FIRST TIME TO CIRCLE STUDIOS?
Yoga is for beginners and advanced students alike!
We’re all stretching, strengthening and sweating together.
Classes start on time. Aim to be 5 minutes early to ensure arrival before the door is locked. We do not accept phone calls before classes.
♥ Give yourself a few minutes to unwind before class starts ♥
Classes finish on time. The studio is open for 15 minutes before and after class.
HERE'S WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW
FIRST CLASS SIGN-UP
All heated + regular classes are pre-registration only. Visit the SCHEDULE PAGE and click sign-up beside the class you would like to attend. You’ll be asked to create a client profile and then be taken to a window to purchase your first class or pass. We use Mindbody Online Software, if you are using your cell phone the FREE Mindbody App is the best way to book classes.
As a beginner, the introductory offer of 30 Days of Unlimited Yoga for $49 gives you an opportunity to try as many classes as you’d like in 30 consecutive days. It’s often difficult to know if you like something after just one try, so come as much as you can and see at the end if it is the right fit for you!*
Aerial Yoga is separate.
HYDRATING + EATING FOR CLASS
Come to class well hydrated- Especially for HOT YOGA. Drink plenty of water throughout the day between 2-3 litres, so you are already prepared when you arrive to class. Bring a water bottle with you. During the class it is best to sip your water not guzzle. For regular practitioners, ensure to rehydrate with electrolytes. Coconut water is a great natural source of electrolytes.
Arrive for class with a two-hour window between a large meal and your practice so your body has time to digest before strenuous exercise. Timing meals throughout the day can be challenging – If you do need to eat, choose foods that are light and easy to digest. We all have different needs depending on our habits and constitution, over time you will find a routine with the right food choices that work for you. Speak to the teachers if you have questions.
WHAT TO WEAR/BRING
Clothing: For Hot/Warm classes light and stretchy, fitted garments are best to allow for comfortable movement and to show the contours of your body so you can see your alignment clearly. For women, wear a sports bra or tank-top and shorts. For men, a pair of shorts and short-sleeved shirt, though most men prefer to not wear a shirt. Fabric that will dry quickly and stay light when wet is most comfortable. We have a great selection of retail for both men and women at the studio.
For Non-Heated classes, depending on your preference , level of activity in the class and the season, wear shorts, capris or pants. On top, dress in layers with a sports bra or tank top and light long-sleeved cover.
Yoga Mat + Towel: For class, bring a yoga mat and large towel that will fit as close to the full length + width of your yoga mat as possible. If you ever need, yoga mats and towels are available for rent and can be purchased new at the studio. You may also want to bring a second towel for a shower after class!
Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated! We have a great selection of refreshing beverages for purchase at the studio.
Circle Studios is a scent-free space.
Absolutely no cellphones, shoes, laptops, or other personal items in the yoga practice space. Gift yourself the time to unplug and center back in on yourself with no distractions- it will all be waiting for you after class. We offer private lockers for your convenience or leave your belongings locked up safely in your car.
STUDIO AMENITIES
We want you to have a positive experience and always leave feeling great!
Showers: You do get sweaty during a certain classes and Circle Studios provides a beautiful facility with spacious mens + womens locker rooms + showers for convenience. Please bring a towel with you. Towels are available for rent at the studio if needed. Be courteous of others waiting and please take a short shower.
Lockers: We offer lockers and complimentary locks to secure your valuables. Circle Studios Hamilton is not responsible for any lost/stolen items. The only items you will want to take into the yoga room are your mat, large towel and water bottle.
Rentals: Yoga mats, yoga towels and shower towels can be rented for use during your class for $2.
INJURIES + HEALTH CONCERNS
Inform your instructor of any serious health problems or injuries before taking a class. We can assist you to accommodate injuries or limitations by guiding you accordingly in the postures. Listen to your body during class- if something doesn’t feel right, then don’t do it!
Listening to your body is one of the key ingredients of yoga class- through the practice you will cultivate a relationship of deep listening and connect to the body’s innate wisdom. Take your time, move with awareness and watch your body change and open.
HOW OFTEN TO PRACTICE?
We recommend practicing as often as possible in the beginning. Many people find that 3 classes per week is the minimum required to achieve maximum benefits. It is safe to practice every day. However many times you do come weekly, attempt to get into a regular schedule with your practice, the consistency will allow the work you do to keep building and create noticeable changes in your whole self!
AFTER YOUR CLASS
Continue to drink water throughout the rest of your day to re-hydrate and in preparation for your next class! We guarantee you will feel amazing. Have Questions? Please speak with the instructors or staff, we are here to help!
Plan your next class, put it in your planner, co-ordinate with your friends- keep the benefits coming!
