What is infrared heat yoga?
I get a feel of it at Jal Yoga, which opened at 991 Alexandra Road on January 24.
Pardeep Fogat (photo), founder of Jal Yoga, tells me that his centre is the first in Singapore to introduce this yoga style, which radiates therapeutic heat in the studio without heating the air.
“Unlike hot yoga, you do not drip with sweat,” he says. “Infrared heat yoga makes you more flexible and is soothing. It also provides a multitude of health benefits, from accelerated recovery from sports injuries and flu to reduction of aches and pain to clearing skin issues.”
I find the studio spacious. It can accommodate up to 28 practitioners. What I find interesting is that above each person is a panel that radiates infrared heat.
I have attended hot yoga classes where the heat can rise up to 40 degrees Centigrade. It can get hot and sticky. At Jal yoga, as the instructor puts me through my Anusara yoga paces, I experience infrared heat simultaneously for the first time. It is like what Pardeep said. It is not overpowering and exhausting. It warms me up but in a very subtle and relaxing way. I realises that infrared heat is clean and invigorating.
Clearly, infrared heat directly permeates the muscles, offering several therapeutic effects. It made me more flexible and gave me a wider range of movements. Importantly, I did not feel tired and could soak up the 90-minute yoga session without breaking a sweat.
“Recent research has shown that infrared heat yoga provides several health benefits,” says Pardeep. “It improves heart function, reduces cancer risk, heals arthritis problems, promotes cellular growth, increases circulation, clears skin issues and augments weight loss. Moreover, you experience better sleep and stress reduction.” He also lists other benefits such as fighting diabetes, enhancing muscular health and improving hair growth.
Actually, Pardeep and co-founder Jasmine Loh have masterfully mixed state-of-the-art facilities with thoughtfully-designed space at Jal Yoga to give practitioners a beautiful environment to contemplate, relax and train in comfort.
There is a perfect class for every need.
Its range of traditional to modern yoga classes cater for beginners and advanced practitioners, while its Pilates classes offer mindful movements and precision to improve balance, strength and fitness. Jal also holds the widely popular barre classes that focus on small movements.
It also offers many unique styles of yoga, including Angamardana, adopted by the Indian paramilitary forces as a compulsory fitness regimen; Sports, designed to give athletes greater core strength, stability, flexibility, balance and breath control; Hasya, a practice that helps people laugh their way to good health; Upa, which serves to activate the joints, muscles and energy system, bringing ease to the whole system; Kundalini, the practice of awakening kundalini energy through regular practice of meditation, pranayama, chanting mantra and asanas; Anusara, a style featuring free movements; and Kinetic, a form developed in Malaysia which is dynamic and movement based.
“Jal means water in Hindi. And, like water, we strive to be adaptable, flexible and tough,” says Pardeep, who hails from New Delhi and has been practising and teaching yoga for the past 10 years. “At Jal, we believe in yoga that goes beyond. Expanding your mind, body and possibilities in life. We let you dig deep so you can reach high.”
A one-year contract at Jal Yoga costs $165 a month. You get access to any class unlimited times.
It also plans to offer Ayurveda in the future – to provide holistic treatment by harnessing on a healing and wellness system that is centuries old.
Jal Yoga
991 Alexandra Road #01-03A
Singapore 119964
Phone: 62510710, 87999825
Email: [email protected]
