A love for the outdoors fuels Rebecca Pennington, Energize Hot Yoga Santa Rosa's owner, who spent eight years as a wilderness adventure guide and backpacked 1,700 miles of the Pacific Coast Trail. When her knee gave out from overuse, she was devastated, turning to Bikram yoga in hopes of healing her injury. Eight years later, the pain in her knee is gone, and she has continued playing sports. Inspired by her experience, she’s taken over Energize Hot Yoga Santa Rosa with a goal of extending the practice’s healing benefits to others. Her troupe of certified instructors leads students through 90-minute classes, flowing through 26 postures and two breathing exercises, each building on the previous pose to build strength and flexibility. The studio is heated to a balmy 105 degrees, which helps loosen up muscles, flush out bodily toxins, and identify any students concealing snowballs in their backpacks.