There is something about September. The mornings are getting lighter. The days are stretching out. There's a little more warmth in the air and suddenly it doesn't feel quite so hard to get out of bed in the morning — or leave the house again at night.

Spring has always felt like a season of new beginnings. We open the windows. Spend a little more time outside. Things that have been dormant through winter start growing again. And perhaps we feel a little more ready to move too.

There's a natural energy to spring that makes it feel like a good time to start something. Or restart something. Or simply try something different.

Which got me thinking about beginnings. Because in yoga, beginning isn't something we do just once.

The 26+2 hot yoga sequence is, quite literally, a beginner's yoga practice.

The same 26 beginner postures and two breathing exercises are practised in the same order, every class. And while the practice stays the same, we don't.

We bring a different body to the mat each day. One day strong and energised, another tired and stiff. Something that felt easy last week can feel surprisingly difficult today - forcing us to begin again. Perhaps we've sustained an injury and can no longer do what we could before - another opportunity to begin again.

The same goes for the mind. However long we've been practising, we're encouraged to bring a beginner's mindset to class. To listen. To notice. To stay curious rather than assuming we already know what today's class will bring.

And perhaps that's why the idea of beginning again feels so at home in this practice.

There's a well-known Bikram sentiment about never being too old, too sick, too injured or too late to start from scratch again.

Maybe you've never practised yoga before. Maybe you're returning to something you haven't done for a while. Or maybe you've done these same postures hundreds of times.

In some ways, our Winter Challenge gave our studio community an opportunity to put this idea into practice.

For some, it meant beginning to practise a little more often. For others, challenging themselves, making more time for themselves or simply seeing what might happen if they kept showing up.

Day by day. Class by class.

At the end of the six weeks, we asked everyone to stop and notice what had changed. And the results gave us a lovely glimpse of what can happen when we begin.

87.5% said their physical wellbeing had improved. Almost 70% felt improvements in their mental wellbeing. More than 60% said they'd become better at making time for themselves, while others noticed greater confidence and consistency in their practice.

The individual reflections perhaps said even more.

People talked about improved strength and flexibility. Less stiffness. Feeling calmer and more grounded. Sleeping better. Becoming more comfortable in class. And beginning to understand instructions and postures that hadn't made sense before.
​
One newer student reflected:

I love that.

Because beginning doesn't mean everything suddenly changes. Most of the time, it doesn't. We begin. We return. We learn a little. We wobble. We try again. And gradually, something shifts.
Although apparently there is one thing that can speed the whole process along. Stickers!
​
When we asked what helped people stay committed to the Challenge, among the answers were:

So perhaps the ancient yogis missed something. Sometimes all we really need is a hot room and a sparkly sticker.

Spring gives us a pretty good excuse to begin.

Maybe that means stepping onto a yoga mat for the first time. Maybe it's trying Hot Pilates and discovering muscles you didn't know you had. Maybe it's slowing things right down with a Yin class. Or perhaps it's simply coming into the same 26+2 class you've done a hundred times and seeing what today brings.

Beginning doesn't always have to mean doing something big or completely new.

Sometimes it's simply being willing to try. You don't need to wait until you're fitter. Or more flexible. Or have the time. Or until you feel completely ready.
​
You just start with the body, mind and life you have today.

No big reinvention. No grand plan. Just begin. And tomorrow, begin again.
​
P.S. If you've ever wondered why, after hundreds of classes, we still call 26+2 a beginner's yoga practice, we'll come back to that one next month.

This month's reflection is written by fellow 26+2 hot yoga teacher Susan Knox. As I read her thoughts on discipline, I realised how much my own understanding of the word has evolved over the years. I hope it gives you something to reflect on too.

When you hear the word discipline, thoughts like strict rules, consequences or being told what to do often come to mind. If you've practised 26+2 for a while, you'll probably remember when discipline looked very different.

It was measured by whether you stayed standing.
Whether you drank water.
Whether you wiped your face.
Whether you left the room.

Those "old school" Bikram rules weren't there by accident. They taught resilience, focus and the ability to become comfortable with discomfort.

