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sweatyogastudio-blog · 4 years

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BREAKING NEWS: An Exclusive Message From DJ

Hello SWEAT Yoga Studio Family,

We are excited to announce the launch of our new 'SWEAT Yoga Kit' that will make getting back into the hot room faster and easier than ever!

Because we can no longer provide yoga blocks and towels in a safe and sanitary manner, we have decided to give discounted access to all of our hot yoga equipment.

Watch this message from DJ for more details AND a few good laughs.

What's included in the SWEAT Yoga Kit?

1 Manduka eQua hot yoga mat towel.

1 Manduka foam yoga block.

1 SWEAT washable & reversible tote.

All for the low price of just $47!

But, wait! For the first 50 people...

...who take action today and claim their kit will get two FREE bonuses:

BONUS #1: Manduka AligN yoga strap

BONUS #2: The best water bottle sticker on the market!

Act fast! Supply is very limited.

We can't wait to see you back in the hot room!

The Johnson Family

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sweatyogastudio-blog · 4 years

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The Road to Reopening SWEAT

Dear SWEAT yogis,

As we look towards reopening the studio, our top priority is your health and safety. Through a series of newsletters we will take you step-by-step through the changes that are being made in order to do just that - keep you healthy and safe. We want to pass on as much detail as possible so that you are empowered and armed with the knowledge that you need to comfortably practice at the studio again.

Like most small businesses here in Albuquerque, we are awaiting word from our governor as to when we can reopen, but until then, we are busy implementing many important and necessary shifts in policies, procedures, and overall studio operations. Please know that we will follow all CDC guidelines, so if those evolve, we will adjust accordingly.

Subsequent newsletters will cover info on social distancing, class sizes, schedule changes, membership changes, and more.

Cleaning

As you know, our studio has always been disinfected nightly by a team of cleaning professionals who use a medical-grade solution on the yoga room floors, lobbies, and in the locker rooms. We want to share a bit more about that product as well as an incredible new disinfectant that is taking the world by storm right now.

1. Historically we have cleaned all of the floors at SWEAT with Rochester Midland Corporation's Enviro Care Neutral Disinfectant. Enviro Care is an EPA-registered disinfectant concentrate that contains a hospital-grade, neutral pH disinfectant for hard surfaces. This highly concentrated formula is non-toxic, bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, and mildewstatic. It is effective against the HIV-1 virus, MRSA, and many other pathogens. The EPA has just announced that the Emerging Viral Pathogen Guidance policy is now in effect, which means that if a disinfectant has a kill claim against a similar virus, it is suitable for disinfection against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. We will continue to use this solution for the hot room, the lobbies, the bathrooms, and to clean all yoga mats.

2. We are thrilled to announce that we will now be using Force of Nature on all other hard surfaces at the studio including doors, door handles, benches, countertops, and anything else we can think of to sanitize. Force of Nature is also on the EPA’s list of Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2. It is a disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs, even Staph, MRSA, Norovirus, Influenza A, Salmonella, and Listeria. Their electrolyzed water technology is safe, effective, innovative, and unique. It is as powerful as all of the major cleaning products without any harsh chemicals. It uses electricity to convert salt, water, and vinegar into an all-natural multi-purpose cleaner that’s just as effective as bleach without the toxic chemicals, dyes, and allergens. Force of Nature is way ahead of the cleaning game and we are proud to be using this product in the studio and in the Johnson home.

The Hot Room HVAC System

We have always gone to great lengths to ensure that the air you breathe in the hot room is the cleanest, freshest, and healthiest available but now more than ever, this is vitally important. We have inspected, updated, and cleaned our entire HVAC system to ensure that it is functioning at its best for the safety and wellbeing of all of us in that room. See below for more specific information on how our specialized hot yoga equipment helps achieve these goals.

