Yoga is designed to stimulate and balance the endocrine, nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems.

Doing it all in a room that's heated up to 120 degrees ups the ante quite a bit.

Hot yoga accomplishes all of the aforementioned benefits as well as helping stretch muscles safely and helping the body detoxify through sweating.

To accomplish all of this, it is recommended hot yoga participants drink plenty of water and try to avoid eating two to three hours before attending class, as those who don't will likely suffer dehydration or dizziness and will not be able to complete the class.

There are several quality places thought the South Sound that offer hot yoga classes. Here are a few.

Hot Yoga Tacoma (http://hotyogatacoma.com) classes are open to all levels, ages, and body types. All classes are also open to beginners, and no prior yoga experience is needed. Participants will experience 26 poses done in a heated room for 90 minutes. New students should arrive 20 minutes before class to register, and to ensure class starts on time latecomers are not allowed in. Classes start at $18 for and it offers multiple class specials as well.

The studio is located at 3909 6th Ave. in Tacoma. For more information, call (253) 761-9007 or visit the website.

Hot Yoga Inc. (www.hotyogainc.com) has been in the Puget Sound since 1998 when the first studio opened up in Kirkland. It now has five area locations, with the closest one to Joint Base Lewis-McChord located in Federal Way at 3189 Gateway Center Blvd. S.

The Federal Way location opened recently and features a large studio, and Hot Yoga Inc. prides itself on being the largest employer of certified hot yoga instructors on the west coast. It offers an introduction special to new customers of 10 classes for $10. After that, single classes start at $18 and it offers 10-, 20- and 30-class packages. For more information, call (253) 528-0880.

Prime Fitness (www.primefitness.com), a luxury gym in Bonney Lake (18209 State Route 410 E, Suite 100), also features a hot yoga studio. Membership in the gym is not required to attend a hot yoga class. In addition to regular hot yoga, Prime Fitness also offers Power Vinyasa, a 60 to 75 minute hot yoga class that uses a flowing sequence of postures designed to promote and emphasize upper and lower body strength. The flowing sequence often runs together with "breath synchronized movements." Prime Fitness also offers 10 classes for $10 for new customers, and classes start at $12 from there on out.

For more information, call (253) 826-5500.