HOME HOT YOGA
  • About
    • Bikram Yoga
    • Pregnancy Yoga
    • Private Lessons
  • Blog
  • JOIN TODAY
  • MEMBERS AREA
  • D.I.Y. HOT ROOM
  • Contact
  • BIZ COACHING
  • SHOP

VIDEO: Pranayama Breathing + Your Arms & Head

2/10/2021

0 Comments

 
Possibly the biggest game-changer for your Pranayama Breathing is learning to synchronize the movements of your arms and head!

It ain't easy, but when you figure it out you will build strength and length in your neck, relieve tension in your shoulders, and best of all: feel more relaxed, taller and more powerful within just the first few minutes of your practice!

Check out this video we made you with tips and demonstration - then try it in your next class!
Check out these posts for more on breathing:
  • Pranayama Deep Breathing - Benefits, Tips and Throat Constriction
  • Why is nasal breathing a thing?
0 Comments

Video: St. Johns Boosters Association interviews Kay

11/29/2020

2 Comments

 

This week I was interviewed!

Liz asked me about the birth story of Home Hot Yoga, why I love St. Johns, what it's like to be a shut-down business during a global pandemic- and how the heck I expect people to do hot yoga in their bathrooms!

Check it out:
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by St. Johns Boosters (@stjohnsboosters)

That sale I mentioned?
CLICK HERE to buy!

2 Comments

VIDEO: How to book your class online!

10/6/2020

0 Comments

 
Booking online is now required for all in-studio classes. Check out these quick tutorials we made on how to do it:

Booking online "101"

How to book from your computer:

  1. Go to the Schedule page
  2. Click SIGN UP or JOIN WAITLIST next to the class you want to book
  3. Enter the email we have on file for you & reset password if needed
  4. Book your class!

How to book/ cancel using the Mindbody app:

If you can't make it to a class you have booked/ waitlisted?
  1. In the Mindbody app, click "Schedule") & click on where it says "booked" or "waitlisted" then click to confirm your cancellation.
  2. From a computer, use this link to visit your personal schedule in your account and cancel there

A 12 hour minimum notice is required for all cancellations!
Because space in class is limited due to government regulations, Late Cancels and No Shows will be charged a $20 fee if we are unable to fill the spot. Check out the details of our policy here.

​If you have trouble booking online and this post didn't help you, feel free to reach out at (503)505-9805 or email us and we'll do our best to assist. See you at Home!!
BOOK NOW
0 Comments

VIDEO: Why Judy & Alex love Bikram Yoga online

8/26/2020

1 Comment

 
Whether you need more "zen" in your life, or just feel kinda lazy... joining an online class can be just the motivation you need, to keep doing the yoga you need!

Don't take our word for it though, here are our Homies Judy and Alex on how and WHY they have kept up their Bikram Yoga practice during a pandemic:
Why Judy & Alex do yoga at Home (online!)

"And then I go to yoga, and it feels like magic!"

Posted by Home Hot Yoga on Wednesday, August 12, 2020
1 Comment

How to access Zoom classes on HHY To Go!

8/24/2020

0 Comments

 

Starting September 1, Zoom classes will only be available with an HHY To Go subscription.

A couple changes start in September:
  1. You'll no longer sign up for Zoom classes using your Mindbody account.
  2. The Zoom schedule will be Saturdays & Sundays at 8am, and Mondays at 5pm.
Check out this video we made on how to access Zoom classes (and a sneak peek at all the goody in case you haven't signed up yet!)

How to access Zoom classes:

If you haven't already signed up for HHY To Go, check out this blog post about all the details and why you should totally go for it! Questions? Read our FAQ about HHYTG here.
0 Comments

VIDEO: Beginners tutorial for Bikram yoga practice at (your) home

4/10/2020

0 Comments

 
No level of experience, strength or flexibility are required to safely attempt a Bikram yoga class! However, online classes are a bit of a tricky way to start, especially if you are a visual learner, mostly because it's difficult to see the other students.

Our friends at Wellness Hot Yoga made this video to help new yogis
have a better understanding of the postures, so you can feel better during and after your class! Thanks, WHY!!
We hope this tutorial was helpful for you.

​For more tutorials about specific poses, search the blog post archives for the name of the pose and click! Here are a few we especially recommend for beginners:
  • What is normal breathing?
  • What does it mean to lock the knee?
  • How to do a situp
0 Comments

VIDEO: How to do a Bikram Yoga Sit Up

1/23/2020

0 Comments

 
The sit-up. It's not officially a yoga pose, but more of a transition move to get you from savasana to your next posture. 

Official yoga pose or not, correct sit-up technique can make a big difference, especially if you have back pain (or if you want to have amazingly strong abs!)

From savasana:
  1. Bring your toes and heels together
  2. Flex your feet and keep your heels on the floor
  3. Bring your arms over your head and only cross your thumbs (keep your arms and head together)
  4. Inhale, and quickly sit up
  5. Exhale breathing, grab your big toes and "double jerk," bringing your forehead to your knees and elbows to the floor

Try it in class today.

