ADVERTISEMENT

    Hot Time in the City: On the Hunt for the Best Hot Yoga in Columbus

    I sat down after Christmas dinner, 2011 and felt the lining of my best skirt rip right up and over my over-sized butt, so I knew that I needed serious exercise starting in 2012. I was intrigued by a favorite celebrity using hot yoga to slim down for a role, so I went on quest for great hot yoga in Columbus. During over a year of research, I learned that there are many different styles of yoga, there are some great teachers and students in Columbus, and that the friendly folks at lululemon will help in that never-ending search for the perfect yoga pants. And, hey, I went down two pant sizes!

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Sometimes I would meet students like me, looking for interesting, high-quality hot yoga classes, so I wanted to share my experiences with searching for hot yoga in Columbus. Authoring an article has been interesting, and I do hope the piece encourages many people to try some of our great hot yoga places in Columbus.

    I personally went at least twice to promising places that came up in Google and Yahoo searches for “hot yoga Columbus Ohio,” and I took as many classes from different instructors as my 60-hour work week allowed. I focused on yoga studios, rather than recreation centers or gyms, because I wanted to find a “yoga home” that had dedicated yoga facilities and staff. I list the places I went to below, starting with the one that gave me the best experience.

    On a scale of 1 to 10, I gave scores in four categories important to me, then averaged and rounded to get an overall rank for the studio. Since I think the Aesthetics of a studio are important if you’re going to spend 2-4 days a week there, I scored that. The Amenities category includes not only things like heat and parking, but access to water and restrooms. If you do hot yoga with a 52-year-old body and bladder, you quickly become obsessed with water in and water out.

    The Audio category is how clearly I could hear the instruction and how much I liked the music. Workout Intensity is a combination of my impression during the class and how I felt climbing stairs the next day. Workout scores may have a range since most studios have multiple instructors and instructors themselves vary intensity from class to class. Towards the end of this article, I remark on a few places that while not conventional hot yoga are interesting, so some people might enjoy their workouts.

    Best Overall Hot Yoga Studio in Columbus

    Balanced Yoga
    The hot yoga studio I like best is Balanced Yoga in Clintonville. This is the only yoga studio I found with many different types of hot yoga, and it had several early AM and after-work PM classes to fit my schedule. Balanced Yoga has a dedicated hot yoga studio at 3520 North High Street with nifty radiant heat panels suspended from the ceiling to change the temperature quickly. Classes range from 85 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the program, and the instructors will turn down the humidity or heat if either becomes excessive.

    Balanced Yoga’s hot yoga room is large, has a clean bamboo floor, and there are “airlock doors” to keep heat in the studio. There are no mirrors to make one too self-conscious, and the lighting is nice. There is a large front room with comfy seating for gathering before or cooling down after classes, and they have free fruit! This was also the only studio I visited that had a sink handy for filling water bottles near the entrance to the hot yoga room. There are two single-toilet restrooms and a small changing room. The website is comprehensive yet accessible on a mobile phone. There’s a mix of street and off-street parking. Every hot yoga class at Balanced Yoga had what I want from a hot yoga studio: good heat, a challenging class, and expert instruction.

    Aesthetics: 10. Amenities: 10. Audio: 10. Workout: 8-10.
    Overall score: 10.
    $15 drop in fee; various packages available.

    Power ON! Hot Flow Yoga Classes at Balanced Yoga
    I quickly learned there are two separate camps of hot yoga, basically Hatha and Vinyasa, and I fell in love with Vinyasa flow and its American cousin, Power Yoga. These yoga programs flow from one pose to another and coordinate breathing with motion. A typical program usually includes yoga-style pushups and lunge moves as well as balancing and twisting poses. Often there are serious core exercises like handstands. I found the weight-bearing exercises of this yoga style great for toning both my upper and lower body. I personally find a power flow program is more work than a traditional Hatha Yoga (see next section) practice which involves getting into a pose and holding for a while.

    The best place I found for a variety of hot flow yoga classes was Balanced Yoga (see above) at 3520 North High Street. I especially liked Greg Fisher’s Baptiste Power Yoga class. Greg is gentle teacher, but he does a challenging, physical program. He also plays nice music and has thoughtful shavasana meditations. Balanced Yoga also has Columbus’s only Forrest yoga program, taught by the delightful Alex Ferm. I also enjoyed the lovely voice of Heather Burley in her hot Vinyasa flow. Again, every hot yoga class at Balanced Yoga had satisfactory heat, a physically-challenging program, and good instructors.

    Aesthetics: 10. Amenities: 10. Audio: 10. Workout: 8-10.
    Overall score: 10.
    $15 drop in fee; various packages available.

