Hot, hot, hot, hot yoga

Whitefish studio offers warm welcome to fans of traditional Hindu exercise philosophy

In the hot, darkened studio, six bodies flow from one position to the next, following the gentle urging of the instructor and the cadence of soothing music.

"We release anything and everything that doesn't suit these beings and bodies any more," Amanda Dozol said to her class. "Gently begin to release fears, frustrations, pain - release judgments of ourselves and others."

Just off U.S. 93 North, The Healing Sun beckons the winter weary to stretch their muscles and flex their joints in the saunalike environment of hot yoga. Owners Sally and Mike Donovan opened the new venture in early January.

Sally Donovan, a secondary-school math teacher, said she first got involved in yoga about five or six years ago before the family moved to Whitefish.

"I started to have some joint issues," she said. "I was trying to find better ways of eating and exercising."

A few years later, she discovered hot yoga, defined as any traditional yoga class done in an environment heated to about 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

"I would leave class feeling so much more energized," she said. "I felt like I got so much more from it."

Donovan said the heat protects muscles to allow deeper stretching with less risk of injury. She found she wasn't nearly as sore after classes.

When the couple moved to Whitefish 1 1/2 years ago, she was disappointed that hot yoga wasn't available here, though yoga courses were offered in various fitness centers.

"It's definitely a different atmosphere when you take yoga in that environment," she said. "It's geared to a high-energy workout."

Donovan was quick to add that yoga offers a "tremendous workout," but the environment plays an important role in the basic yoga concept - unity of body, mind and soul. She missed the totality of that experience combined with the hot format.

After many discussions with her husband, Donovan said they decided to open their own studio to fill the gap.

The gentle splash of a fountain mounted on the wall of The Healing Sun reception area punctuated Donovan's words as she curled her trim physique into an over-stuffed couch. Wood touches, earthy colors and art make the studio a restful oasis.

"We built all of this," Donovan said. "It was just an empty steel building."

She said they chose the building next to the Spencer and Co. restaurant for access for people across the valley. Donovan said she didn't want to make it just a Whitefish facility.

Yoga classes don't include religious teachings, Donovan said. It's an ancient science of self-discipline practiced through postures, called asanas, and breathing, known as pranayama.

"It's really about working your own body and your own mind," she said. "You learn to focus and be present in each moment."

New students need not worry about their flexibility, age or physical condition to participate. Donovan said classes are geared to serve any level of proficiency.

"The bulk of our classes are Hatha," she said.

Hatha provides the foundation of traditional yoga. Classes focus on structure and form, spinal alignment, breathwork and overall body awareness.

Beginners are also welcome in the more challenging Vinyasa classes. These workouts emphasize the linking of breath and movement into flowing and creative sequencing for a more cardio-intensive experience.

Other classes include Gentle Flow and Pilates.

Similar to Vinyasa, Gentle Flow links breath, movement and sequencing but at a slower pace. The Pilates classes incorporate those exercises with yoga movements for a high intensity experience that enhances core strength, balance, flexibility and endurance.

"It can definitely be a way to lose weight," Donovan said. "If you do it consistently, it can really reshape your body."

The practice works muscles, organs, glands, nerves, ligaments and tendons for improved strength and flexibility. Advocates say it increases breathing capacity, circulation, metabolism and boasts the immune system.

Dozol, a full-time yoga instructor for the past six years, teaches two-thirds of the classes. Another instructor, Rachael Hallal, teaches the rest.

Donovan has trained as an instructor but now concentrates on administration. She enrolls students and has classes scheduled Monday through Saturday.

"Every day we get two or three new people," she said. "I have a good feeling that the word will spread."

Students span all ages, including some senior citizens, who tried her new-student offer of attending any and all classes for two weeks for $20.

The older women loved it, Donovan said. They came back the next morning for another class.

She said a person doesn't need "to be good" at yoga. It's not supposed to be competitive.

"It's all about looking inside yourself - pushing yourself to your edge," she said.

Students should wear lightweight pants or shorts and workout tank tops or camisoles for comfort in the hot room. They may rent mats and towels or bring their own.

Donovan plan eventually to sell yoga-specific clothing in a small shop within the studio.

Classes take place up a flight of stairs in a loftlike, large studio area with a large mirror. Instructors begin classes with the lights up, then dim them as exercises wind down.

They conclude sessions by placing cool cloths with lightly scented oil across their students' foreheads.

"It just feels really nice," Donovan said.

Consistent with her reason for bringing hot yoga to the Flathead, Donovan takes at least one class herself each day. She said she finishes relaxed yet energized to go through her day.

"It's calming," she said. "You learn to look within and to not just react to life but to experience it."

For more information, visit the Web site www.flatheadhotyoga.com or call The Healing Sun at 752-0799.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.