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Suzanne Nevant
Mrs. Smith
English IV AP
22 November 2017
Embracing One's Body and Spirit Through Hot Yoga
Add heat to the environment, and along with the sweat, breath, and the development of a
foundation, you find the elixir of life within yourself (Barnett 9). Yoga has been around for
thousands of years in various forms including slow-moving Hatha Yoga, flow-based Vinyasa
Yoga, and detoxifying Hot Yoga. Yoga has a rich history of being a serene practice amidst stress.
It has the power of healing injuries, strengthening spirituality, and nourishing the body. Yoga has
evolved into many different practices over its history, but it is Hot Yoga that best energizes,
rejuvenates and heals the body, mind, and soul.
The science of yoga was founded more than five thousand years ago by a great ancient
sage named Patanjali. Patanjali described yoga as an Eight-Fold Path to attain a state of peace
within the mind and soul. The eight disciplines included: Yama - the self-restraint from
violence and negativity, Niyama - the importance of cleanliness and determination owed to
oneself, Pranayama - the control of breath, Asana - the strength of posture, Pratyahara the ability to withdraw from outside desires, Dharana - the ability to concentrate, Dhyana the ability to meditate on the focus of yoga, and Samadhaya - conscious of truth in nature
(Barnett 10). Beginning with the teachings of Patanjali, yoga has contributed to civil and social
interactions as a way to develop and stabilize ones heart-mind, physical body, and breath. Yoga
provides a time for self-observation with the support of a group of classmates experiencing the
same practice (Bachman 3).

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There are two main branches of Hot Yoga: Hot Hatha Yoga and Bikram Yoga. Hot Hatha
Yoga is slightly cooler than Bikram Yoga at around 92 degrees Fahrenheit. On a physical level,
heat enhances the process of relaxing the muscles and provides for deeper stretching. When the
body is cold, it becomes difficult to move when muscles contract. As muscles and joints are
heated, they loosen and no longer resist movement, but embrace movement. In a normal yoga
class, motion creates heat from the inside out, but a heated room, heat moves from the outside in.
Heat from the outside in enables the body to find a deeper stretch with a lesser possibility of
injury because the muscles are warmed to stretch. With repeated stretching in a heated
environment, muscles lengthen and a better sense of flexibility is achieved. As well as a deeper
stretch, Hot Yoga detoxifies the body in a way that regular yoga cannot (Barnett 10).
Choudhury Bikram, an Indian yoga instructor, took the practice of yoga and added the
dimension of heat as a way to even further fulfill radiant health through yoga. He was born in
India and has lived in Hollywood, California since he founded Yoga College of India in the
1970s. He claims that his form of hot yoga, Bikram Hot Yoga, is the most beneficial type of yoga
to exist. Bikram Yoga consists of 26 postures and two breathing exercises amidst a 105 degree
Fahrenheit temperature. Choudhury Bikram claims that Bikram yoga can cure everything from
physical injuries and serious illnesses to troubled relationships and spiritual poverty (Bikram
Yoga). Bikram is only one type of Hot Yoga, but the effects of heat are similar in all practices
of yoga in a heated environment.
Heat stimulates fat receptors and has the ability to release fat-soluble toxins. In a heated
environment, the body must maintain its temperature by cooling itself off through sweating. For
many people, the best part of Hot Yoga is the sweat. Sweat is GOOD Personally, I love to
sweat and feel that a heated practice offers me more of a pleasurable feel replies Ferris

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Fakhoury, a certified Hot Yoga instructor, when asked about the benefits of heat. When a body
reaches 98 degrees, it triggers sweat which releases toxins through the skin. At this high
temperature, it distributes the heat by pumping warm blood to the surface. Aside from the sweat,
the increase in blood circulation has many benefits to the body as the process releases toxins and
waste. It brings nourishment to more cells which stimulates proper functioning to systems such
as the digestion and the nervous system. The heart also pumps more efficiently when body
temperature rises. This lowers diastolic blood pressure and the heat ultimately is a form of
cardiovascular conditioning which strengthens the heart just as much as an other muscle in the
body (Barnett 12). Lowering high cholesterol and weight reduction are only a few of Hot Yogas
benefits (Fakhoury).
In addition to the physical strengthening and detoxification, Hot is also a state of mind,
suggestive of the intensity of effort and resulting invigoration encouraged by yoga performed in
heated environment (Barnett13). A huge aspect of practicing the postures is breath control and
focus which yields a relaxed state of mind. Hot Yoga is practiced between 60 and 90 minutes in a
class, but the effects of the mind linger beyond the studio and into the world. The intuition
activated on the mat should be further responded to outside of the classroom. Hot Yoga reveals
the true inner essence of an individual and what one learns about himself remains with them and
becomes even more prevalent in their life as their practice continues to grow (Lindquist 33). Hot
Yoga is a strenuous effort and it can be difficult to simply focus on breath rather than on sweat,
muscle pain, and faltering balance. Meditation is the science of gaining mastery over the mind
(Karunananda 28). By achieving meditation over the breath and focus on the present, blocking
out worries becomes comfortable and in times of stress, Hot Yoga can be a sanctuary of peace.

