5 Unexpected Benefits of Hot Yoga: Science-Backed Mental Health Facts
At first, hot yoga sounds like a bad joke. Rooms that are up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with yoga instructors sending you into 143 chaturanga before “resting” in down dog. What benefits could possibly come from this torture?
Is the physical exertion and will-power worth the mental health benefits? We will find out.
Many of my coworkers and friends have detested ever stepping foot in a hot yoga class. High humidity, high heat, and high intensity.
The immediate description of a hot yoga session is anything but appealing.
On the other side of the coin, hot yoga has raving fans religiously attending classes multiple times a week. The sweaty flows serving as workout therapy wrapped in community and good intentions.
Regardless of opinion, hot yoga is undoubtedly an experience to remember.
Although you must make your own decision, this article outlines both the mental health benefits of hot yoga and the basics of hot yoga.
What Science Says about Mental Health Benefits of Hot Yoga
One collective review of studies states, “It has been hypothesized that hatha yoga practice may attenuate HPA axis and sympathetic hyperactivity and the associated physiological, inflammatory response, which could lead to a reduction in stress- and inflammation-related illness .”
Reducing HPA axis and sympathetic hyperactivity may have positive implications for mental health and wellbeing. One hot yoga benefit.
The HPA axis is the body’s central stress response system that is involved in mood and function[……]