Hot yoga isn’t exactly new, but as it’s become mainstream it’s become the topic of controversy. Many passionately extoll its virtues for detoxifying your body and allowing you to stretch a bit more than would be possible in a regular yoga session. On the other hand, a vocal minority also believes the pacing and the philosophy behind it is the opposite of what yoga should stand for.
So what’s the deal? The best way to find out, of course, would be to try one session for yourself. But before you start your first session, make sure you’ve got the right clothes. Visit https://www.yogabaron.com/online-yoga-clothing-stores to find a selection of moisture-wicking yoga clothes, because you’ll definitely need it.
Here’s five things to expect on your first hot yoga class.
1.) Expect to be incredibly sweaty
If you’ve ever been to a sauna, you’ll have a slight inkling about what to expect at your first hot yoga session. Except instead of 20 minutes sitting down in a hot room, you will be spending 90 minutes actively performing one pose after another, with only a couple of seconds of rest between each pose.
Hot yoga rooms can be between 35 and 45 degrees Celsius, which means your body will not be able to cool itself down, so it will likely continuously sweat through every single sweat gland in your body. You should have water handy to allow you to easily rehydrate throughout your class.
This heat also means warmer yoga clothes and yoga pants are not as recommended since they will definitely get heavy from sweat after a short time, impeding comfort and movement. Make sure to wear clothes made of appropriate moisture-wicking materials so that you will be able to comfortably move throughout your session.
2.) Expect to have the wind knocked out of you
Because of the heat and given that most rooms prepped for hot yoga also have limited ventilation, dizzy spells and fainting are not uncommon in hot yoga classes, especially for first-timers. This is all totally normal, and even people who do hot yoga daily may experience this. Don’t hesitate to lie down and take a breather whenever you feel that it’s getting a bit too much for you. Just join in again once you feel you have sufficiently recovered.
3.) Expect to have your mind totally blank out
You will probably be screaming internally for the first few minutes, if not throughout the session. Hot yoga isn’t usually the sort of activity you’ll want if you’re into the more contemplative side of the practice. It’s totally normal to be disoriented and have your mind unable to process anything more than your instructor’s commands, that is if you can even still do that after a few minutes. For many people, the appeal of hot yoga actually lies in this mental challenge.
4.) Expect to look your absolute worst
You’re not going to look pretty during your session, and that’s OK. Everyone’s equally stressed out and going through their own personal demons during any hot yoga session. No one’s going to be even thinking about you. Which is great, because ideally, yoga should always be about finding out more about your own self and less about how you look or how you think others see you.
5.) Expect to want more
Almost everyone who tries hot yoga will consider going for more sessions. Even the ones who tell themselves that they’re never going to want to it again will usually consider giving it another try. You will find out things about your body that you never knew before on your first hot yoga class, and the experience of going beyond what you thought was your limits can be a spiritual one.
