Hot Yoga? Not Yoga? Cool Yoga? Pool Yoga? Goats? Beer? Puppies, Oh my!
You have a LOT Of options out there today!
Why we don’t teach Hot Yoga anymore.
Hot yoga CAN be ‘yoga’… if it’s taught that way.
Most hot yoga I’ve come across in my 30+ years experience, has been primarily focused on the workout, the sweat, the effort, the strain. “Stay in it! The heat is your challenge! When you want to come out of a pose… is when your yoga really starts”. What?
Yoga was never intended to be just a sweaty exercise.
Yoga (union) is a state of mind… with real physical benefits.
The union… is joining the mind and body. ‘AND’ being the key word here.
I’ve seen too many people jump into a hot yoga class with very little preparation, experience and certainly not a lot of awareness. The goal? Weightloss, endurance, socials.
I’ve also seen too many people on the verge of passing out, nervous systems fried, overheated and bordering exhaustion.
So I chose not to perpetuate the practice in that way.
This is why we don’t teach hot yoga… but MORE IMPORTANTLY why we teach STRONG YOGA. Mentally AAAAND Physically.
If you’re paying attention in a yoga class… with a teacher who teaches this… you’ll come to learn your personal threshhold for any of the poses, the breathwork and the meditation. In otherwords… what works BEST for YOU. Sounds selfish, I know.
But the practice of yoga is the study of YOU. Gaining awareness about you and your self. Your mind and body.
You decide. You choose. Every single time.
You learn how to make the practice more challenging or more relaxing depending on your state of mind and body at the time.
Do I need more plank today? Or more savasana? Maybe I need some twists?
If you’re paying attention and given the option… it’s very easy to make the practice your own… whether it’s hot, cold, fast, slow, weird… or not.
The bottom line is… yoga is a system of health and wellness that you can use ofr your benefit. And a good yoga teacher will show you how to do that no matter where you are, no matter what room, what class and no matter what it says on their sign.
A GREAT teacher will demonstrate by example.
Stay calm, strong and balanced… whenever possible.
💚
Suzanne
