The temperature may be dropping, but Diane Roberts is turning up the heat on the Main Line.

Roberts, a 35-year-old Radnor native, officially opened the doors to customers at her new Yoga studio, located in the Wynnewood West Shopping Center, on Saturday, Nov. 10. Roberts started renovations on her yoga studio over Labor Day weekend 2012, Roberts has been working rather quickly to turn the old Jean Madeline Institute into a yoga studio that the Lower Main Line does not yet havea Bikram Yoga studio.

The difference between a traditional yoga class and Bikram Yoga is that the room is designated to 105 degrees, at 40 percent humidity for the entire 90-minute session.

Heat has properties of thinning the blood, so that the blood is less likely to clot, said Ed Silver, one of the teachers at Bikram Yoga Wynnewood. He went on to explain how the heat warms and protects the muscles to allow for deeper stretching in a shorter amount of time, seeing results faster. Heat also detoxifies the body, giving you a wonderful glow from head to toe.

Combining the heat with contorting the body in a variety of different ways may scare some people away from trying Bikram Yoga, but as Roberts and Silver explained, anyone can become a regular Bikram Yoga attendee.

This is actually beginner style yoga, Roberts said during an interview last Monday afternoon at the studio. The poses do not require strength and flexibility. You are not doing splits and handstands and backbends. Anybody of any strength and any age can come in and take a class.

A main reason that Roberts opened the Bikram-style yoga studio is because of the health benefits, as it opens up your spine and heals your spine. You become longer and leaner.

Most exercises compress the vertebrae, but Bikram lengthens the vertebrae, so that there is better blood flow to the nervous system, Silver said in addition to Roberts explanation.

With the opening of the spine, and elongating the body, Roberts said many athletes, such as tennis stars Andy Murray and Serena Williams are practicing this form of hot yoga.

Every class at Bikram Yoga Wynnewood is treated exactly the same. Each class is 90-minutes long, there are 26 poses that are performed (along with two breathing exercises) and that no matter if the participant is a beginner, or a seasoned veteran, be prepared to sweat, both instructors said multiple times. Continued...

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Bikram Yoga bringing the heat to the Main Line