Ever wondered the difference between Yoga and Hot Yoga? Hot Yoga Nottingham co-owner, Devina Parekh speaks to Paula Kioko, uncovering the benefits of bringing a bit of heat into your workout and the importance of making it your lifestyle.
Yoga enthusiasts Devina and Anand Paerkh, co-founders of Hot Yoga Nottingham decided to add a bit of heat to Nottingham’s yoga scene. Two years after opening the studio, the couple had no choice but to move their business online due to Covid-19, giving their clients the chance to maintain their yoga lifestyle throughout lockdown.
With the impact of lockdown, Devina was put on a furlough scheme and had to close the doors to her yoga studio. Despite this, she remained positive and wanted to continue teaching online classes, allowing her to continue speaking to her clients.
Hot Yoga is said to have multiple benefits such as improving balance, lower body strength and flexibility of the muscles for both the upper and lower body.
Devina explains that “the difference is the heat. With hot yoga, we simply turn up the heat in the room and we have infrared heated panels, bringing rays into the body allowing you to sweat out toxins during yoga. Some people would say it’s more known in the western world but how we’ve gone about it is: imagine doing yoga when you’ve gone into a hot country like India where yoga derives from.”
The studio provided clients with the experience of practising hot yoga as more than just a form of fitness, by paying for the heat, alongside the support from the teachers. Devina says that “yoga is a lifestyle and we try to get people to be more inclined with that lifestyle through the studio, its nicer because you get that personal touch.”
By moving to online workshops the only element missing is heat. This doesn’t dishearten Devina, as she suggests simply increasing the heat in your home or putting on a blanket.
With multiple people finding it difficult to find peace or balance through these unsure times Devina encourages introducing yoga as a balance, with a simple routine of waking up, introducing your new lifestyle, and meditating.
“Just throw yourself in. Don’t think about how you look or feel, don’t overthink it, just go in and have a go at it and if you have an expectation lose that expectation and go in and you’ll find your own way.
Yoga is about finding your true self and finding your path
Devina Paerkh – Hot Yoga Nottingham
Devina first introduced yoga into her life after going to gym classes with her friends, following the trend putting on a pair of leggings, a crop top and tying her hair up ready to practice popular positions like the downward dog. It was only after reading about it and seeing the benefits it has on your mental health, meditation and breathing she became more involved.
“You learn a lot about how to stay calm when you feel anxious in situations where you need to think and focus so I’d say to beginners to just throw yourself in it and have fun at the same time.
“From a very young age, I have been quite spiritual in setting up other practices. I used to play the harmonium and do devotional singing and mantras to bring positive energy to the body and the mind and I think it all linked with yoga.
“I thought if it worked for me and my anxiety, my stresses and my worries. With the practices of yoga, I thought that I could help others who are going through much worse than I am and that’s what sort of motivated me.
“It still motivates me to carry on through this pandemic, our studio is closed but we are doing online classes, we are talking daily with all our clients making sure they’re okay and not just within their yoga practices but in life in general.”
The studio continued to work behind the scenes working to support the Nottingham community by working alongside Framework, Nottingham City Council and participating in Notts stopping online festival to bring wellness to the public throughout lockdown.
“By working with the community we to build a bigger movement and people that do yoga are not just only there for the fitness. There are some who are more fitness-oriented but also their seekers, and finders and leaders so we push to find more people like that as well.”
The couple hopes to open the studio to the public when it is safe to do so, being more mindful in the type of classes they offer so that everyone, of every ability, can access the benefits of a yoga class.
To get involved in Hot Yoga’s online classes follow Hot Yoga Nottingham on Instagram or their website, Hot Yoga Nottingham.
By Paula Kioko
