Bikram

How Hot Yoga Can Help Reduce Stress and Lower Cortisol

Feeling overwhelmed or stressed out? Hot yoga might be the perfect remedy. Not only does it provide a challenging workout, but it also helps regulate cortisol—the body’s primary stress hormone—through a combination of physical, mental, and environmental factors. Here’s how:

1. Physical Activity and Endorphin Release

Exercise is a well-known stress reliever, and hot yoga is no exception. The intense physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals, which can counteract cortisol and help you feel more relaxed.

2. Mind-Body Connection and Breath Control

Hot yoga emphasizes controlled breathing and mindfulness, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the “rest and digest” system. This shift helps reduce the sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight” response, effectively lowering cortisol levels.

3. Heat Exposure and Hormonal Adaptation

The heated environment in hot yoga can act as a mild, positive stressor. Over time, the body adapts by becoming more resilient to stress, blunting the cortisol response and making you better equipped to handle future challenges.

4. Improved Sleep Quality

Consistent hot yoga practice, especially earlier in the day, can improve sleep quality. Since poor sleep can elevate cortisol, better rest naturally helps to regulate this stress hormone.

5. Mood Regulation and Anxiety Reduction

Yoga has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression—both of which are linked to elevated cortisol levels. The calming, meditative aspects of hot yoga help shift the body into a more relaxed state, promoting overall emotional balance.

The Bottom Line

Hot yoga isn’t just about the sweat—it’s a comprehensive approach to managing stress, regulating hormones, and boosting your mood. By combining physical exertion, mindful breathing, heat exposure, and relaxation techniques, it offers a powerful way to keep cortisol in check and foster overall well-being.

Ready to give it a try? Join us on the mat and experience the calming, cortisol-lowering effects of hot yoga for yourself.

Weekly Free Community Yoga Classes

We’re thrilled to announce that all five of our Arizona studios will now offer a weekly FREE Basic Yoga class! 

Mondays 12:00pm @ Arcadia
Saturdays 11:15am @ Avondale
Saturdays 12:30pm @ Tempe-Mesa
Sundays 10:30am @ Flagstaff
Sundays 1:00pm @ Paradise Valley

Whether you’re new to yoga, want to try us out, or just looking for a fun way to spend time with friends, these classes are perfect for everyone.

No strings attached—these classes are truly free! They’re designed as “pay-what-you-can” so you can donate to The Foundry Sol 501(c)(3) if you’d like, but there’s absolutely no obligation. Just come as you are and enjoy the practice!

Join us at any of our locations for a welcoming experience. We can’t wait to see you on the mat!💛

📲 Reserve your spot on The Foundry Hot Yoga & Fitness app!

#FreeYoga #CommunityClass #thefoundryyoga #YogaForAll #PayWhatYouCan #TheFoundrySol #azyoga #arizonayoga #azyogacommunity

Small Business Saturday - thankful for 17 years of hot yoga & fitness!

Small Business Saturday - thankful for 17 years of hot yoga & fitness!

We wanted to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for your incredible support on Small Business Saturday. Your commitment to The Foundry has not only allowed us to thrive for the past 17 years but has also enabled us to create a positive impact within the communities we serve. We are proud to be locally owned and operated in Arizona!⁣ 

It is because of your continued support that we are able to employ nearly 100 dedicated yoga and fitness teachers who are passionate about helping people achieve their wellness goals and live their best lives. Your choice to make The Foundry your go-to hot yoga and fitness destination means the world to us.

Once again, thank you for being a part of The Foundry family. We couldn't do it without you!

Featured on the cover of The Paradise Valley View!

The Foundry: First Hot Yoga Studio in Phoenix Still Heats Valley

At last, the morning temperatures are in the mid-40s, and afternoons are in the 70s. But inside any of the four Valley locations of The Foundry Hot Yoga & Fitness Studios, the room is 105 degrees and 45% humidity for students coming to the 26&2 Hot Yoga class, also known as Bikram yoga, a set series of 26 postures and two breathing exercises.

“Giving yourself a burst of pressure, called hormetic stress, can help boost your body’s functioning and help you build a tolerance to bigger tensions,” says Niki Fillmore, teacher and chief operations officer of The Foundry. “Heat also allows the muscles to be warmer, which makes it easier to stretch while also increasing blood flow to areas of the body that are deficient in oxygen and nutrients.”

