Yoga can be a daunting challenge when done in a heated room, adding an extra level of intensity. Like any form of exercise, hot yoga has both benefits and risks to consider before attending your first class. Some people love the heated mind-body practice, while others prefer to skip it altogether. So, is hot yoga the right choice for you? Keep reading to discover more about hot yoga, its advantages and potential drawbacks, and what to expect in a class.
What is hot yoga exactly? Hot yoga involves practicing yoga in a heated environment. Bikram yoga, a popular hatha-style class, is typically done in a room heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity, featuring 26 postures and two breathwork sequences. Created in the 1970s by its controversial founder, Bikram yoga has inspired various other styles of hot yoga since then. The duration, temperature, and specific yoga techniques used in a hot yoga class can vary depending on the studio.
For instance, Modo Yoga LA maintains a temperature of 99-100 degrees and 40-60% humidity, aiming to promote accessibility, sustainability, and overall health. They offer a variety of hot yoga classes, including traditional styles like hatha, vinyasa, and yin, as well as hybrid sessions incorporating other workouts such as HIIT or Pilates in a heated setting. Co-founder Alice Toyonaga emphasizes that not all hot yoga practices are the same, and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another.
In Bikram hot yoga, poses are performed in a room heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity, but other hot yoga classes may have different temperature settings, typically ranging from 90 to 105 degrees. The temperature can vary depending on the studio and class structure.
Are there health benefits to hot yoga? Hot yoga offers both physical and mental benefits similar to traditional yoga, such as muscle building, toning, improved flexibility, stress management, and mindfulness. These benefits are often enhanced in a heated environment.
Hot yoga can lead to increased flexibility as higher temperatures help muscles become more pliable and joints to move more freely. The heat can assist in achieving deeper stretches, especially for individuals who may have limited mobility due to sedentary lifestyles.
Furthermore, hot yoga is more physically demanding, which can elevate heart rate and contribute to better cardiovascular health, provided there are no underlying medical conditions. Additionally, the challenging nature of hot yoga can help reduce stress and promote mental well-being by pushing individuals out of their comfort zones and encouraging relaxation in a heated space.
“It plays a significant psychological role as you conquer challenges and adversity with your breath on the mat,” Toyonaga explains. “Though it’s a controlled environment, the valuable lessons learned can be applied beyond the yoga studio, even in everyday situations like waiting in line at Trader Joe’s.”
She emphasizes, “Amidst the intensity of the heat and the class, we become more present than off the mat. We are engrossed in the next breath, the next pose, the next sequence, fostering mindfulness that helps us let go of distractions and unwind.”
Concerning potential risks associated with hot yoga, it’s crucial to consult a doctor if you have specific health concerns or preexisting conditions. Dehydration is a common risk due to increased sweating in the elevated temperatures and humidity, potentially causing dizziness or discomfort during the session.
To prevent dehydration, Toyonaga stresses the importance of adequate hydration before and after class. She warns, “Drinking water during class won’t be as effective if you’re already dehydrated.” While the heat aids flexibility, Dr. Jordan D. Metzl warns against excessive stretching to avoid injuries, advising practitioners to listen to their bodies and avoid pushing too far beyond their limits.
If feeling unwell during class, Natalia Perez-Segnini suggests taking a break, finding a comfortable position, and focusing on breathing until ready to resume. Beginners should acclimate gradually to the heat in their initial classes and prioritize hydration and self-awareness to mitigate potential risks.
Overall, hot yoga offers benefits but requires caution and mindfulness, particularly for newcomers.
“Toyonaga says, ‘You need to rest as much as you need to rest in that room, so that we’re getting used to the heat. So if you lie there for the whole hour, just pretend you’re on the beach in Mexico. You’re still doing it.’ Perez-Segnini emphasizes that for all yogis, but especially beginners, it’s essential to pay attention to how they feel throughout the course of the practice.
“This practice, hot yoga, regular yoga in general, is less about the shapes that you’re making with your body, and more about what you feel in your body,” she explains.
Perez-Segnini says that when she first started taking up hot yoga, she wishes someone told her that you don’t have to stick to just one intention, but rather figure it out as you go.
“In class, in the middle of a posture, halfway through, after, you’re allowed to change your mind about the why,” she says. “You’re allowed to change your mind about what you’re doing, and if that means coming out of a pose because you don’t feel great, or realizing that you’re taking it too far…there’s always time to change our minds, no matter where we’re at in life, no matter where in class we are.”
What to wear to hot yoga
What do you wear while exercising in an over-90-degree room for an extended period of time? When in doubt, go with something that you feel comfortable in — and avoid cotton.
“What we will see in the hot room will be more technical fabrics, like things that you would wear to the gym, as opposed to cotton,” Toyonaga says. “A lot of our favorite brands have sweat-wicking clothing, whether it’s tights or shorts, sports bra, a tank top, T-shirt, whatever it is.”
Perez-Segnini says that while it may seem “counterintuitive,” she wears a sports bra paired with pants, which absorb her sweat and give her more traction.
“If there are any arm balances in class, there’s no shot I’m able to pop up into crow with shorts on because I’m sweating so hard, and then that’s dangerous, because you’re slipping off of your skin,” she explains. “There’s more traction, you have more grip available, depending on the posture that you’re in, when you have skin to fabric contact.”
However, Perez-Segnini says that everyone has different preferences, and that finding what works best for you clothing-wise is part of the process.
Comfort is most important when it comes to deciding what to wear to a hot yoga practice.
Poses in hot yoga classes
Just like in any yoga class, the postures you’re asked to do will vary by location and instructor, and there aren’t any poses specific to hot yoga itself. However, here are some common postures to get you in the right mindset for what’s to
