There is a version of yoga and pilates built for how it looks. One isn’t that. These practices are taught here for how they work: cumulative, specific, designed to develop you rather than impress you.
Hot yoga is any yoga class practiced in a heated room. At One, we heat the studio to 37°C – intentionally the same temperature as the body’s internal core. One was the first studio in the world to heat to core body temperature rather than above it. At this temperature the external environment meets the body rather than working against it: muscles warm quickly, connective tissue becomes more pliable, and the body can move into its full range of motion with less resistance.
Our signature hot yoga and pilates classes include Slow Hot Flow; created by One founder Lucinda Mills, who drew on her training in Iyengar, Bikram and Ashtanga yoga to develop a practice that is heated and alignment-based, with smooth transitions. It is a 60-minute class built on a recognisable structure that varies in content each session. The structure ensures completeness: every class moves the body through all major planes of motion, all joints, and across all pose families; Warm Up Flow, Strength Flow, Balancing Flow, Standing Series and Floor Series, progressing through to savasana. Within that structure, the specific postures vary. Students build a broad vocabulary of movement over time rather than repeating the same poses in perpetuity.
Attending Slow Hot Flow should feel dependable: you know the shape of the experience, but not exactly what’s coming. Stability with a bit of surprise.
Bikram yoga is one specific style of hot yoga, not a synonym for it; all Bikram yoga is hot yoga. Not all hot yoga is Bikram.
Bikram Choudhury developed Bikram Yoga in the 1970s as a commercial franchise built around a fixed sequence of exactly 26 poses and 2 breathing exercises, practiced in a room heated to 40°C with 40% humidity, for exactly 90 minutes. The class is scripted word for word and standardised globally. You attend 100 Bikram classes, you practise the same 26 postures 100 times.
One’s Slow Hot Flow is built on the founding principles of Bikram, alongside Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga, acknowledging the lineage while taking a fundamentally different pedagogical approach. Our classes use a structure, not a sequence. The structure guarantees that every session is physically complete; every plane of motion, every joint, every pose family; but the content varies across sessions. Over time students learn many more postures and develop a significantly broader movement vocabulary than the 26 pose Bikram format allows.
The temperature at One is also different: 37°C rather than 40°C. This is deliberate. 37°C is internal body temperature. The environment meets the body rather than overwhelming it.
Following Bikram Choudhury’s criminal convictions, many former Bikram studios have rebranded using terms like “26+2 yoga” or “Original Hot Yoga.” If you have practiced in these environments before, you will find One’s classes physically comparable in heat and intensity, but methodologically distinct.
One’s heated studio is set to 37°C – the same temperature as the body’s internal core. This is a deliberate choice. At body temperature, the external environment does not fight the body’s thermoregulation; it supports it. Muscles and connective tissue warm rapidly, range of motion opens, and the practice becomes more accessible at depth.
By comparison, Bikram yoga studios heat to 40°C with 40% humidity. Some studios use infrared heating, which can feel different despite a comparable air temperature. One uses conventional heating with humidity control.
The heat is significant. You will sweat heavily. Come well hydrated and allow yourself two or three sessions to begin adapting – the acclimatisation is real and it does happen.
A 2025 systematic review published in Sports Medicine – Open (Mee et al., University of Worcester) reviewed the physiological, functional and psychological adaptations to hot yoga and found consistent positive outcomes across multiple studies, including improvements in:
Beyond the measurable: practitioners consistently report better stress regulation, sharper mental focus, improved sleep quality, and a greater capacity to manage difficulty; physical and otherwise. The heat creates an environment that demands full concentration, which tends to crowd out everything else.
One note worth knowing: the research generally shows that the heat alone does not dramatically outperform room-temperature yoga for most health outcomes when practice quality is comparable. What the heated environment does is create conditions where many people focus more deeply, tolerate intensity they would otherwise avoid, and build a more consistent practice. The quality of the practice matters; more than the temperature.
This is one of the more robust findings in the hot yoga research. Multiple studies document significant reductions in perceived stress and anxiety in regular practitioners, alongside improvements in mood and emotional regulation.
Heat is a neuromuscular relaxant; it has a calming effect on the body and mind, lowering blood pressure and dissolving the physical expression of stress. The 37°C room at One also creates an attentional demand: you cannot think about your to do list and manage your body in the heat at the same time. Practitioners who do this regularly tend to report becoming more regulated outside the room as well.
