Hot Yoga: Tropical Temperatures and Sweaty Asanas
Dec 08, 2019
Hot Yoga is guaranteed to make you sweat - LUVIYO
Winter is just around the corner. It's cold, uncomfortable and you hide under your blanket like a snail in her house. You think back to the last Bali trip and remember how much you enjoyed the yoga classes at a pleasant 28 degrees. Your body felt soft as butter, flexible and ready for new asanas.
The arrival of the cold season now triggers the exact opposite in you, you feel stiff and immobile. And that's supposed to last until spring? Don't panic, we have a solution for you. With Hot Yoga you can escape into tropical temperatures even in winter.
What is Hot Yoga?
Yoga that defrosts you.
Hot Yoga is an umbrella term for certain styles of yoga that one performs in a heated room. It is often a flowing Vinyasa exercise style, with a series of interlinked poses. Depending on the yoga style and studio, the room is kept at a temperature of 35 to 40 degrees Celsius.
If you've never tried this sweaty form of yoga before, it may seem a bit overwhelming at first glance. After all, yoga alone can bring your body to its limits. If you then imagine the whole thing under sauna temperatures, you can quickly come to the conclusion that it can possibly overload the body.
Hot Yoga can indeed be very intense and debilitating, but with the right preparation it can be a wonderful warming remedy for those particularly uncomfortable days of the year. This article should help you to prepare for your first or next Hot Yoga session to prevent physical exhaustion.
What is the difference between Bikram Yoga and Hot Yoga?
The variety of Hot Yoga - LUVIYO
You've probably heard of Bikram Yoga before and are wondering what the difference is to hot yoga. Hot Yoga has its origins in the 1970s when the Indian yogi Bikram Choudhury used heaters in his yoga room for the first time. Choudry further developed his experiment and eventually settled on 40 degrees Celsius at 40 percent humidity. Today, the so-called Bikram method is a widely used yoga style. Bikram is a series of 26 postures and two breathing exercises that are performed in the same order every hour.
While hot yoga refers to any yoga class that is conducted in a heated room, Bikram is the original form of hot yoga. In other words, Bikram Yoga always takes place in a heated room, but not every hot yoga class is Bikram.
Other forms of hot yoga are:
Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga
Named after its founder, Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga, also known as Baptiste Yoga or Baptiste Power Yoga, is a mixture of different styles, including Bikram, Iyengar and Ashtanga. Each yoga class is structured differently. Yogis are encouraged to follow their own wishes during the asanas. The room temperature for Baptiste yoga classes is usually 32 degrees.
Moksha or Modo Yoga
Although it is known as Moksha Yoga in Canada, it is mostly called Modo Yoga in the rest of the world. Moksha classes last 90 minutes and begin with a relaxation pose to center the mind. Unlike Bikram Yoga, Moksha does not follow a script. Moksha Yoga is also about more than just movement. Every Moksha Yoga studio is aware of its social and sustainable responsibility. This means that a portion of the income is donated to organizations that work for sustainability, holistic health and human rights.
Hot Yin Yoga
Hot Yin is a deeply relaxing yoga class that is performed in a comfortably warm room. Yin postures stimulate the blood circulation in the joints to improve agility, flexibility and the flow of Qi. The flow of Qi harmonizes the organ health, the immune system and the emotional well-being. Yin is the perfect complement to the energetic Yang exercises.
How healthy is Hot Yoga?
Know your limits - LUVIYO
Physical exertion in a heated room increases the heart rate, making the body work harder. The heat helps the body to move deeper into the postures. Basically, hot yoga helps to develop strength and flexibility while doing a cardiovascular workout.
That you can sweat out toxins during hot yoga is more of a myth. While kidneys and liver are responsible for the detoxification work in your body, sweat is mostly water. Dehydration is therefore one of the most common dangers of Hot Yoga.
Like any physical strain, hot yoga also carries the risk of injury. Some poses, which we do not quite succeed in in the "cold" state, suddenly become easier in the heated studio. This is because the natural resistance of our ligaments is lower in the heated state.
Ligaments are normally brought to a gentle stretch. The more you strain them in joint-clenching asanas, the higher the risk that a ligament will be overstretched and your joints will not be sufficiently supported. The result is overstretching and in the worst case a torn ligament. Therefore it is important to prepare yourself properly and to observe a few basic rules of Hot Yoga.
4 Tips to Prevent Dehydration and Injuries During Hot Yoga
Hydrates, hydrates, hydrates - LUVIYO
Hot yoga requires proper preparation and equipment to avoid being killed by the heat. Here are four things to consider before your first or next unit:
Tip #1: Non-slip yoga mat
In Hot Yoga it is important to bring your own yoga mat, because you are guaranteed to sweat. With the non-slip LUVIYO yoga mat you save the towel.
Tip #2: Sweat-resistant clothing
Sweating also means that you should choose the right yogawear. Tight-fitting clothing and long leggings are suitable for preventing slipping during poses.
Tip #3: Drink enough
Make sure you drink enough water before, during and after the yoga session to prevent dehydration. It is not advisable to eat within two hours of class. A liquid containing electrolytes such as coconut water can be particularly helpful and refreshing after class.
Tip #4: Stay alert
Don't compare yourself with other yogis and don't push your limits. Stay with your focus on yourself and your body. If you get too hot, leave the yoga studio for a moment. Both your yoga teacher and yourself should also pay special attention to correct posture to avoid overstretching.
Watch your step!
Hot Yoga is not suitable for pregnant women as it can increase body temperature.
Out of the cold, into the yoga sauna!
Sweat-inducing, dynamic and intensely satisfying. With Hot Yoga you can penetrate through the hardened outer layers of your self to be free and completely yourself.
If you've never done hot yoga before, we advise you to start with bikram. While the heat is an additional challenge, the poses in Bikram Yoga are less advanced than in other practices. Bikram is the VW Golf among the Hot Yoga courses. If you're hot for a round of hot yoga now, find a suitable yoga studio near you.
...and don't forget your LUVIYO!