The season’s been a few heat waves short of a summer, so if you’re seeking a shot of humidity, try hot – bikram – yoga. Bikram studios, heated to 30-something degrees for optimum flexibility and maximum sweat, are swimming with coeds, but men are now flocking to them in huge numbers as well. Just haul a yoga mat, a towel and some water (or rent from the studio), throw on an absolute bare minimum of clothing, and get into some poses – asanas – at one of these hot yoga hotspots.
At Bikram Yoga Montreal, try the Beginning Yoga Class, where you’ll do 26 asanas in a setting that simulates the heat of India – minus the dust, plus some incense, which masks the miasma of fellow yogis. Drop-ins, $20. 721 Walker Ave. (re-opens on Sept. 5), 514-989-7642; 435 Laurier St. E., 514-303-6013; 18 Place Triad #203, 514-428-9595.
Happy Tree Yoga is an energy-efficient facility that welcomes students with free homemade tea in a relaxing lounge. The studios themselves feature bamboo floors, and instructors teach 10 styles of yoga. Drop-ins, $18. 4010 St. Catherine St. W., #200, 514-846-YOGA.
Sweat it out at Moksha Yoga Montreal or NDG, where eco-conscious studios mean radiant heating, cork floors and non-toxic paint. Karma and community classes $5; Drop-ins, $17. 3863 St. Laurent Blvd. 514-288-3863; 4260 Girouard Ave. 3rd floor, 514-544-YOGA.
At Studio Breathe, the karma class is newbie-friendly, and the hot studio is a bit milder and drier than most. First time free (with online sign-up); Karma classes, pay-what-you-can; Drop-ins, $20. 1313 Shearer St., 514-933-3666.
Image courtesy of J.Star on Flickr.