Book your next class!

0 Comments

VIDEO: Your clothes could be making you suffer.

9/20/2019

0 Comments

 
What duds you sport in the hot room can really make a difference.

​Watch this video to learn the science behind shorty shorts, then read on for 4 tips to consider when choosing what to wear to your next class...

1. Bare skin is part of your body's cooling strategy.

Your body cools itself by way of the evaporation of sweat off your skin's surface. Therefore, the more of your skin exposed to the air, the cooler you will feel, even in a hot environment. 

​
For the same reason you probably wear tank tops and shorts in the summer, clothes that leave (at least) your arms and legs uncovered are the healthiest choice for hot yoga.

2. Loose clothing traps body heat. ​

Ever tried sleeping in a hammock? You'll get COLD at night because the hammock's fabric sits snug against your skin. There's no space to trap your body heat in there.

​Similarly, when you wear tight-fitting clothing in hot yoga, your body heat escapes, which means you will feel cooler. 

3. Downsize your yoga clothes to super-size body positivity. ​

Look, we get it. Your whole life you have been sent the message (from the media, peers who are not your real friends, possibly even your parents) that your body is somehow flawed or not good enough.

Too many of us have accepted that messaging to the point that we try to hide our "imperfect" bodies-- even from ourselves!

You may have discovered by now: there is no hiding under the bright lights of the yoga room. You also may have noticed: you are the only one in class who bats an eye about the size of your thighs or a little hanging skin around your middle from those babies you brought into the world! So, who are you hiding from?
​

Revealing your body to yourself in the mirror for 90 minutes at a time will cause you to appreciate your body more-- not only for its physical beauty (and yes it has that!) but also for the amazing things it does for you every day as it carries you through your life.

4. Don't miss out on the gift of a teacher. ​

Your certified Bikram yoga teachers are highly trained and constantly honing our craft with continuing education. Of the gifts your teacher offers you are personalized verbal corrections.

​We have had hundreds of hours of education (and thousands of hours of experience) in this yoga system, and you get to borrow our eyes!

However, we can only let you know to make an adjustment in a posture IF we can see your alignment! Baggy clothes get in the way of us helping you use correct technique.

You are the most important person in your life.

In the end, of course, this is all up to you. We understand there may be many reasons for every choice of attire.

Just like when we give instructions in class: our role here is to offer the information we know to be useful for practicing Bikram yoga, and you get to choose what you do with that.

​
Your Bikram yoga teacher will love you unconditionally, no matter what you wear to class!
0 Comments

How to do Camel Pose, whether you are stiff or bendy.

5/5/2019

0 Comments

 
Diane Ducharme Gardner recently visited BYSJ and graced us with her wisdom, expertise and insight. Among the top "a ha" moments that students have been sharing they experienced at the workshop is this one: how to get into Camel pose!
How do you know it's right?
It works.
For any body! 
Check out the video for the full demonstration of correct technique:

The key you'll want to remember is: when you hear the instructor say "go back halfway and stop in the middle," that does not mean bend back. 

It means lean back halfway, using your strong thigh muscles, thereby decreasing the distance between your hand and the heel. If you approach the pose this way, almost anyone can grab the heels!
Once you have the grip on the heels (and don't lose it) you can push everything forward toward the mirror, causing the back muscles to engage and bend your spine evenly, creating 360 degree angle backward bending.

It feels so good when you do it right.

Even better, Camel pose boasts numerous benefits for your life outside of the yoga room, including:
  • Compresses kidneys and adrenal glands to help reduce excess stress hormones.
  • Sends fresh blood to the kidneys.
  • Stretches abdominal organs, stimulating digestive system.
  • Stretches the throat, thyroid gland and parathyroid gland.
  • Stimulates the nervous system.
  • Opens rib cage to allow for maximum expansion of the lungs.
  • Maximum compression of spine, improving flexibility and circulation.​

Depth in any posture is a result of correct technique and time.

So it never matters how much you do, as long as you practice with consistent correct technique. 

​The beautiful thing about the instructions you hear in class is that they work for any body- stiff, flexible, injured, whatevs. But don't take our word for it. Now that you have seen a stellar example in the video, try following word by word with the correct technique in your next class!
0 Comments

VIDEO: How to get your hands-palms together

3/6/2019

1 Comment

 
Have you been trying to get your "palms together like glue" but it just ain't happening? 

Lots of people try to bring their arms back too far in Bikram yoga's "arms over the head" position. If this is you, you'll have trouble getting your palms together. Because of anatomy, everyone has a certain point where, when the shoulders are pushed back too far, the arms will not be able to fully extend at the elbow. Pushing or forcing the arms too far back and then trying to straighten them puts a lot of strain on the shoulders.

Bikram yoga is hard enough! Take it easy on your shoulders, please.

If your shoulders are feeling strained when you stretch your arms up in this position, try bringing the arms slightly forward, then bringing the elbows toward each other to straighten out the arms. This will help you keep your palms together, which will help you stretch your shoulders, create length in your spine and...

