Sagar Hot Yoga, San Jose

The instructors at Sagar Hot Yoga take Bikram very, very seriously. During the run of their 90-minute sweat sessions, students cannot leave the room or speak, and they keep still between asanas. Cell phones and other external distractions stay outside. It's this intense focus, concentration, and pursuit of self-control that distinguish this style of yoga.

As sweltering heat engulfs the room, instructors encourage students to explore the limits of their body and mind by guiding them through 26 postures and two breathing exercises. The poses are simple enough that even yoga initiates can perform them, but at a humid and challenging 105 degrees, the body begins to sweat almost immediately. As the class progresses, heart rates speed up and the flow of the poses demands every ounce of mental energy to maintain focus. Eventually, toxins flush out of the pores, tension stretches out of the muscles and ligaments, and the heat begins to enable practitioners to perform deeper movements with a diminished risk of injury.

Sagar Hot Yoga Santa Clara has onsite showers for a postworkout cooldown. Students are encouraged to bring plenty of water, a mat, and a towel.

More recently, the studio expanded their class schedule to include Inferno Hot Pilates and Warm Vinyasa classes.