Hot Yoga Waikiki | H•Y•P•E — Local services in Honolulu

I LOVE THIS STUDIO! Here's why:

I don’t relate to most aspects of my Gujarati Indian culture. But I do relate to yoga, a Hindu tradition that encompasses physical, mental, and spiritual practices. I've been practicing hot yoga for years in Western studios and I'm grateful. Hot yoga grounds me and I practice regularly for the meditative aspects (it's so hard I can't NOT focus on being in the moment). That, and because I’m a psychiatrist, I’m overjoyed that many people in the West practice yoga and find it helpful. Of course, not all Indians feel like that. There are Indians who consider westernized yoga to be harmfully appropriated, especially given the high commercialization of it and how far removed it’s become from ancient Indian philosophy and purpose.

That brings me to Catherine's studio. Did I mention I LOVE IT?! She's built a beautiful studio and community where practitioners new and seasoned alike focus on the healing aspects of the yoga without all the discussions that I've heard at many other studios (discussions about beauty and body that our privileged Western society is obsessed with-“detox juice cleanse diets,” “going vegan,” “deciding to quit all carbs,” praising each other on weight loss, and/or praising each other on taking more than two classes a day without eating enough-things that, to me, feel culturally appropriative in a yoga studio because don't practitioners know that 15% of India’s population is undernourished? Don't they know that most Indians in India are lacto-vegetarian? Don't they think that it’s highly disrespectful when they talk about bodies like pieces of meat [which of course, they don’t eat]? Don't they know that they’re perpetuating misogyny? I wonder if they talk to their children, especially their daughters, like that. It makes me angry, but more than that, it makes me sad and scared for the future).

That being said, it is important for me to have a studio that is safe because I practice to recharge my mind so that I can focus on helping youth and adults in my office all day. I appreciate every single yoga teacher who's taught me, and every single studio I've practiced in, but, for me, Hot Yoga Waikiki is my place of regular practice because of the laid back community of practitioners. Also, the overall vibe as soon as you step foot in the beautiful studio is safe and nurturing-yet I know that I will get my sweat on and leave feeling renewed and stronger. All the teachers are great (a couple I've had at other studios so you can tell they love what they do and are dedicated).

For me the great thing at Catherine's studio is that I know that no one will comment on my body (don't want to hear it). I know that no one will ask me what I eat (um, steak and ice cream are my favorite and regular things thank you very much). I know that if I brought my teenagers there, I wouldn't be worried that they'd have to hear harmful, oppressive body talk in a place that's supposed to be restorative. I look forward to every single time I can step on the mat at Catherine's lovely studio. And if she's teaching, I know she'll give her 100% to push, nudge, encourage, and/or kick my butt into the Western style hardcore meditative bliss...

A very well run hot yoga studio! It’s a SMART studio - heat & humidity are maintained virtually, doors close automatically once class starts, cameras throughout the studio, even the window blinds open/close based on sunlight, so cool! Very clean Water available Easy to rent all essentials, like yoga mat & towel Teachers are virtual, but live! You can take classes virtually or come to the perfectly heated studio Instructors are very experienced, they know based on sign in, what position in the studio you’re located and they provide personal guidance virtually. There are cameras throughout the studio and the teacher has view of all the students. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical of virtual instruction for bikram hot yoga, however, I was pleasantly surprised how well they run the class. I have been practicing bikram yoga for about 12 years, in Catherine’s class, she pointed out she helped me tweak my head to knee pose & standing bow pose with her tips! Studio is so close to Waikiki beach, I walked to Queens beach after class & watched some awesome volleyball games & swam! Catherine, was so welcoming, and has so much caring and passion as a teacher as well as studio owner! She’s a great communicator, her high positive energy is very contagious! She patiently helped me with all my questions and set me up to sign up for classes via R2D2 smart assistant, being able to sign up for any class via text. I highly recommend...

Absolutely FANTASTIC!! Ahead of its time! This and no other is the way to go! The fact that we have the teacher on the screen is so magnificent! I have been to Bikram Studios before, none like this! The teachers are right there but see, I didn’t know that such made me a bit self conscious until today that I had my first class at this Studio and for the first time after many years at different Studios in different parts of the country, I felt completely relaxed, even though I knew the teacher was right there and could see all my moves and correct my posture like today, I needed the correction of my feet in one posture and it worked out perfectly fine for me to be adviced this way, also showed that the teacher can see all our moves, the cameras can catch the details, so, good. Then, the temperature was absolutely perfect, nobody had to open the door at any point of the class because it never got too hot, although it was hot! Oh I Loved it!! Really appreciate it because I know how healing Bikram is and always wanted to continue with it but couldn’t find a Studio with the characteristics that this one has that allowed me to do the whole 90 minutes very confidently and peacefully, very concentrated… no distractions, because of these factors. Thank You Very Much For Existing! I will make you my lifetime Studio now....