As an active yogi, I am always willing to challenge myself in the sense of trying new poses and breathing patterns. So, when I first heard about hot yoga, I was instantly hooked. Yet, once I heard that the room’s median temperature was expected to remain close to 97 degrees, my nerves started to heighten slightly.
I knew that my mom, also an active member of the yogi community, had always enjoyed attending hot yoga classes. At the same time, I knew that she was extremely picky about how, where, and in what environment she likes to exercise. This factor includes the temperature of the room. Once I realized that if my mom could do it with ease and a consistent inclination to go, I knew that I would definitely be able to attend the class with no problem at all.
Like any other yoga class, whether it be Vinyasa flow or a deep-tissue stretch session, you must always bring at least one water bottle and one facial cloth along with you. Since I knew I always needed a water fix during any regular session where the temperature of the room remained comfortable, I most definitely needed some extra H2O to help guide me through each pose and posture.
When heading into my first hot yoga class, I also knew to wear long spandex/running leggings. Word of advice: If you think hot yoga automatically means wearing shorts, you’ll soon learn you’re making a mistake. In other words, hot yoga means you sweat more. Sorry to get all TMI, but I don’t want to lie to you! To put it simply, you’ll end up sliding off of your mat, and no, that’s not an exaggeration, because I’ve seen it happen to too many naïve yogis. It’s sad, truly tragic.
The main phrase to keep in mind while you enter the room that essentially mimics a sauna is, “I’m not going to faint, it’s not too hot in here, and all I have to do is focus on my breathing.” It might be a little long to remember once you step in and realize you’re sweating before even sitting down, but just remember that you can do this, even if your mind is playing with you and saying you can’t.
Coming from me, any sport is simply a mind game. With running, my mind always tells me my legs are too tired. With cycling, my mind always tells me I can’t spin any more than a certain number of minutes. With rowing, my mind always tells me I can’t keep up this stroke rate anymore. In the end, though, it’s all just a mind game. All you have to do is set your workout up in increments. Essentially, I just set goals for myself throughout the workout and make sure my music playlist is constantly updated with new songs. I tell myself, “okay, let’s just try to make it through these next ten minutes.” After those ten minutes have passed, I simply keep adding minutes until I feel like I’ve gotten a full workout in.
With yoga, the game is ultimately the same, just in a different setting with a little less upfront cardio action. Still, while working on your abdominals and strengthening your muscles as a whole, you need to make sure your mind is one hundred percent there with you. Having a clear conscience with yoga is, in my opinion, the biggest factor in having a “successful” practice. You essentially want to leave refreshed and revived, and clear any sort of negativity you may have brought in with you. And this negativity creeps back in automatically once you tell yourself that the room is too hot for you, therefore you won’t be able to do it.
Now I’m not saying your first practice with hot yoga will be perfect. In reality, there is no such measurement as a “perfect” yoga class. What’s perfect about yoga is that it’s perfect for you. Cold, neutral, or hot yoga, the practice is all the same. And in my personal opinion, I find hot yoga to be the most beneficial for your muscles and mind overall.
What’s incredible about yoga is that it’s so malleable. Yoga can be a warm up, a cool down, or a workout on its own. And whichever route you end up taking, you end up with the same result: a clear, relaxed conscience that never wants to leave the state of Shiva Sana.