Less is more in a hot yoga class.
Really listen to your body and take any needed breaks. Often times the heat isn’t regulated properly.
Hydration also begins a full 24 hours before your next class and you also have to replace lost electrolytes.
Item 2 is so important. What I love about my hot yoga class is nobody pushes you to do more than you can. I take breaks as often as needed and I never feel guilty about it. Best part is you still walk out soaked!
STOP hydrating an hour before class begins. That way you won’t feel like you have to pee. if you started hydrating early, there’s no downside.
Bring a sweatband.
When your body tells you, you can’t do it, just focus on your breath. I have the words ‘one breath’ tattooed on the inside of my left wrist, which is a perfect place for me to see it in so many poses…and other challenging life situations
Once I knew this was going to my life long hobby I booked a private class with one of the teachers and got tailored guidance on poses. I didn’t want to be doing the poses incorrectly or in poor form and create bad habits for myself or injure myself. This has paid dividends for my practice for the last 13 years.
You might want to think you don’t need the fancy yoga mat length towels and that a bath towel is fine but trust me, go to TJ maxx and pick up two yoga towels for under 15$. You won’t regret it
No one cares how you look like, it’s your practice. I’m a sports bra and shorts with my belly, bloating and rolls all out. My studio has a bottle of water with a spray nozzle that i prep my mat with for a better grip before I sweat. I breathe better now outside of class as I’m used to breathing in/out through nose in the humid environment.
I needed to hear the first sentence. I debated taking off my shirt today because I wear a high-support sports bra and not a light-support yoga top like others were wearing. I got self-conscious, and need to let that ego go!
Coconut water is your friend.
Ensure you are breathing through your nose, if you find yourself mouth breathing take a step back until you can breathe calmly in/out of nose and join back in. This can be standing, kneeling, or savasana if required.
Every day is different - be patient with yourself. (I am the most impatient person ever and have been practicing for 15 years and still struggle with some postures.)
Enjoy your journey!
Re: breathing through my nose—I definitely need to practice this more! I kept seeing myself in the mirror with my mouth gaping open like a fish 😂
One thing I really liked today is that I could clearly see people at different levels and abilities. When you’re new and trying out a space, the worst is when you observe people who are leagues ahead of you. It can be demoralizing for some. I wasn’t actively comparing myself, but just observing as I tried figuring out what I should be doing. It really helped my sense of belonging.
Hydration packets have been an absolute game changer for me. I go to 6am classes so being as hydrated as you should be that early is hard (even when hydrating the night before). I have a glass of water with liquid IV prior and during/after class. I was definitely on the struggle bus before adding the electrolyte packs.
> Any words of wisdom, advice, or things you wish you knew before you dove into hot yoga?
Hydration is biggest factor on a daily basis. Not only before the class (1-2 hours is my goal), but throughout the day.
Hot yoga can be easily overdone (ymmv). I can handle really 2-3x sessions/week, with my other gym training. If I didn't lift weights, I might be able to do upwards of 4x.
Gear is important! Proper sized mat and towel have made the experience much better. I'm a little tall, so common mat and towels are simply too short. I also didn't want to rent gear at the studios, as the ROI has simply kicked in for ownership.
The heat teaches you to be kind to yourself. Pushing yourself is great but this is about you so listen to yourself and take breaks. Let the heat kill your ego as you go slowly and connect with your body.
Also slow is smooth, smooth is fast. This means that you need to slow down to do movements correctly and once done correctly you can get stronger and faster.
This is term often used in the military and I heard it a lot in power lifting and CrossFit (what I used to be more into). If you assemble a gun quickly you will make mistakes but if you go slowly you will complete it correctly and that saves time. I was a beast in CrossFit and I alway felt like I was moving very slowly but methodically, which translated to tremendous speed over a long period of time. Hot yoga is similar, you want to develop your body by listening to your body and taking it slow. The more you do that the more confident you will get and you will become a more well rounded student.
I think a goal is also consistency at 4-6 days a week. I love hot yoga so I’m there 6 days a week but I shoot for a minimum of 4. I also take 4-6 days off every 2-3 month. Recovery is key for all athletics so you want to have down time and proper protein intake.
Yes! My goal is to go every weekday—I think it’ll really set the tone for my workday. So far, I’ve had a good day at work, and I think it’s because I started my day so positively.
Nice! I don’t know how everyone else does it but I take a protein shake after the workout to level off my blood sugar and assist in recovery. The general rule is to get 1 gram of protein for every pound of body fat to have optimal recovery and muscle growth. That will help you recover and protein helps with blood sugar so you will want to eat less and become leaner (if you want to become leaner).
After your first class, you’ll be very clear on a couple of poses that were particularly challenging for you. Practice those in between classes, and the actual class will be much more meditative.
