Written by: Kyle Riley
Therapy Co-Founder
In this new edition of Behind the Spaces, we’re lifting the hood on what really goes on inside our classes. Connect Yang is our signature Hot Pilates fusion class at Therapy Fitness in Mermaid Waters. Heated with infrared warmth, fused with rhythm and colour therapy, and designed for both physical strength and emotional release, this is not your typical hot pilates class.
There’s something about heat that shifts the intention.
Muscles release. Presence builds. Breathing slows.
This is part of the reason why hot pilates has become such a powerful practice, not just for flexibility or strength, but for the full-body reset it offers. Especially when done with intention.
At Therapy Fitness, this philosophy comes to life in our Connect Yang class: A rhythm-based, infrared-heated, immersive pilates fusion experience designed to help you build strength, release emotion, and reconnect with yourself.
Let’s explore these different elements further as we look at what make this class so popular.
Hot Pilates has fast become the latest exercise trend, but let’s break down what’s actually happening in your body and mind when you move in heat, particularly in infrared.
Unlike traditional heated rooms, infrared heat doesn’t blast hot air. Instead, it gently warms the cells of your body from the inside out. That means it’s easier to tolerate, and deeply effective.
Research shows that infrared heat:
Increases circulation and oxygen flow, which helps muscles perform and recover more efficiently
Reduces muscle stiffness and joint discomfort, especially during stretching and low-impact strength work
Helps regulate the nervous system, creating a sense of calm even during effort
Can support mental health: Some studies even show improvements in mood, energy, and sleep with regular infrared sessions
A 2024 review found that passive infrared heat may activate the same muscle-recovery pathways triggered during exercise—and it’s been shown to support people with chronic fatigue and mild depression by reducing stress-related symptoms.
In short: it’s heat that works with your body, not against it.
When you move to music, you’re not just following a beat. You’re syncing your breath, body, and brain into rhythm. It’s deeply therapeutic.
Multiple studies confirm that music-led movement:
Improves mood, motivation, and emotional regulation
Reduces feelings of stress and anxiety
Helps with nervous system regulation, shifting you from “fight-or-flight” to “rest-and-restore” mode
Enhances connection and presence, especially in group settings
In fact, rhythm has long been used in mental health therapy, including group drumming and dance movement therapy. To help people express and release emotion in ways words can’t.
The beat becomes a guide. You’re no longer just exercising, you’re regulating.
In our Connect Yang class, we use light and colour therapy (chromotherapy) throughout the session—because we know how much your environment shapes how you feel.
Here’s what the research tells us about colour:
Green and blue tones promote calm, lower perceived stress, and even improve emotional state during movement
Red and orange hues create alertness and energy—perfect for strength tracks
Amber and pink light may support feelings of safety and self-expression, especially during flow or release segments
We use light intentionally to support the tone of each part of class: from uplifting energy, to introspective calm, to powerful emotional release. It’s purposefully designed to give your body and mind the cues they need to shift gears.
It’s more than just hot pilates.
Connect Yang is a multi-sensory, beat-based, pilates fusion class that blends:
Infrared heat
Mat-based strength and low-impact movement
Music-driven rhythm
Colour therapy
Breathwork, stretching and release
You’ll move with the music, sometimes slowly, sometimes with fire. You’ll breathe into tension, then shake it off. You’ll stretch, sweat, smile, express, maybe even cry. Every class follows a carefully curated arc:
We start strong—infrared heat, energising lights, and rhythm-based strength tracks to awaken the body.
Our release track in every class is designed for expression. There’s no way to describe it, you need to feel it.
The class ends in grounding. Softer light, slower music, and a chance to land in your body. Breath and flowing movement becomes the rhythm. And your nervous system thanks you for it.
Members regularly tell us they leave this class feeling free—not just in their muscles, but in their minds.
And the science backs that up:
Regular rhythm-based movement improves mental resilience and emotional regulation
Infrared heat supports recovery, circulation, and calm
Colour and breath create an immersive reset, helping you shift out of stress and back into presence
It’s more than fitness. It’s Therapy.
We’re here. Right in Mermaid Waters on the Gold Coast. If you’ve been searching for hot pilates, this is your invitation to experience something a little different. Something built for both the body and the mind.
Come as you are. Leave more connected than you came.
Check out our Connect Yang timetable here