Hot yoga is the practice of any style of yoga under hot or humid conditions. The average temperature in a hot yoga room is about 95 degrees. A huge stigma surrounding yoga itself is that it is only for women, and that is something that people do purely for relaxation. While this may be true for some people, hot yoga has a plethora of physical, mental, and spiritual benefits that can be drawn from the art itself. I'm here to explain those benefits and why I think more people should take the time to look into and even pick it up as a hobby for themselves.
The art of yoga originates from India. The conditions that make up hot yoga are often made to replicate the heat and humidity of India, if not for the sake of exercise and burning calories. Yoga was created around 5,000 years ago by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization , located in the northern region of India. There is a lot of obscurity regarding the origin of yoga given that it was a sacred practice that was passed down orally or transcribed onto fragile palm leaves that were easily damaged or destroyed. There are four main periods that contributed to what yoga is today. These periods are catagorized in chronological order by the names of pre-classical, classical, post-classical, and modern yoga.
Yoga is not a religion in any sense. However, due to the 7 spiritual laws that yoga students are taught to follow, those who practice yoga can obtain a sense of inner peace through the form of self-discipline. Yoga requires a good amount of mental focus, or meditation, and through this comes clarity. When you think a negative thought during your practice, you are taught to redirect your thoughts and refocus through breathing. This is very important when regarding emotional health, given that we experince situations almost daily that cause us anxiety or stress. The refocusing you do during yoga can be used in any experience outside of the practice in order for you to remain calm and keep your clarity.