Hot yoga can support people managing lower back pain, though it is not a substitute for professional assessment of the underlying cause.
The combination of heat (which relaxes muscular tension and increases tissue pliability) and yoga’s emphasis on spinal mobility, core strength and postural awareness addresses several of the common contributors to chronic lower back issues. Multiple studies have documented improvements in back pain with regular yoga practice.
If you have an acute injury, an existing spinal condition, or have been advised by a physio or GP to avoid certain movements, please let our team know before your first class. For more specific individual attention to injury history and movement assessment, our Studio Pilates Intro Offer including a private and 3 x small group format classes (maximum four clients) may be a more appropriate starting point.
Yes. We recommend beginners start with our Slow Hot Flow Essentials or Hot Flow classes and allow two or three sessions to acclimatise to the heat. It is normal to find the room challenging initially. Come well hydrated, allow yourself to rest when needed, and your body will adapt. Our instructors are experienced teaching mixed-level rooms.
Hot Yoga classes are not suitable for everyone. Consult your doctor before attending if you have any of the following:
People taking beta blockers should not attend hot yoga – the medication impairs the body’s ability to regulate heart rate in heat, which can be dangerous.
Hot yoga is not recommended during pregnancy. See below.
No, hot yoga is NOT recommended during pregnancy. The elevated room temperature carries a risk of overheating (hyperthermia) which, particularly in the first trimester, can affect foetal development. This applies even if you practised hot yoga regularly before becoming pregnant.
We offer yoga and Pilates specifically designed for each stage of pregnancy through our You, Plus One prenatal program ($198), available at both South Yarra and Potts Point studios.
Our studio policy: under 18s may attend hot yoga classes only when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Unaccompanied under 18s are welcome to join our warm yoga classes (27ºC) at any time.
For teenagers: while a 16 year old’s thermoregulation is broadly comparable to adults, adolescents face specific risks in a heated environment, including greater susceptibility to sudden drops in blood pressure (which increases dizziness and fainting risk when moving between floor and standing poses), increased risk of overstretching due to hormonal joint laxity, and faster onset of dehydration under heat load. Thorough hydration before and during class is especially important for younger practitioners.
If you have questions about a younger person attending, please contact our team before booking.
Hydration matters more than food. Drink up to 500ml of water in the two hours before class. Avoid alcohol the night before and caffeine close to class time as both dehydrate.
Food: do not eat at least two hours before class to avoid discomfort from digestion during physical work. A light snack with slow-release carbohydrates and moderate protein would be fine. Avoid heavy, rich or fatty food before a heated session.
Bring a drink bottle with you as water stations are available at both studios. Bottles must be plastic or stainless steel (glass free studios). For longer or more intense sessions, an electrolyte supplement can help.
Yes, to a degree. The most common first session experiences are light headedness, nausea, or fatigue – particularly if hydration was not adequate or the heat is simply unfamiliar. This typically improves noticeably by the second or third session as the body begins heat adaptation.
What to do: slow down, skip poses, sit or lie on your mat. Our instructors expect this from new students. There is no obligation to complete every pose in your first class, and no one is watching you with that expectation.
If you experience chest discomfort, persistent vomiting, or severe dizziness, leave the room and let a staff member know immediately.
Hot yoga burns more kilojoules per session than room temperature yoga due to the added cardiovascular demand of the heat. Research suggests energy expenditure in a hot yoga session is comparable to moderate aerobic exercise.
That said, One does not position hot yoga as a weight loss tool; not because the research doesn’t support some body composition change with regular practice, but because framing a practice around weight loss tends to undermine the thing that makes it actually work: showing up consistently because the practice itself is genuinely satisfying. If that’s what happens, body composition tends to follow.
Post class headaches are almost always a sign of inadequate hydration; either before or during class, or failure to rehydrate immediately afterwards. The fix is simple: more water before, a drink bottle in class, and electrolytes immediately after.
Less commonly, headaches can result from tensing the jaw or neck during challenging poses – something to check in with during class.
If you experience headaches consistently despite good hydration, consult your GP. Persistent headaches after exercise in the heat can occasionally indicate blood pressure issues worth investigating.
Two to three sessions per week is where most practitioners begin to notice meaningful change, in how the heat feels, how accessible the poses become, and in strength and flexibility. The practice compounds: each session builds on the last, and the heat adaptation that develops over three to four weeks makes every subsequent class more manageable.