Feel better during and after your class.

Check out these related posts on how to work smarter, not necessarily harder in yoga:
  • Are you overusing your shoulder?
  • How to take a break in Bikram yoga
  • Are you making yourself hotter?
1 Comment
<<Previous

    Author

    HHY Founder, Yoga Business Coach, yoga-doer and life-lover, Kay Afif!

    Picture

    Archives

    September 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    Categories

    All
    Abdominals
    Addiction
    ADHD
    Aging Greatly
    Anatomy
    Anti-racism
    Anxiety
    Ardha Matsyendrasana
    Arthritis
    Athletes
    Awkward Pose
    Backbending
    Back Pain
    Balance
    Balancing Poses
    Beginners
    Benefits
    Bhujangasana
    Bikram
    Bikram Yoga
    Black Lives Matter
    Blood Pressure
    Blowing In Firm Pose
    Body Image
    Bow Pose
    Breathing
    Bursitis
    Business
    Camel Pose
    Cardiovascular
    Cause
    Challenge
    Chilblains
    Children
    Chronic Back Pain
    Circulation
    Cleaning
    Clothing
    Cobra Pose
    Community
    Concentration
    Coordination
    Covid 19
    Covid-19
    Dandayamana Dhanurasana
    Dandayamana Janushirasana
    Deep 6 Rotators
    Degenerative Disc Disease
    Depression
    Determination
    Diabetes
    Digestion
    Doing Less
    Eagle Pose
    Early Morning Class
    Early Morning Yoga
    Ehlers Danlos
    Elbows
    Electrolytes
    Emotional Benefit
    Equipment
    Faith
    Fibromyalgia
    Fixed Firm Pose
    Flexibility
    Floor Series
    Focus
    Forward Fold
    Front Side Compression
    Frozen Shoulder
    Full Locust
    Garudasana
    Goals
    Gratitude
    Grief
    Guest Post
    Habits
    Half Moon Pose
    Half Spine Twist
    Half Tortoise
    Hamstrings
    Hands To Feet Pose
    Hatha Yoga
    Headache
    Head To Knee Pose
    Healing
    Healing Injury
    Health
    Heart
    Heart Rate
    Heat
    Herniated Disc
    Hhy To Go
    Hips
    Hives
    Home Hot Yoga Studio
    Home Practice
    How Yoga Works
    Humidity
    Hydration
    Hyperextension
    Hypermobility
    Immune System
    Inflammation
    Inspiration
    Interlocked Finger Grip
    IT Band
    Joint Pain
    Joints
    Kaizen
    Kapalbhati
    Karma Yogi
    Knee Pain
    Knees
    Lateral Flexion
    Lock The Knee
    Locust Pose
    Logistics
    Longevity
    Mask
    Meditation
    Membership
    Mental Health
    Mindset
    Mistakes
    Moderation
    Motivation
    Nervous System
    Normal Breathing
    Nutrition
    Online
    Osteoarthritis
    Overuse
    Pain Relief
    Parenting
    Patience
    Photos
    Poetry
    Posture
    Posture Of The Month
    Practice
    Pranayama
    Pregnancy
    Products
    Quit Smoking
    Rabbit Pose
    Racial Equity
    Rajashree's Pregnancy Yoga
    Raja Yoga
    Recipes
    Recovery
    Relationships
    Relaxation
    Research
    Respiratory System
    Routine
    Running
    Safety
    Schedule
    Sciatica
    Science
    Scoliosis
    Self Care
    Self Discipline
    Self-discipline
    Self Realization
    Situp
    Sit Up
    Skin Health
    Sleep
    Social Justice
    Speaking Up
    Spinal Stenosis
    Spine
    Spine Twisting
    Spondylolisthesis
    Spondylosis
    Stamina
    Standing Bow Pulling Pose
    Standing Head To Knee
    Standing Separate Leg Head To Knee
    Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose
    Stiffness
    Strength
    Stress Relief
    Stretching
    Student Of The Month
    Students
    Studio News
    Summer
    Surgery
    Sustainability
    Sweat
    Swelling
    Teacher Feacher
    Technique
    Teri Almquist
    Testimonials
    Tips
    Tourniquet Effect
    Transformation
    Tree Pose
    Triangle Pose
    Trikonasana
    Twisting
    Utkatasana
    Video
    Videos
    Visualization
    Weight Loss
    Wrists
    Yoga
    Yoga Story Of The Month
    Zoom

    RSS Feed

Log in for online yoga
We are an independently woman and veteran owned business. 100% of your investment stays with our company. No franchise fees or royalties are paid to any person or entity.
Picture
Terms / Privacy
  • About
    • Bikram Yoga
    • Pregnancy Yoga
    • Private Lessons
  • Blog
  • JOIN TODAY
  • MEMBERS AREA
  • D.I.Y. HOT ROOM
  • Contact
  • BIZ COACHING
  • SHOP