Arlington Heights neighbors open infrared heated yoga studio

Two Arlington Heights neighbors will lay down yoga mats for the first time in a studio of their own on Saturday, July 18.

Still Yoga, an infrared heated yoga studio, grand opens its 1,500-square-foot space at 44 S. Vail St. after years of planning and preparation by co-owners James Babiarz and Paige Prudden.

Each has been a yogi for at least 20 years; Prudden has taught classes for seven, Babiarz for the last three.

They got to talking after meeting one day at Heritage Park pool around the time of the pandemic and expressed a common desire to open a studio somewhere close to home, amid their hectic jobs and family lives (Babiarz is the father of six; Prudden the mother of two).

“I find a lot of stillness in my mind with having a very busy house full of life,” said Babiarz, whose day job is in commercial advertising. “So that’s where yoga comes in.”

Their business in downtown Arlington Heights will be one of the only yoga studios in the area to utilize ceramic panels, which emit an infrared dry heat into the room meant to slowly warm students’ bodies from the inside out. The 13 panels are affixed to the ceiling 13 feet above the ground, directing heat downward — not from the sides or a ventilation system.

A traditional hot yoga temperature can instantly reach 105 degrees from the circulating air in the room, whereas the infrared system will gradually reach a “dry heat” of 95 degrees.

“Think about it as going to the desert in a dry environment versus going to Florida in a super wet humid environment where you’re instantly sweating and hot,” Prudden said. “The infrared is a slow build. It’s like an arch, like a big wave. It starts slow and light and not hot, and then it builds. And then we take our guests back down.”

The one-room studio can accommodate up to 47 people per session.

The certified yoga instructors will offer two classes: Infrared Flow, traditional vinyasa yoga with breath-led sequencing accompanied by a light tempo of music; and Infrared Sculpt Flow, which includes a burst of cardio, use of weights for resistance training, and beat-driven music.

First-timers can try out a $30 “drop in” class, but more experienced yogis may be interested in the 10-class pack for $249, monthly unlimited membership for $169, or yearly for $1,599. For class schedules and to sign up, visit stillyogastudio.net.

The instructors will also offer private sessions and can host office outings, birthday parties and other non-traditional social gatherings.

Their target demographic is “from Gen Z to retiree,” Prudden said.

“Within our teaching experience of over 10 years, we have had people that are sophomores in high school … as well as I’ve seen people in my class at 70 and 80 years old,” she said. “It’s what you make of it, and I truly believe that yoga practice is for everybody.”