    Greg Fisher’s Baptiste Power Yoga class, at Balanced Yoga.

    V-Power Yoga
    I was also swept away by the awesome energy at V-Power Yoga. Not only do they have a beautiful third floor studio at 240 North 5th Street, but also their powerful flow yoga classes could tone your arms in no time. There are energetic instructors with welcoming personalities, and I especially liked Lisa Paquette’s beginner’s class. The studio has huge windows so natural light pours in, and there are nice views of the Warehouse District’s rooftops. The walls are white and there are large white paper lanterns for lighting, so the studio is well lit without being harsh. The carpeted floors seem well-cleaned. No mirrors and the instructors usually stay at the front of the room. Although, the website separates classes into several levels, I was welcome as a beginner at all of them, and certainly there were expert students were in every class. The studio is hot enough, generally 85-90 F, for generous sweating. Music is loud and upbeat. There are two multi-toilet restrooms across the hall and a large empty office next door for changing. Very easy to access website on a smartphone. Street parking.

    Aesthetics: 9. Amenities: 8. Audio: 8. Workout: 10.
    Overall score: 9.
    $15 drop-in fee and various packages available.

    Yoga on High
    Two things frustrated me in my quest for awesome hot yoga at the venerable Yoga on High studio at 1081 N. High Street. 1) Yoga on High has so few drop-in classes for hot yoga outside working hours, and 2) they did not heat the hot yoga classrooms consistently. Yoga on High did increase their drop-in offerings over the months in 2012, so perhaps they will add more classes in the future. Temperatures in the rooms at Yoga on High varied from 77 to 84 degrees to start, and they don’t have radiant heat panels to heat up a room quickly. I will testify that Michael Murphy’s Hot Flow class really moved. One night, using the body heat of his hard working students alone, he raised the room temperature 6 degrees! He also played good music and did excellent adjustments. The other instructors seemed to be trying, but I think I hit a period where there were substitute teachers who were a bit off their flow. I really hope that Yoga on High builds on their hot yoga program because it is a wonderful studio with many interesting classes and great instructors. Separate men’s and women’s multi-toilet restrooms. Double-station water fountain. Generous off-street parking and a comprehensive website with printable schedule.

    Aesthetics: 9. Amenities: 8. Audio: 9. Workout: 8-10.
    Overall score: 9.
    Current price is $15 for drop-in; various packages are available.

    Michael Murphy’s Hot Flow class.

    PAI Yoga
    Why are 20 people shaking snow off their yoga mat bags at 5:15 AM in Dublin? Because there is very good yoga at PAI Yoga at 5:30 weekday mornings. PAI Yoga (www.paiyogafitness.com) only recently came up on my internet searches recently, but I’m glad it did because it’s a lovely little place at the back corner of Trader Joe’s mall at 6375 Sawmill Road. There are only a few hot yoga classes on their schedule, but every class I attended was a high-quality flow-style course. Lululemon ambassador Chan Hemintranont teaches there, as does Michael Murphy who had a powerful flow course at Yoga on High. I also had two great hot flows class with Kara Lough. Lots of strip mall parking. Two pleasant single-toilet restrooms in the back of the studio. Above average stereo system. Comprehensive website.

    Aesthetics: 9. Amenities: 8. Audio: 9. Workout: 8-10.
    Overall score: 9.
    Current price is $13 for drop-in; and there are various packages are available.

    PAI Yoga and Instructor Kara Lough

    Harbor Yoga
    Harbor Yoga at 36 N. High Street in downtown Dublin offers power yoga classes in a large room that is certainly warm enough for a good sweat. They do a very vigorous power yoga-style workout with a few Pilates moves thrown in. Friendly and energetic teachers taught the classes that I took. Angie O’Brien did a great beginner’s class with amazing form and lots of friendly encouragement. They loan lululemon’s thickest black mats for free. Lovely single toilet restroom inside the studio. Historic Dublin parking in a large lot behind the studio. Easy to access website if you have Flash player. Reserving a place online is highly recommended as they often have wait lists for classes.

    Aesthetics: 8. Amenities: 8. Audio: 8. Workout: 10.
    Overall score: 8.
    $15 drop-in fee; various packages available.

    Angie O’Brien at Harbor Yoga.

    Hot Hatha Yoga and Bikram (or similar) Yoga
    Once upon a time a yoga teacher decided that since yoga comes from India, a yoga class should be taught at 105 degrees F and 40% humidity. Bikram Choudhury created a sequence of 26 poses from traditional Hatha Yoga poses and has since enfranchised Bikram Yoga studios all over the world that many movie stars and travelers adore. Given the popularity of Bikram Yoga, others have created their own programs of hatha yoga poses taught in a hot room. Since so many people absolutely swear by this style of yoga, I attended some different classes in Columbus to check them out.

