Things are heating up at a Campbell Business Park studio, where the temperature is set at a constant 40.5 C with 40- to 50-per-cent humidity.
Things are heating up at a Campbell Business Park studio, where the temperature is set at a constant 40.5 C with 40- to 50-per-cent humidity.
This climate is the ideal setting to practice Bikram yoga, a series of 26 poses with a pair of breathing exercises aimed at healing mind, body and soul.
“It works every muscle, organ, joint, tendon, tissue [and] ligament in the body,” said Melissa Dechaine, owner and director of Bikram Yoga St. Albert. “It has tremendous benefits.”
Classes are 90 minutes in duration and follow the same sequence of poses worldwide. It is a hands-off practice that Dechaine likens to an adult version of “Simon Says.”
People practise Bikram yoga for a variety of reasons, including to prevent injuries, heal existing ailments, increase flexibility, lose weight or simply as an escape from everyday chaos.
She said individuals suffering from an injury can often find relief through Bikram yoga, as the movement helps lubricate joints and strengthen muscles.
“It’s hard, but it’s worth it,” she said. “You really get to see how awesome you are because you actually have to do the work.”
Although Bikram yoga has been practised since the early 1970s, it has only recently began to take off locally. The studio has been at 15 Circle Drive for 18 months and word-of-mouth continues to create interest, she said.
“There’s something about that class that everybody loves,” she said. “They love it because they don’t have to hear kids for 90 minutes, they don’t have to hear their husband, they don’t have to listen to their boss, they can just do their yoga. Afterwards, you feel amazing.”
Dechaine said Bikram yoga is suitable for all individuals, but said it is important for participants to share their health conditions with the studio in order to take necessary precautions.
“We really work hard to make sure that each experience you have is good and not every yoga class is going to feel great,” she said. “The only bad class you have are the ones that you don’t show up to.”
Bikram yoga differs from hot yoga, since instructors must endure a rigorous training program to become certified with the Bikram Yoga College of India.
Bikram Yoga St. Albert is one of 600 certified studios worldwide.
Dechaine received her Bikram teaching certificate in 2004 after an intense nine-week course at Bikram Yoga Headquarters in Los Angeles, Calif. She taught in the Edmonton area and Vancouver for seven years before opening the Bikram Yoga studio in St. Albert.
For more information about Bikram yoga, visit www.stalbertbikramyoga.com.
