Hot Yoga for Stress

jambon29

I am a small bit stressed with Work, etc lately and someone was telling me to try Hot Yoga. Is it any good does anyone know as i am abit sceptical myself.

Neyite

OP, there is a Yoga & Pilates forum that may be better suited to your query.

Paul Dilley

Dear Jambon,

The relation between yoga and stress relief is undeniable. Stress relief is one of the major advantages that you can get when you start practicing yoga. The results that you experience are almost immediate.

One of the ancient yogis' most profound insights was the link between breathing patterns and state of mind. Shallow, rapid breaths—the way many people breathe most of the time—can, from a yogic perspective, be both a cause and a result of stress. Think of how you breathe if you are startled, with a quick inhalation primarily to the upper lungs.

The yogic remedy is to slow the breath down. One way to do this is to breathe through the nose. The greater resistance to air flow in the nasal passages compared to the mouth results in a naturally slower respiratory rate, and nasal breathing is also beneficial because it warms and filters incoming air.

A simple technique, which can provide almost instant stress reduction, is to lengthen the exhalation relative to the inhalation. Doing so increases the tone in the parasympathetic nervous system, which increases relaxation and decreases the sympathetic nervous system's fight-or-flight response. You should work toward a 1:2 ratio of inhalation to exhalation, but under no circumstances should you feel any breath hunger.

iamthe43

I am very stressed with my job, on a regular basis, and I do yoga twice a week, and I get instant stress relief.

Could not recommend anything better for stress than yoga

Bov

If you are new to yoga then Hot Yoga might not be a good starting point. It can be a bit overbearing especially Bikram ( the original Hot Yoga) which is super intense. Look around for beginners yoga. Iyengar is slow moving and works with props to get maximum body alignment. Or a Vinyasa flow level l or ll. PM me for more details if you want to. I'm teaching in Dublin. Maybe I could help you to find a place to practise.

siochain

bikram yoga is fine for a new starter as long as you pace yourself. If your tired and need a break take one, don't let ego take over an push through.

burrenyoga

There are many different types of yoga these days, and many of them are very different from each other.

Some forms of yoga are better for fitness and flexibility, while other forms which are more traditional are much better for stress reduction.

One of the best if not 'the best' form of yoga for stress reduction is Satyananda yoga. It includes breathing techniques which are very powerful in releasing stress (as already mentioned by Paul), gentle yoga postures, mind focusing techniques, and meditation.

Satyananda yoga also includes a very powerful relaxation technique called Yoga Nidra which was brought to the western world by Swami Satyananda. This practice is accessible to complete beginners and possibly one of the most profound techniques for stress reduction.

Satyananda yoga also contains techniques for focussing the mind, and letting go of thoughts.

Yoga postures and sequences are also important as they help the body and the mind to 'let go', and to release stress and tension held in the body and other layers of our being.

Bikram yoga is really a physical workout using yoga-like postures, rather than a traditional form of yoga. It does not include meditation, or the many different types of breathing practices for letting go of stress.

It is a great form of yoga if you are interested in physical benefits such as flexibility, fitness and losing weight.

It can also be quite intense especially for beginners, and i would not recommend it for stress relief as there are many other forms of yoga which are much better at this.

You can read more about the different types of yoga at
http://www.burrenyoga.com/category/everything-yoga/types-of-yoga/

You also asked 'what is better than yoga for stress'.

The best way to combat stress is to approach it on many angles.

Don't rely on just 'one fix'. Best to incorporate a number of different ways to combat it.

I would recommend (not necessarily in this order)

Yoga (Satyananda yoga is best)
Yoga Nidra (a particular yoga technique which is excellent for letting go of stress)
Meditation (for training the mind and letting go of obsessive or racing thoughts)
Massage (can be very relaxing and many people are missing enough touch these days)
Incorporating some/all of the techniques above into your daily life.
Not waiting for stress to build up, but changing your lifestyle so every day starts with 10 minutes physical yoga practice, 10 minutes meditation, breathing practices during the day.
Scheduling rest/relaxation times into your everyday life.

Make a list to identify what things in life make you more stressed. And then look at the list to see what you can leave out or change or manage.

Sometimes stress can be caused by many different things in our lives, and if you can't find a way to reduce and manage it within a month or two, it may be worth talking to someone experienced in this area who can help you investigate and find out what may be causing the stress.

I wish you well in finding the right methods to reduce stress, and who knows maybe these methods will bring much bigger and better improvements into your life.

