“lets go to hot yoga” your friend states. It is finally August and you are sweating just trying to put your bra on. Now your friend wants you to go to hot yoga? what? Is she crazy? I get hot yoga in the winter, but hot yoga in the summer? During a heat wave? Well, I am here to tell you that hot yoga feels even better during a heat wave!
We know hot yoga is great in the wintertime.
Do you know how great hot yoga is in the summertime?
Hot yoga is a system that allows the body to go into a state called thermoregulation. In this process, the body triggers mechanisms that assist the body in cooling down the internal temperature so one does not over heat. This is when you start to sweat. Sweating helps the body to adjust its internal temperature by releasing moisture onto the skin. Then it has to evaporate, allowing the body to cool down. This process is brought about by a very complex balance of hormones.
The main gland that triggers this cooling response is the hypothalamus gland. This is a very powerful gland inside the brain. This is like having an internal thermostat within your body. Most people are familiar with the thermostat in their house. They are constantly adjusting their external environment. They are opening the window, closing the window, turning the air conditioner on, turning it off, some people are constantly adjusting their external environment and they are never happy.
A practitioner of hot yoga learns how to adjust their own internal thermostat. They learn how to change their inner environment. Most people are like a thermometer. They are constantly saying it is hot, it is cold, it is humid, it is rainy & damp… They are constantly acting like suffering victims to the outside forces, and they are never satisfied.
A practitioner of hot yoga knows how to regulate their thermostat and to adjust their inner environment. Through the process of breathing, controlling one’s thoughts, and the conditioning from having a regular hot yoga practice, one gains more control of their own body and mind.
Through hot yoga one learns how to cool themselves down, thus enhancing their comfort in managing their internal environment. The body adapts better, the mind adjusts better, one gains more internal control, and then one just feels better, more of the time. That sounds like a great thing to me! Plus this hypothalamus gland also helps your sleep cycle, so one who practices hot yoga gets a better nights sleep on these hot summer nights. You could even save some money keeping the air conditioner off and even enjoy some of the fresh summer air.
And the best part of hot yoga is walking out the door on what seemed like a hot day, and now it seems so much cooler and enjoyable.
So be a thermostat, not a thermometer. Adjust your inner environment and enjoy the hot, humid summer without hiding inside in air conditioning that makes the temperature as cold as a February winter.
article was written by Mary Grace of Yoga Oasis. Please read her full bio on www.yoga-oasis.com
“A practitioner of hot yoga learns how to adjust their own internal thermostat."
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