    The studio that I liked best for hot 26-pose classes was Balanced Yoga (see above), and two teachers really stood out for me. Gina Derry has not only an amazing form herself but also she is absolutely superb at explaining techniques to get the greatest benefit from each pose. Joey McNamara conducts strong, humorous classes and has an effective relaxation shavasana. Balanced Yoga offers several classes a day in the Classic 26 series including early AM classes. Like Clintonville itself, Balanced Yoga’s classes are all unique and definitely not by-the-book Bikram. Some instructors do music, some not. Some shuffle the poses around, some don’t. They certainly do not follow any set script, and you can drink water whenever you wish.

    Aesthetics: 10. Amenities: 10. Audio: 9. Workout: 8-10.
    Overall score: 10.
    $15 drop in fee; various packages available.

    The Hot Room at Balanced Yoga.

    Bikram Yoga Studio
    Columbus’ only official Bikram Yoga studio opened at 947 West Third Avenue, Saturday, March 9th. A long-awaited addition to the hot yoga scene in Columbus, they have created a large and beautiful studio in the “industrial Grandview” area of Columbus west of 315 and south of Fifth Avenue. The lobby and restrooms are amazing, and the yoga does not disappoint. Based on a Bikram class I motored over to Pittsburgh and took, these certified Bikram instructors follow the Bikram script precisely.

    The instructors have a platform about 3 feet above the floor to stand and demonstrate on, and they are wired for sound. The temperature is always 105 degrees F. The requisite carpeting is attractively patterned to look like wood and is advertised as having antimicrobial properties. The large mirrors which are part of the course instruction program are at the front and of the room. There are separate restrooms for men and women, and the sinks are thoughtfully set up for easy drinking or water bottle filling. There are multiple very high-end tiled showers that are worth a visit alone! Their main entrance is not on Third but is on the south side of the building next to a good-sized parking lot. Easy to navigate website.

    Aesthetics: 10. Amenities: 10. Audio: 8. Workout: 8.
    Overall score: 9.
    $15 drop-in fee; various packages available, and this month there is a $45 unlimited 30-day pass on sale.


    Wellness Forum
    Wellness Forum at 540 East Wilson Bridge Road in Worthington has for many years offered the closest thing to Bikram hot yoga in Columbus. Based the official Bikram classes that I attended in Pittsburgh and the Bikram studios here, the instructors at Wellness Forum follow the program well. Wellness Forum has radiant heat panels and is very generous with the heat, starting classes around 105 degrees consistently. The studio room at Wellness Forum has large mirrors around the studio and also the bright fluorescent lights that the Bikram program demands. Wellness Forum is a health enterprise from naturopath Pamela Popper who is also a vegan activist (see her appearance in Forks Over Knives), so if you are looking for some extra amenities in a studio like diet coaching this might be a good place for you. There are separate, very clean men’s and women’s locker rooms and bathrooms with a shower in each. Lots of strip mall parking. Accessible website with printable schedule.

    Aesthetics: 10. Amenities: 8. Audio: 8. Workout: 8.
    Overall score: 8.
    $15 drop-in fee; various packages are available, and there are sometimes social media specials.

    You may be asking: why are the Bikram-style programs scoring lower? It is because am very conflicted about the Bikram program. On the one hand, since it does not do some of the Hatha Yoga inversion poses, it is an excellent choice for people who despise push-ups or hate having their breasts smother them in downward dog. The 105 degree heat ensures that you likely lose some ounces with each class from sweat alone. I do love the way these Hatha yoga poses open up my arthritic joints, and I know that isometric exercises are good for muscle-toning. Larger controversies aside, the thing that dismays me about by-the-book Bikram is the micro-management of everything from finger-pointing to when you can drink water. I would never recommend not allowing someone to freely drink water while exercising in 105+ heat. And although I appreciate the idea of group energy, one thing I have always liked about yoga is the focus on individual effort. There is no doubt that following a Bikram can produce some results and has certainly has its adherents, but I personally had better have yet to warm up to it.

    Is This Yoga? What is Yoga?

    A general criticism of yoga world is that unlike athletic training, where there is a national board that sets standards and certifies trainers, becoming a yoga instructor can be much more informal. This combined with the growing popularity of yoga leads to lots of non-traditional yoga-like workouts and places like neighborhood gyms offering classes that can be styled yoga. Since hot yoga has become very popular several places like this came up in my search internet searches. I will mention some places that came up in my searching that I investigated that I think you may get some good exercise and enjoy.

