Heat Benefits
Doing yoga in a super-heated room is similar to sitting in a sauna. Heated environments increase your pulse rate and metabolism and allow your blood vessels to become more flexible. That makes circulation easier and increases blood flow to the limbs. Cold muscles become injured more easily than warmed-up ones, so the heat allows your body to move more freely. Although you will get hot, the act of sweating helps control your internal body temperature.
Practice Style
Flow-style yoga classes involve transitioning from one pose to another through a sequence called vinyasa, in which you move to plank pose, down through high-to-low pushup, and up to cobra pose and downward-facing dog. Vinyasa helps your muscles stay warm and flexible, but some people find the sequence tiring and would rather just do individual poses, one after another, without the transition. Bikram yoga allows this opportunity. Because the room is so warm already, there's no need to flow between poses.
Mental Benefits
All types of yoga are designed to relieve stress and promote mind-body unity. Practicing hot yoga, though, is a special case of mind over matter. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone is an accomplishment, and you may be surprised to discover that the upper limits of what your body can do under extreme conditions is higher than you thought.
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