How did you get into yoga? I learned about Bikram in Canada in 2002. I went to a class and really loved it. My teacher really liked me and so wrote me an introduction letter to the Bikram College in Los Angeles. Since my mom was living alone in Beijing, after I got my certification I came back here.

What sets Bikram apart from other kinds of yoga? The temperature is always around 42 degrees. There are 26 postures, which you do in the same sequence for 90 minutes. All Bikram teachers must all be certified by the Bikram school.

How do you get certified? It’s a three month course, but all teachers have to practice yoga for at least six months beforehand and get a reference from a certified teacher. The training isn’t just physical; we also learned about psychology, medical knowledge and communication. We had to learn the meaning of yoga.

How many students do you have now? We have over 3,000 members, some of whom have already been practicing for three years.

And most of them are women? There are more and more men, but a lot of Chinese men think yoga is just for women. They usually come when their wives bring them. Men usually have tight arms and legs—yoga can help them become more flexible. Guys need to know that it’s an exercise that can help them, not just a girls’ class.

What usually brings people to your classes? Younger girls come here to lose weight and firm their bodies, because yoga is fashionable. They don’t really know what yoga is. But students over 30 practice it to get healthy and decrease stress.

So yoga isn’t about losing weight? If you exercise, you’ll lose weight. That’s not the point—it’s to get your body, your life healthy. It’s getting better, and more people now know why they’re doing yoga. It’s also important for me to talk to the students before and after class. That’s a teacher’s duty.

Find it: Studios in Grand Rock Plaza, Dawanglu and Solana