1. Our Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) provides fresh air to the yoga room while exhausting an equal amount of stale air. Heat energy and moisture are transferred from one air stream to the other; saving energy by utilizing energy of stale air to treat fresh air. Incoming fresh air is filtered before flowing through the heat exchange core. Stale air flows through the cross-flow heat exchanger and transfers heat and moisture to the incoming fresh air. Warm fresh air is then distributed through a unique ductwork system. This unit is equipped with variable frequency drive (VFD) which brings in the correct volume of air in order to maintain appropriate oxygen levels.

2. Typically, hot yoga studios use filters to mitigate the growth of bacteria in a space, but filters do not prevent microbes from passing into a building's air circulation. Amidst these indoor air quality challenges, the HVAC industry has produced new technology that is effective for controlling allergens, mold, infectious airborne diseases, and other microbes that can affect the air quality of an indoor facility. Ultraviolet (UV) technology - a technique that zaps airborne viruses with a narrow-wavelength band of UV light shows promise for curtailing the person-to-person spread of COVID-19 in indoor public places and has been used for more than a century as a germicidal solution for a variety of applications from disinfecting water to controlling airborne diseases in hospitals. Microorganisms have no defense against high-frequency ultra-violet (UV-C) light as it is used in our HVAC system at SWEAT.

3. Generally, insulation efforts to increase efficiency for indoor facilities have the negative effect of minimizing fresh airflow and increasing pollutants. To combat this, we have installed a Negative Ion Generator that is mounted in the central system. Millions of ions are formed as air passes over the ionization tubes. These ions travel through the duct system and out into the studio attacking pollutants in the yoga room. Much like sunlight does in the atmosphere, the Plasma Air technology produces a natural bio-climate rich in active oxygen molecules, otherwise known as ions. The Plasma Air system creates a measurable and controllable quantity of positive and negative oxygen ions. The negative ions contain an extra electron while the positive ions are missing an electron resulting in an unstable condition. These unstable ions provide the following benefits:

Particle Reduction - Airborne particles are charged by the ions through ionic bonding. These charged particles stick together increasing their size allowing them to be easily removed by even low-grade filters. Additionally, particles are the vehicles that transmit bacteria cells from person to person. As the ions cause increased particle size, the result is less bacteria in the breathing zone.

Sterilization - As they divide in the split zone, bacteria and mold spores bond with active oxygen molecules and are oxidized and destroyed. The bacteria and mold can no longer multiply.

Odor Neutralization - Odorous gases and aerosols oxidize on contact with active oxygen molecules. Odors, especially of an organic origin, are quickly eliminated.

Yoga Mats & Props

1. We will continue to provide yoga mats because we want to maintain control over the cleaning process and sanitization after each use. We believe that a full spray down using the products mentioned above and allowing for proper drying time between classes is the best way to control the cleanliness of each yoga mat. You may, of course, continue to bring your own if you wish.

2. We cannot effectively disinfect blocks, straps, bolsters, or blankets after every class so we will no longer be providing these props. Please feel free to bring your own props to class.

3. In order to minimize exposure to our teachers, we will discontinue washing mat towels, face towels or shower towels so we will not be providing these items for the time being. Please bring your own clean mat towel to class with you every day along with a shower towel if you plan on showering.

More to come in the next newsletter. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are committed to making SWEAT the cleanest and most reliable hot yoga studio for your practice and we will continue to adapt our studio policies to keep you safe and healthy.

Namaste,

Marisa & David

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sweatyogastudio-blog · 4 years

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SWEAT Online!

Practice with all of your favorite SWEAT teachers right from your living room, any time you want!!

We have loaded over 30 yoga, pilates, and functional movement videos right on YouTube channel.

Click here to see all our videos:

https://bit.ly/SWEAT-YT

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sweatyogastudio-blog · 5 years

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Is Hot Yoga Safe? A Comprehensive Guide To Practicing Hot Yoga Safely

Nothing can deny the fact that the growing popularity of hot yoga has led to the development of new forms and techniques of practicing hot yoga. Several statements are made about the benefits of hot yoga. These notions are often published by yoga enthusiasts who express their love for their hot yoga studio. They may be curious as to why yoga practiced in warmer and wetter conditions is better for their body.