Best Wishes,
Dave

Bov

siochain wrote: »

bikram yoga is fine for a new starter as long as you pace yourself. If your tired and need a break take one, don't let ego take over an push through.

I have to disagree with you. The heat itself can be overbearing let alone the Asana practice. I wouldn't recommend Bikram as a starting point for anyone. It often leads to headaches due to dehydration which is hardly good for dealing with stress.

Strong physical practices like Ashtanga, Bikram and Power yoga can cause a degree of anxiety for beginners. Often they can't keep up with the group and no matter what anyone says about pacing yourself and not letting your ego get involved we humans are not always good at monitoring this.

horsemaster

Bov wrote: »

I have to disagree with you. The heat itself can be overbearing let alone the Asana practice. I wouldn't recommend Bikram as a starting point for anyone. It often leads to headaches due to dehydration which is hardly good for dealing with stress.

Strong physical practices like Ashtanga, Bikram and Power yoga can cause a degree of anxiety for beginners. Often they can't keep up with the group and no matter what anyone says about pacing yourself and not letting your ego get involved we humans are not always good at monitoring this.

I have to agree with Bov here. Yoga is a great stress reliever for sure. Hot yoga is not suitable for all. Bikram Yoga which is a form of hot yoga is not for all. Try yoga in normal temperature first and if you feel comfortable with it, then try hot yoga. Many people who have been doing yoga for years find Bikram yoga unbearable. Some people swear by it though. You can try it at home by heating your room to the max. Bear in mind the yoga rooms in hot yoga studios are much hotter than your house can be with the highest heat settings (at least in my house!). Good luck!

siochain

Bikram was the first yoga I did and I took to it no problem I find it’s a great stress reliever and it sets me up for the day with a sense peace when I do the early morning class . I’ve introduced several people to Bikram and it’s like anything some take to it right away and others hate it straight off. Those that didn’t take to it generally had the attitude of this is only yoga and pushed it too hard in the first class. Stress relief can be achieved in many different ways some like a gentle walk other a hard circuit class. I would agree with an earlier post that mentioned meditation and I would recommend looking into mindfulness techniques.

Bov

siochain wrote: »

Bikram was the first yoga I did and I took to it no problem I find it’s a great stress reliever and it sets me up for the day with a sense peace when I do the early morning class . I’ve introduced several people to Bikram and it’s like anything some take to it right away and others hate it straight off. Those that didn’t take to it generally had the attitude of this is only yoga and pushed it too hard in the first class. Stress relief can be achieved in many different ways some like a gentle walk other a hard circuit class. I would agree with an earlier post that mentioned meditation and I would recommend looking into mindfulness techniques.

As you say some people take to it some don't. I'm one of the do not likes. I'm not a fan of Bikram Choudhury himself. I once thought about becoming a Bikram yoga teacher but everything I read and heard about this man put me off.

In India people generally practice yoga early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the heat. That said, I do enjoy 'Hot yoga' but the temperature is usually no more than 30 deg whereas Bikram is around 40. The smell was overpowering and coupled with the heat I found it oppressive.

Restorative yoga helped me through a very tough time. It's mindful and reflective. I always feel like I've been cared for after a class.

amdublin

I started straight into bikram and found incredible. I found it to be a pure release from the stress of stains of modern life. 90 minutes just for me! And then the feeling after the class kicked in and lasted even longer.

I think I loved it because it felt like a work out with meditation included.

Op just take it slow, don't push it and listen to the teacher. God luck, you are taking the right steps for doing something for YOU. You deserve it.

derb12

I also agree that Bikram can be fine for a beginner. I dabbled in various yoga and pilates classes for years (never with specific names .... just "yoga") but would be familiar with most of the positions if i flick through a typical yoga book.

I hadn't done any form of yoga for years when I tried out Bikram purely because there is a brand new studio near where I live. I found the first couple of classes tough, but loved it immediately.

I think Bikram is fine for normal people like me who are reasonably fit and flexible and have a reasonable sense of balance. When newcomers come to practice they tend to stick with it unless they are completely inflexible to begin with or have no balance. For them, the stretches and the heat combined are just too much to take on.

BTW - where I practice is super-clean and not at all smelly. Most studios have attractive starter offers so you can give it a go without a major investment.

burrenyoga

To give a little background... i have been practicing meditation since 1978 and yoga since 1988, and have put my life's work into practicing, teaching and passing on the two most influential practices/bodies of knowledge that i have come across.

Equally well i am a normal human being and what i say here is purely my interpretation and i could be wrong.

