Yoga Reimagined
After the success of their first studio in Carmel, Sol Hot Yoga Studio has recently opened a new location in Zionsville. Hot yoga is a form of exercise that is performed in a humid environment, often in rooms heated to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Co-owner Matt Andrews started practicing hot yoga after his wife Sky introduced him to it. While he was deployed in Iraq, she found solace in hot yoga and began teaching it a few years later.
They spent many years traveling the world because of his career, but in 2018, they moved to Indiana and opened the doors to Sol Hot Yoga in Carmel. They found it to be a rapidly growing community, while also being near Andrews’ family. For the first year, classes were always full and the business was doing well, but they struggled after the pandemic hit.
“We got decimated by it. It slowed us down from where we wanted to be. We wanted to have a second studio three years ago,” Andrews recalls.
Despite the setbacks, the couple persevered with online courses and other strategies to stay afloat, and managed to not only keep their studio in Carmel, but open a new one in Zionsville.
“It’s not about a pose that looks good in the mirror or on Instagram, it’s building up to a place where you feel good inside. Our goal is that people feel better inside. When we do things to undo bad habits, poor posture, or injuries, you just feel better,” Andrews says.
“The heat is part of that. It opens the body; dilates the vessels so you get more blood flow, and it flushes out the toxins. If you’re not active, the blood vessels tend to constrict. The heat encourages that circulation.”
For the team at Sol Hot Yoga, their customers’ health is their first priority. Unlike other chain studios, they don’t use infrared heat sources, which can be damaging to the body.
“They may have some of the superficial benefits, but long-term exposure to infrared is potentially harmful to your skin and internal organs,” says Andrews. “Those infrared panels act like a microwave, and we’re not frozen burritos.”
They had to get creative in finding and building a space to accommodate the necessary temperatures for hot yoga, as well as fresh air flow, rather than recirculated air.
“We’ve been through dozens of HVAC contractors. For the first one, they’re like, ‘the walls will melt and the building will burn down.’ But we found someone who knew it would be okay if you have the right equipment. For most residential and commercial properties, there’s a high temperature limit that is imposed for safety reasons. But we worked directly with the manufacturers to get it figured out,” he explains.
The Andrews have learned a lot over the years, from the financial aspects of running the studio to their own philosophies on practicing and teaching hot yoga. One of their inspirations is Jimmy Barkan, a hot yoga teacher who got his certification in Kolkata, India, in 1981 and helped to popularize it in the United States. They preferred his style of teaching compared to the approach of another well-known yoga instructor, Bikram Choudhury. Ultimately, Sol Hot Yoga has its own way of doing things.
“The best part is teaching and seeing the transformation happen. From the beginning to the end of the class, you can already see it. The biggest thing is the change in attitude from when they first come in, compared to after they’ve practiced with us for a couple weeks. There’s a visible shift in their whole demeanor,” says Andrews.
After spending many years in special ops and doing high-intensity workouts, Andrews found his joints suffering and his metabolism slowing once he passed the age of 40, and he transitioned to yoga for exercise. He emphasizes that anyone can benefit from hot yoga, whether they’re a seasoned athlete or have no prior experience with physical exercise.
“We get lots of high school kids in Zionsville; it’s a much younger crowd. They like the peace that comes from it, and the mental health benefits,” he says.
However, they have participants of all ages, from teenagers to those in their 70s or older. One member started attending classes after she fell and broke her hip.
“We get a lot of husbands and wives, or mothers and daughters. A thing that’s really special beyond the mat is that communal approach. If you come with somebody, it’s not just accountability, but a shared experience. It’s something that’s accessible for all age ranges and skill levels.”
Sol Hot Yoga is located at 3299 S. U.S. 421, Zionsville, Indiana, 46077. For more information or to find a class, visit solhotyogastudio.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
