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| - I've been to my share of yoga classes throughout college and afterward, but nothing compares to my absolute love and devotion for Bikram Yoga. It's hot yoga, which means the room is ideally heated to 105 degrees with 50% humidity; so you're hot and sweaty. It's done this way so that your muscles are looser and you are able to get more bang for your buck when you stretch.
The first class that you go to you will likely feel sick and dizzy. Don't worry; this goes away, you just have to push through. The great thing about Inner Fire is that they offer a one week unlimited membership for $20. This encourages the beginner to push past the first vomitous 90 minutes class they think they were crazy for taking to hopefully get a chance to love Bikram yoga like the rest of the fanatics that are in the front row.
In addition to offering Bikram (which they now refer to as hot yoga, making me wonder if they no longer have their affiliation with Bikram Choudhury?) Inner Fire also offers yin yoga, which is incredibly relaxing, power flow yoga, which is in a kind of hot room and some people are crazy about, and they'll have some kind of special class every couple of months that will feature a great teacher from around the country. With your membership you can go to any one of these classes.
The other great thing, which I think is a brilliant business move on the part of Marit Sathrum, the owner, is that they also have what they call the "Personal Revolutionaries," which you can choose to participate in. You basically either commit yourself to practicing either 52 classes in 91 days or 65 classes in 91 days (if you're hardcore). They have charts up on the wall where you mark the classes you've completed with a tiny sticker (who doesn't love stickers?!?!) and if you complete the challenge you get a medal!!! A MEDAL!!! It may seem kind of lame, but it takes a LOT of work and you feel really great at the end of it and as a bonus you're more toned and fit because you've been going to yoga so much! They also put lists of the people that complete the challenge on the website, which makes you feel even better about yourself. What gym is going to give you that kind of praise?!?! Also, it's good for the studio because it encourages you to continue to come back again and again. IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
Okay. The building is really nice, they just moved into it a couple of years ago. The locker rooms are clean and nicely outfitted; there are three showers and they just expanded the women's locker room so you won't bump into all the other sweaty people after you're done. There are two practice rooms, one smaller and one larger. The floors in them are cork floors; the entire studio was build with green principles; which are really nice because they don't stink like the carpet they used to have did.
The instructors are great; my personal favorite is Darlene, who will always tell stories about how she first started Bikram yoga when she lived in California in the 70's and it got huge. She was taught by Bikram and there is a picture of her in his book from back then. How cool is that??
Okay, it's clear that I'm totally biased about this place, but I just love it. The people are great, the atmosphere is clean and nice, and they have a great business model. I'm sad every day that I realize I can't go here because I don't live in Wisconsin anymore...
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