With classroom temperatures ranging from 85 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit, the warm environment at Willow Gardens Hot Yoga helps the muscles become more flexible and increases blood circulation, said owner and Director Ashley Chandler.

“Think of your body like a steel rod,” she said. “And when you apply heat to the rod, [it] becomes more malleable and starts to take shape.”

Several types of yoga classes, including Bikram, Iyengar and Vinyasa Flow, are offered at the studio throughout the week.

“Everyone’s liking the variety,” Chandler said. “And that was my goal from seven years ago, to create a space that offered all types of yoga, not just a set type.”

Located at 302 S. Main St., Ste. 103, Buda, in the Buda Mill & Grain, Willow Gardens Hot Yoga opened in October. The studio features a hardwood floor, rustic accents and streamlined decor. The studio was designed with large windows on three sides as a way of providing a peaceful view of the landscape.

“To have an open space where you’re connecting with nature while you’re connecting with your body—[that’s] a really important part of life,” she said of the studio’s serene setting.

Chandler, who also goes by Ash Willow, started teaching yoga seven years ago.

“The name change is a reflection of the journey,” she said.

That journey began with a 60-day yoga challenge, which Chandler said helped her overcome an eating disorder, and included two years traveling and teaching in Australia, Thailand, Japan and other countries.

“Yoga is medicine,” she said. “I practiced [yoga] every day for 60 days, and my life changed, as it does whenever you commit to a discipline.”

A yoga basics class is offered weekly, but all classes are open to adults of every age and ability level. An introductory offer for 15 days of unlimited classes costs $30, and customers can check the website for the most up-to-date class schedule.

Leslie Simmons, who attends classes two-to-three times a week, said she was in her 50s when she began practicing hot yoga.

“It’s not just for college kids,” she said. “What I’ve learned about yoga is how other people really don’t care how well I’m doing or not doing. It’s very much about your own personal progress.”

Simmons, who owns a counseling and psychotherapy business in Kyle, said she often recommends the hot- yoga classes at Willow Gardens to her clients.

Chandler encourages students to practice with consistency, frequency and intensity for maximum benefits.

“It’s a yoga practice,” she said. “We’re not perfecting poses. We’re practicing how to take care of ourselves.”