Hot Yoga: Why I love to sweat in the middle of summer

Cindy Lunsford, the owner of the studio yogasoul, explains why she loves to turn up the heat in the yoga studio, no matter what the weather outside…

The dog days of summer take on a whole new meaning here in Nashville. For many of us, the sweating begins well before Memorial Day.

While I admit the heat can be uncomfortable, I’ve learned to embrace sweating a little extra in the summer through hot yoga. Even 95-degree temperatures and 100 percent humidity won’t interfere with my practice — I’m in the studio sweating it out every single week, and here’s why I think you should consider doing so as well.

Hot yoga takes your typical yoga experience and turns it up a notch —literally. Temperatures will range between 80 and 105 degrees inside the studio. For about an hour, your instructor will lead you through poses in high heat, challenging you both physically and mentally.

Hot yoga is fantastic for weight loss. The high temperature, which often leads to an increased heart rate throughout the class, can help burn fat more efficiently. This type of yoga also helps detoxify your tissues and cells by forcing you to hydrate consistently throughout the day. The increase in water intake will also aid your gastrointestinal, urinary and cardiovascular systems to work at their maximum capacity.

Additionally, hot yoga leads to greater flexibility because your muscles will be warmed up just minutes into the class. This will allow you to lean deeper into poses like hip-openers and downward dog, and more easily massage your internal organs.

Hot yoga has benefits specific to the summer months as well. To begin, practicing hot yoga will help your body acclimate to the heat. You’ll start to feel more comfortable sweating and may even be less fazed by temperature swings. Practicing hot yoga in the summer also prepares your body for other outdoor activities, like taking a bike ride on a steamy afternoon or spending the day at the beach with your family. You’ll need to take fewer breaks and will already be educated on how to keep your body hydrated in the summer climate.

I always recommend that my students consume plenty of electrolytes before and after a hot yoga practice and eat a small snack after the class. This helps keep the metabolism high, so you avoid fainting or feeling ill.

Ready to give hot yoga a try? You can sweat it out with me at yogasoul, located in Nashville’s Melrose neighborhood, any day of the week. Our studio features one of the largest hot yoga rooms in Nashville, so you won’t have to worry about sweating on your neighbor. For the days when you do need a break from the heat, you can try vinyasa, yin or live music yoga in our unheated room. If you choose to purchase a membership right now, you will receive special anniversary pricing and can join us for any style of yoga whenever you please. Hope to see you soon!