MANILA, Philippines – In Manila, most people don't like stepping out at midday because of the intense heat. It's a tropical country, after all, but noontime is temperature at its hottest, which may hit the upper 30s (Celsius).

It is intriguing then, that more people nowadays are actually paying to get into a really hot room, a “torture chamber”—one with a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius.

That hot room is a class of Bikram yoga, a form of yoga that has been quietly gaining ground among fitness buffs and those who are hoping to be fit.

At a Bikram yoga class, Cathy Castaneda does the poorna salabhasana or the full locust pose which is said to strengthen the middle spine and abdomen. Photo from Bikram Yoga Alabang

Aside from the flexibility that yoga can give a body, it's the possible weight loss that may result from Bikram yoga that attracts enrollees.

Dubbed as a total body workout and a form of relaxation, Bikram yoga is said to burn much more calories because of the heated room. Just 90 minutes of Bikram yoga can burn from 500 to 1,250 calories, said Bikram Yoga Alabang in a statement, “but the value depends on the intensity of one’s practice, and varies from person to person.”

And it's safe, said Ginger Diaz, studio director of Bikram Yoga Alabang. “The heat makes the muscles more pliable, enabling practitioners to do the postures safely.” Each class goes through 26  postures and 2 breathing exercises.

Young mom Kaye Garcia, who runs the lingerie business Hot Pink Lingerie, said Bikram yoga has helped her shed off extra pounds she gained while pregnant. “I’ve lost some weight and my clothes fit better but the most important benefit is my newfound respect for being healthy. Health is indeed the most important advantage of Bikram yoga,” she said.

Medical website WebMD, has said that Bikram yoga is indeed suited for those who “want to lose weight.”

The practice is also said to help one manage stress. “Attending Bikram classes helps me relax and gives me time to think and reflect,” said full-time mom and homemaker Cathy Castaneda.

Bikram yoga was started in the early 70s by Bikram Choudhury who visited Manila early this year.

Among those who have gone through Bikram yoga are socialite and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Tessa Prieto-Valdes and actress Bea Alonzo, and in Hollywood, Madonna and Andie MacDowell.