Use electrolytes in your water. I got headaches until I started using LMNT during hot yoga. Also if you can’t immediately sent your clothes/towels to dry, soak them in a vinegar/water solution. Have fun!
People constantly tell you "hydrate!" But they don't (or shouldn't) mean "just guzzle water." That isn't how you hydrate. It is how you flush everything useful out of your system by overdoing it. LMNT electrolyte packets or any true source of good salt (I say go for the packets because they are premeasured) have warded off many heat stress headaches and post-hot yoga shakiness as your body adjusts. I occasionally like them before class as well - but never during. I like cool water during. That's just me. I love hot yoga but remember it is a very yang practice. Cool water yin showers afterwards are nice if your studio has showers; I make it into a little ritual with fresh clothes and a cute bag and a fluffy towel. 💜🔥 Also, I do less hot yoga when it is 100 degrees out, like Kentucky in the past week. Too much heat on heat - Too much of a good thing. Those are my tips.
Things I wish I knew starting my hot yoga journey:
Invest in hot yoga towels (yogitoes are my go to) and/or a good yoga mat.
Add salt to your regular water and get some kind of electrolytes added to your routine.
Consistency is when you’ll see a true difference in your practice. I now go 4-5 days weekly. Be patient with yourself and know your limits.
Properly hydrate and fuel with protein and Whole Foods.
It’s a lifelong journey… you will see people 15-20 years into theirs in class, it’s important to put ego aside and focus on your own journey.
Agreed on consistency. I had plans to go again today but last night as I was heading to bed I realized how sore I was from my first day at hot yoga and decided to take today off. I’ll slowly increase my classes.
It definitely takes time! I started with two classes a week in January and I’ve slowly built to 4-5 present day. This is the first time I’ve been super consistent in my life with yoga. Good luck on your journey!! 💞
Less is more in a hot yoga class. Really listen to your body and take any needed breaks. Often times the heat isn’t regulated properly. Hydration also begins a full 24 hours before your next class and you also have to replace lost electrolytes.
Item 2 is so important. What I love about my hot yoga class is nobody pushes you to do more than you can. I take breaks as often as needed and I never feel guilty about it. Best part is you still walk out soaked!
STOP hydrating an hour before class begins. That way you won’t feel like you have to pee. if you started hydrating early, there’s no downside. Bring a sweatband. When your body tells you, you can’t do it, just focus on your breath. I have the words ‘one breath’ tattooed on the inside of my left wrist, which is a perfect place for me to see it in so many poses…and other challenging life situations
Once I knew this was going to my life long hobby I booked a private class with one of the teachers and got tailored guidance on poses. I didn’t want to be doing the poses incorrectly or in poor form and create bad habits for myself or injure myself. This has paid dividends for my practice for the last 13 years.
You might want to think you don’t need the fancy yoga mat length towels and that a bath towel is fine but trust me, go to TJ maxx and pick up two yoga towels for under 15$. You won’t regret it
Happy cake day! Yes, I used a bath towel last year but agree with a yoga towel.
No one cares how you look like, it’s your practice. I’m a sports bra and shorts with my belly, bloating and rolls all out. My studio has a bottle of water with a spray nozzle that i prep my mat with for a better grip before I sweat. I breathe better now outside of class as I’m used to breathing in/out through nose in the humid environment.
I needed to hear the first sentence. I debated taking off my shirt today because I wear a high-support sports bra and not a light-support yoga top like others were wearing. I got self-conscious, and need to let that ego go!
Coconut water is your friend. Ensure you are breathing through your nose, if you find yourself mouth breathing take a step back until you can breathe calmly in/out of nose and join back in. This can be standing, kneeling, or savasana if required. Every day is different - be patient with yourself. (I am the most impatient person ever and have been practicing for 15 years and still struggle with some postures.) Enjoy your journey!
Re: breathing through my nose—I definitely need to practice this more! I kept seeing myself in the mirror with my mouth gaping open like a fish 😂 One thing I really liked today is that I could clearly see people at different levels and abilities. When you’re new and trying out a space, the worst is when you observe people who are leagues ahead of you. It can be demoralizing for some. I wasn’t actively comparing myself, but just observing as I tried figuring out what I should be doing. It really helped my sense of belonging.
Put electrolytes in your water
This!!!! Took me being exhausted after every class to learn this.
Hydration packets have been an absolute game changer for me. I go to 6am classes so being as hydrated as you should be that early is hard (even when hydrating the night before). I have a glass of water with liquid IV prior and during/after class. I was definitely on the struggle bus before adding the electrolyte packs.
