A Guide to Yoga Classes and Their Benefits at Edgemont Athletic

Breathe in, breathe out – and let this guide inspire you to sign up for those yoga classes you’ve always wanted to treat yourself to.

From Hatha Yoga and Hot Yoga classes to Warm Yin and Warm Flow, the world of this physical, mental, and spiritual discipline is vast – and it’s absolutely worth diving into. With the ability to bring about plenty of science-backed benefits, such as stress relief, improved mental health, better posture and body awareness, and healthier sleep it’s no wonder more and more people are choosing to roll out those mats to discover better harmony between their mind and body.

Now it’s time to get your mat ready, because here at Edgemont Athletic – the leading yoga studio in Calgary – we’re sharing the ultimate guide to yoga classes and all their incredible benefits.

Table of Contents: A Guide to Yoga Classes and Their Benefits at Edgemont Athletic

1. What is Yoga?

• Thank You For The Gift of Yoga, India

2. Science-Backed Health Benefits of Yoga

• Stress Relief
• Boosted Mental Health
• Better Posture, Balance, Flexibility, Strength and Body Awareness
• Improved Sleep

3. Edgemont Athletic’s Yoga Classes in Calgary

• Yoga
• Flow
• Hatha Yoga
• Hot Yoga (40 Degree)
• Warm Flow
• Warm Yin

4. Find Your Center at The Leading Yoga Studio in Calgary

What is Yoga?

Yoga is often seen as just a physical practice – one that you dedicate some time to whenever you can. And once you leave the classroom, you just end up going back to your daily routine.

While it does have a huge focus on poses and stretches to improve flexibility and strength, it’s so much more than that. Yoga is a holistic lifestyle that encompasses physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Beyond the postures or asanas (that are so incredibly liberating, you’ll never want to go back to a life of slouching and tight muscles), yoga also includes various other aspects. Breathing techniques, meditation, mindfulness, ethical guidelines, and self-awareness are also vital elements that are incorporated to enable individuals to experience a holistic approach to health and wellness.

Thank You For The Gift of Yoga, India

Originating in India over 5,000 years ago, yoga has deep roots in history and tradition. Originally taught one-on-one to men of the highest caste, yoga has evolved to become accessible to people from all walks of life. While statistics show that it’s currently a female-dominated practice, it’s important to understand that yoga is universally beneficial, no matter what your identity is. You’ll quickly learn how yoga is a true gift—and it welcomes everyone.

In the early 20th century, yoga instructors traveled around giving lectures and classes rather than teaching in dedicated studios like we see today. Through books like Autobiography of a Yogi, the teachings of yoga have spread far and wide, influencing countless individuals seeking balance and harmony in their lives. As one continues to explore the depths of yoga beyond just its physical benefits, they’ll truly embrace its essence as a lifestyle that promotes overall well-being. 

Science-Backed Health Benefits of Yoga

Yoga classes in Calgary (and everywhere else on the planet) continue to rise in popularity thanks to their countless benefits. And the best part about it all is that science approves of its greatness. Learn more about the science-backed health benefits of yoga below:

1. Stress Relief

Studies from 2023 reveal that stress levels are currently on the rise in Canada. In fact, 40% of Canadians say their personal level of stress is greater than it was compared to 2022.

From inflation to the cost of living and healthcare struggles, there are many culprits behind these rising numbers—and it’s truly highlighting the urgent need for effective stress relief strategies.

While yoga clearly can’t eradicate these stressors, what it does is it allows you to step back and yet fight back. The practices involved are scientifically proven to be effective in reducing stress levels by calming the mind and relaxing the body. And because of this immense benefit, stress relief is popularly cited as the second most common reason people practice yoga.

The physical postures, meditation, breath work, and auditory practices involved all work together to relieve tension and stress. With yoga being a holistic lifestyle, it offers a comprehensive toolkit for managing stress that goes beyond just temporary relief—providing long-term benefits for mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.

2. Boosted Mental Health

With physical movement, breathing techniques, and mindfulness practices taking center stage during every session, research has shown that yoga-based treatments can be effective in managing depressive symptoms.

A Non-Medication-Based Approach

The Harvard Gazette shares that in a randomized controlled clinical trial of adults with moderate-to-severe depression, those who participated in heated yoga sessions experienced significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms compared with a control group.

The investigators involved were able to observe that as much as 59.3% of yoga participants had a 50% or greater decrease in symptoms.

It’s currently being looked into how yoga and heat-based interventions could potentially change the course of treatment for patients with depression by providing a non-medication–based approach that comes with additional physical benefits as another major benefit.

Looking for a studio that offers top-tier hot yoga in Calgary? Edgemont Athletics is bringing the heat with our Hot Yoga (40 Degree) classes.

A Sense of Community

Attending yoga classes in Calgary means you’ll instantly be surrounded by and connect with individuals who have a similar goal of improved well-being. That sense of community and like-mindedness can serve as a supportive environment for individuals looking to improve their own mental health.

3. Better Posture, Balance, Flexibility, Strength and Body Awareness

On a scale of one to 10, how healthy would you say your posture is? Do you find yourself unknowingly slouching often? Yes? Well, that’s negatively impacting your health.

