Creating habits cultivating one’s overall health and well-being, and managing illness when it arises, is the ultimate definition of self-care. People make decisions related to self-care daily–what to eat, the amount of time to commit to sleep, how much to exercise to and how to achieve movement goals. Hot yoga is one of the best forms of self-care, aiding in true mental, physical and chemical balance.
The Missing Piece of the Puzzle
Much like traditional yoga, hot yoga helps reduce stress and improve strength and flexibility. The added heat during a hot yoga class amplifies the intensity of the workout, resulting in greater benefits for the heart, lungs, and muscles. Explore ways that hot yoga is the missing piece to your self-care puzzle.
Reduce Stress Reactions
A common benefit associated with hot yoga is its ability to reduce stress. Yoga promotes relaxation by reducing activity in the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). As a result, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and cardiac output are all lowered. The reduction in SNS activity encourages a sense of calmness. The restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises, and meditation during a hot yoga class help calm the senses, ultimately allowing the nervous system to take a break.
Balancing Energy
Hot yoga provides physical, mental, and spiritual healing, as well as providing a sense of inner peace. During hot yoga, one is encouraged to acknowledge their feelings without pushing themselves too far. This is especially important for those who are struggling to maintain their physical or mental health. Through a variety of different yoga poses, energy is released from specific joints and organs, which leads to a heightened feeling of well-being and strength.
At its root, yoga represents a union – connecting the body, mind, and spirit together; combining the ego and the soul; fusing the mundane and the spiritual. The goal of a mindful yoga practice is to balance all parts of our lives, letting our physical bodies, mental health, emotions, and inner being move in sync. As we deepen our understanding of yoga through regular practice, we gain better insight into all that life has to offer.
Find A More Confident Self
Studies show that engaging in yoga for just 90 minutes a week leads to increased self-esteem due to greater control over emotions and thoughts. A higher self-awareness is also associated with the mindfulness practices that various forms of yoga bring, including hot yoga.
Sweat it Out
You will find that a major component of hot yoga is to sweat and sweat a lot. An upside of perspiring in a warm atmosphere is that it can enhance circulation, bringing oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to skin cells. As the largest organ, supporting skin from within can help moisturize and cool the skin. Some say that regular sweat production may even have anti-aging effects.
Self-care starts with you. Regularly engaging in hot yoga is a great first step. As the original hot yoga studio, Yoga Body Shop is here to support your personal health journey. New students are always welcome, whether a seasoned practitioner or a new yogi. If you are new to hot yoga, join us in February for a Beginner Basics workshop with Linda Sambursky, owner of Yoga Body Shop.
Take the first step. Commit to join a class at Yoga Body Shop, and begin your self-care journey with hot yoga.