And, if I'm honest, that discipline was one of the things that first drew me to the practice.
In a world where it was too easy to talk yourself out of things, the structure gave me something to lean into. It asked more of me than I would have asked of myself.
​
But over the years, I've realised something.

Today, discipline isn't something that's imposed on us by the teacher. It's something we gradually develop for ourselves. Instead of simply following the rules, we begin asking better questions.

Do I need to drink water, or am I simply uncomfortable?
Do I need to rest, or is this a moment to stay present and breathe?
Can I trust the practice, even when progress feels slow?
That's a very different kind of discipline.
​And perhaps, a much deeper one.

Susan's reflection beautifully explores this evolution while reminding us that discipline remains at the very heart of the 26+2 practice.
​
As you read, I'd encourage you to think about what discipline means to you today. Has your understanding of it changed over time?

Discipline has always been at the heart of Original Hot Yoga (26+2), but its meaning has evolved over time.

Long-time students will remember the "old school" Bikram days, when discipline was often expressed through strict rules like "no water until party time," "no lying down during the standing series," "no wiping sweat," and absolutely "no leaving the room."

These boundaries served a purpose. Students learned self-discipline and developed the ability to become comfortable with discomfort—skills that can be just as valuable outside the studio. But over time, discipline was sometimes misunderstood and took on a rigid, negative tone.
​
Discipline remains an essential part of the practice, but its expression has evolved. Today, it still embraces structure while encouraging students to take ownership of their own journey.

Today, discipline is less about following instructions for the sake of it and more about making conscious choices that help us stay engaged with the practice.

Move together and share the collective energy of the room.
Lock the knee and engage the thigh muscles to support circulation.
Find a steady gaze to help the body balance.
Prioritise alignment over depth for safety and effectiveness.
Reduce yourself to nothing but breathing during each savasana.
Let go of judgement—it's yoga practice, not yoga perfect.

One of the reasons our understanding of discipline has evolved is that we've also learnt more about how different people experience structure.
There's a common stereotype that 26+2 only suits highly structured and systematic people. In reality, creative thinkers and neurodivergent people often thrive in this practice.

The consistency of the sequence offers something many people find surprisingly calming. Rather than having to think about what's coming next, the mind can settle into the rhythm of the practice, creating space for focused attention instead of overstimulation.

Our role as teachers is no longer to create discipline for our students, but to create the conditions where they can develop it for themselves.

The dialogue provides clear instructions that promote safety, awareness and engagement, helping you discover your "bliss body"—no drama, no fuss.
​
Sometimes our voices are soft and encouraging. Sometimes they're a little more directive. Both have the same purpose: to help you stay present, keep moving and discover that you're capable of more than you might have believed when you first walked through the door.
Next time you step into the hot room, get curious about what discipline means for you.

Reading Susan's reflection made me realise just how much my own relationship with discipline has evolved.

When I first started practising, I needed discipline to come from outside of me. The structure of the practice gave me something to lean on. It helped me build habits I didn't yet have and challenged me in ways I probably wouldn't have chosen for myself.
​
Over time, though, something shifted.

Today, discipline isn't about proving anything. It's about trusting the practice enough to know that not every class will feel the same. It's about showing up, especially on the days you don't feel like it. 

It's about honestly asking yourself what your practice needs today.
Sometimes that's staying in the posture.
Sometimes it's taking a rest.
Sometimes it's having a drink of water. 
The discipline comes from responding with awareness rather than habit.

I've watched hundreds of students walk through our doors convinced they weren't flexible enough, fit enough or young enough to practise hot yoga. Many rested often. Many questioned whether they were cut out for it. But they kept coming back.

And little by little, things began to change. Not just in their bodies, but in the way they carried themselves through everyday life.
​
Perhaps that's the greatest evolution of discipline. It no longer comes from someone standing at the front of the room. It comes from within. Not punishment. Not perfection.

Most people come to yoga expecting the challenge to be physical.

​They expect the heat, the postures, tight muscles, stiff joints or a lack of flexibility to be the hardest part. While these things can certainly be challenging, in my experience the hardest part of the practice is something much simpler:

Listening.

