5 days ago
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DO YOU want to feel more alive when you are practising yoga? Do you like your yoga hot! Hot yoga is the practice of performing yoga poses in a warm room, encouraging practitioners to sweat out negative emotions and push themselves harder during the session. Bikram yoga is a type of hot yoga that turns the heat up even hotter.
For years, Yolande Lloyd-Small enjoyed various forms of yoga, and it was more recreational than a way of life. For her, exercise had to be physical and high-intensity, otherwise, what was the point? As a marathon enthusiast, she finished five marathons over a decade, with intense cross-country cycling.
However, her journey took a transformative turn after she lost both of her parents to cancer, two years apart. “That painful period sparked a personal quest for deeper meaning and healing in my life and it led me to discover Bikram yoga, which has since become a powerful part of my purpose,” Lloyd-Small said.
She established Bikram Yoga Jamaica (BYJ) in 2014 out of a fervent desire to bring world-class yoga to her home country. It marked a significant shift from practising recreationally to sharing the practice professionally and purposefully. This transition was important because it allowed her to introduce others to a method that had done so much for her – body, mind, and spirit.
Yoga classes, in general, offer numerous physical benefits, including boosting full-body flexibility and promoting heart health. Bikram yoga is also a good low-impact exercise, meaning the slow-moving poses won’t cause extra stress to your joints like high-impact exercise.
“My entry into the fitness and wellness world was born out of personal necessity. Years of running had taken a toll on my knees, and I needed a form of exercise that could help me recover and maintain my strength. Yoga, and particularly Bikram yoga, became that solution. It helped rehabilitate my body and centred my mind during a deeply emotional chapter of my life,” Lloyd-Small said.
Bikram yoga is a 90-minute practice consisting of 26 postures and two breathing exercises, all performed in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat facilitates safe stretching, detoxification, and mental focus. At Bikram Yoga Jamaica, they offer Bikram yoga classes, wellness consultations, workshops, and yoga retreats that allow for deeper immersion into the practice.
“Fitness and wellness – especially through Bikram yoga – transformed not only my physical health, but also my mental resilience. Practising yoga in a heated environment demands intense focus and endurance. Over time, this practice has helped me build both physical strength and mental clarity. It is a discipline that challenges you to be fully present, and that presence is what truly changed me,” Lloyd-Small said.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, she said, is crucial for overall well-being. “I believe deeply in the phrase: ‘Healthy person, happy life’. When your body is functioning at its best, everything else in your life, from your career to your relationships – can flow more harmoniously. It is an act of self-respect and self-preservation,” she said.
All forms of yoga are ideal for lowering stress levels and Bikram yoga is no exception. In fact, it has become one of the more popular styles, preferred by beginners and seasoned veterans alike for helping to deal with stress in a natural and healthy manner.
A heated environment is going to make it easier for you to achieve the poses that are part of any hot yoga class. After all, stretching after a basic warm-up is a lot safer and more effective than stretching your muscles cold. So, a Bikram classroom can increase your flexibility in areas such as the shoulders, lower back, and hamstrings.
This is another benefit that can be gained through just about any type of yoga class. However, Bikram Yoga is ideal for bringing relaxation and peace of mind. This can work towards reducing feelings of depression and help to adjust your mood, so the symptoms that come with a depressed state of mind become muted.
It is not hard to guess that Bikram yoga is going to make you sweat a whole lot. You will sweat more in one of these classes than you will in another that does not bring up the room temperature. But when it comes to getting healthy skin, sweating can be so good for you, as it increases the flow of oxygenated blood to the skin cells which nourishes your skin from within.
“As for the myths, I allow the practice to speak for itself. Bikram yoga is an open-eyed meditation, grounded in physical discipline rather than spiritual doctrine. It’s not a religion, and we do not encourage clients to close their eyes. Instead, we help them connect with themselves in a focused and accessible way,” Lloyd-Small said.
Bikram Yoga Jamaica also recently attended a retreat in New York, United States, that allowed participants to step away from the noise and distraction of daily life and immerse themselves fully in self-care and healing.
“We provided a sanctuary where individuals could reset, rejuvenate, and reconnect with themselves, nature, and a supportive community. In that space, transformation becomes truly possible,” Lloyd-Small said.
The retreats, she said, are carefully curated experiences that blend wellness, culture, and community. “‘BYJ Does New York City’ was more than just a getaway. It was a sophisticated immersion into the lifestyle that our community embraces. These experiences are intentionally chosen to nourish the mind, body, and spirit,” Lloyd-Small eplained.
“By stepping outside of our usual environments and engaging in beauty, culture, and connection, participants return home rejuvenated, inspired, and more deeply grounded in their personal well-being. It was a celebration of balance – between luxury and mindfulness, relaxation and enrichment,” she added.
English (US) ·