What is hot yoga?

Hot yoga has all the essential positions that yogis know. However, classes take place in studios where the temperature can be set at up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat of the room during a hot yoga class can range from 85 F to 125 F. The humidity can vary from 40% to 60%. Classes usually last one hour and include variations of yoga sequences and breathing exercises.

What are the benefits of hot yoga?

Is hot yoga safe? Hot yoga benefits your body when practiced in a heated environment. This is beneficial for your body because it helps your body sweat out toxins while allowing the practitioner to penetrate deeper into the asanas (postures or stretches). Meditation is right for your body and your psyche. It contributes exceptionally to harmony by helping the mind to act in sync with the body.

Is hot yoga healthy?

Yoga helps cleanse and purify all internal parts of the body and helps to detoxify or eliminate all the toxins found in the innermost parts of the body. Anyone who wants to do hot yoga should make sure they have a yoga mat and towel for when they begin to sweat.

So, is hot yoga good for you? Hot yoga boosts metabolism, which helps direct the body toxins to their proper elimination areas. Only small amounts of toxins are moist. The majority is left in the urine and the stool. Since the urinary system is the regulator of body temperature, the practice of hot yoga will encourage frequent urination, thus expelling more toxins that have been stored in one’s system.

Is hot yoga safe?

Hot yoga helps the digestive process with added heat to make sure food is adequate broken down digested. Cleansing through asanas is not limited to the physical realm. Once the raw maid is removed, the prana, subtle energy, can emerge freely throughout the energetic body. The shrewd mistress is also known as karma. The elimination of karmas from the delicate body is the general goal of all asana practice. That initiates the awakening process defined by Patanjali.

A person who practices yoga is called a yogi, someone who aspires to gain a better understanding their body and mind. Yoga requires you to take a closer look at your intentions and actions. Enjoy hot yoga class, but try not to get complacent. Explore the precious wisdom at the heart of yoga. The benefits of hot yoga are vital in the process of growing yourself has a person.

How to practice hot yoga safely

During hot yoga classes, sweat is inevitable, and you will need to towel off frequently. Those interested in hot yoga practice should be careful not to wear stiff clothing as this will cause them to sweat and sweat uncomfortably.

The use of hot yoga tights will be more beneficial during hot yoga classes as it is more skin-tolerant and also generates a more significant amount of heat. Students also prefer to wear tights because they are more elastic and more likely to sweat than others.

An adequate supply of cold water should also be available because many body fluids are lost due to sweating that occurs during hot yoga class. This will also help protect the body from dehydration. It is highly advisable to consume large amounts of food one hour prior to the start of a hot yoga class.

Conclusion

Is hot yoga bad for you? Hot yoga is not your typical yoga practice, that’s for sure. With the right experts, you will be able to achieve all the above benefits. At SWEAT Yoga Studio — a classy state-of-the-art hot yoga studio located in Albuquerque, New Mexico — we provide the chance to enjoy a variety of hot yoga classes in Albuquerque.

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sweatyogastudio-blog · 5 years

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Don't Say The F-Word - Benefiting From The Stress Reducing Qualities of Hot Yoga

I've made the choice to change the narrative of my story and manage my interpretation of fear. Instead of trying to live a “fearless” life, I’m trying to live a life where I understand, manage, and respond to my fears with greater compassion and skill. I’m under no illusion that my fears will never go away. I am, however, optimistic that I can continue to get better at working through my fears so that they don’t unconsciously control my behavior. Compassion and skill, these are the tools, and stress reducing qualities of yoga that help us grow into a better person.

If you know me, you know I’ve never been afraid of a challenge. I have a sub 40-minute 10k road race time, finished 2nd in my age group in the country of Austria in the Crossfit Open in 2017 while living abroad. I’m minutes away for a sub 2hr La Luz trail race finish time. I can grin and bear a lot of physical discomfort and have never been afraid of the pain cave, but this is driven by my ego, and the competition and comparison to others are stress producing qualities, and I need less of it in my life these days. These days,

Sitting quietly with my thoughts and my breath is enough of a challenge.