Not listening in the sense of hearing words. But listening with enough attention to stay connected to what you are doing as you are doing it.
​
Listening may sound simple, but it is through listening that we develop concentration, and through concentration that we begin to understand ourselves.

In the hot room, we use what is known as the dialogue. The dialogue is a series of specific instructions designed to guide students safely into and out of the postures. It tells us what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and often what effect we are trying to create in the body.

At first glance, it can seem as though the dialogue exists simply to explain the postures. Over time, however, many students discover that its role is much deeper than that.
​
The dialogue gives the mind something to focus on. More importantly, it gives the mind somewhere to return to.

If you've spent any time in the hot room, you'll know how quickly the mind can wander.

The class begins and within moments the mind is off somewhere else. It starts analysing, comparing, judging and reacting. It reacts to what it sees in the mirror. It reacts to the heat. It reacts to the discomfort. It reacts to the person beside you. It reacts to the posture itself.

Before long, you've missed half the instructions because your attention has drifted elsewhere.
This is not a problem. It is simply the nature of the mind.

The mind is constantly moving, evaluating and commenting on our experience. In yoga philosophy, the mind is sometimes compared to a monkey swinging from branch to branch, unable to sit still for very long. Anyone who has tried to do a one-legged balancing posture while their thoughts race in ten different directions knows exactly what this feels like, and why falling out of the posture is not so uncommon.
​
The challenge is not that the mind wanders. ​The challenge is noticing when it does.

One of the greatest gifts of the dialogue is that it gives us an anchor.

When we realise our attention has drifted, we can gently bring it back to the teacher's words. Back to the breath. Back to the action we are trying to create in the body.

In that moment, something interesting happens. The mind reconnects with the body.
​
The attention returns to the muscles being used, the posture being created and the experience unfolding in the present moment. Instead of being lost in thought, we are once again participating in what is happening right now.

Every time we do this, we strengthen our ability to concentrate.

Not perfectly.
Not all at once.
Just one moment at a time.

As concentration improves, something else begins to happen.  We start to learn about ourselves.

We notice how we react when a posture becomes uncomfortable. We notice impatience when things don't go the way we want. We notice self-judgement when we compare ourselves to others. We notice frustration, pride, determination, confidence and fear.

The postures become a mirror.  Not simply reflecting the body, but reflecting the mind.

This is one of the reasons the practice can be so transformative. It is not only an opportunity to stretch muscles or improve physical health. It is an opportunity to observe the habits, reactions and patterns that shape our everyday lives.
​
When we pay attention, we begin to see ourselves more clearly. We begin to realise it's not just the physical mirrors that provide a reflection.

Over time, many students begin to notice that they can catch the wandering mind sooner.
Instead of being completely carried away by every thought, emotion or reaction, they become aware that it is happening. A small space begins to appear between the experience and the reaction.

This awareness is where choice begins. When we become aware of our reactions, we are no longer completely controlled by them.

Rather than automatically reacting, we can choose where to place our attention. We can choose whether to go down the rabbit hole, engage with a feeling or simply return our focus to what is in front of us.

This is not something that happens overnight. It is developed through practice, repetition and patience.
​
Some people find concentration easier than others.
As always, work with what you have.
Every day will be different.
Listen as best you can.
When the mind wanders, bring it back.
Then do it again.
And again.

The ability to pay attention is not something that stays inside the yoga room.
The same skills we practise on the mat often begin to show up in the rest of our lives.
We become better listeners. We become less reactive. We find ourselves responding more thoughtfully in difficult situations. We become more aware of our habits and patterns, and less controlled by them.

Perhaps most importantly, we develop a greater sense of self-awareness and self-trust.
Confidence grows because we begin to see that we are not at the mercy of every thought that enters the mind.
​
We have a choice.
And that choice begins with attention.

Every time you notice your mind has wandered and gently bring it back to the dialogue, you are practising something far more valuable than flexibility.
​
You are practising attention.
Through attention comes concentration.
Through concentration comes self-awareness.
And through self-awareness comes a deeper understanding of yourself.

