I'm inverted in separate leg stretch at Yoga 101, pulling on my heels, reaching the crown of my head to my yoga mat, when a huge drop of sweat falls from my stomach into my eye. Or was it from my thigh? I can't really tell because my entire body is dripping with sweat. My arms. My legs. My chin. My eyelids.

At this moment, I'm not looking very pretty. But I'm feeling pretty tough. Sweating through 90 minutes of stretching, pulling, bending, flexing and cardiovascular activity has made me a new woman and turned numerous other Tri-Staters into hot yoga converts. Hot yoga is yoga practiced in a hot room with high humidity.

"Hot yoga is very challenging," said Mick Conati, 42, from Evansville. "I've lost close to 40 (now it's up to 60) pounds since I started practicing regularly and next week I expect to get off my blood pressure medicine."

Photo by Jason Clark, 2012 Jason Clark

photos by JASON CLARK / COURIER & PRESS Below: Tara Logel of Henderson, Ky., watches herself in the mirror as she participates with others in a hot yoga class led by instructor Nicole Tibbs at Yoga 101 in Evansville Wednesday.

Photo by Jason Clark, 2012 Jason Clark

Right: Mick Conati participates in a hot yoga class led by instructor Nicole Tibbs at Yoga 101. Conati has lost about 60 pounds since he started practicing in the classes regularly.

Photo by Jason Clark, 2012 Jason Clark

Hot yoga participants follow instructor Nicole Tibbs. More Tri-Staters are taking up the practice of yoga in a hot, humid room.

Conati said he's dabbled with hot yoga off and on for the past couple of years, but a few months ago began practicing about five times a week. Coupled with a diet that includes no preservatives or prepared foods, the results have been great.

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