By Anna Gustafson
When Maggie Salomon was in a car accident more than five years ago, her back was severely hurt and she could barely move. Scared her life had taken a serious turn for the worse, Salomon started taking hot yoga classes — a move she said changed everything for her.
“After hot yoga and physical therapy, I was better,” Salomon said. “After that, I wanted to give those in my community the ability to heal themselves.”
So Salomon five years ago opened Hot Yoga Paradise in Baybridge Commons in Bayside, where she used to live before moving to Long Island. The business quickly expanded and she recently moved it to a larger studio at 213-01 Northern Blvd. in Bayside. The new space can accommodate more people than the old area, and Salomon said they can have up to 50 individuals in the studio, near the intersection of Northern and Bell boulevards.
The 90-minute hot yoga classes, offered twice a day Mondays and Wednesdays, and once Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, are held in a room heated to about 100 degrees. The heat, Salomon said, relaxes muscles, which increases flexibility.
“It gives you mental clarity and reduces stress,” Salomon said. “It increases blood circulation. You can burn about 800 calories in a class.”
In addition to hot yoga, Salomon offers a variety of other courses taught by 12 instructors. There is hot vinyasa — yoga that focuses on breathing, the “inside out” program — 60-minute classes that requires individuals to use small weighted balls while stretching with the goal of producing lean muscles, tai chi, pre-natal yoga, belly dancing, and “goddess” dancing, which is a workout involving belly and jazz dance movements.
Single classes are $20, a 10-class card is $180, a 20-class card is $300 and a 30-class card is $360.
A wide range of people take classes at Hot Yoga Paradise, where Salomon is also an instructor.
“We have 16- to 70-year-olds from all nationalities and who are all shapes,” she said.
In Salomon’s lobby, lit with soft lighting and where soothing music plays, individuals can purchase yoga mats, bags, workout clothes, towels, yoga books and other yoga paraphernalia.
For more information, call Hot Yoga Paradise at 718-428-0075 or visithotyogaparadise.com.
Reach reporter Anna Gustafson by e-mail at agustafson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 174.