Class Etiquette:
⋅The yoga room is a silent space to retreat and come back to yourself; please NO TALKING. Move conversations to the lobby.
⋅No cell phones in the yoga room. Please turn off notifications from smart watches.
⋅Mats are staggered, roll out the top of your mat from the two matching circle decals on the floor. We set-up our mats in the front row and back row, keeping the middle lane open for travel. Your fellow Yogis will appreciate placing water bottles and towels neatly in your personal space. Bring only essentials (mat, towel, water) into the room, leave everything else in the change room.
⋅Be good to yourself in class! Breathing in and out through your nose will help to keep you energized + calm. Your body might have a different level of endurance each day, release any judgments or expectations and just do the best you can today.
⋅In hot classes, lie down on your mat instead of leaving the room. Push yourself when you can, rest when needed.
⋅We are all here growing together, it is not a competition. See the more advanced students in the room as inspiration rather than being intimidated and have fun! We were all beginners once!
⋅After class, we invite you to stay in the room for the final relaxation (savasana) for 2-5 minutes or longer! This allows time for your heart rate and body temperature to cool down. Soak in the joys of your efforts. Ahhhh
Benefits
Heat + Sweat
Our Hot Yoga class is heated to 40°C with 40% humidity, creating the ideal environment for getting your sweat on. As you generate sweat, your internal body detoxifies and is cooled naturally through the largest organ, your skin.
The combined heat and yoga postures increase circulation throughout the body, bringing oxygen-enriched blood to your skin cells. Hot yoga also increases your heart rate, which stimulates and strengthens your cardiovascular system!
By heating your body, you loosen the muscles, enabling deeper stretches. Your body will open safely, and with all the heat, humidity, and stretching, you won’t even feel tight the next day!
Radiant Heat Therapy
Our Hot Yoga room is equipped with radiant heaters. Radiant heaters are therapeutic + detoxifying! They work by heating our bodies and the objects in the room without heating the surrounding air like other forms of heat. For this reason, radiant hot rooms are suitable for people who suffer from respiratory issues, but still want to access a hot yoga class.
This unique heating also penetrates deep into the body tissues, causing the molecules to vibrate and expel toxins and other impurities from your cells and into the blood stream to be released from the body via sweat! It is great therapy for sore muscles, stiffness, and joint pain- especially chronic arthritis. Come and feel the benefits!
Spine Health
“The spine is the source of all energy in human life.” – Bishnu Charan Gosh The spine is the most complicated structure in our body. It is the major communication highway between your brain and body, with your central nervous system connecting the whole body.
A healthy spine makes for a healthy body!
In yoga class we stretch the spine in all directions through various yoga postures, creating space between the vertebrae and developing the muscles of the back and abdomen. These movements encourage healing in the spine by taking pressure off the vertebral discs through natural traction and increasing blood flow to all areas of the spine, spinal cord + central nervous system.
Breath Awareness
Connecting with the breath is a powerful tool for health, awareness, and relaxation. It is the life blood of yoga practice… and the life force in the body!
Practicing yoga increases our supply of oxygen and teaches us how to use that oxygen properly by cultivating breath awareness. Learning to move with slow deep steady breath during class increases the body’s vital energy, or prana. This contributes to the feelings of peace and clarity of mind and energizes the body naturally by oxygenating the blood down to every cell.
Oxygen deprivation is a major cause of spasms + other muscle pains and sciatica. Studies show breath control decreases stress in the body- this is helpful considering stress has been proven linked to 80% of all diseases. Moving mindfully with breath during yoga practice is an effective tool to help counteract stress, increase your energy so you feel amazing naturally.
The Mind
In this crazy busy world, where we’re all rushing from one place to the next and the day is filled to the brim, it’s easy for us to run on overdrive, living in a state of stress, fatigue and restlessness.
All of this creates the perfect environment for chronic stress to manifest. Scientific research has proven that long-term exposure to the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline compromise the immune system. Stress has even been linked to 80% of all chronic illnesses and diseases!
However, yoga allows us to focus on the body and breath, which helps to clear the mind and relieves physical tension. Combining breath control and concentration with yoga postures results in the mind slowing down, inducing relaxation. In this state of relaxation, you have the ability to think, see, and feel from a fresh perspective. This increases self-awareness, and brings an inner sense of calm to your mind + body.
During class, we challenge you to focus on what you are doing moment by moment. With this, you practice silencing the chatter in the mind. In yoga you will naturally develop the five qualities of the mind: concentration, determination, faith, patience and self-control.
We will encourage you to never give up, no matter the obstacles until you reach your goals.
These mind and body benefits happen naturally in the yoga class – simply get here, do your best, and feel the long lasting calm.