In fact, I have countless fears, but I don’t live in fear. There’s a difference. Here’s a partial list

I’m afraid of grasshoppers! Yep, I can handle any bug, just ask the misses, in fact I played with centipedes and scorpions during childhood and wanted to study entomology in collage because of my fascination of aquatic bug life during the years I taught myself to fly fish and tie my own flies. But I will sh-reek at grasshoppers and turn the other way.

Fortunately for my wife, I’m not afraid of spiders.

I’m afraid of turbulence; sweaty palms from take off to touchdown.

I’m afraid of bodies of water where I can’t see the ground.

I’m afraid of losing my loved ones.

I’m afraid of failure, (and I've had a bunch of them!)

I’m afraid that my style of teaching yoga will never become relevant or that teaching yoga and running a yoga studio will never be a viable livelihood for my family.

I also get little twinges of fear when I practice deep backbends like ustransana or when I’m starting to drop my head back just a little bit when in tadasana while shifting my hips forward and exposing my throat.

The reason that I’m sharing this is because I witness so many students feeling guilty or ashamed when they practice postures that trigger fear. When we’re afraid to acknowledge and feel our fears, it only makes things worse. Instead of trying to stuff your fears, I invite you to use our hot yoga facility as the perfect place to witness your fears and become more skillful at working through them. If there is a posture that scares you, please talk to us about it. Let’s work on it together!

Yoga is a tool that helps us discover that we are not the product of our thoughts,

I can tell you from experience, we are bigger and stronger than our fears. You can climb that mountain and you can master that inversion!

Here’s a step-by-step process for you to try:

1. Accept It

We must remember that fear is ingrained in our nervous system. But we are not running from tigers and bears, and we are fortunate to live in a life of abundance that I’m not fearful of where my next meal will come. Remember that fear is normal, it’s a natural part of the human psyche.

Don’t beat yourself up or feel guilty because you experience fear. It can also lead to feelings of separation, as though you’re the only person in the room with fear and that something is wrong with you.

You are never the only person with fear in the room

There is nothing wrong with you. Got it?!

2. Demystify It

When you become fearful in your yoga practice, try to drill down and identify what you’re afraid of. Let’s say you’re afraid of handstands. Take another step and try to figure out the specific fear you’re experiencing, such as the fear of falling on your head. Being more objective with your fear will help you start to demystify it. This will begin to lessen the fear. Even more, it will identify the challenge that you’re trying to solve.

3. Ask for Help

Asking a yoga instructor for help does two things: First, you take some of the pressure off yourself. You reduce the burden that you’ve internalized. (And, no, you’re not adding to your teacher’s burden. This is what we’re here for.) Second, you get help when you ask for it! Your teacher might not know that you need a little extra support. When you ask for help, they can usually give you the physical and mental support that you need.

4. Breathe!

Lengthen your exhalations. Lengthening your exhalations will settle you, focus you, and soothe you. Once you’ve lengthened your exhalations, take an “Everything’s gonna be alright” breath. You know what I mean, that long drawn out sigh.

5. Use Support

The first wave of support should come from a teacher, but you may also benefit from using more props, like the wall, bolsters, and blankets. If you’re afraid of Handstands, stay at the wall without feeling guilty that you’re not in the middle of the room! If you’re afraid of falling on your face in Bakasana, use a block. Ask me about feeding your bird! Universal Law #1:

If you feed it, it will grow!

6.Don’t Stay Long

Don’t stay long in postures that scare you. Staying too long in stressful situations usually increases aversion. Try staying for a breath or two — it will give you confidence to know that you can do the pose. But if you know that you’re only going to do the pose for a couple of breaths, you’ll be much more willing to repeat it.

7.Rinse and Repeat

Repeat the yoga postures that scare you—for brief periods and with proper support—more frequently. The longer you avoid yoga postures that scare you, the bigger the aversion becomes. Instead, repeat the postures with adequate support as frequently as you can. This repeat exposure—and success in the postures—will help you reframe your relationship with yoga to your fear of yoga.

