How to Choose a Yoga Class by Room Temperature

Why temperature is the quickest way to read the schedule

Open the Oak Park schedule and you will see a lot of class names. Some are obvious and some are not. The number next to each one is the shortcut. At Yoga Loft Studios the room temperature tells you a great deal about how the class will feel, how hard you will sweat and how much recovery you will want afterward.

The studio runs a ladder, from 100 degrees at the hot end down to rooms that are not heated at all. Think of it as a dial rather than a ranking. A hotter class is not a better class, and a cooler class is not an easy one. They ask different things of you, and a good week usually uses several of them.

Below is each rung of the ladder, with the real formats and lengths from the Oak Park studio, so you can match a class to your mood and your calendar. Every class has its own page on the site if you want more detail, and the schedule is on the booking page.

100 degrees: Hot 90 and Hot 60

The hottest room is for the Hatha classes. Hot 90 runs ninety minutes and Hot 60 runs sixty, both at 100 degrees. They are open to all levels, and beginners are welcome. The postures move at a steady pace with room to rest, so you can focus on breathing and balance while the heat does what heat does.

Pick this rung when you want to sweat hard, loosen up stiff hips and shoulders and move at a deliberate speed. It is also the most forgiving place to learn the basic standing poses, because the pace is steady and the teacher repeats the structure each class.

Choose Hot 60 on a busy day or when you are new to heat. Choose Hot 90 when you have time to stay and want the postures to unfold slowly. Bring water and a towel either way.

85 to 95 degrees: power, Ashtanga and hot power flow

The middle of the ladder is where the movement gets faster. Express Power Flow is 50 minutes at 85 degrees, and Power Flow is 60 minutes at 85 degrees, both in a Vinyasa format that links movement to breath. Hot Power Flow runs 60 minutes at 90 degrees, and the Heated and Hot Power Flow class sits at 90 to 95 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.

The studio recommends these for athletic beginners or more experienced students, and suggests knowing Sun Salutations and basic standing poses first. You will be asked to hold shapes, move between them without long pauses and build heat from the inside.

Ashtanga also lives at 85 degrees. Ashtanga Basics runs 60 to 75 minutes and teaches the traditional Half Primary Series with extra cueing and modifications. Ashtanga Flow runs 60 minutes as a Vinyasa practice inspired by the Ashtanga series. Both are open to all levels, beginners welcome.

Warm room and 75 degrees: flow, chill and sound

Two Vinyasa classes use a warm room rather than a hot one. Gentle Flow is 60 minutes and highly adaptable, which makes it a kind choice after a long week or when you are returning to movement. All Levels Flow is also 60 minutes and offers advanced options for anyone who wants a bigger challenge.

At 75 degrees you will find the quiet classes. Chill is 60 minutes that blend gentle flow, restorative poses and meditation. Sound Healing and Meditation is 60 minutes with a focus on rest and meditation. If your nervous system is buzzing from too much coffee and too many emails, this is the rung to climb down to.

These are not filler classes. Slowing down is a skill, and many regulars schedule one or two of them every week to balance the heat and the effort of the hotter rooms.

Unheated: strength and core

Two fitness classes run in a room that is not heated. Tone and Tighten is 40 minutes of full body strength work with weights. Core Circuit is 40 minutes with the focus on core strength. Both are short, so they slot into a lunch break or a morning before work.

Barre is offered through Full Circle Barre, which handles its own sign up. If you like a mix of strength and mobility, these classes are a natural complement to a heated yoga week, and the unheated room is a welcome change on days when you want to work without the heat.

A simple way to build a week

If you are starting out, try one class from each of three rungs: a Hot 60 at 100 degrees, a Gentle Flow in the warm room and a Chill at 75 degrees. That gives you a taste of heat, movement and rest within a single week, and you will quickly learn which rung feels like home.

As your stamina grows, add a Power Flow at 85 degrees or Ashtanga Basics. If you want a short strength session, tuck Tone and Tighten into a day when you have only forty minutes. The new student special of two weeks for $49 is a good window to try several of these.

Not sure which one to start with? Call or text (312) 560-8668 or write to info@yogaloftstudios.com, and the studio can point you toward a class that fits your experience and your week. The class pages and the pricing page are there if you want to read first and book after.