At Sweat Yoga in Los Angeles, California, hot yoga is more than a workout. It’s a full-body experience rooted in movement, focus, and consistency. Each class takes place in a room heated with infrared panels (a gentle heat source that warms the body directly), paired with energizing music and dim lighting to help students turn inward.
The space is intentionally designed to support presence. With no mirrors, steady heat, and an atmosphere free from distraction, Sweat Yoga creates the conditions for students to move intuitively and reconnect with themselves—one breath, one pose at a time.
Built for Heat, Backed by Community
The use of infrared heat is a key part of what sets Sweat Yoga apart. Unlike forced air heating, infrared heat warms the body directly rather than just the air around it. This type of heat helps increase circulation, supports detoxification through sweat, and eases joint and muscle stiffness, making it easier to move deeper into each pose. Students often leave class feeling lighter, clearer, and more connected.
Another defining quality of Sweat Yoga is its sense of steadiness and depth. Teachers lead with authenticity, and students meet that energy with commitment, encouragement, and connection. It’s a community shaped not by performance, but by shared effort, mutual support, and a collective willingness to keep showing up, together.
A Philosophy Built on Presence
Sweat Yoga was never meant to be just a brand. Owner and CEO Nikhil Dhawan leads the studio as both a practitioner and a community builder; someone who values consistency, presence, and the people who show up every day. “At the end of the day, although we’re a business and a brand in modern society, we’re still rooted in yoga," Nikhil says. "If we’re preaching a certain mindset, we have to lead with that mindset.”
That philosophy shows up in the details. Teachers who lead with presence. A team that supports one another. A culture of accountability and care. The studio operates from the belief that how we practice is how we live, and that showing up, consistently and consciously, is enough.
Sweat Yoga has four locations across Los Angeles, but its growth hasn’t been about expansion alone. Over the past two years, the studio has grown in depth rather than size. Teachers, students, and community engagement have all become more intentional. There is a sense of rhythm to the practice, and a shared desire to keep exploring that edge, both physically and personally.
Leading with Purpose
When asked what advice he would give to someone opening their own studio, Nikhil is honest: "I'm not much of an advice giver, but I like to share what’s worked for me. I’ve always found it important to know myself before starting any endeavor outside of myself. If I don’t know how to show up for me, I won’t know how to show up for others."
He adds, "The work is never done; there is no destination. Entrepreneurship is ongoing, and that mindset has helped release the pressure to arrive somewhere. Life is short, but it’s also long. There’s no need to rush."
It’s a philosophy that echoes through the studio. One that invites students to commit to the long game. To embrace the process. And to come back to their mat, again and again.
The Soundtrack to Sweat
Sweat Yoga’s playlist brings the studio energy home. Curated with the same upbeat, immersive vibe as their heated flows, it’s a mix of soulful, high tempo tracks perfect for moving, breathing, and staying present, on or off the mat.
Listen to the vibe:
Why Sweat Yoga Chose Manduka
For high-traffic studios, well-made gear makes a difference. “Manduka was the first high quality mat I had ever practiced on, and I loved how it felt being on the mat,” Nikhil says.
Sweat Yoga uses Manduka's PROlite yoga mats in-studio to provide students with a reliable foundation of stability and support.
Sweat Yoga currently has four locations across Los Angeles in Santa Monica, Playa Vista, Downtown LA, and West Hollywood. Learn more at sweat-yoga.com and follow them on Instagram @sweatyoga.
Partner with Manduka
Manduka’s studio equipment program is built to support studios like Sweat Yoga. Whether you’re just starting out or expanding your space, we offer exclusive pricing and dedicated support for our studio partners.
Learn more and apply here to become a Manduka Studio Partner.
