A HOT yoga studio in Taunton has successfully reopened in a new location after it was forced to pack up and leave its first premises last year.

Founder Cristine Vasquez-Tan first opened her Hotpod Yoga franchise in Bindon Place in 2018, making it one of the company's 43 UK locations.

The studio enjoyed a busy start after its launch with plenty of demand for its classes, which are held in an inflatable pod, heated to 37°C.

This increases flexibility and makes the heart and lungs work harder, giving yogis an extra cardiovascular boost as part of their workout.

The pod also features soft purple lighting, relaxing beats and calming scents to help reduce stress and anxiety and provide a sense of escapism.

But the outbreak of the Covid pandemic forced Hotpod to close for around two years, before it was allowed to hold classes again with limited numbers.

And there was more bad news in early-2023, when Cristine and her team were given notice by their building's landlord, who wanted to sell up.

Somerset County Gazette: The studio offers changing rooms, showers, hairdryers and toilets.The studio offers changing rooms, showers, hairdryers and toilets. (Image: Hotpod Yoga Taunton)

That left Cristine clearing the studio and putting everything into storage until a suitable new space was found at Viney Court seven months later.

But the studio rebuild offered an opportunity for a fresh start.

“We want to build an inclusive studio where everyone is welcome in the space, whether you’re experienced with yoga practice or it’s your first time,” said Cristine.

“The whole concept is to inspire everyone to feel great through the power of yoga. It’s designed to be welcoming for everyone.

“The first couple of years were amazing, but then Covid happened, so the studio closed down for about two years.

“And then when we re-opened, our classes were capped down to a minimum.

“That was really hard to come back to, and then we were given notice at the start of last year.

“The rebuild of the studio began in August, and then we reopened in October.

“It’s good to see people coming through the doors again.”

Cristine has a background in weightlifting but has been practicing yoga for more than 10 years as part of her training.

She started her Hotpod journey in 2018 when she sought a solution to a shoulder injury – and soon returned to a full range of movement.

“There’s a lot of benefits to doing hot yoga,” she said.

“It allows the muscles to acclimatise straight away.

“In normal practice, it would take your muscles about 20 minutes to warm up. It also gives you that sense of relaxation.

“Doing hot yoga increases your cardiovascular at the same time. Because you’re in the heated space, your heart works a bit harder than usual.

“That gets you fitter without you realising it. It gives you that sensory feel, as well.”

She added: “I’ve been curious since I was a child about movement and how we move. I’ve always been fit and active.

“A lot of people won’t try yoga unless they’re injured, or it’s the last resort because they can’t do anything else.

“They often say, ‘why didn’t I do that sooner, or integrate it into my routine?’”

Review: Hotpod Yoga in Taunton

Hotpod Yoga offers several sessions at its Taunton studio, including its all-new Sleep Sessions, which are designed to be “very restorative” and help customers get a good night's kip – especially during a busy working week.

But when I was invited to try a session, I opted for Hotpod Flow – the brand's signature session – hosted by Cristine on a Wednesday evening.

She was immediately very welcoming and showed me around the swish studio and inside the spacious, cocoon-like pod, which has four heaters and benefits from Hotpod Yoga's bespoke lavender, orange and bergamot scent.

All I needed to do was dress appropriately and bring a large towel and plenty of water (be prepared to get pretty sweaty within a few minutes of the pod door closing, and very sweaty once the hour-long session has finished).

I arrived in my sports t-shirt and shorts, but there are several cubicles, showers and lockers for anyone who needs them when they show up.

This was my first-ever yoga experience, but one that I'd been looking forward to trying – especially to see how it could fit into my routine around work, being a keen runner and playing football at a (very) amateur level several times a week.

As more people began to trickle through the door, we were encouraged to find a space in the pod to acclimatise and start to relax before the class began.

It wasn't long before the pod was pretty much full; without being told, you wouldn't have thought this was a studio that had only recently re-opened after a tough few years.

Thanks to a clear layout, everyone had plenty of space to move around in.

When the class got under way, we were told it would be a chance to ‘let go of chaos and responsibilities’ and ‘focus on your body’ – and that certainly rang true.

Hotpod Flow sees yogis follow a sequence that, well, flows from one movement to the next, built around several key poses such as Downward Dog and Warrior Pose 2.

It is challenging, especially for a newbie, and it really pulls focus onto your breathing and works your muscle groups in a way that other exercises don't, but Cristine gave clear demonstrations and instructions and was happy to give gentle form corrections.

I found myself quite surprised at what I was able to do in my first session, but there was definitely some room for improvement with my flexibility! 

There were also useful reminders throughout to only do what you're comfortable with, and there's always the option to reset and try again if you do have a wobble.

The session ended with everyone in Savasana pose – essentially, lying flat on your back with your entire body relaxed to focus on your body and breathing.

My verdict? It was a great workout, with the added bonus of being able to escape from stress and responsibility through the power of the pod, and I look forward to returning to try another session.

Hotpod Yoga is located at Viney Court, off Viney Street. You can book online at hotpodyoga.com/studios/taunton.

County Gazette readers can sign up for a free class by entering the code HPYSCGAZETTE when booking on the Hotpod Yoga website.