As the years go by, and the more one practices and reads about the ancient texts and origins of yoga, one realizes that meditation was always the cornerstone of yoga and for over 5,000 years the other practices mainly developed as a 'support' for the meditation practice which is the core practice which brings about the transformations leading to the state of yoga.

Fortunately or unfortunately since westerners have become involved in yoga since the late 1800's there has been a surge in the emphasis on the physical practices of yoga.

Why this has happened is another discussion...

However, unfortunately for newcomers to yoga these days... or bystanders reading magazines, many people actually believe that the physical practices are the central part of yoga.

And this even goes as far as many 'yoga teachers' actually thinking that the physical practices are the central and main part of yoga.

If one has only ever practiced physical yoga, then one may not be aware of the profound depth and transformation effects of the more subtle practices of yoga... for example pratyahara, pranayama, dharana etc.

Some yoga teachers are even calling a tiny amount of 'breathing' pranayama.

I am not saying that there are no benefits from the physical practices. They are fantastic at balancing the nervous system, and the endocrine system, removing energy blocks, increasing will power, improving concentration, feeling good, looking good, and one genuinely feels great doing these practices.

What i am saying is that the central core practices of yoga, which are over 1000 years old (*many older than 5,000) are not the physical postures which have only been introduced within the past 800 years, and have snowballed during the past 100 years.

So if you are one of the people who practice one of these mainly physical forms of yoga... yes you will feel great... you will feel many of the benefits... but i can assure you there is much more to be experienced... and much more powerful practices to help transform oneself on very deep levels.

Worth reading Hatha Yoga Pradipika or Four Chapters on Freedom to get some background on this if you are interested.

Bikram yoga was invented about 50 years ago.

It has none of the traditional practices which are thousands of years old, and mainly focuses on physical postures.

You will feel great after practicing it.

It is a fitness routine and uses yoga-like postures which have been modified by Bikram who tried to put a patent on them and sue people who taught 'his' postures.

Many of the yogic principles have been turned on their head in this particular business model. Many of the classes simply pack people in, and there is not adequate care nor attention given to people who have weaknesses or need much more gentle practices and supervision in order to take up yoga or get over illnesses or other difficulties.

Very often the teacher will stand at the top of the class, and recite a 'set script' of the same instructions class after class for years on end. Very often the teachers do not walk around and give advice or more easy modifications to the postures to students who may be obviously struggling or even have injuries or health conditions. These students are left to 'tag along' and try to keep up with the fitness routine.

But if you are new to yoga and are over 40 years old (i am in my 50's), have a bad back, are pregnant, or have injuries in your knees, neck, high blood pressure... or many other illness, injuries or weaknesses, then you should be very careful if you try 'bikram' before easing yourself into some of the more traditional forms of yoga.

If you are practicing Bikram and love it.... then it may be worth trying out a few other more traditional forms of yoga... and keeping up the practices on a daily basis for at least 3 months or longer in order to give yourself the opportunity to 'experience' the effects of those more transformative practices. And the effects may not be as quickly felt as the physical ones.

And as i said above, these are only 'my perceptions' and i can be wrong like anybody else.

I have practiced some Bikram yoga classes over years, and have also practiced Satyananda yoga, Sivananada yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Vinyasa flow, Kundalini yoga, Anusara...and many more.

I have a daily practice of yoga and meditation for over 20 years and believe the more people practicing yoga in the world the better.

It is great that there are so many forms of yoga in the world today, that everyone can find a form that is suitable for themselves.

But we need to be careful when 'we think' that what we are practicing is the 'best form of yoga' or 'is suitable for everybody'.

Some people reading this may be in their 30's or even be in their 20's and think "Oh yes.... this is the first form of yoga i have tried and i feel great after it. So therefore this form of yoga must be ok for anybody as their first form of yoga"

We are all very different from each other .... in our ages, our body makeup, our mental makeup, our weaknesses, illnesses, strengths etc.

Each form of yoga has it's own strengths, and some are better than others for dealing with stress.

I wish you well with your practice.

Best Wishes,
Dave

Bov

@ burrenyoga:

Love your post. Thorough and so true. It's funny how we westerners take only a small part of the whole and call it yoga. Give me a yoga nidra any day over asana. (I'd like to be a yoga cat in my next life) As much as I love asana practice, it can only take me so far.

Right I'm off to think of ways to clean my nadis

Ps. Has Bikram really been going for 50 years? He's only 66 now.

burrenyoga

Hi Bov,
I didn't work out the 50 years exactly..... i guess 40 years ago... based on what you say about his age.