A practice of returning, again and again, to what is happening right now.
​
And perhaps that is one of the greatest gifts of yoga: learning not only how to listen to the teacher, but how to listen to yourself.

The 90-minute sequence is the original format designed in the 1970s: 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, done twice, with built-in rest periods (savasanas).

Why 90 minutes matters:

• Full physiological cycle: warm-up, progressive challenge, and recovery.
• Each posture is repeated twice, first to warm the body, and second to deepen into alignment.
• Rest periods allow the heart rate to settle between demanding postures.
• Enough time to reach a meditative state and mental focus.
• All the published research evidence on 26+2 hot yoga (aka Bikram Yoga) is based on this 90-minute format, showing benefits for flexibility, balance, glucose metabolism, and mood.

In other words, the 90-minute class is the gold standard and the deepest dive into the sequence.

The 60-minute option was developed more recently to fit modern schedules. It includes the same 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, but with shorter holds, fewer repetitions, and reduced recovery time.

The New Zealand Ministry of Health recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week - that’s 30 minutes, five times a week. A couple of hot yoga classes, whether 60 or 90 minutes, contribute significantly to that target. Pair it with other movements like walking, cycling, or resistance training, and you’re well above the guideline threshold.

Both class lengths have a place. Think of 60 minutes as your “daily driver”, efficient and effective. The 90 minutes is the “deep dive”, more intensive, restorative, and traditional. Together, they create a sustainable, flexible practice that supports your body, mind, and lifestyle.

his background in medicine, anatomy, physiotherapy, psychology, mindfulness and life coaching. 
​He believes yoga is the meeting point between strength and stillness, effort and release, and enjoys helping students find balance on and off the mat. When not working, Cameron runs a small hobby indoor plant business and enjoys recreational fitness, hiking, and time in nature.

Most people come to yoga with a reason. Maybe it’s a sore back. Maybe it’s the desire to feel more flexible, or simply to find a little peace and calm. Whatever your reason, the hardest part is already done—you’ve walked through the door.

Then class begins. Within the first few postures, reality sets in. Your body feels stiff. Your breath shortens. The heat starts to feel unbearable. Fatigue creeps in. Balancing is harder than expected, and that little inner critic starts to chatter: I can’t do this. This isn’t for me.

Your brain has memorised how you move through daily life—walking, working, eating, playing. It’s built efficient muscle memory and neural pathways to keep you safe and familiar. But in your first yoga class, none of this feels familiar. Your brain doesn’t know what’s coming, how long it will last, or whether you can do it. The result? It flips into fight-or-flight mode.
​
This is the moment when many people decide yoga “isn’t for them, or it’s too hard.” They leave discouraged and return to the same back pain, the same stiffness, the same stress. 

But yoga doesn’t work that way, unfortunately it is not a magic pill.  Remember the castle you inherited and the door that wouldn’t open—the one rusted shut from centuries of disuse. (And in case it wasn’t obvious this is a metaphor for your body (: ). It didn’t open with a single push. It opened slowly, with daily oiling, patience, and persistence. Yoga works the same way.

Your body is your castle. Each class you attend is like oil on the hinges, softening resistance and building familiarity. With practice, your brain learns that the poses are safe. New muscle memory forms, new neural pathways develop, over time, what once felt impossible begins to flow. 

Many people avoid yoga when they’re injured, but that’s actually the perfect time to return—with a renewed sense of purpose. Injury puts the mind into fight-or-flight mode, leaving it unsure how to respond.

Coming back to yoga—especially 26+2 hot yoga, known for speeding recovery and preventing injuries—can be incredibly healing. By practicing a modified version of the postures, you tap into your brain’s readiness to build new neural pathways and muscle memories, helping your body recover and grow stronger.

Yoga is a cumulative process. Like saving money, the returns only appear when you make regular deposits. The more consistently you practice, the stronger and more resilient your body and mind become. And remember, consistency doesn’t have to mean 2-3 times a week, sure that would be nice, but for some it might just mean one class a week and that's ok too. 

