What’s All the Buzz about Hot Yoga?

It’s been said that you either love hot yoga or you hate it, and here at Razz Yoga, the votes are in and we’re over the moon for it! Our heated classes tend to be the most popular of our in-person classes at the studio, especially during the frosty winter months. 

With our overhead panels radiating dry heat, Razz Yoga is the only local studio currently offering authentic heated yoga classes in the Phoenix-Jacksonville, MD area. Our heated panels are super quiet and create the coziest space imaginable for your next hot yoga class. Our clients are raving about them!

If you’re new to hot yoga, you may have heard of it referred to as Bikram Yoga, which is the original form of hot yoga created in the 1970’s by yogi guru Bikram Choudhury. With Bikram Yoga, a fixed series of 26 yoga poses are practiced in a room heated to around 104°F and a humidity level of 40%. In the decades since Bikram Yoga first came on the scene, hot yoga has continually evolved and been incorporated into many different styles of yoga. 

Hot Vinyasa or flow is a popular style of hot yoga offered at Razz, and each teacher has their own unique style of posture sequencing and hold times, so you can be sure to find a class that fits your needs. 

The only real requirement for a hot yoga class is that the space be heated to anywhere between 80-99°F, and it may or may not have added humidity. The main purpose of practicing yoga in a hot, humid room is to increase the heart rate (blood circulation) and allow the muscles to relax more deeply into the postures. The heat encourages you to stretch a little further and achieve a greater range of motion.

It’s true that the heated environment can make practicing hot yoga super challenging for some, but the potential benefits it brings make it worth the while for many yogi’s looking to expand their practice - or just to warm up on a frigid winter day!

Read on for our quick guide on how to thrive in your next hot yoga class.

Key Perks of Hot Yoga 

  • Dewy Skin: Ever heard of that hot yoga glow? The intense sweating that usually occurs during hot yoga opens the pores and gives your skin a dewy appearance that no facial moisturizer or serum can match! One of the benefits of sweating in a warm environment is that it can improve circulation, bringing fresh blood to your skin cells. But the benefits of hot yoga go much further than skin deep…

  • Major Calorie-Burning: You can also expect to burn significantly more calories in a hot yoga class versus a normal one, helping to propel your fitness goals to the next level one bead of sweat at a time.

  • Improved Mental Health: And perhaps most impressive - when practiced regularly over the course of a couple months, hot yoga has been found in multiple studies to significantly reduce symptoms of chronic stress, anxiety AND depression! 

Thrive in Your Next Hot Yoga Class

  • Safety Concerns: Hot yoga is generally safe for most people, barring those with heart conditions or recently recovering from major illness or surgery. If you have low blood pressure or low blood sugar, you may be prone to dizziness or lightheadedness with hot yoga. If you have health concerns, check with your doctor to make sure hot yoga is safe for you.

  • Mask Up: Due to COVID-19 concerns, as of January 2022, masks are currently required to be worn both on and off the mat at Razz Yoga and all other businesses in our county. Most people can tolerate wearing a mask during yoga class just fine, but you may want to consider modifying your practice to be less intense than normal to make sure that you stay comfortable. 

  • Stay Hydrated: Dehydration can be a major concern with hot yoga, so drinking ample amounts of water before, during, and after class is essential. A low-calorie sports drink can also help to restore lost electrolytes and get you feeling clear-headed and energized.

  • Dress to Sweat: You should expect to sweat a lot during class, as sweating heavily is one of the main objectives of practicing hot yoga over other styles of yoga and is usually inevitable in most any hot yoga class. Bring a towel or two to dry off with as needed and wear whatever clothing you’re most comfortable in. Slightly loose fitting clothes made of natural fibers tend to be the most cooling and sweat absorbing. 

  • Focus on the Breath: The intense heat in a hot yoga class can be pretty challenging to endure at times, but as always in yoga and life, focusing on the breath helps to keep you grounded and focused. While focusing on the breath is an essential part of any yoga class, I find that it’s especially helpful to come back to it again and again during a hot yoga class. 

  • Listen to Your Body: It’s not uncommon to overstretch muscles by mistake during a hot yoga class, since the extra heat causes the body’s blood vessels to expand and allows deeper stretching of our muscles than normal. The key here is to go slow and listen to your body. It should never be painful, only uncomfortable or challenging at times. Your safety is always the top priority!

We’d love to see you at a hot yoga class at the new Razz Yoga studio! Hot yoga offers many benefits for your mind and body and is so worth trying.


Heather Rasmussen