Daily practice is possible and common among experienced students, though it requires careful attention to hydration and recovery.
Our 21 day unlimited trial is specifically designed to let you establish a real rhythm and experience what consistent practice actually feels like before committing to a membership.
For all hot yoga and pilates classes at One, bring a drink bottle (we have water stations to refill – bottles must be plastic or stainless steel as we are a glass-free studio), a sweat towel (available to hire if preferred), and form fitting clothing you can move in freely. Mats are provided. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before class – doors lock promptly at the start of each session.
Yin yoga is a slow, floor based practice in which poses are held for three to five minutes or longer. Unlike a dynamic yoga class, which moves through postures with muscular engagement and momentum, yin asks you to find stillness and allow the body to settle gradually into each shape.
The tissues being worked are primarily connective; fascia, ligaments, joint capsules; which respond to sustained, low load stress differently from muscle. But the more precise description of what yin actually does is this: it creates a sustained encounter with your own nervous system’s predictions about sensation. When you hold a pose past the point of initial discomfort, most people’s instinct is to escape. Yin is the practice of staying; repeatedly discovering that the sensation does not require escape, that the body can regulate itself in its presence. Over time, that builds a capacity that transfers well beyond the mat.
The research on yin yoga is more careful and more interesting than many studios present it.
What is well supported: regular yin practice improves whole-body flexibility, joint mobility and range of motion. A 5 week randomised controlled trial showed significant reductions in both state anxiety (how you feel right now) and trait anxiety (your baseline disposition) – the trait finding is the more meaningful of the two.
Less commonly known: sustained mechanical stretch in the yin range has been shown to reduce neutrophil count in inflamed tissue and increase resolvins; compounds that actively help the body complete its own inflammatory resolution. This isn’t just “anti-inflammatory” in the popular sense. It means sustained stretch can assist the body in resolving active inflammation. People with chronic low back pain and post-injury tissue irritation are among those most likely to benefit.
For nervous system benefits: the evidence is that yin trains autonomic regulation under mild stress rather than “switching on the parasympathetic nervous system” as is often claimed. The long hold is a stressor. The practice is learning to remain regulated in its presence. HRV studies support this account.
What a single session does not do: permanently lengthen tissue. When tissue is held under sustained load, water redistributes and stiffness reduces; but when the load is removed, tissue gradually returns toward its original length. Long term structural change requires cumulative practice, not single session creep. This is also why the quality of attention during each hold matters: attentive practice produces meaningfully different outcomes to passive time on the mat.
This is one of the most important and least understood things about yin yoga, and One’s teaching approach is built on it.
Research by anatomist Paul Grilley shows that the angle of the femoral neck varies by up to 40 degrees between individuals. Anatomist Bernie Clark distilled this into a principle called “What Stops Me?” – which identifies three distinct stopping points in any pose: tension (tissue under load that can change over time), soft compression (flesh on flesh, which won’t change with more effort), and hard compression (bone meeting bone, which cannot change at all).
The implication is significant. A student who cannot get into a particular yin shape is not necessarily inflexible; their skeleton may physically prevent it. Cueing them harder or deeper doesn’t help; it harms. The only honest response is to find the variation that creates the intended tissue load for their specific anatomy.
The teacher cannot see whether a student is stopped by tension or by bone. Only the student can feel it from the inside. This is why One’s yin teaching is built around listening rather than correcting – around asking “where does your sensation begin?” rather than “why aren’t you in the shape?”
Both are slow and floor-based, but they have different intentions. Restorative yoga uses props – bolsters, blankets, blocks – to support the body in complete comfort, with no muscular effort or tissue load. The aim is rest and nervous system recovery. Restorative poses are designed to remove sensation as much as possible.
Yin poses are held with mild, sustained sensation as the point. Props may be used to find the right position, but the tissue is under deliberate low-load stress throughout. Yin is active in its stillness: it is asking something of the body and the nervous system, rather than releasing them from all demands.
Restorative yoga is recovery. Yin yoga is practice. Both have a place – they are not interchangeable.
Yes. Yin classes are open level and well suited to people who are newer to yoga, because the pace is slower and there is no requirement for strength, balance or existing flexibility. The challenge is not physical complexity – it is learning to be still with sensation, which is available to anyone.