If you’ve taken that first step and walked through the door, don’t stop now. With patience, consistency, and a little faith in the process, yoga will start opening doors you didn’t even know existed. Show up for your body, invest in your health, and watch the effort you put in grow over time—returning to you as strength, flexibility, and a deeper sense of well-being.

For far too long, the Body Mass Index (BMI) has been treated as the gold standard for measuring health. But what if true wellbeing—especially for people in all types of bodies—can’t be captured by a number? Read on, as Susan explores what BMI is, how it came about and its limitations in the current environment. ​

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that uses height and weight to estimate body fat. It's a simple calculation, but it's a widely used tool for assessing weight status and potential health risks. Developed two centuries ago by a mathematician it was never designed to assess individual health. Yet, it’s still a standardised tool that shapes health policies and personal health advice. 
​
There’s a growing movement, both within and beyond the yoga world, challenging the dominance of BMI in health narratives. This movement is about creating space for diverse bodies, normalising and celebrating all kinds of bodies and experiences.

​Yoga is an antidote to the narrow focus of BMI. Yoga doesn’t define health by a number on a scale or conformity to a mainstream definition of health. Yoga is about cultivating awareness, connecting with our bodies, and embracing our bodies as they are—diverse, dynamic, and constantly changing. A sustainable approach to health begins with valuing diversity—not just as an idea, but as a practice. Yoga empowers us to define wellbeing on our own terms.

In the yoga room, diverse bodies are celebrated! We believe in an aspirational, inclusive approach to health—one defined not by systems or numbers, but by you. Whether its hot yoga, yin yoga, flow, whatever your preferred yoga style, Yoga is for everybody—and every body.

When it comes to yoga, we don’t need a star cluster to remind us that we can begin again. Every time you step into the hot room, you’re creating space to reconnect with yourself. The heat becomes a kind of fire. It softens, burns away the excess, and clears the path. It’s not just movement. It’s medicine.

Yoga is a practice that brings us into greater awareness of our bodies. Yoga is not just about stretching — it’s a powerful practice for connecting with ourselves in a holistic, mindful way. Through each posture, yoga invites us to see our bodies not as isolated parts that need fixing, but as whole, dynamic systems.

By integrating breath, movement and stillness, yoga helps us to regain control and agency over our bodies. Iris Marion Young* (1990) explored the experience of the female body, noting that we often view our bodies as fragile and ‘in-the-way’, rather than as tools to help us achieve our goals. Instead of focusing on what we want to accomplish, we often find ourselves preoccupied with whether our bodies are functioning as they should. Rather than fixating on what our bodies can do for us, as Young suggested, yoga invites us to shift our focus to what we wish to do through them — to move through the world with purpose, presence, and intention.

As we deepen our awareness and attune to our bodies, we move towards deeper experiences of wellbeing, where we no longer just manage our bodies but nurture them, strengthening the mind-body connection. Through regular yoga practice, we can become more attuned to our bodies and, in turn, more confident in what our bodies can achieve. 

Yoga’s holistic approach offers a strong counterbalance to the illness-focused, biomedical model of health. Yoga helps us see health as something constantly changing, shaped by what we do and how we experience our bodies each day. Grounded in the principles of salutogenesis (the study of the origins of health), yoga offers a refreshing alternative to the narrow idea of health as just the absence of illness.

When I started practicing 26+2 hot yoga, well over 16 years ago, this yoga practice was always referred to as a therapeutic yoga practice.  Over the years I feel as if studios no longer emphasise this, as more and more studio mix up their class offerings with different yoga styles and class lengths. Whatever the reason, it’s important to remember that the therapeutic foundation of the 90-minute 26+2 hot yoga (aka) Bikram Yoga class, lies in its intelligent design:
A set sequence of 26 postures & 2 breathing exercises; 90-minute classes with 2 sets of each posture; same sequence every class; a dialogue led practice; heat & humidity; and of course the mirrors.  

