Heating Up Your Yoga Practice

I thought I was going to die in my first hot yoga class. Between the heat (90-105 degrees and humid) and the fact that I was in Denver (I live in Vermont) so I was not used to the elevation. I sweated through the class (not to mention my clothes and mat), spending most of my time in child's pose till I blissfully passed out in savasana.

Hot yoga isn't for everyone, even if you are a practiced yogi. If you have any health issues like high/low blood pressure or heart disease hot yoga isn't for you. More conditions are out there, to see if it is safe for you to practice click here.  Hot yoga is physically demanding and requires endurance. The tendency to over stretch is great and often leads to injury. Dehydration is an issue as well. Still interested? My goal here isn't to scare you but to help you make an educated decision about the safety of your practice.

As yoga teachers we all have our opinions on the various styles of yoga out there. Some we love, some we hate and others we don't have much to say about. Hot yoga tends to be a major topic of conversation among teachers. Mostly due to the issues listed above. I'm personally not a fan of the practice. I do however think that a bit of heat in your practice is good.

In the summer my studio space is often hot as the owner doesn't like to turn on the AC, we naturally have a "hot" practice. This heat is created from nature (usually about 70-80 degrees) plus the heat that is created from the movement of our practice. This lower heats allows the body to warm up naturally which makes us aware of when our muscles are ready to go deeper, not give us the illusion that we are ready for that intense stretch.

Sweating is good. It cleans out our pores acting like a mini detox for the body. You will notice once you start a hot practice that your sweat tends to smell less. Some practitioners of hot yoga don't even need to use deodorant. You will eventually build a tolerance to heat as well, making those hot spells in summer more bearable.

If a hot practice is part of your yoga resume, whether it is in a real hot class or just from the heat of summer make sure you take the steps to keep it healthy. Hydrate well before and after class. Make sure that you are really warmed up before you go deep into your poses. Let go of your ego, if you are dizzy, stop and go into child's pose, don't power through. If you have a health condition, no matter how simple it may seem, let your doctor know you are thinking about starting hot yoga. The heat can turn a little thing into a major issue real fast.

Your yoga practice is your choice, it is your body and mind. Make the decision that is best for you. Our bodies change daily so check in with the decision to do a hot class every time you walk in the door. Enjoy and don't forget your towel.