About 8 years ago I had my first session of Bikram yoga, and I have to be honest, it totally kicked my butt.
Here’s a quick synopsis of how it all went down:
About ten minutes into class my body felt really nice, like it was being gently baked by the summer sun. And not too longer after that my skin was all dewy from light perspiration. ‘Hmm, hot yoga doesn’t seem that hard’ I thought confidently as I easily followed along. About 30 minutes later though the room was noticeably warmer, and the air kind of shocked my sinuses when I took deep breaths through my nose. Still, I soldiered on convinced that I’d make it through the 90 minutes without a problem. Then the room temp hit 105 degrees and the sweat began to flow. Sweat was now dripping from every pore on my body, pouring down my face, and stinging my eyes. This made it a little harder to breathe through my nose and hold poses (which also became progressively harder). Top of that, every muscle in my body, as well as my head, began to throb and ache. My clothes were soaked and sticking to me. I was panting like an overheated Chihuahua. And with 10 minutes of class left, my body totally exhausted and my mind screaming thoughts of ‘when will this be over!’ Not at all an uncommon occurrence for a first (second or third) time Bikram yoga experience.
Bikram Yoga vs. Hot Yoga
Some people use the names Bikram yoga and hot yoga synonymously, but they aren’t entirely the same. Hot yoga is simply a form of yoga that’s done in a heated room and there are various types of hot yoga, just like there are various types of yoga. Bikram yoga was developed by a man named Choudhury Bikram who copyrighted his particular style of yoga involving a 90 minute hot yoga session where the room is heated to 105°F, and where yogis go through a specific series of 26 postures. With other types of hot yoga there will be more variability in room temperature and yoga postures.
Health Benefits of Hot Yoga
I won’t even front, my first experience with Bikram yoga was far from pleasant. But since then I have come to really enjoy it. And for those of you who are used to intense cardio workouts like spinning, hot yoga may not seem as physically challenging, but don’t be fooled. Hot yoga can be a beast. It requires focus, endurance and a major part of hot yoga is learning to embrace the heat. You learn to dig deep, to push yourself, and if done correctly, you may experience these awesome health benefits from hot yoga:
Weight loss and increased metabolism
Increased flexibility and improved muscle tone
Improved balance and posture through the strengthening of core muscles (core muscles are comprised of the muscles in your abdominal wall, back, and around your pelvis.)
Decreased joint pain
Clearer skin and detoxification of the body through sweating
Reduced stress, better focus, and improved mood
A few precautions…
As you would probably guess, hot yoga does carry certain risks because it involves exercising in high temperatures. So make sure you review the precautions below before you try it:
1. Don’t eat a lot before class because it might make you feel sluggish or even nauseous. Also avoid foods that give you gas or you might end up doing a bit of posterior tooting during certain poses.
2. Wear minimal and comfortable sweat wicking clothes so your body can better cool itself through perspiration.
3. Bring a water bottle to class (consider freezing it beforehand) and make sure you drink water before, during, and after a hot yoga session. With hot yoga you should expect to sweat a lot. And since dehydration is a risk, you want to make sure you rehydrate with water, and electrolyte replacing sports drinks like Gatorade.
4. Don’t force yoga poses because you may overstretch to the point of injury.
5. If you get dizzy or nauseous, take a break by laying on your back while taking deep slow breaths, arms and legs spread at about 45 degrees, palms up, eyes closed. This position is called shavasana, and is designed to help the body regroup and reset itself. If however at any point the heat gets too overwhelming or you don’t get any relief from shavasana, consider exiting the room.
6. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, get the OK from your doctor before trying hot yoga. Also, if you’re pregnant, you should not do hot yoga.
Final Thoughts
I do Bikram yoga about twice a month and I really like the impact it’s made on my body and mind. However, I want to emphasize again that hot yoga isn’t for everyone, and should you try it, you will need to exercise certain precautions. That understood, if you’re the type that likes your workouts hot, sweaty and challenging, you may want to give hot yoga a try. Just be safe, listen to your body, focus on your breathing, and remember to enjoy the experience. Namaste!
Does hot yoga sound like something you’d like to try? Have you ever tried Bikram yoga or hot yoga? Share your Bikram/hot yoga experience. – Doc
I love hot yoga. The first time I tried it I thought I would pass out. The next day I was sore everywhere. The challenge of it made me want to continue. Now I go regularly.
Went for my first hot yoga class last week – hardest thing I had to get through in a gym EVER (made worse by the fact that I was in the back of the class and under one of the vents!), I could barely hold a position because I kept slipping off the mat due to sweat seeping out of every pore. Nonetheless, by the time we got to “Namaste!” at the close of the session, I felt so refreshed!
Hilarious. I was thinking about trying hot yoga but I think I’ll put that on hold…
LOL. I think you should definitely try it… atleast once. It really is an “experience” and afterwards you have this kind of “buzz” or “high.” Hard to describe, but great feeling indeed. Either way, I hope it wasn’t the passing gas part that dissuaded you. Hey, it happens 😉