???Taking on difficult positions with a meditative mood is hard enough in a normal "stretch it out" yoga class, but turn up the heat to about 100 degrees, drop some clothing and things can get even more complicated.
???The yoga trend has bumped Buddha up to a PG-13 rating by creating "hot" yoga. The room's temperature matches the bodies and the session becomes less relaxing and more invigorating.
???Bikram Choudhury, "hot" yoga innovator and yoga champion, created a series of 26 poses with two pranayamas, breathing exercises, to create a sweat-filled experience.
???Choudhury put a copyright on his temperature, series of poses and name for "hot" yoga standards. To be able to use Choudhury's principles, instructors have to be a direct graduate from his yoga school.
???Bikram Yoga Buffalo, located at 912 Elmwood Ave., holds the infamous "hot" yoga classes every day and multiple times a week.
???The prices range from a one-timer cost of $10 for students to a month of unlimited hot and heavy lessons for $100, according to www.bikramyogabuffalo.com.
???Having experience in yoga and extreme flexibility is not a prerequisite. The 90-minute classes are meant to warm the muscles to achieve a more flexible state, and calm the mind.
???Since the class is held in such a high temperature, instructors advise participants not to eat for at least two hours before class time because the ability to hold food is weakened in the increased heat, according to the Web site.
???The amount of perspiration leaving the body due to heat and movement makes it necessary for participants to consume water continually throughout the workout.
???Although mats and towels are available to students at the studio, instructors recommend all "germaphobes" to bring their own mats because it will turn into a puddle.
???"Hot" yoga requires students to cut down on the amount of clothing they wear. Outfits comprised of barely-there shorts and bra tops for women are commonly used, but of course, participants are free to adorn themselves with as much or as little clothing as they like.
???Many classes in larger cities, such as New York City, have increased the PG-13-rating to an R, removing the need for clothing from the yoga session.
???The heat stays up and the clothes hit the ankles for a steamier rendition of the Choudhury influenced classes. The same necessities apply for "hot" yoga except the clothes. Some classes are held in saunas, heated rooms or even rooftops during the summer.
???As one can imagine, the classes mainly consist of middle-aged men, but the instructors keep things clean and professional while urging the pupils to focus on their own minds and bodies.
???The benefits of "hot" yoga outweigh the initial fear. Toxins openly run from the body, the muscles bend in a whole new way and metabolism increases to burn fat more quickly.
???Students are said to lose centimeters from the body in a short amount of time. Due to the large amount of water leaving the body, students' weight will decrease after one session and this is a major plus, even if it is only water weight.
???According to the Web site, along with weight management and flexibility, heating up yoga offers other benefits as well. The heat makes the body a more proficient disease fighter by raising T-cell function as well as improving the immune system.
???Other bodily functions also profit from the voyeuristic class. The nervous system's ability to properly carry messages to and from the brain even increases.
???Clothed or nude, "hot" yoga offers an exercise experience for all positions.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