Come Practice Hot Yoga In Albuquerque With Us

We have another amazing opportunity to learn how to change the narrative of our fears and grow from a master teacher. Carson Calhoun is coming back to SWEAT Yoga Studio for a Rocket Yoga class as our special guest for our Friday night Flow to the Beat hot yoga.

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sweatyogastudio-blog · 5 years

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How Yoga Helped Me Complete My First Ultramarathon

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First of all, let’s just say that I’m capable of doing almost anything – except moderation. So setting my sights on an ultramarathon, known in the running world as anything over the “normal” 26.2 miles distance, isn’t a huge surprise. When it comes to going big or going home, I’m all in.

Things usually escalate quickly for me. I started running in January 2018. Sixteen months later, I was in for 50k (about 32 miles). If you know me, you’d say, of course. I’d expect nothing less.

It started when a dear friend described herself as an “ultra runner.” I’d never heard of it, didn’t know what it meant, but I knew immediately I wanted to tick that box, too. Anything ultra had to be awesome. Like extra awesome, right?!

I picked a race and started training. I planned to cross-train with spinning, weight lifting and yoga. I graduated SWEAT yoga school about a year ago and knew it would help me recover. But as the race grew nearer, I was surprised by how much yoga helped, particularly beyond the physiological standpoint.

Here are three unexpected themes that emerged through my yoga practice and eventually helped me complete my first ultramarathon.

1. If you can’t get out of it, get into it.

I didn’t coin this term. I heard it from a friend, who by the way, is a 70-year old man who can physically outwork most 30-year olds I know.

It started with my absolute favorite (NOT) posture: Warrior 1. I’m not a happy camper in Warrior 1. I HATE Warrior 1. And really, who likes this pose? I get that it strengthens the legs and stretches the spine, but really? It’s just NOT fun. But one day something clicked … if I can’t get out of it, find a way to get into it.

I shortened my stance and worried less about squaring my hips forward. I added a backbend to my upper spine. And BAM! I liked it!

Adjusting my mental and physical orientation translated to training for the ultra. If I noticed I wasn’t having fun on a training run, I tried to find a way to get into it – even if it meant I need to slow down or pop in earbuds and listen to a trashy podcast. It’s ok to make adjustments. That’s what yoga – and most of life – is all about.

2. Embrace restraint.

Like I said, I’m good at a lot of things – but editing myself is not one. In the months leading up to the race, I wanted to go, go, go. Long, fast runs seemed like the best way to train. That is, until it wasn’t.

After a small heel injury, a couple of weeks of not running left me pissy. When I was in yoga class, I thought about how unfair it was that I couldn’t run. I worried I’d suck on race day. But I got real with myself (Yama practice of Satya, aka, truthfulness), and knew that taking a break was exactly what I needed to recover. This practice of honesty and eventually restraint, helped me show up on race day with a strong, healthy body.

3. Focus on the now.

We’ve all been there. Detailing the important to-do list for tomorrow – and the 10 days after tomorrow. I love planning. I love thinking about planning. I love planning how I’m going to plan. In the months leading up to my training, however, I tried not to let my intense planning brain map out every detail of my upcoming training runs while I was in yoga class.

When I found my mind wondering to my Sunday run (How long should it be? Where am I going? Will the weather be nice?), I tried to notice the thought and let it sail away. I tuned into my breath – inhale to lengthen, exhale to twist and contract, and I could actually let go of some of my obsessive thoughts (sometimes).

The magic of the rhythmic inhale and exhale that I used in yoga class also helped me through the hardest part of my race. Half way through the run, I veered off track. This was not a small detour. It was more than a mile downhill before realizing I needed to run back up the hill to get on course. That’s more than two very frustrating miles that didn’t go toward the running bank.

Once I was back on track, I was pissed at myself (not helpful) and the people I was with (not their fault) for taking a wrong turn. But something from yoga that was planted in the back of my brain brought me back to my breath. I started intentionally focusing on my breathing. The frustration slipped away. When I wasn’t attached to my anger, something came to me – a small voice that said, “Sarah, you can be pissed, or you can F*ing DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!”

