The Hot House Story
Hot House Yoga
Hot House Yoga is owned by the Yax Family. We opened in 2005 with a mission of providing our community the same results we experienced in our own lives… a complete physical, mental and emotional awakening. We know yoga has the power to completely transform lives … not just increase flexibility. Our mission is to help people “wake up” and empower them to live their best lives. We know from experience that that is only achieved by working with the body, mind and heart.
The Yax Family
Every family has its hardships (and a certain degree of dysfunction… am I right!?) Our family was no different. There are 6 siblings… actually 7 including our beautiful half-sister Arianna. Our Dad was an artist. Our Mom was a full time mom. We grew up super poor. We grew a garden, and made just about everything from scratch… not because it was the cool thing to do, but out of necessity to keep food on the table. Our parents divorced when all the kids were still young. Our Dad leaving left a wake of pain and turmoil in the family. This was honestly one of the biggest struggles of our lives. Our Mom was the rock, the love, that kept us all from killing each other and/or ending up in jail. There are countless stories of craziness that we could tell, but the real story is how these experiences growing up sparked an obsessive desire to learn how to be free of the mental and emotional pain from our past and how to live at peace and in abundance. While we can’t control all the events of life, we do get to choose the meaning of them and what we wish to do with them. Our search for the solution led us to yoga and shaped our unique approach to the practice.
Working with the body, mind and heart
may sound like hippity-dippity, new-agey mumbo jumbo, but everything we teach is grounded in science. From our Therapeutic Vision… our method of sequencing based on the anatomy of the body, to our understanding of leading edge neuroscience… training the mind to re-wire the brain, to the truth that what we’re all looking for is love… the emotional state that truly governs the quality of our lives, what and how we teach has the power to transform every aspect of life. And yes, you’ll get more flexible too.
Why Yoga?
Through our search we discovered a huge secret. The original practice of yoga (what they were doing 6000 yrs ago) was MEDITATION. It all started as a psychological practice, an exploration of the workings of the mind in relation to why we suffer. Over time, it became very body focused. In fact, most people think of the physical postures (Down Dog and such) when they think of yoga. Unfortunately, it begins and ends with the body for most studios. But real transformation happens when you practice both. Our approach incorporates the best practices of movement and meditation. We train the body to be strong and flexible, and train the mind to be still and stress free. The overall effect is a profound shift in how we feel and how we live our lives.
The Difference
When you come in, you may notice our spa-like amenities and attention to detail… how we provide everything you need for your practice, but that isn’t why everyone says we’re the best place to practice Hot Yoga. Over the 20+ years of teaching, we’ve helped tens of thousands of people transform their lives through our unique approach to yoga. The real difference is in the results our students experience. It’s not so much what we do, but HOW we do it. The cornerstone of our success in helping others is CONSISTENCY! Every teacher in every class leads you through a challenging, invigorating, body-sculpting experience, walks you through a guided meditation to focus and still the mind, and leaves you with an inspirational message to help you see yourself, and your life, from a higher perspective.
Why the
Room Is Heated
Don’t fear the heat! The heat is the secret ingredient. What it does for the body is AMAZING. It’s kinda like the difference in trying to bend cold taffy versus warm taffy. Heat protects the muscles as they move through their full range of motion. When practicing in the heat, endorphins are released helping to reverse the negative effects of stress. In fact, studies have shown that yoga normalizes cortisol levels, which has been discovered as the stress hormone. Heat increases the heart rate, strengthening the cardiovascular system. Higher temperatures soften collagen around the joints for more freedom of movement (think warm taffy) and improve the function of the nervous system. The process of sweating exfoliates and rejuvenates the skin, the largest organ of your body.
Healthy Heat
First, the experience is not like a sauna or steam bath. We want you to sweat profusely AND be able to breathe easy. Second, not all heating systems are created equal. Unfortunately, most “Hot” yoga studios use a regular commercial heating system that isn’t specifically designed for Hot Yoga, which results in poor air quality. Our heating system is state of the art. We’ve invested over $40,000 in it to provide the most phenomenal Hot Yoga experience available in the entire country. We have the healthiest and most carefully monitored environmental air quality available. It purifies the air with ultraviolet light to eliminate bacteria, viruses, odors and all air-borne pathogens. There is also specifically engineered environmental control systems in place designed to infuse and remove precise amounts of heat, humidity and oxygen. When CO2 levels rise too high, the system automatically pulls in fresh, oxygenated outside air to regulate. You will sweat like crazy and be able to breathe clean, fresh air.
The Studios
The studios have been designed with convenience and comfort. The facilities offer key fob check in, private showers, towel service, storage, and changing areas. Sky ceilings help to set the mood and escape from the stresses of everyday life. Cork floors ensure a clean practice environment. We are a Certified Green Studio, and we donate to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation every month with our 1 for 1 Program. We plant 1 oyster for every class taken during each month. We promise that you’ll love our “house.” But what’s even more important is what makes it feel like home. Growing up, our Mom always had an open door policy. Even though she struggled to make ends meet, any friend, family member (or stranger for that matter) who needed a meal, a drink, or a place to rest their head was always welcomed. She literally treated everyone like family. This is where we learned how we want to show up for people who come through our doors… with kindness, respect and love.
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Our Classes
Hot Stability
Our Hot Stability class includes a consistent and therapeutic sequence of postures. It is considered a stationary sequence, which means you come back to a stationary standing posture, Mountain Pose, between other postures. The alignment principles that organize Mountain Pose are the alignment principles that structure every other pose. These principles, collectively termed Vertical Stabilization, is how we should be aligned all day everyday. This slower-paced, detailed-alignment style of class is ideal for beginners, and is continuously challenging as you progress. The sequence of postures in our Stability classes doesn’t change from class to class or teacher to teacher. This specifically helps you build a solid foundation; allowing you to program into your mind and body the principles of Vertical Stabilization and breath control. It also allows you to easily measure your progression from class to class.
Hot Flow
Our Hot Flow class, traditionally called Vinyasa, is one of continuous movement where you seamlessly transition from posture to posture, synchronizing the breath with every movement. This class, like our Stability class, also follows therapeutic sequencing, however the sequence will subtly change from class to class, depending on the teacher. The class is heated and builds in succession, one posture preparing the body for the next. The Sun Salutation, a series of poses that create the foundation of the class, defines the flow. The continuous movement and faster pace of the class makes this style more challenging as a beginner, but quickly accessible with a consistent practice.
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1952 Laskin Rd Suite 507
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
757-428-0099
Norfolk Studio
738 West 22nd St
Norfolk VA 23517
757-626-0099