If you have very tight hips or hamstrings, yin classes can feel more intense in the holds than dynamic yoga initially. This is normal. Props and variations are always available and our instructors can help you find the right position for your anatomy.
Hot yoga is a dynamic, heated practice built around movement, strength and breath. Yin yoga is slow, practiced at room temperature, and built around stillness and sustained holds. The practices are genuinely complementary: hot yoga develops heat, capacity and dynamic range; yin develops depth, joint mobility and the kind of internal attention that improves everything else. Clients attend hot yoga and pilates classes regularly across our South Yarra and Potts Point studios.
Reformer pilates is a form of Pilates practiced on the Reformer; a spring-loaded machine with an adjustable carriage, foot bar, straps and shoulder blocks. The springs create resistance that can be made lighter or heavier depending on the exercise and the practitioner, making it simultaneously assistive and challenging. Unlike weight-based resistance, spring tension increases as the spring opens – so the challenge of an exercise changes across the range of motion, not just in one direction.
Reformer pilates works the whole body through exercises that can be performed lying, sitting, kneeling and standing. It emphasises precision, core engagement and controlled movement – the six principles Joseph Pilates built into the method: centering, concentration, control, precision, breath and fluidity. At One, hot yoga and pilates classes – including reformer – are held in our purpose built studio across both South Yarra and Potts Point.
Reformer pilates develops core strength, improves posture and spinal alignment, builds whole-body muscular endurance and increases joint mobility. Because the spring resistance is adjustable and exercises can be performed across multiple positions, it can be adapted for injury rehabilitation and conditioning equally well.
Research supports consistent outcomes for people who practice two to three times per week: improvements in posture, balance, coordination and functional strength compound over time. Most practitioners notice meaningful change within eight weeks of regular attendance. Unlike high-impact training, reformer pilates achieves these outcomes with low joint stress; making it well suited to people returning from injury or managing chronic pain, as well as those training for performance.
The Reformer’s unique advantage over floor-based exercise is its adaptability: more spring resistance increases challenge for the extremities; less resistance increases challenge for the core and stability. This variability makes it possible to progress within and across sessions in ways that mat work alone does not offer.
Yes. Reformer pilates is well suited to people with no prior Pilates experience. At One, we offer Reformer Essentials classes specifically designed for newcomers; these focus on learning to use the apparatus correctly, understanding spring settings, and developing the core engagement patterns that underpin the more dynamic work in open-level classes.
If you have an injury history or a health condition, let our team know before you book. Our Studio Pilates small group format (maximum four clients) offers the most individual attention for people who want more tailored guidance before joining a larger group class.
Mat pilates uses body weight, a mat, and occasionally small props. It is the original method; 34 exercises created by Joseph Pilates, performed on the floor. The challenge is raw: no assistance, no variable resistance, pure muscular control against gravity.
The Reformer adds spring resistance, which changes the challenge in both directions. It can make exercises easier by assisting movement (useful when building strength or working around injury) or harder by adding load against specific ranges of motion. It also makes a broader range of exercises accessible; standing, kneeling and inverted positions are practical on the Reformer in ways they are not always on a mat. Many clients practice both, and the two formats genuinely complement each other: mat work builds pure strength and body awareness; reformer work expands the exercise library and adds progression options.
Two to three sessions per week is the evidence-supported frequency for noticing meaningful change. At this rate, most practitioners begin to see improvements in posture, core strength and mobility within four to eight weeks. Like all strength and movement practices, reformer pilates compounds: each session builds on the previous one, and consistency matters more than intensity.
Daily reformer practice is possible but not necessary, particularly in the early stages. If you are also attending yoga or other classes, two reformer sessions per week alongside other movement gives most people excellent results.
Our 21 day unlimited trial provides access to all hot yoga and pilates classes – reformer, mat, flow, yin – and lets you build a genuine rhythm before committing to a membership; which is the fastest way to discover what your body responds to most.
Form fitting or close fitting clothing works best; loose clothing can catch on the Reformer carriage. Grip socks are required for reformer classes and are available to purchase at reception if you don’t have a pair. Bring a water bottle. No shoes are worn in the studio.
Studio Pilates at One uses the full Pilates apparatus; Reformer, Cadillac, Wunder Chair and Ladder Barrel; in a small group of maximum four clients. Each session is built around your individual body, history and goals. This is how Pilates was originally taught: as a personalised practice, not a standardised class.
