If sweat is weakness leaving the body, you’ll come out of this yoga class a superhero Some like it hot

I admit that I find it difficult to come up with a way to convince my readers to find the idea of sweating attractive, especially because you are probably already sweating now, during Bangkok’s so-called “winter”. I mean, haven’t we reached maximum sweat allowance just by existing in this climate?

According to Montakan Bhoomuang, a yoga instructor at Yoga Space Together, there’s a difference between sweating from hot and humid weather and sweating from a good workout. It’s even different to sweat in a room with a traditional heater and one with infrared light.

“Doing yoga in an infrared room doesn’t leave you gasping for air like when you’re in a room with a heater on. Humidity makes it harder to breathe, and yoga is all about keeping your breath steady,” said Montakan.

So into the red room we went for Hot Space class, a 75-minute yoga session in an infrared room, with an average temperature of 38˚C — or the average lunchtime heat we’re all used to. I was already sweating a ton by the time the warm-up began, but the instructor assured me that my skin would be thankful for it, as sweating helps detoxify the skin and gives it a beautiful glow.

Yoga Space Together at All Seasons Place was opened in September, and the office ladies in the building say a big khob khun kha. The class schedule is designed for working people — morning class ends before work begins, a 45-minute noon class can be fit into a lunch break and the afternoon class is the perfect solution to avoiding after-work traffic on Witthayu Road.

Yoga Space Together aims to be a nonintimidating yoga community. None of those fancy human pretzel poses to scare off firsttimers here; in fact, most students are new to yoga, so it’s great for beginners. The instructor is hands-on, making sure everyone is doing the poses correctly and not holding back.

Non-intimidating, however, does not mean easy. The flow of the class has been designed to strengthen muscles and stretch out those office syndrome-stricken parts of your body. Expect a lot of Warrior poses, which your legs will thank you for the next day, in the form of light, involuntary trembling. The class is quite fast-paced, which is a good thing in my book, because I don’t like holding a pose for too long. Except savasana (corpse pose), of course.

Working out for 75 minutes in a hot room is certainly not a piece of cake, but as you take a shower after class, you will feel that euphoric rush of well-being and confidence. As a bonus, your face will have that pinkish, healthy glow that even the best blush-on can’t emulate. Yoga Space Together is located at 3/F, CRC Building, All Seasons Place, Witthayu Road. Visit fb.com/Yogaspacetogether or call 094-924-9146.