Learning to Love the Heat: Why Hot Yoga Might Be Exactly What Your Body Needs by Katie Cousins
I hate the heat, y'all.
North Carolina summers are INTENSE.
I hate sweating. I hate having to take multiple showers a day. I hate feeling sticky and exhausted and suffocated. I hate being HOT.
UNLESS...
It's in a yoga studio.
Weird, right?
For many people, the idea of "Hot Yoga" sounds gross, and might make you feel the same way I do about being outside in the middle of July. Believe me, I get it. I'll be the first one to complain when the temps get in the triple digits.
The first time I walked into a heated yoga studio, my body felt as if it were wrapped in a thick, hot blanket. My skin prickled. My brain shouted get out now. Heat makes me feel irritated, sluggish, and claustrophobic.
But I didn't get out. I didn't leave. I pushed through all of the panic and stayed in the heat.
And by the end of the class, I didn't hate it.
When I walked out of the studio, my body felt cooler, cleaner, and more relaxed.
After a few weeks of practicing regularly in the heat, something shifted.
The suffocating heaviness started to feel energizing. My body stopped panicking in the warmth. My breath found its rhythm. My "heat threshold" changed, just like your pain threshold changes when you gradually train your body to handle more weight, more distance, or more intensity (or more tattoos...).
🔥 Why Lean Into the Heat?
When you put your body under "good stress," you’re literally forging resilience. That's what I love about hot yoga; it's fire, but it's fire that shapes you.
The heat is not just about sweating more (though, yes, you'll sweat a lot). It's about learning to breathe when things get uncomfortable. It's about proving to yourself that you can stay steady in the middle of intensity. And that kind of training doesn't stop when you roll up your mat; it carries over into the rest of your life.
💡 Why Heat Helps
Here's what I've learned (and felt firsthand) about the benefits of hot yoga:
Increased Flexibility: Warm muscles are more pliable, making it easier to safely explore deeper stretches.
Improved Circulation: Heat causes your blood vessels to expand, improving oxygen delivery to muscles.
Mental Grit: Staying calm and focused in the fire teaches you how to keep cool in the face of stress (literal or metaphorical).
Detoxification Support: You’re not "sweating out toxins" (that’s mostly a myth), but increased circulation does help your body process and clear waste more efficiently.
🚫 What Hot Yoga is NOT
A lot of people hear "hot yoga" and instantly think nope, not for me. But it's probably not what you think.
It's not a punishment. Hot yoga isn't about suffering through discomfort just to say you did it. It's about using heat as a tool, not a torture chamber.
It's not Bikram. While Bikram yoga is one form of hot yoga, it is a very specific sequence and style. Heated yoga classes come in all styles, from slow, meditative yin to energizing flows.
It's not unsafe if you listen to your body. When practiced mindfully (and with good hydration), heated yoga is safe for most people. You always have permission to rest, sip water, or step out if you need to (this goes for ALL yoga classes, not just Hot yoga!)
It's not just for flexible people. In fact, heat can help beginners feel more comfortable moving into poses, because warm muscles and joints are more pliable.
It's not always 100+ degrees. Hot yoga isn't one universal temperature. Some classes are heated to a gentle 80 - 85°F, others to the 90s, and very few go higher. Warm Yin, for example, is cozy, not sweltering.
🌞 Infrared Heat is A Game Changer
Many modern heated yoga studios use infrared heat instead of blasting hot air. Infrared warms the body directly rather than just heating the surrounding air, which:
Penetrates deeper into muscles and joints
Supports circulation and recovery
Feels gentler and less oppressive than traditional forced heat
Think of it like sunshine on your skin, minus the UV damage. (No wrinkles!)
🧘 Ready to try Hot Yoga!? Come sweat with me!
Yoga Garden in Pittsboro is launching heated yoga classes starting September 15th.
I’ll be teaching:
Warm Yin - Tuesdays at 7:15 PM (gentle heat, deep stretches, ultimate chill)
Heated Vinyasa - Saturdays at 9 AM (flow, sweat, and that delicious post-class glow)
If you've been skeptical about hot yoga - trust me, I've been there. But give it a few weeks, and you might find that heat becomes your new favorite training partner. I used to avoid heat at all costs, and now it's one of my favorite tools for strength, focus, and transformation. Come sweat with me!
Note: this blog is crossposted from Katie’s website: www.fireforgedyoga.com
