Nicole Deacon, owner of Bikram Yoga Old Town Scottsdale, began her yoga journey in 1995, eventually opening her own studio 11 years later to inspire others to embark on their own exploration. Along with a coterie of certified instructors, she leads students through Bikram yoga’s 26 poses and two breathing exercises. Within a studio heated to 105 degrees, students go through poses that strengthen and stretch muscles, ligaments, and joints. Each posture is designed to work muscle groups needed for the next pose, building a series of interconnected movements. Each posture helps to increase blood flow to specific areas of the body, sending in a rush of freshly oxygenated blood to joints, organs, and limbs when yogis unfold from folds and twists, unblocking the tiny traffic jams of hemoglobin.