I must admit that i think the Bikram class is a lot better than many other workouts that people do these days.... but when it is compared to more traditional yoga practices which stem from lineages going way back.... then i think it is important to point out the differences.

And when someone asks about how good it is for dealing with stress, i think it is important to compare it to the forms of yoga which are ideal for alleviating stress.

So i hope many people benefit from the Bikram classes, and that it even brings more people to practicing meditation and the more subtle aspects of yoga which have been part of the whole body of knowledge for thousands of years.

I guess we will all reap what we sow anyhow....

See... i said i could be wrong... and you just proved me wrong ;-)

Best Wishes,
Dave

siochain

hey burrenyoga,

good post,

yes its true how most western forms of yoga is focused on the physical aspects as opposed the meditational & breathing aspects. It’s sad to say but if it didn't yoga would be nowhere near a popular over here. Most people spend their days with monkey brain jumping from one though\worry all day long and most would say meditation is for the hippies. Going to bikram with the added heat and physical aspect can help them escape from the daily worry merry go-round. I guess what I’m try to say is meditation can come in many forms.
If people are interested in trying meditation there are many guided ones free on ITunes and as I posted earlier if you are stressed our just looking to make a really positive change I would recommend to read up on mindfulness.

Cheers

LadyBetty

Personally speaking, bikram yoga has worked wonders for me. I was stressed in work and quite down about it, a friend introduced me to bikram yoga & I have been practicing regularly since - nearly 3 years! I had done other types of yoga classes before, just general introduction to yoga type of classes, and found them a bit boring for me to be honest. The heat & intensity in bikram makes me really focus, and I come out feeling like a new woman - it's a great way to leave the day behind.
As another poster mentioned, Bikram Choudury himself is not a very likeable character. I met him briefly when he visited Dublin last March, and he was all talk of money money money - not very zen-like! But you don't have to like him to like his yoga. I highly recommend giving the class a try if you are stressed, what have you got to lose.

rainbow kirby

I'm not a huge fan of hot yoga classes, I just find the heated room a bit uncomfortable really and a standard ashtanga class heats me up enough anyway. If it works for others that's great, just not my thing.

Blumentopf

burrenyoga wrote: »

But if you are new to yoga and are over 40 years old (i am in my 50's), have a bad back, are pregnant, or have injuries in your knees, neck, high blood pressure... or many other illness, injuries or weaknesses, then you should be very careful if you try 'bikram' before easing yourself into some of the more traditional forms of yoga.

Dave, I am one of those - over 40, with a bad back and a bit of a dodgy neck - I have tried iyengar, which I quite liked - quite enjoy focusing on getting the correct posture. I was going to try Bikram, or well, i guess I'm going to try it anyway since I bought one of these vouchers, but I'm wondering what you would recommend for someone decrepit like myself

burrenyoga

Hi Blumentopf,
There are differences between 'give it a go' or whether i would be 'recommending' it for you.

If you are just looking for a fitness workout... give it a go and be careful with you back... don't rely on the teacher to look after you. The chances are the teacher won't even ask you about your injuries... the class will be so big the teacher won't be able to look after whether you are struggling or possibly straining your back.

If you are looking for 'recommendations' on a genuine form of yoga which will give you the age old benefits of a complete yoga practice.... no i would not recommend it.

By 'complete yoga practice' as i have mentioned previously... i mean to include pranayama.... mind focussing techniques... meditation... as well as the usual postures taught in a systematic careful way.... with the teacher cognisant of anyone's injuries and the teacher being interested and being careful to look after any weakness or injuries of the students.... and subtly encouraging them to follow all the aspects of the full yogic path.

I wish you well with your practice.

Best Wishes,
Dave

Blumentopf

Thanks for your feedback, I meant more like what type of yoga you would recommend (mindful and all!)

Big Mig

I am relatively new to yoga asana practice.....as in I started Ashtanga Yoga just under two years ago....and the reason I decided to start was to alleviate stress!!

I spoke to a yoga teacher at some length, and because I am quite a physically active person she recommended Ashtanga Yoga, the physcial benefits were fantastic but so were the other benefits and I am fortunate to have a teacher who fully understands that the asana practice is only 1/8 of the practice of yoga.....

I have stuck with my Ashtanga practice and have to say the thoughts of Bikram (hot) yoga does seem rather extreme.......? Why not try a couple of different practices and see if there is one you prefer....

burrenyoga

Hi Blumentopf,
Your question is answered in this thread in an earlier reply.

Please see reply added
23-12-2012, 09:24

Best Wishes,
Dave