way to start or end your day in a cozy way.
HEATED CLASSES: Intensity to deepen your practice
While the elevated environment is more passive in our warm yoga classes, the higher temperature is the focus in our heated yoga and heated mat pilates classes (hence the name =P). The room is heated between 32°C to 37°C to add for a dry sauna like feel. The heat adds a new level of intensity to boost endorphins from the very beginning to the end of the practice. The heat can create a phenomenon known as hormesis, a defence response following exposure to a mild stressor, which provides protection from subsequent exposures to more extreme stressors. The body and mind’s reaction to this is similar to what happens during moderate to vigorous exercise. The benefits range from improved cardiovascular and mental health, to athletic endurance and immune function, and may even offer a means to forestall the effects of ageing. [1]
Here at The Aura House, we offer both Intermediate/Advanced Heated Yoga with Kim and on a seasonal basis, Heated Mat Pilates with Diana - both on Tuesday evenings. The heated room adds to these already dynamic practices, giving you a new level of power to unlock through the challenges of vigorous movement partnered with high temperature in the room. Instructor Diana says that the benefits she finds through a heated practice is that her students are really pushed to really pay attention to their body, breath and hydration – creating a deeper awareness with one’s physical self. If you’re looking to up your yoga or mat pilates game, then a heated class may be the new move for you!
So whether you’re looking for a gentle nudge or to level up, our warm yoga classes, heated yoga class or heated Mat Pilates are here for you to explore. We here at The Aura House aim to be the space where you uncover new facets of yourself through different practices, but most importantly: a place for you to come home to yourself. Check out of schedule here and see what offering warms or heats your heart!