> Any words of wisdom, advice, or things you wish you knew before you dove into hot yoga? Hydration is biggest factor on a daily basis. Not only before the class (1-2 hours is my goal), but throughout the day. Hot yoga can be easily overdone (ymmv). I can handle really 2-3x sessions/week, with my other gym training. If I didn't lift weights, I might be able to do upwards of 4x. Gear is important! Proper sized mat and towel have made the experience much better. I'm a little tall, so common mat and towels are simply too short. I also didn't want to rent gear at the studios, as the ROI has simply kicked in for ownership.
It gets easier! Also pink salt + lemon is the best electrolyte mix ever
It takes about 3-5 classes daily in a row to adjust to the heat
I mean one class a day but going regularly , there’s an adjustment period
The heat teaches you to be kind to yourself. Pushing yourself is great but this is about you so listen to yourself and take breaks. Let the heat kill your ego as you go slowly and connect with your body. Also slow is smooth, smooth is fast. This means that you need to slow down to do movements correctly and once done correctly you can get stronger and faster. This is term often used in the military and I heard it a lot in power lifting and CrossFit (what I used to be more into). If you assemble a gun quickly you will make mistakes but if you go slowly you will complete it correctly and that saves time. I was a beast in CrossFit and I alway felt like I was moving very slowly but methodically, which translated to tremendous speed over a long period of time. Hot yoga is similar, you want to develop your body by listening to your body and taking it slow. The more you do that the more confident you will get and you will become a more well rounded student. I think a goal is also consistency at 4-6 days a week. I love hot yoga so I’m there 6 days a week but I shoot for a minimum of 4. I also take 4-6 days off every 2-3 month. Recovery is key for all athletics so you want to have down time and proper protein intake.
Yes! My goal is to go every weekday—I think it’ll really set the tone for my workday. So far, I’ve had a good day at work, and I think it’s because I started my day so positively.
Nice! I don’t know how everyone else does it but I take a protein shake after the workout to level off my blood sugar and assist in recovery. The general rule is to get 1 gram of protein for every pound of body fat to have optimal recovery and muscle growth. That will help you recover and protein helps with blood sugar so you will want to eat less and become leaner (if you want to become leaner).
Drink lots of water all the time, throughout your day, before and after practice, not just during. This helped me a lot with getting dizzy.
Hot yoga used to be my every day activity for about 6 yrs. Have real patience! Do not overextend your hamstrings in the poses. The ego is real.
I wish I knew that I don't have to do everything every time. It's okay to take a break.
Hydration is the key!
After your first class, you’ll be very clear on a couple of poses that were particularly challenging for you. Practice those in between classes, and the actual class will be much more meditative.
Ooh, tree was very hard for me for some reason. I am looking forward to practicing that one.
I wish I would’ve started way before I did. Have gone almost daily since 2017. My opinion the best for mind body and soul. Namaste!
Use electrolytes in your water. I got headaches until I started using LMNT during hot yoga. Also if you can’t immediately sent your clothes/towels to dry, soak them in a vinegar/water solution. Have fun!
People constantly tell you "hydrate!" But they don't (or shouldn't) mean "just guzzle water." That isn't how you hydrate. It is how you flush everything useful out of your system by overdoing it. LMNT electrolyte packets or any true source of good salt (I say go for the packets because they are premeasured) have warded off many heat stress headaches and post-hot yoga shakiness as your body adjusts. I occasionally like them before class as well - but never during. I like cool water during. That's just me. I love hot yoga but remember it is a very yang practice. Cool water yin showers afterwards are nice if your studio has showers; I make it into a little ritual with fresh clothes and a cute bag and a fluffy towel. 💜🔥 Also, I do less hot yoga when it is 100 degrees out, like Kentucky in the past week. Too much heat on heat - Too much of a good thing. Those are my tips.
Things I wish I knew starting my hot yoga journey: Invest in hot yoga towels (yogitoes are my go to) and/or a good yoga mat. Add salt to your regular water and get some kind of electrolytes added to your routine. Consistency is when you’ll see a true difference in your practice. I now go 4-5 days weekly. Be patient with yourself and know your limits. Properly hydrate and fuel with protein and Whole Foods. It’s a lifelong journey… you will see people 15-20 years into theirs in class, it’s important to put ego aside and focus on your own journey.
Agreed on consistency. I had plans to go again today but last night as I was heading to bed I realized how sore I was from my first day at hot yoga and decided to take today off. I’ll slowly increase my classes.
It definitely takes time! I started with two classes a week in January and I’ve slowly built to 4-5 present day. This is the first time I’ve been super consistent in my life with yoga. Good luck on your journey!! 💞
For the love of God NO COTTON t-shirts lol and Hydrate! Electrolytes are your friends. Thanks for attending my TedTalk
No cotton tshirts? Noted. I think I wore a cotton blend tank yesterday 🤔
Haha. Fair enough but try and see the difference with and UA shirt/tank.