MAKE YOUR PRACTICE BLOSSOM

We first opened the doors to BYL on 14 November, 2009, with a mission to transform the lives of people, at all ages, from all walks of life, and most with virtually no idea what yoga was and how incredibly effective it could be at redefining mind and body.

As London’s hot yoga lovers, offering classes in a near-tropical environment (beach towels and all!), we became experts at managing both heat and humidity. Our state-of-the-art heating and airflow system is designed to manage the environment to an exacting standard.

Having practised in a large number of studios, here and around the globe, we know our teachers are some of the best you’ll find anywhere in the world. They are passionate about the styles of practise they lead. We strongly encourage you to approach them before or after class for any pointers, or to highlight any injuries or issues you may be experiencing.

Life presents many challenges, and it’s often the small yet meaningful luxuries that can make a complete difference to our outlook. Our founders were professionals who experienced the 90 hour weeks, months at a time away on work-related trips, and the added challenges of finding time to keep healthy and fit with gruelling schedules. BYL was designed with the goal to help people find a place to take a break from the outside world and find complete inner peace within the yoga room.

We’ve compiled some important tips to help make your experience even more rewarding!

———————————————————————————-

Enjoy a few tips to help you get more out of your class!

Aim to arrive early – Arriving early to class allows you the luxury of calming your mind in time leading up to the class, as well as allowing others in the room to enjoy the same. If you’ve been turned away from a class due to a late arrival, we apologise in advance and hope you’ll appreciate it’s simply for that reason.

Eat Well – Proper nutrition and hydration are essential and will give you bursts of energy inside and outside the yoga room. Your hot yoga class may be burning anywhere from 500 – 1500 calories depending on level of effort and other factors, so nutrition is key. Try not to practise on an empty stomach but don’t eat full meals within 3-4 hours of class. Bananas make the perfect last minute snack as do the healthy nutrition bars available at both our studios!

Drink (water) – When you feel those beautiful, cleansing beads of sweat forming on your skin, you know those also happen to be lost fluids that need to be replenished. Drink water during the day as you’ll find it not only helps your metabolic system function more optimally, but you’ll feel fresher and more energetic throughout your yoga class. Guzzling large amounts of water in the yoga room will only serve to fill your stomach, making some postures unnecessarily more challenging. Ideally you want to be well-hydrated before class. Sip small amounts during class at the appropriate time.

Enjoy (and help contribute to) a sense of calm – As one checks in to the studio for class, sometimes they may not realise that they may be in ‘battle’ mode from experiences at the office, on the transport system or elsewhere. Arriving late or unprepared can sometimes make the most minor issue take on a new level of importance, creating undue stress. That level of stress can affect one’s performance in class, and can also affect the tranquility of others. Arriving early and taking a few minutes of early savasana or just some warm-up practising can make a huge difference to one’s practice and mood!

Use a high quality yoga mat – Having a good, sticky rubber or cork yoga mat is important to one’s practice. Place one or two large towels on your mat, as that will absorb the sweat.  For dedicated yogis, buying a yoga mat of your own can be a natural step. We recommend buying a quality yoga mat made of cork or rubber, that is no more than 5mm thick. There are lots of great mats on the market, ranging in price from around £20 to £100. BYL sells quality sticky mats in some great colours and perfect for your hot yoga practice! We also rent yoga mats at our studios, and when you rent with us you’re always assured of getting a clean, washed mat each and every time!

Wear – You will need clothing that is close-fitting, breathable and lightweight for your hot yoga class. Avoid baggy clothing. Women wear sports tops and bottoms. Men wear shorts or swim trunks. Note, if you don’t have the right gear, don’t worry as our fully stocked retail section features the latest yoga fashions and sticky mats, all designed for your hot yoga practise.

Keep the carpet and floors slip free – We are obsessive about ensuring you can enjoy a clean studio environment. Please use one or two large towels on your mat to prevent excess sweat from dripping on the carpet or on the floor. Similarly, when leaving the yoga room, wrap yourself within a dry towel if you’re sweaty. These simple measures make all the difference in helping keep the studio clean and slip-free for everyone.

Listen to your body – Millions around the world seek out Bikram yoga and hot yoga to help the body get fitter, leaner and healthier, or even help speed up recovery after an injury or surgery.  When you’re new to yoga, we encourage taking small steps at first so that you can ‘learn’ your body’s current level and can take appropriate steps to go further and deeper as you progress. Take each day as it comes, and always be kind to your body. Rather than pushing into an injury, aim to take things slowly, after all yoga is a journey that gets better when you take a mindful, gentle approach to your practice. If the teacher says ‘push’, your job is to only ever do so by being careful to accommodate any personal physical limitations or injuries you may currently have. Remember, if you’re struggling, you’re also welcome to ‘take a knee’, or sit or lie down. The beauty of the practice is that your yoga will progress faster the more slowly you take it!

Be kind to the environment – As a studio, BYL has been reducing our use of non-recyclable plastics which are seriously damaging  the world’s marine habitats. In 2015 we stopped providing plastic wet kit bags in our changing rooms, which we estimate will eliminate 120,000 plastic bags per year from being introduced into the environment.  If you’re using a plastic bottle for your water during class, consider reusing it for as long as you can (most supposedly ‘single use’ bottles can be reused time and again), and recycle it using one of our provided bins when you’re done. The water bottles we offer at our studios are made of 50% recycled PET and are fully recyclable. Finally, please do not place feminine hygiene products (e.g. tampons), wet wipes, or anything other than toilet paper into any toilet. Always bin these products (again we provide bins at our studios). With 7 billion people on the planet, the little thing each of us does to protect the environment makes a real difference!

Our community’s wellbeing is our #1 priority

Our studio protocols and tips are offered to enhance your studio experience and with your well-being in mind. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.