Did you know that every inch your head moves forward as a result of bad posture adds an extra 10 pounds that your neck holds up?

Poor posture can be challenging—but you’re not alone. In fact, over 11 million Canadians suffer from at least one musculoskeletal condition each year, with many of the cases being linked to the use of technology.

If your back and neck could speak every time you slouch, they would probably *yell* at you, tell you to straighten up, and ask you to *kindly* carry out some yoga poses for your own well-being.

With the various asanas involved in the practice of yoga, proper posture, flexibility, and the use of your core muscles are vital to succeeding. Through consistent practice, your body will learn to get used to the importance of those elements. This results in a stronger and well-balanced body.

With mindfulness also being at the core of yoga practices, this quickly impacts your levels of body awareness. Just like how we mentioned that yoga itself is a lifestyle, the attribute of better body awareness is likely to echo into your life even beyond Calgary yoga classes—and good posture will naturally become an aspect you pour more awareness into.

4. Improved Sleep

Research shows that yoga can improve how quickly people fall asleep and how deeply they stay asleep. This incredible benefit is brought about by the after-effects of exercise paired with the mental calming, stress relief, and breathing exercises that are practiced during yoga.

According to a survey, over 55% of individuals who regularly practice yoga say that it helps them get better sleep.

Edgemont Athletic’s Yoga Classes in Calgary

Step into Edgemont Athletic’s sanctuary of tranquility and balance: Studio 40 for the body and mind. Our yoga classes in Calgary are here to help you meet your best levels of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being yet.

From Hot Yoga in Calgary to Warm Yin, discover more about our classes below:

Yoga

What to expect: Our expert instructor will guide you through different physical poses, concentration, and focused breathwork to boost physical and mental well-being. Throughout the classes, the instructors will also offer modifications and instructions.

What to keep in mind:

• Don’t forget to bring your own mat! BYOM is how we roll for many of our classes

Duration: one hour

Flow

What to expect: This class is a mixture of meditation, breathwork, and energizing movement. It’s kickstarted with gentler movements to warm up the body. From there, participants will move into progressively more challenging flowing sequences, such as standing poses, balances, inversions, and peak poses. Toward the end, the focus will be on slower, deeper stretches.

Elevating Flow yoga classes even further, props such as blocks and straps are used as well.

What to keep in mind:

• Since the supply of props at Studio 40 is limited, we highly encourage participants to bring their own supply
• BYOM

Hatha Yoga

What to expect: Hatha Yoga focuses on basic postures combined into a set or series with each pose held for several breaths. The term “hatha” directly translates to mean “force” which highlights the tenacity necessary to hold poses for longer breaths. Rhythmic breathing is among the main elements of this class-—so expect inhaling and exhaling to be the drivers of motion and energy here!

What to keep in mind:

• It’s also encouraged that participants bring their own supply of blocks or straps
• BYOM

Hot Yoga in Calgary

What to expect: As the hot spot for hot yoga in Calgary, you can count on Edgemont Athletics to ignite your yoga journey to a whole new level. Practiced in a heated room of 40 degrees, participants can look forward to the benefits of detoxification, improving joint mobility, and flexibility through deeper stretching.

We start things off by awakening your body. This happens through a series of yoga poses that synchronize breath with movement. Next, the focus will be on long-held poses that target your deep connective tissues, such as the ligaments, joints, bones, and deep fascia networks.

The benefits of heat during yoga classes: The increased room temperature aids in warming up the muscles and tissues. At the same time, this also improves blood circulation.

How we bring the heat: Studio 40 uses innovative Infrared technology to warm up the body rather than the ambient temperature.

Warm Flow

What to expect: This type of yoga is a mixture of meditation, breathwork, and energizing movement at temperatures ranging between 28-34.

It all begins with gentler movements to warm up the body. From there, participants will move into progressively more challenging flowing sequences, such as standing poses, balances, inversions, and peak poses. The class will end with slower, deeper stretches.

Just like our classic Flow classes, it may also include the use of props, such as blocks and straps.

How we bring the heat: For Warm Flow classes, Studio 40 also uses innovative Infrared technology to warm up the body rather than the ambient temperature.

What to keep in mind:

• It’s encouraged that participants bring their own supply of blocks or straps as props can be limited at Studio 40. 

Warm Yin

What to expect: This type of yoga is practiced at temperatures ranging between 28-32 degrees, and it aims to improve energy flow while enhancing the flow of chi in the organs as well. As such, the main target is the deep connective tissues of the body, including the ligaments, joints, bones, and deep fascia networks.

You’ll find that a typical Yin class consists of a series of passive floor poses that focus on working the lower part of the body, such as the hips, pelvis, inner thighs, and lower spine.

How we bring the heat: Warm Yin at Studio 40 leverages innovative Infrared technology to warm up the body.

Find Your Center at The Leading Yoga Studio in Calgary

Still scouring the city looking for “hot yoga classes near me?” Not anymore; you’ve finally found Edgemont Athletic.

So clear your mind and a small chunk of your schedule – because you’re going to want to put “yoga classes” in that space.

We’ll see you at our yoga studio in Calgary. Talk to us today to get started!