Last month I attended a few different yoga classes with a close girlfriend of mine. The one I liked the most was called "slow burn" yoga, which is a sort-of-less-intense version of hot yoga. Although I’ve heard rave reviews about the hot-yoga classes, I’m not quite ready to take on the challenge of performing mentally and physically stimulating exercises in a room full of boiling heat. Deciding that I would slowly work my way up to the class of sweltering serenity (as I like to call it), I opted for the slow-burn yoga class, which, at the time, seemed like it would be a tad “friendlier” than hot yoga – although the idea of “burning slowly” doesn’t sound too friendly either. Still, I decided to give it a go.
The class turned out to be awesome! It wasn’t too hot to the point where I felt like I would suffocate and die, but it was hot enough for me to get a nice, slow burn going. And judging by the pool of sweat I was drenched in by the end of the class, I’d say I definitely “burned."
As I sweated profusely during the class, I couldn’t help but think about the amount of maintenance that goes into keeping yoga studios clean, especially ones involving drastically hot room temperatures. I imagine it takes a lot, considering all the factors involved – bare feet; recycled yoga mats (if, like me, you don’t have one of your own); warm, humid environment; uncontrolled sweating. Sounds like a bacteria safe—or ‘not-so-safe’—haven, if you ask me.
Thinking of this reminded me of an article we ran in our October issue. It talked about how Chad Clark, a hot-yoga studio design consultant uses ultraviolet germicidal irradiation lights in his HVAC system designs to help fight off potential disease-causing bacteria in hot-yoga centers. According to the article, maintaining high temperatures reached in hot-yoga studios requires an HVAC system capable of discharge temperatures up to 250°F. Clark claims that few mechanical engineers or contractors have been able to design or install such systems.
I’m curious to know what your thoughts are on this subject. If you’re a mechanical engineer or contractor, have you ever dealt with building/installing complex HVAC system designs such as the ones required for hot-yoga studios? And if not, are you up for the challenge?
Share your responses below!