I remember my first hot yoga class. I opened the studio door, the air was thick and heavy and walking into it was like walking into a wall. While the regulars barely seemed to notice the heat I wondered whether I would make it through class. 

I was there because I’d heard that hot yoga was dynamic. I expected it to be a workout and was open to the opportunity to de-stress. What I was totally unprepared for was the kind of elation I felt at the end of my practice. I was relaxed but alert, calm but energetic, and I was curious about the simultaneous experience of these opposing sensations in my body.