"Hot Yoga" views sweat as our body's natural healing mechanism.  The yoga practice, performed in a room kept at 95-105 degrees, opens your skin's pores, allowing the release of toxins.  This, combined with special breathing practices, makes for a powerful cleansing practice.

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According to Powerflow, some benefits of Hot Yoga (and, in my opinion, yoga in general) include reduced back pain, improved posture, increased energy, lower blood pressure, glowing skin, clearer mind, less cravings for unhealthy habits, and improved reactions to stressors.

I've been enjoying fulfilling my June Goal to do yoga 3x/week via Courtney's Challenge, and morning yoga has become part of my regular routine.  Sooo... when an online coupon showed up in my inbox, I couldn't resist the opportunity to finally try the infamous hot yoga workout.  It was a great deal ($29 for a month of unlimited classes!), so although hot yoga is probably not the kind of thing I'd do on a daily basis, it is the kind of thing I'm happy to try out over the course of a month to see if I really feel the benefits.

Before heading to my first class, some folks on Twitter gave great advice:

Thank you Laura, Lisa, Brianne, Bex, Brittany, Rachel, Melissa, Leah, and Chelsey

With these wise words in mind, off I went to the studio.  Mind you, this was my first time at a yoga studio at all, so the whole experience as new to me. I liked the studio feel, but more on that later.

The room: HOT. wood flooring and walls give it a "sauna" feel, which it kinda is.  It started out not so bad, just standing there, but with time the heat became more and more glaring, as though the sun were directly overhead.
The people: warm (ha-ha), inviting, invested.
The class: 1 hour 15 min (my longest yoga class yet!)
My Experience: 
The instructor was very blissful, kind, and diversified her instruction across all levels, and the class certainly had students of all levels.  We started out simply, with ujjayi breathing, and then an "Om" (not typical of my classes, so makes me feel a little... ommmmmsilly), but it was nice.  There was no music for the first 15-20 minutes (out of 75), which really helped me follow the breaths in and out.

Moving into even the most basic opening-up poses, I started to feel warm.  Through the Sun Salutations, we heated up. About 5 to 10 minutes in, before even moving into vinyasas or the 'fancier' poses, I was already breaking a sweat.

Drip.  Drop.  Ouch, my eyes.

"We're all counting on you."

For this reason, it helped to have those spare towels (thanks Laura and Rachel!) nearby so I could wipe my eyes, face, shoulders.  I tried not to break out of a pose until she gave us a chance (about 4 times throughout) to push back into child's pose and grab a drink or wipe-down as needed.  Only once or twice otherwise, when turning my head down caused the sweat to sting my eyes, did I reach for the towel unprompted.  (NOTE: it is ALWAYS okay to stop and have a drink or wipe your face during ANY type of workout!  You do what your body needs, if you're hot or thirsty or simply need a break, do not be embarrassed or push yourself beyond your actual limits, especially in a new/scary/HOT workout like this.)

Read more to hear how the heat impacted the workout...



From the simple poses to the more complex, some patterns became evident and I grew more comfortable with the instruction and flow of the class.  The heat made me uneasy, causing me to struggle with balance in poses that I'm otherwise comfortable with (for example: various transitions in and out of Warrior I).  Therein lies the challenge, and that's the whole point, isn't it?

On the contrary, the heat HELPED with opening up my joints, folding further, opening wider, stretching and doing more and more.  I'm interested to see how this improves over the course of the month, and how it influences my NON-hot yoga practice at my gym.  Will definitely be keeping you posted on that.

The poses and transitions became increasingly challenging as the class went on, but, as I said, I acclimated and found my way a bit better.  However, when she moved into "Today's Pose," I really struggled with something so new and foreign, and far more contortionist than anything we've done in my gym yoga class.  At that point, I tried to do the beginner's version, held it a moment, tried again, and then resigned to sitting, stretching, sipping water, and observing the advanced yogis around me. Inspiration, for sure. 

And that was it!  We then did some stretches before moving into Shavasana.  I really could have fallen asleep right then and there.  The class took everything out of me and I was blissed out and ready to zzzzzzz.

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I'll be back.  Definitely enjoyed it.  The heat provided both the "good" and the "bad" of the experience.  It was challenging for sure, and not always pleasant.  Some moments, some balances, some poses did NOT feel good in the moment, but that's room for improvement--that's where change happens.

AFTER the class...  The rest of the night, I felt great!  I noticed...

•  I did feel "cleansed", as people say, as if anything unpure had seeped out of my wide-open pores and left only the good stuff. Don't know if it actually detoxifies or simply dehydrates (likely the latter), but either way, that's how it feels. 
• My skin was actually glowing. I noticed it as soon as I stepped out of the shower and saw my face's reflection.  Is that my complexion?  How nice!
• My breaths were longer.  I was breathing nice and slowly, calmly, rhythmically.
• My joints were more open.  I didn't notice it until two hours later (just now!), as I got up from my computer and walked to the kitchen to refill my water (hydrate hydrate hydrate).  My stride was longer.  I literally looked down at my legs, perplexed.  Strange, but also awesome. 
• I was, though, tired.  Granted, I hadn't slept very well at all the night before, so I was naturally already tired and heavy-headed.  Add the evening's dehydration on top of that, and I was ready for bed.  (But I stayed up, drinking my water, so that I could share the experience with you! You're welcome!) 

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Hot Yoga?  I did it, and so can you!  If you're up for the dare, go ahead and find a hot yoga studio in your area.  It might not be for everyone (like, people who don't like heat and sweating), but if you're up for the challenge...

Drink up!

Before you go:

• Drink plenty of water the day and night BEFORE your class, and continued throughout the day.  Don't fall into the trap of chugging water the hour or two before your class, or you'll spend the whole time in the restroom.
• Refrain from eating about two hours prior to your class, or if you must, choose something easily digestible.  You don't want an upset stomach spoiling your experience or causing discomfort.
• Prepare to sweat. You'll see below: wear wicking clothing and bring towels.