First Place: Bikram Yoga

3024 Stony Point Road, 330-3353
3621 Cox Road, 249-3355
bikramyogarichmond.com

Second Place: Hot House Yoga

Third Place: Yoga Source

So purposefully exercising in 105-degree rooms for 90 minutes is considered a great way to relax and detoxify? Don't worry, the floors are made of some special antibacterial substance, which is a good thing when you have a couple of dozen people sweating out five to 10 pounds of water in one sitting. So let's do the math: in one class of 30 people, that's 150 pounds of sweat. Garland Hume, co-owner of the two Bikram Yoga studios in Richmond, says exercising in giant ovens is becoming all the rage. And it's great for the body, she says. "I think people are catching on to the whole heat aspect of things," Hume says. "Whenever you exercise in heat you are going to break down toxins faster, fat breaks down faster, acid. You wake up more." So why are we stressing so much over global warming? Hume deflects. "You just got to come," she says. Hot House Yoga is off West Broad Street in Henrico and Yoga Source in Carytown offers more traditional yoga classes, but you really should try laugh-a-yoga, in which students experience the meditative qualities of yogic laughter.