Every boutique fitness studio these days has an origin story, and The Foundry is no exception. Owners and siblings Nicole and Todd Deacon, born and raised in Scottsdale, started practicing yoga in 1995 at the Old Town Scottsdale location, the first hot yoga studio in Arizona. Their teacher, Cintra Brown, studied with Bikram for about a decade before moving from Los Angeles to Scottsdale. Deacon completed her Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in 2005 and continued volunteering and serving as faculty for over 15 trainings. In 2006, Nicole purchased the Paradise Valley location at Tatum and Thunderbird, known as Bikram Yoga Paradise Valley, until they rebranded as The Foundry in February 2017.

The Deacons have remained fi rmly rooted in the 26&2 hot yoga methodology over the 16 years of owning studios, touting how they’ve seen thousands of people transform their lives for the better. “Parents are learning to be more patient with their kids, athletes are healing injuries without surgery, individuals are freeing themselves from medications, and countless others are feeling more empowered in their jobs and relationships.”

THE RIGHT HOT YOGA CLASS FOR YOU

The Foundry strives to make hot yoga and fitness accessible to as many people as possible. “While I haven’t been a new student in a while, I still remember the first time I went and took my fi rst class,” Fillmore says. “Being nervous to try something new is common, but the reward and the possibilities on the other side of trying a class are better health, increased energy, reduced pain and inflammation, and the list goes on and on. So, it’s worth it!”

For students who want to ease into the 90-minute hot yoga class or are recovering from an injury, The Foundry offers a Basic Yoga class sequence. It’s warm instead of hot, 60 minutes instead of 90, and features gentler poses that focus on opening the hips and strengthening the core.

They also offer Hot Flow Yoga, which is a Vinyasa-based practice. In this class, students learn arm balances and headstands while fl owing to vibey music. This class is excellent for learning new poses while getting stronger and more flexible.

“Hot yoga at any level is physical, but it’s also energizing,” says Fillmore. “Students start standing taller out of confidence after just one class.”

But it’s not just hot yoga. The Foundry offers a variety of Hot Fitness classes that have become very popular among its members. Hot HIIT, Hot Pilates, and Hot Barre are available throughout the day at their studios. The fitness classes have louder music, high energy, with hand weights and resistance bands to create more strength and toning.

“We offer many ways to breathe, connect, and transform,” Fillmore says. Beyond their hot yoga and fitness classes, The Foundry offers workshops, meditations, teacher training, retreats, and group challenges throughout the year. “And you’re surrounded by a positive, like-minded community the whole time.”

SO, WHAT DOES THE FOUNDRY MEAN?

The Foundry is named after a metal foundry, which melts metal, and casts and creates pieces of artwork. “The idea behind our name is that The Foundry is a place where people come to transform,” explains Fillmore. “Like the metal that is melted down and cast to create art in a metal foundry, people are coming into our studios, into The Foundry Hot Yoga & Fitness Studios, to melt down, recreate, reshape, and come out a new person. You are both the artist and the art. You decide who you are and what you want to be. The Foundry is where you create that change, that transformation.”

With their original Paradise Valley studio at Tatum and Thunderbird open since 2006, The Foundry has established quite a following. And now they have five studios in Arizona, including a brand-new studio in the heart of Arcadia at Indian School and 48th Street. They also have studios in Tempe-Mesa, Avondale, and downtown Flagstaff .

This year, they started franchising, and the fi rst franchise opened in February in Thousand Oaks, California. Fillmore says The Foundry hopes to open more franchises with “intentional growth.”

Find locations, class schedules, and more online.

New students get four classes for $40.

And be ready to sweat like it’s summer in Arizona.

Visit thefoundryyoga.com

Myths of Teacher Training

Myths of Teacher Training

There are many misconceptions surrounding Yoga & Pilates Teacher Training. We’ve set out to debunk the top 6 myths about enrolling in our teacher training program and shed some more light on the topic. Let the myth-busting begin.

MYTH #1: I’M NOT READY

“I’m worried that my practice isn’t good enough.”

Ah yes, that all too familiar voice. You know the one. That pesky inner critic that whispers repeatedly that you are not enough. Yoga and Pilates work beyond the physical practice, extending far off the mat. You may only make it to a class here and there, but what matters most is your desire to learn.