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Chronicle 2 - Is Yoga Really for Everyone?
In this chronicle, Mélody Benhamou debunks common myths about yoga, including the idea that it’s only for women or already-flexible people. She explains how Idolem’s approach, with its hot yoga classes and various practice styles, makes yoga accessible to everyone, from beginners to athletes. She also highlights yoga’s many benefits for mobility, injury prevention, muscle strengthening, and mental well-being.
“I’m not flexible enough.” “Yoga is for women.” “It’s not intense enough for me.” If you’ve ever said one of these things, you’re not alone.
Yoga is often surrounded by misconceptions that keep people from discovering its real benefits. Yet today, this practice is embraced by athletes and beginners alike, by men and women alike.
At Idolem, our mission is precisely to make hot yoga more accessible through a modern, dynamic approach suited to everyone.
The answer is simple: no.
One of the most common misconceptions is that you need to already be flexible to start yoga. In reality, it’s the exact opposite: flexibility develops gradually through practice.
At Idolem, classes take place in a room heated to about 37°C, close to body temperature. This heat naturally helps muscles release, allowing the body to gain mobility while reducing tension, researchers have even measured an improvement in flexibility after just eight weeks of hot yoga practice.
In other words, you don’t need to be flexible to start: you’re there to build that flexibility, at your own pace.
Not at all. Long associated with a gentler or more meditative practice, yoga now attracts a very diverse crowd.
At Idolem, many men practice regularly, along with athletes from various disciplines:
They’re all looking for the same thing: better mobility, injury prevention, and more effective recovery after training. Yoga has become a true complement to athletic performance.
Yes, and often much more than you’d imagine.
At Idolem, new members are usually directed toward solar classes, dynamic sessions that combine yoga with functional training. Depending on the class, you’ll find:
These classes build strength, endurance, and stability while offering yoga’s benefits for mobility and mental well-being.
For those who prefer a more traditional style, Idolem also offers lunar classes, inspired by classic practices like Vinyasa, Yin Yoga, and Yoga Nidra.
It depends on your goals. If your priority is building muscle mass with heavy weights, a gym remains better suited.
However, if you want to strengthen your whole body, improve your posture, build core stability, increase your mobility, prevent injuries, or improve your overall fitness, hot yoga can absolutely become your main workout.
Many people end up replacing their gym membership with a regular yoga practice.
Being fit doesn’t necessarily mean being mobile. A strong but rigid body is often more prone to injury.
Yoga helps rebalance the body by engaging stabilizing muscles, improving joint mobility, and building better body awareness. That’s why it’s now used to complement many sports, from hockey to golf to running and team sports.
At Idolem, a session isn’t just a yoga class. The experience is designed to support overall well-being. Depending on your studio, your visit may include:
The goal is simple: to give you a real break in your week.
Many people arrive feeling apprehensive. They worry they’re not flexible enough, not athletic enough, or simply not “made for yoga.” Then they take their first class and discover that yoga isn’t about performance, it’s a practice that adapts to everyone, where you learn to move better, breathe better, and take better care of yourself.
That first experience is often what completely changes their perception of yoga.
You can book a free first class directly on idolem.com. You’ll get to see the facilities, meet the team, and experience hot yoga in a welcoming environment suited to beginners and athletes alike.
No. Flexibility develops with practice, it’s not a prerequisite. The heat in the room also helps muscles release from your very first classes.
Not at all. Many men and elite athletes, including hockey players and runners, incorporate hot yoga into their training.
It depends on your goals. For building mass with heavy weights, the gym remains preferable. For mobility, posture, core strength, and injury prevention, hot yoga can become your main workout.
Yes. Solar classes combine yoga with functional training (strength, HIIT, cardio), while lunar classes offer a more traditional, posture-focused approach.