Not only is exercise excellent at increasing your body's immunity, so is sweating.  In addition, we keep the studio very clean.

The yoga studio is cleaned top-to-bottom twice a week and vacuumed daily.  The carpets are steam-cleaned monthly and replaced every five years.  We value cleanliness at the studio as part of our respect for the yoga and each other.

As for catching a cold, exercise increases the flow of lymph throughout the body and improves the function of the immune system.  Many students have reported rarely getting sick after starting yoga.  As you improve your body, you also improve your health and resistance to illness.

A lot of students feel worried about the sweat and whether or not it is clean.  Sweat contains a compound called sebacid that is a natural anti-septic and protects you from the transmission of colds.  You are actually less likely to contract a disease in a sweaty Bikram class than at the gym or coffee shop.  You might think it's gross when your neighbor flings sweat on you, but it's not going to make you sick.  That is why many cultures recommend daily saunas, to reap the natural benefits of sweating. 

How to stay safe during cold and flu season?  Take more yoga classes.  Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.  Stay home when you are contagious.  Muffle your coughs and sneezes.  Also, take good care of your feet.  Pumice off calluses and dead skin to prevent plantar's warts.

Can I practice when I have a cold? The general rule of thumb is as long as you are not contagious, you can practice if the symptoms are from the neck up (runny nose, headache, post-nasal drip) and not if the symptoms are from the neck down (fever, cough, aches, etc).  When you are returning from an illness, work your hardest in the standing series and take it easy and therapeutic on the floor.