He added that people enjoy hot yoga because it allows them to feel more flexible.

"But as far as physical benefits," which he said include muscular strength, endurance, flexibility and balance, "you can get those from a standard yoga class".

For the study, the hot yoga was conducted in an average temperature of 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius). Bryant said in classes, including the popular Bikram style, where the temperature rises to 105 Fahrenheit (40.5 Celsius) or higher, further study is needed.

"Many folks want to know what happens in that really extreme class," he said. "Our study says you don't have to be at those extreme temperatures to get all those benefits."

New York-based yoga instructor Taj Harris likens a hot yoga class to a physical therapy session with heat packs or a massage with hot stones.

"The heat allows the body to be more supple," said Harris, who teaches 60-, 75- and 90-minute classes at Crunch fitness centres. "It increases joint lubrication as well as flexibility in muscles."

Harris said the heat, which can range from 92 (33 Celsius) to 100 (38 Celsius) degrees Fahrenheit in her classes, eliminates the need for the extended warm-up of a traditional class.

"People like to sweat, they enjoy the way their body feels after a nice heated stretch," she said. "I have had the pleasure of watching some students work through tightness, strains and pains with a regular hot yoga practice."

Harris encourages her yogis to drink water during class, bring plenty of towels to wipe away their excess sweat, and tells them that if they need a respite, it's always cooler on the floor.

Bryant said when doing any activity in a hot environment it's crucial to maintain hydration and to watch out for early danger signs.

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Hot yoga 'is no better workout than normal yoga'

Prenatal yoga series Posted: Monday, Aug. 05, 2013 NXT-YOGA 4 SE Benjamin Benschneider - MCT Store | Susie Farnick knows the benefits of prenatal yoga first hand. As a Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher who has been an instructor for over 8 years, Farnick has enjoyed and taught many styles of yoga, but keeps coming back to prenatal yoga because of the feelings of hope, restoration and love it fosters. Mom to a two-year old, Farnick not only sees significant health benefits of prenatal yoga, but a very supportive and nurturing community of students as well. "I can't begin to tell you how many students have met in class and now get together socially for playdates. It's really amazing to see the bond not only between mother and child but between other moms" says Faarnick.

As far as health benefits go, Farnick shares that prenatal yoga:

Increases overall strength, flexibility & well-being When you practice yoga, you are not only stretching your muscles, you are stretching the tissues that encase your muscles, stimulating your organ systems, promoting the circulation of blood and oxygen, breathing more intentionally, and focusing your attention inward through imagery and meditation. The combined effect is intended to be one that promotes a heightened state of physical and emotional well-being.

Reduces low back pain & sciatica As you become acutely aware of proper body alignment, you can carry yourself and your belly in an integrated manner. This can help to reduce the degree of pelvic tilt associated with pregnancy and significantly reduce the lower back pain which it can cause. Additionally, there are specific yoga poses which stretch the muscles and tissues associated with the lower back, hips, and hamstrings. Your instructor should make these poses a part of each class.

Helps prepare you physically for giving birth A regular practice of squatting asana helps to tone muscles of your pelvic floor and helps you gain strength to remain comfortable in a squatting position. This is an integral part of any yoga program as it helps to familiarize you with these very useful muscles. Even if you choose not to squat during labor, you will want to be able to use these muscles efficiently and effectively when nature calls upon you to push your baby into the world.

Improves emotional well-being Participating in a group prenatal class provides a community of support from new friends who understand what you are experiencing. Some programs may even include discussions about pregnancy-related topics such as doulas, nursing, and birth plans.

Farnick currently teaches at the YWCA Central Carolinas, where a series for expecting mothers and workshops for moms-to-be and their partners will be held to share the benefits and techniques of prenatal yoga.

Prenatal Class Series: (Four 1-hour classes)

Asana: Learn appropriate yoga asana (poses) for every stage of your pregnancy and explore benefits of yoga for child birth and overall well-being.

Breathing: Discover deep breathing techniques to assist you during times of stress and also provide tools for labor and delivery.

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YWCA to host prenatal yoga series

Lenovo's IdeaPad series soldiers on with this latest version of the Yoga, an Ultrabook designed to appeal to users who want both conventional notebook and tablet form factors in one package. The Yoga 11S doesn't have quite as many convolutions as, say, the ThinkPad Twist, but it's another example of how an Ultrabook can have more modes than open and shut.

The Yoga might be the most aptly named convertible of the year, barring the aforementioned Twist. Its hinges rotate a full 360 degrees to allow the display to be put in one of four basic positions: conventional notebook mode, "tent" mode (a V shape with the hinges facing up), "stand" mode (display facing out, keyboard down), and tablet mode. At only 0.67 inch thick and weighing less than 3 pounds, it doesn't drag down or fill up a laptop bag, and heat vents to the rear of the unit keep your lap from getting roasted.

[ Also on InfoWorld: The best Windows 8 tablet laptops, convertibles, and Ultrabooks | Introducing Windows Red: A serious plan to fix Windows 8 | Stay atop key Microsoft technologies with our Technology: Microsoft newsletter ]

The whole unit is swathed in Lenovo's familiar soft-touch cladding, which encloses the Yoga's edges touching the table when the Ultrabook's in stand or tent mode. The Yoga's keyboard isn't illuminated, but the keys are large and widely spaced. Typing is decently comfortable, barring the slightly undersized Backspace key and the relatively shallow key travel. The touchpad is multitouch and gesture-enabled, a nice complement to the 10-point-touch-enabled screen.

The Yoga survives a good long time without power, lasting a solid 5 hours, 5 minutes in my Netflix rundown test. As with some of the other Lenovo models I've looked at, the Yoga's power connector has the same dimensions as a USB plug, although it's not an actual USB plug. Like the power connector on the new iPhone and iPad, it doesn't need to be plugged in with any particular side up.

I normally ignore most of the preloaded software in a PC because they tend to be cut from the same cloth, but Lenovo has inserted a few Yoga-specific apps worth mentioning. Lenovo Motion Control jumps on the motion-control bandwagon and lets you wave your hands across the screen to perform actions in a small set of programs -- turning pages, skipping to the next music track, that sort of thing. It works reasonably well, but hardly seems groundbreaking.

Lenovo Transition lets you control which applications go to full-screen mode when the Yoga is used in anything but its default display mode. However, the list of applications it controls is very small, and it doesn't appear that users can add to it.

One thing about the Yoga's design that may cause concern: When it's folded all the way back in tablet mode, the keyboard and touchpad are exposed on the bottom. I worried about accidentally pressing the keys (that is, against my knees). Nevertheless, because the keyboard is recessed fairly deeply, if you place the Yoga keyboard down on a smooth surface -- a table, for instance -- it shouldn't cause problems.

To partly alleviate concerns about the exposed keys, Lenovo sells a slot-in carrying sleeve that can cover either the whole unit or just the keyboard when it's in tablet mode. It's not a perfect solution, but it helps. Unfortunately, if you use the sleeve to cover the entire unit, the friction against the cladding on the outside of the Ultrabook makes it a little difficult to get the sleeve back off again.

At its core, the ThinkPad Yoga is a good machine with an appealing consumer-class feature set. Its rough-and-tumble approach to tablet and presentation modes might give some users pause. If you're looking for a convertible that doesn't sit on its keyboard, or more business/security features, check out the Dell XPS 12, the Samsung 700T, and the HP Revolve.

Excerpt from:
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S has some odd moves