Yoga is a means to relieve stress.
This style of exercise is great to increase flexibility and improve strength of muscles.
Yoga has a calming impact on the central nervous system. As a person who normally tackles yoga in a cool, air conditioned space, I was not sure about the rewards of fad called hot yoga. Hot yoga is performed in an overheated heated space. The temperature is usually somewhere around 100 degrees. I tried my first class a few weeks ago. I noticed right away that there were space heaters lining one wall of the studio to supplement the overhead vents in the ceiling. I read the settings on thermostat and saw the temperature was 96 degrees. I considered the very high cost of the studio’s heating bills and was surprised the class wasn’t more expensive. I wasn’t sure I wanted to stretch plus exercise in an overheated studio. I was sort of thinking of turning right around, climbing into my air conditioned car and heading home for my workout. I tend to set the thermostat cooler than normal for my workouts. I believe that air conditioning helps me to tax myself more. However, the instructor caught me and insisted I’d be hooked after the first class. She insisted that the high temperature of the studio was beneficial. Before starting class, the instructor turned up the thermostat by several degrees. I was already wet with sweat before I started. The space heaters were brutal. For the first few poses I felt lightheaded, but I gradually got used to the hot studio. I was really sweaty, but I felt relaxed and exceptionally flexible. When the class ended, the instructed turned on several fans to help with the cool down. I liked it but was in a hurry to enjoy the air conditioning in the reception area.