Reformer Pilates classes are larger group sessions focused on the Reformer apparatus specifically, following a shared structure adapted to each client’s level by the instructor.
Our 21 day unlimited trial includes both reformer and mat classes and one Studio Pilates session – a practical way to experience the difference before committing to either format.
Mat pilates is the original form of pilates – taught by Jo on the floor without equipment, using body weight, breath and precise movement to build core strength, stability and mobility. While One’s classes are based on the method developed by Joseph Pilates, we do use props to train the body through a sequence of controlled movements that develop postural awareness and functional strength. At One we offer both Mat Pilates and Hot Mat Pilates.
Hot mat pilates is mat pilates practiced in One’s heated studio at 37°C. It is One’s original invention – we were the first studio in the world to offer this combination. The heat increases muscle pliability and allows for deeper range of motion, while the Pilates method provides structural precision and control. It is an effective and challenging combination. Some familiarity with mat pilates or yoga is useful before attending, though not required.
All our hot yoga and pilates classes are designed to be accessible to new comers. We recommend starting with Slow Hot Flow Essentials for yoga or Reformer Essentials for pilates – both are specifically designed for people building familiarity with the practice and the environment.
Arrive at least 15 minutes before class. Wear comfortable clothing suitable for movement. Bring a drink bottle and a towel. Feel free to rest at any time; taking a moment on the mat is always an option and our instructors expect it.
You do not need to be fit, flexible or experienced to begin. Both yoga and pilates are practices that develop these qualities over time, not prerequisites you need to already have.
Two to three sessions per week is where most clients begin to notice meaningful change — in strength, flexibility, posture, and energy. The practice compounds: the more consistently you attend, the more each session builds on the last. Our 21-day unlimited trial is specifically designed to help you establish that rhythm and experience what regular practice actually feels like before committing to a membership.
Yes – and we actively encourage it. Combining hot yoga and pilates classes across the same week is central to One’s approach. Yoga develops breath, mobility and endurance; pilates builds structural strength and precision. Together they develop a more complete, resilient body than either practice alone. Most of our members do both regularly.
Please let our team know before your first class – you can email us at one@onehotyoga.com.au or call us. Most of our hot yoga and pilates classes adapt well to injuries, and our instructors are trained to offer appropriate variations. For more specific assessment and program design, our Studio Pilates small group format (maximum four clients) offers the most individual attention within a class environment.
Congratulations. Please get clearance from your doctor before attending any exercise classes during pregnancy.
We don’t recommend hot yoga and pilates classes during pregnancy due to the elevated room temperature. However, we have a dedicated prenatal program You, Plus One ($198) designed for pregnant clients across all trimesters. The program includes a one-on-one session and 3 x Small Group Studio Pilates sessions, with a personalised program that evolves with your stage of pregnancy. At your Initial Consultation your instructor will also recommend which of our Group Classes is suitable for you.
See our prenatal pages for South Yarra and Potts Point.
Classes can be cancelled up to four hours before the session at no charge. Cancelling within four hours incurs a $7 fee. Not showing up to a booked class incurs a $15 fee. We encourage use of the waitlist – there is often movement on popular sessions.
For full details, see our BOOKING POLICIES.
Yes. Auto-debit members can suspend for a maximum period of 6 weeks per year. Please submit your suspension request with at least five business days notice via our Membership Suspension Request Form. Terms and conditions apply.
Congratulations! There is not better time to start your pilates and yoga practice than now.
Your first port of call is to get clearance with your doctor before attending the studio. In any case, we do not permit pre-natal clients to practice in the hot room.
The good news is, we take pride in our pre and post natal program empowering women to practice a wide range of Pilates & Yoga classes throughout our schedule. Our 1:4 Small Group Studio Pilates, Reformer Essentials, Reformer Open & Yin Yoga Classes are all pregnancy friendly – with the only requirement being that you attend a 1:1 Pre-natal consultation at 12 weeks.
See more here for South Yarra, and here for Potts Point.
Sure! Please email our Client Care team at one@onehotyoga.com.au to arrange the change.
Both studios have on street parking nearby, though it is limited and cannot be guaranteed. We recommend arriving 25 minutes before class to allow time to park – doors lock promptly at session start time.
Potts Point: Street parking is available on surrounding streets. Meters typically begin around 8am.
South Yarra: Parking is available on River Street and surrounding streets. No reserved spaces for the studio.