    Tracey Gardner Method
    If you want something superheated and very different, check out the Tracey Gardner Method on the western edge of New Albany. “This isn’t yoga,” Tracey herself said when I took a class with her, but there is a solid flow pattern with plenty of powerful pushups. She also has interesting variations on yoga poses such as her “downward frog.” The heat was a good 85 degrees plus before the start of classes I took, and there are steam machines scattered around to pump up the humidity. The large studio room is exceptionally dark and there are no mirrors, so no worries about being self conscious here. Loud, pumping music. Large changing room and restroom. Unusual website to navigate, especially on a mobile phone. My GPS couldn’t find the address 5165 Warner Road, but the friendly front desk staff helped me get to the studio at the back of a building behind the UDF at 5230 Warner Road, and her maps are very good.

    Aesthetics: 9. Amenities: 9. Audio: 7. Workout Intensity: 8-9.
    Overall Score: 8.
    $15 drop-in; various packages available.

    Melt Hot Fitness
    Melt Hot Fitness is a cozy place at 16 Westerview Drive off Cleveland Avenue north of St Ann’s in Westerville. They offer yoga/Pilates-based workouts on a Bosu (http://bosu.com/) which is a balance training prop often used by athletic trainers. If you can imagine doing a three-legged dog with both hands on a beach ball you can get the idea. They also have some flow classes and hope to add barre workouts. Upbeat instruction and organized playlist. Dark room and no mirrors. Single toilet restroom. Accessible website.

    Aesthetics: 8. Amenities: 8. Audio: 8. Workout Intensity: 8-9.
    Overall Score: 8.
    $15 drop-in fee and various packages.

    Jimmy Merrelli’s Hot Core Yoga
    One criticism of hot yoga is that all that heat can stifle a good workout. Jimmy Merrelli, a long-time student of hot yoga, created a program that he calls Hot Core Yoga to remedy this. He does a freestyle mash-up of power yoga, dance and martial arts moves. If his program was done at 100 degrees, it would be killer. Without superheating the room, you can sweat following his lead. Jimmy doesn’t believe in doing corrections and is dead set against mirrors, so you work out as much as you feel like doing. Workouts are done in a New York loft-style studio on the second floor of 143 East Main Street (near Hawk Galleries) downtown. Single-toilet restroom in the hallway. The schedule varies with his day job, so checking the website daily is a must. Very clear website; easy to access on any device. This is certainly the best price in town at $10 a class (cash only) and he offers discounts to students and some other favored groups.

    Aesthetics: 8. Amenities: 7. Audio: 8. Workout Intensity: 8-10.
    Overall Score: 8.

    In summary, if you really want the Bikram hot yoga program with its package of mirrors, carpeting and dictated water breaks, either Wellness Forum or the official Bikram franchise will suit you and the amenities at the official Bikram place are just amazing. For a looser script that’s still hot and challenging, any of the Classic 26 variations at Balanced Yoga are very good. If you love hot flow, Balanced Yoga’s many classes, including hot Baptiste and Forrest yoga, and some of the other flow classes around town especially Pai, V-Power and Harbor Yoga are really worthwhile. For something off the beaten yoga path, the Tracey Gardner Method is an orgy-dark, hot-fun time, and Jimmy Merrelli has some unusual ideas and an ab-awesome program. Columbus’ yoga scene will doubtless keep growing with the city, so I look forward to further adventures in yoga.

    Special thanks to all the yoga instructors I met and who agreed to be photographed and to Andy King, Suneetha Kurra, Carrie Krochta, and the many nice people I met during my research. Extra-special thanks to Tom Payne whose search for yoga equal to TriBalance in Chicago inspired me to explore Cbus.

    CLICK HERE FOR HOT YOGA PART TWO!

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Subscribe

    More to Explore:

    $20 Million Study Launches to Help Improve Mental Illness Issues in Ohio

    The state of Ohio is embarking on a decade-long study to better understand the root causes of mental illness, substance use disorders, and suicide.

    GoYoga Grows with Gahanna Location

    Central Ohio’s largest group of yoga studios has grown...

    4 Local Races to Run With Kids

    I’ve never considered myself a runner, but since I...

    Dynamic Souls Adds Yoga Programming

    Dynamic Souls has added a yoga program as of...
    Nancy Alkire
    Nancy Alkire
    Nancy Alkire has practiced yoga off and on since WOSU broadcast Lilias, Yoga and You in the 1970’s. She has attended classes with Charlotte Bell, Bryan Kest and Kino MacGregor. Since turning 50, she has become much more interested in fitness and often calls on the expertise of athletic trainer, Jennifer Schiff, and Daniel Snider (almost a) PhD in physical therapy. “I am open to polite suggestions for other yoga or fitness experiences. I love documenting and sharing.” Get in touch with her by email.
    ADVERTISEMENT