They thought they buried me. They didn't know I was a seed.

After decades of chronic illness and relentless physical pain, Janielle Lucas was desperate for relief. Traditional medicine offered temporary solutions but no real healing. Then, one unexpected invitation changed everything: A friend asked her to try a hot yoga class.

For the first time in years, Janielle felt alive in her body. Convinced she had found a path to healing, she immersed herself in hot yoga, experimenting with escalating heat and humidity. The more intense the room became, the more her symptoms disappeared.

Eventually, she opened her own studio in Philadelphia-a sanctuary devoted to healing through intense hot yoga. But just as her studio began gaining momentum, her dream unraveled. A crooked landlord, escalating harassment, and a disturbing series of legal battles pulled Janielle into a world she never expected: one marked by intimidation, betrayal, and a court system that seemed to function less as protection and more as an accomplice. As the pressure mounted, so did her determination to survive-and to understand why this practice was transforming not only her body but her entire sense of self.

Taking Heat is a powerful memoir of resilience, telling the story of one woman's journey through illness, trauma, corruption, and reinvention-and how she found healing in the fire meant to destroy her.