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As Fakhoury says, Mindfulness and a sense of peace can be achieved in many forms of
yoga however, the concentration gained by practicing in a hot space helps develop mindfulness
in a profound way. Concentration in Hot Yoga outweighs concentration in regular yoga because
one practicing Hot Yoga must learn to disregard the heat and focus solely on the practice.
Pushing through the heat takes commitment to the body, mind, and practice.
Commitment to the process of letting Hot Yoga influence life is what provides structure.
Deciding to let meditation be medicine and let the mind go free from outside distress will affect
all aspects of life over time. The goal is to realize the spirit found in Hot Yoga and to be able to
see that spirit in everyone and everything. It helps to find inherent calmness and positivity
throughout the day. According to Lindquist, because of Hot Yoga you will drink more water, eat
more nourishing foods, and find more vibrancy in life (36). The heat and sweat makes a
participant more mindful of their hydration level. Often times people disregard the importance of
hydration. Hot Yoga requires that one takes hydration into consideration in order to enhance
performance inside the classroom, and recover after much perspiration. Water and minerals fuel
the body with nourishment and increase functional efficiency which enhance the practice itself
(Fakhoury).
Hot yoga not only provides energy through increasing metabolism rates and awakening
the body, but it also exhausts the muscles so that when it is time to sleep, the calmness found
during class and the worn out muscles will enrich slumber (Lindquist 36). Good sleep adds to the
strengthened immune system that Hot Yoga also provides.
Hot Yoga is renowned by its ability to strengthen ones immune system. When a body is
exposed to heat, there is an increased production of white blood cells within the blood system
which also improves the immune system. I almost NEVER get a cold or any type of illness,

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boasts Ferris who has also found yoga helpful in dealing with cancer and has studied its effects
on people with chronic illness. There are many therapeutic benefits of yoga that assist those who
deal with increased rates of stress. Often times diseases can be dismal and depressing, but yoga
has been found to increase a persons perception of their quality of life as it did for Ferris when
she battled cancer. Hot Yoga has even been found to change the bodys PH level from a more
acidic PH to a more basic PH. Cancer cells thrive off of an acidic PH level and therefore Hot
Yoga has the ability to help treat cancer as well as prevent it for those who do not already have it.
Ferris has used her experience to help others with chronic illness, however it is important to
recognize that the integration of yoga with western medicine is the most effective form of
management, meaning that yoga should not be the sole choice of treatment, but is a natural way
to aid western medicine in curing such a devastating disease (Fakhoury).
Life has its many obstacles and Hot Yoga has been found to strengthen spirituality during
the good times as well as during the obstacles. Hot Yoga begins with a lesson, something to
meditate on and recognize through class. For instance, the highest spiritual practice is selfobservation without judgment is a lesson for students to recognize their limits and be mindful of
their bodys capacity without pushing themselves too far, but rather accepting their weaknesses
with the same gratitude which they accept their strengths. As Bikram himself says Your mind is
your worst enemy. Hot Yoga instructors talk students through blocking out the negative, and
focusing on the positive in life. Yoga is a practice in balance with nature, weather, and
circumstances in ones life. A Hot Yoga instructor focuses on a lesson each class, and encourages
the students to let go of the negative energy in their lives and recognize the world which God has
made. Hot Yoga offers reverence to nature and the earth around us as well as reverence to the
body. The human body is so intricate with each bone stacking the way they do in order to achieve

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postures while the heart and the veins pump functionality into each limb. The body and the brain
is a medium used to achieve self and spiritual recognition. No matter which gods a student
believes in, Hot Yoga honors a higher being, and encourages students to come in contact with
their belief as a comfort in life on earth (Lakeway). The mental and spiritual aspects of a yoga
lifestyle are the real pearls of yoga (Fakhoury).
All benefits of Hot Yoga begin with the class. In class, everything is made to be serene.
Class should provide the students with an atmosphere to find their highest self. Everything down
to the lighting is an integral piece of the Hot Yoga environment. The lighting could be described
as either a dusk or dawn-like symbolizing beginnings and endings ( Lindquist 26). Mirrors are
also important. They are found in all Hot Yoga studios and are said to be used to check the
bodys positioning, but more importantly to recognize inner beauty and strength through class.
(Lindquist 23) Hot Yatra yoga is all about finding personal bodily control and should not be
influenced by others. Some people are more advanced than others, but it is about finding your
own strength to push further than the class before. Remembering that no yoga encourages a
competitive spirit is important for safety because it is possible to overstretch yourself. Hot Yoga
instructors guide all students at their own level, and the breath and sweat from others in the room
is encouraging no matter how far into a stretch one can bend (Peters).
All classes end with the word Namaste. Namaste means that the light/love inside me
salutes and honors the light/love inside you. We are in this one energy, (Fakhoury). The
meaning of Namaste aligns with the entirety of Hot Yoga itself. Hot yoga is about finding
serenity and strength within oneself as well as in others. Heat provides a deeper stretch of tissue
and a deeper knowledge and understanding of the practice of yoga. Within a busy, stressful
world, everyone deserves peace. Namaste.

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Works Cited
Bachman, Nicolai. The Path of the Yoga Sutras: A Practical Guide to the Core of Yoga. Boulder, CO:
Sounds True, 2011. Print.
Barnett, Marilyn. Hot Yoga:. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's, 2004. Print.
"Bikram Yoga: The Guru Behind Hot Yoga Shows The Way To Radiant Health And Personal
Fulfillment." Publishers Weekly 254.3 (2007): 45. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Sept.
2016.
Fakhoury, Ferris. E-mail interview. 20 Sept. 2016.
Karunananda, Swami. Awakening Aspiration to Realization Through Integral Yoga. N.p.: Integral Yoga
Dist, 2014. Print.
Lakeway, Austin. "Bikram's Take on Spirituality." Bikram Yoga Austin Lakeway. N.p., n.d. Web. 03
Oct. 2016.
Lindquist, Allison. Hot Yatra Yoga. N.p.: Hot Yatra Yoga C/o 90 Degrees Yoga, n.d. Print.
Peters, Jen. "Taking The Heat." Dance Magazine 84.10 (2010): 22.Academic Search Complete. Web. 12
Sept. 2016.