Detox Your Body, Mind, and Soul

Since we have established Hot Yoga is wonderful for your body, mind and soul, let look at some of the places, both good and bad, right here in Seattle!
Trying out various studios around your area is fairly cheap if you take advantage of their first time student packages. Many of these packages consist of a week unlimited or 10 classes for $20-$30! This is a steal considering average prices for packages of equal value.
Over the past month or two I have purchased these first time packages and tried out almost all the studios in my area. Lets take a look.
From the Laurelhurst district to the top of Queen Anne there are several great studios to try out!

I Love Hot Yoga is right across the street from the large grass/sports area on East Greenlake Way. It is a nice, newly built studio with a great beginner package of 10 sessions good for a full month for $30.
Like all studios, there are obvious positives and negatives. The studio is smaller than most and therefore fills up quickly especially in the evening during 6:30pm classe. Several downfalls go hand in hand with a popular, yet small studio like this one. In order to insure yourself a spot it is necessary to arrive at least 20min before class and you can count on the room being full and slightly cramped. In addition, for those of you who strive for a challenge and truly want to detox all of those icky toxins out of your body, this may not be the studio for you. I Love Hot Yoga is more focused on the mind meditation rather than a good workout and is also much cooler than many hot yoga studios. The room temperature is lower than many studios and the teachers vary drastically in style.
However, there are reasons why it fills up every night. This studio is one of the only ones in the area with plastic floors instead of carpet, and they sanitize the floor between each session keeping the room nice and fresh! Because the room is kept a lower temperature and most of the instructors are not drill sargents, it is a great place for beginners to become accustomed to the practice of hot yoga.

Hot Yoga of Laurelhurst is located on off of 45th several blocks east of UVillage. This studio is a great all around studio with a nice balance of Bikram-like and Power Vinyasa class options with the room heated up to a high temperature perfect for total detoxification. The instructors are consistent in their practices and provide lots of one on one help and suggestions throughout the class, enabling the students to become more and more advanced with each class. Laurelhurst has a similar new student package as I Love Hot Yoga, but slightly cheaper! They offer 10 classes that are good for 30 days for only $20.
This studio is carpeted, and can tend to get more humid than some studios, which helps you sweat out even more toxins if that is what you are after. Despite the carpeted flooring, it is kept very clean and rarely gets smelly. The studio can be tricky to find the first time, so give yourself a little extra time to get there for your first class.

Bikram Yoga of Seattle is located in Fremont directly off of 35th across from the water. This studio is Bikram certified and therefore only teaches this traditional sequences of 26 postures. The only variety offered is the various teaches personal styles that they bring to class. However, this sequence is known for its deep detoxification qualities and for working every organ, bone, joint and muscle from your skin to your bones. The room is kept at a hot level and the overhead fans are only turned on upon occasion for a small refresher during class, so the studio is one of the hotter ones in the area. This is great for those who wish to become more advanced in their practice and push their bodies to new heights fast. All the instructors are very helpful and give personal critiques during class. The room is carpeted and tends to get a bit smelly because they keep it so hot. I would not suggest this studio to someone just getting their feet wet in the world of hot yoga, but rather to someone with a few sessions, even months under their belt and are striving for a true challenge.

Haute Yoga on Queen Anne is located directly on Queen Anne Ave next to Starbucks where the old Jamba Juice used to be. For first time students they offer 2 weeks of unlimited classes for $25. I will be honest I have not had a chance to visit this studio yet, but plan to soon and I will update you on its positives and negitives as soon as I get in there. However, the word on the street says it is a very nice top of the line studio, but is rather small (similar to I Love Hot Yoga). They do offer both Power Vinyasa as well as Bikram-like classes. Hopefully I will get more information for you soon!