​Following are some of the key therapeutic principles of this intelligent yoga design:

Each posture is strategically placed in the sequence to warm up, stretch, compress, and detoxify specific parts of the body, as well as stimulate organs, glands, and circulation in a precise rhythm. It also provides neurological benefits, as the repetition of the same order reinforces neuromuscular patterns and strengthens the mind-body connection. In other words, each pose prepares the body for the next allowing the body (and mind) to open up gradually and effectively.

 In the 90 minute class, we practice each posture twice. This allows the body to warm up and acclimatise in the first round, and then go deeper with better alignment and awareness in the second. This dual-pass approach enhances muscle memory, supports progressive improvement, and gives the nervous system time to adjust, making the practice safer and more effective.

The fact that we do the same sequence in every class is intentional and central to the practices therapeutic value. Not only does it build mastery over time, it allows students to measure progress from class to class, develop discipline and routine, and provides mental clarity, allowing students to focus on breathing and presence rather than anticipating what’s next.

The dialogue is not just about instruction—it’s an integral part of the practice’s therapeutic architecture, providing structure, encouragement, and continuity, guiding students through a process of physical detox and emotional release.

One of the defining features of 26+2 Hot Yoga Yoga is the hot and humid environment (40.°C with 40% humidity) . This isn't just for the sweat factor; it's a deliberate component that enhances the therapeutic benefits of the practice, such as increased flexibility, detoxification, enhanced circulation, mental toughness, elevated heart rate and joint lubrication.

Mirrors are another defining feature of a true 26+2 Hot Yoga Studio. Far from being a vanity tool, mirrors are a powerful aid in the practice’s physical and mental transformation, allowing self-observation and real-time corrections, improved body awareness, promotes accountability and reinforces focus. 

In response to modern-day time constraints, some studios (including ours) offer a condensed 60-minute version of the practice and while it’s definitely more time-efficient and easier to incorporate into daily routines, it misses out some of the core therapeutic benefits of the 90-minute class. In my personal opinion a 60-minute class should be considered as maintenance if you really cannot make a 90-minute class, for true and lasting results, the 90 minute class is still where the therapy lies. 

And, finally a quick note to new students thinking about giving 26+2 hot yoga a go. If you are new to this practice, starting with the 90-minute class may seem intimidating - but it’s actually the best way to understand and experience the practice as it was originally intended, setting you up for long-term success.

Happy practicing everyone. 
Anj x 

Food is a language that is communicated through the taste glands on our tongue.  According to Ayurveda, food is generally categorized into six tastes – sweet, sour, salt, pungent, bitter and astringent. By choosing the right food and making a food discipline in our daily life, we can prevent and heal many disorders in our body systems. 

Our body is constituted with the combination of three forces – Vata (air, ether), Pitta (fire, water) and Kapha (earth, water). Even though everybody has the influence of these three forces, one force can be higher by birth, which is known as the birth dominant force.

When it comes to food, you have to eat correctly for your PDE (Presently Dominating Elements), which can either be your birth dominant elements or for an imbalance/disease, so  you eat the food that is decreasing your dominant element / or decreasing the imbalanced element.

The below chart explains the tastes, which aggravate or reduce different forces in our body. 

Vata dominated bodies are dry, cold and light in their natural properties. They shouldn’t eat food that is bitter in taste and it is better for their health to reduce pungent (spicy), and astringent food and drinks.  The sweet taste in rice and bulgur is good to balance Vata as is sweet fruit.

Pitta dominated bodies are hot and oily in its properties. Pitta dominants shouldn’t eat the food that tastes sour and pungent (spicy), such as strong chilies. They should also reduce the use of salt in their food. Sweet fruit and the bitter taste in food like broccoli and ruccola are good to balance pitta element.  

Bitter taste is good for Kapha together with pungent (spicy). Kapha dominating bodies are oily, cold and heavy in their natural properties. They shouldn’t eat the food that is sweet and salty. Dairy products, sweet potatoes etc are not good for their health. They should also reduce sour food and drinks. 

For more info about the list of food for each type you can get info from the book – Boost Your Immune Power with Ayurveda (US edition: https://janeshvaidya.com/books/) or in the website www.janeshvaidya.com.