Hi!
I was fortunate enough to have my own infrared sauna at my now damaged house. It survived the fire but is very hard to move! I'm not holding my breath on when we will be able to move back.
It's nearly 2 months later as I write this and we still don't know the fate of our house.
Will we be able to renovate it? And if so, exactly what?
Or will it get demolished.
Time will tell ...
Things like this take much more time than you'd think!
So luckily I've joined a gym nearby that has a sauna and a steam room. The new gym is a way of adapting and finding gratitude in available resources. During one of these sessions, an interesting conversation unfolded with a lady there. After ensuring she was comfortable with me using the space for my yoga practice, she shared her doctor's advice against hot yoga due to her diabetes. It's condition that makes hot yoga unsuitable for her apparently. This interaction sparked a reflection on the polarising views surrounding hot yoga. Reminding me of Paul Grilley's wisdom—often mistakenly attributed to Bernie Clarke. I clarified this with Bernie a few years back.
"always is always wrong, never is never right."
Grilley, a pivotal figure in the popularisation and understanding of Yin yoga. has emphasised the nuanced approach needed in practices like yoga.
So, is hot yoga beneficial? The answer isn't straightforward.
As I often say (like many others such as Bernie and Dr Stuart McGill.
It depends..
Like on individual circumstances and health conditions. For instance:
❌ It's generally advised against for pregnant women. Due to the hormone relaxin which increases flexibility. Plus due to the heating up of the fetus.
✅ But I've known a few experienced Bikram Practitiions to practice throughout pregnancy. Plus deliver healthy babies. So again, it depends .....
❌ Conditions like multiple sclerosis, as it can exacerbate symptoms.
❌ From an Ayurvedic perspective, individuals with a predominant aly 'Pitta' constitution. Or individuals with a Pitta excess imbalance. Which can cause more irritability, anger or competitiveness. Or perhaps increase in skin conditions that relate to Pitta.
But, personal experiences, including my own, testify to the benefits of hot yoga for some people. Having practiced it for over a decade, I've found it to be a source of balance and wellness.
✅ Particularly as someone with a Vata imbalance (in Ayurvedic terms). Heat is generally good for Vata. I start with standing breath work, standing poses, lots of balancing poses. Then progress to more calming seated poses and breath work before Savasana.
Yet, this positive experience doesn't negate the risks. Such as the potential for injury. A reality I've faced firsthand many years ago. Injuries can occur in any yoga practice, especially when guidance overshadows personal limits. I failed to listen to my body, instead I listened to the dogmatic teacher. A great learning experience. Other styles of yoga can cause injuries too though!
Determining whether hot yoga is suitable for you involves a careful assessment. For example of potential contraindications and listening to your body's response. Before your hot yoga practice commences get your baseline. Consider how you feel before. Then after compare it to how your feel after. Does it bring you peace and balance (Sattva), or do you feel worse? Your body's reaction is a crucial indicator of whether hot yoga aligns with your needs.
This is relevant for any yoga practice and many other thing in life. Think allergic reactions to certain foods.
This is the sort of reasoning behind why I don't believe in cookie-cutter approaches. My online 12 week program teaches you to discover what works for you. It launches again in September 2024.
Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine echo this sentiment. Recognizing the uniqueness of each individual. My experience underscores the importance of embracing flexibility in our wellness journeys. Acknowledging that while certain practices like hot yoga can be beneficial for some, they may not be suitable for others.
Hot yoga, like any wellness practice, is personal. It requires a nuanced approach that considers the following:
🔯 Individual health
🔯Constitution (Prakriti in Ayurveda)
🔯Current imbalances (Vrikriti in Ayurveda) or disease; and
🔯Response to heat.
✅I encourage you to tune into your body. Respect you are unique and special. This will help you navigate the diversity of yoga as well as other things in life.
✅This will help you serve your well-being. We want our practice to help achieve more time in that Sattvic (balanced) state. This is one of the goals with our yoga practice.
❌Not touching your toes or standing on your head!
Yours in wellness,
Liz
