If your someone who is very active then you might have heard of the term Hot Yoga before. This term has been spreading around recently and is now becoming a fitness craze. But, what is this Hot Yoga? How does it work? And can average people perform it?
To answer these questions we have written this post. In this article, we’ll show you what Hot Yoga is exactly, how to do yoga in a sauna, and any other precautions you might want to think about.
What is Sauna Yoga (Hot Yoga)?
Sauna Yoga or Hot Yoga is the practice of doing yoga in a hot environment (usually a sauna). This type of yoga is based on simple poses that help strengthen the body, stretch the muscles, and create an atmosphere of peace. This type of yoga creates a thoroughly relaxing experience and gives the mind/body a moment to a line perfectly with each other.
With that being said Hot Yoga is a very effective exercise and promotes vigorous sweat. Most sessions last around 30-90 minutes and consist of multiple different poses. Majority of the poses strengthen the core, back, and lower body muscles while also increasing the flexibility of the hips, gluteus, spine, and upper body muscles. With the added benefit of the heat, you’re able to stretch your muscles much more effectively than before.
Hot Yoga can be performed by anyone, regardless of size, age, gender, or physical abilities. People with no training or experience in yoga can perform this activity. Overall this activity is a very sacred and peaceful exercise. It’s one that you’ll surely enjoy and begin to love over time.
How To Do Yoga In A Sauna
The first step to doing Sauna Yoga (Hot Yoga) is to find a sauna near you. The most accessible place with most likely is the sauna within your own gym. Once you’ve found a sauna you can do yoga in then the next step is to set the temperature. The most common temperature for Hot Yoga is 105 degrees F with 40% humidity. If you don’t have access to the temperature controller then it’s fine to do the yoga at a different temperature.
Once inside the sauna, you want to lay your mat down with your water bottle and towel. Sit on the mat and begin to breathe in and out deeply. Keep doing this calm breathing until you feel as if you’re in the right state of mind to begin the poses.
The poses that most Hot Yoga enthusiast use come from Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga consists of 26 different poses that strengthen the middle and lower body muscles. They also increase the flexibility in the hips and spine. Since there are so many poses within Bikram Yoga we won’t display them on this article. Instead, we’ll link you to other resources that will show you how to do each pose.
True Yoga – 26 Postures of Bikram
While going through each pose make sure you focus on your breathing. This is a pivotal aspect of Hot Yoga and will help your overall performance. As you being to transition to the later poses the burn will start to kick in. You want to make sure that you keep on pushing through the poses even if it is uncomfortable. Focusing on your breathing will help distract your brain from the rest of your body.
Eventually, you’ll be finished with all the poses. Once this happens you should sit down for a few more minutes and focus on your breathing. Keep on breathing in and out until you feel completely relaxed. After a few minutes have passed you can finish the exercise and exit the sauna.
Hopefully, by the end of the exercise you will feel emotions of euphoria entering your body. You’ll surely be sore and tired, but the feeling is good as endorphins are flowing through your body. Eventually, as time goes on you’ll begin to get better at each pose and will see many improvements in your overall physical health. Along with this will come mental benefits. Some people even say that this type of yoga brings spiritual benefits to their life as well.
Other Things To Contemplate
As with most exercises, you should always be cautious when performing Hot Yoga (especially since the environment that you’re in is very extreme). If you’re out of shape then we recommend doing yoga first without using a sauna. This will get your body used to exercising and the poses that you’ll perform while in the sauna. Once your body is a little more conditioned then you should be fine to use the sauna while performing yoga.
Before actually doing Hot Yoga you should always be well-rested. You should also bring in a large bottle of water to drink because you’re going to be sweating vigorously. If at any time you become dizzy, nauseous, or light-headed then you should immediately stop your workout. Go somewhere cold where you can cool down and drink a lot of water.
Overall as long as you’re careful then you will be fine when performing Hot Yoga. Just do the above tips and you’ll ensure that you have a successful workout and a relaxing experience.
Want to purchase your own home sauna? Then visit this page HERE and see what sauna type is best for you. There are many different types of saunas that will fit your specific needs and wants.
Other Resources:
If you’re looking to expand your mind to other resources relating to this topic then we recommend visiting the links down below.