I shook it off, kept running and finished 12th out of 25 ladies who ran that day.

While I didn’t break course records, or even meet my own expectations of finishing within top 10 females, I did kick ass by completing something few humans do in a lifetime.

If you have any questions about whether yoga helps with mental strength, be assured it does. And if you’re looking for the best hot yoga studio in town – and want to watch me ‘love’ Warrior 1 – come visit SWEAT Yoga Studio!

“

-Sarah Hatch

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sweatyogastudio-blog · 5 years

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Hidden Benefits In Practicing Hot Yoga

Hot yoga has been growing in popularity nearly 30% year over over for the last 3 years. Is this popular yoga practice what you’ve been looking for?

The sweat starts to drip on my mat before the lights are even turned on. Staring up at the ceiling, in the clean mirrored hot room at SWEAT Yoga Studio, Our teacher walks through the room, suggesting adjustments in an encouraging way. “Hold the pose, not the breath,” she says brightly, and I do my best while sweat begins to pool on the mat.

The benefits of hot yoga

Those who are well immersed in the hot yoga community believe hot yoga has all kinds of benefits.

“The heat also allows your body to exert itself in a cleansing and detoxifying way” says Marisa Johnson, the owner of SWEAT Yoga Studio

When practicing hot yoga, your muscles are able to stretch more which helps in approaching the postures in a safe way. According to Joe Fox, director of SWEAT Yoga School’s Teacher Training, working in a heated room also increases your heart rate, thus sweating out all the toxins in your body and requiring you to work harder.

“Hot yoga is beneficial for anyone who appreciates intense workouts, developing strength, flexibility and tone along with getting in touch with their breath and focusing on being present”

Hot yoga styles

SWEAT Yoga Studio offers a hybrid of modern and traditional hot yoga styles. We strive to create a dynamic hot yoga experience for our students with multiple ways to sequence postures that seamlessly flow together in the hot yoga studio. Hot yoga classes are set to upbeat and empowering music that will encourage you to move with intention and surpass your edge. Our hot yoga room temperature is to 98.6*F / 70% humidity unless otherwise noted.

How to prepare for hot yoga

The most important thing to enjoying hot yoga is to go into the hot room with zero expectations. Both Marisa and David remind students that yoga is not a competitive activity, everyone should take a class at their own pace and focus only on what they are doing.

“If you feel uncomfortable, take a break. You didn’t roll out your mat today for anyone else but yourself. This is your practice.” says David.

In order to prepare for a hot yoga class, drink as much water as you can before coming to the hot yoga class. Also, avoid large meals at least three hours before the hot yoga class. If you are new, make sure you arrive to the hot yoga studio at least 15 minutes before the hot yoga class begins, and set up your hot yoga mat towards the back of the room so you can observe the experienced students. Listen to the hot yoga instructors who will give verbal cues on how to approach the postures. Don’t worry if you get tired or overwhelmed by the environment. Just sit out for a few postures and know that it will get easier over time.

At a minimum, bring plenty of water and a change of clothes for after a hot yoga class. We provide complementary hot yoga mats and towels for use during class, as well as shower towels and amenities in our locker rooms. Though we take sanitation and hygiene very seriously at SWEAT Yoga Studio (learn more about our facility here), if the idea of sharing mats and towels makes your head explode, you can most definitely bring your own.

Final thoughts

Hot yoga is unique in that it is a well-rounded workout that is healing to the body. In just a 60 or 90 minute hot yoga class, students will receive a cardiovascular experience that also increases both strength and flexibility. The owners of SWEAT believe wholeheartedly that hot yoga can be a student’s only physical activity while still achieving optimal health. However, students need not abandon their favorite athletic endeavors to become a yogi. Hot yoga is also a great complement to every sport. Come talk to us about our experiences with high school, collegiate, and professional athletes who have adopted a hot yoga practice and increased their performance level.

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