What is the ‘hot’ in hot yoga?

by Vanessa Herremans

Hot Yoga

Hot Yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a heated room. Hot Yoga’s mission is to touch as many lives as possible with the power and wisdom of Yoga. Hot Yoga is not advised for pregnant women, since it can raise the core body temperature. It is essential to have your own yoga mat and towel when doing Hot Yoga since you will be sweating so much. People come to Hot Yoga to look beautiful on the outside, but they stay because they are inspired to be the best version of themselves.

Yoga

Yoga means union of body, mind and spirit. Yoga is that state of Absolute Peace wherein there is neither imagination nor thought. Yoga teaches us how to control the modifications of the mind and attain liberation. The yoga discipline’s image has transcended the stereotype of a skinny, long-haired guy twisted into a pretzel on some mountainside.

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga emphasizes spiritual practice to help the individual unify body, mind, and heart through certain practices in one’s daily life and work. Karma Yoga is selfless service unto humanity. There is a hidden power in Karma or action termed ‘Adrishta’ which brings in fruits of Karmas for the individual. The practice of Karma Yoga prepares the aspirant for the reception of knowledge of the Self.

Tantra Yoga

Tantra Yoga studies the tree of life itself instead of limiting itself to any single branch of the tree. Tantra Yoga thus promotes a one-pointedness and centeredness that help us to free the consciousness from limitations. Tantra Yoga accepts desire as the prime motivating force of the universe, so it does not ask its’ aspirants to renounce desire. Instead of separating and categorizing the different areas of human knowledge, Tantra Yoga draws them together.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga, a devotional form, generally encompasses chanting, reading of scriptures and worship practices. Bhakti yoga is based on the doctrine “Love is God and God is Love”. To kindle the candle of love with the spark of knowledge and to do the yoga of love or Bhakti Yoga. This is the essence of Bhakti Yoga.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is a particular system of Yoga described by Yogi Swatmarama, a yogic sage of the 15th century in India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Hot Hatha Yoga is the physical form of yoga designed to bring balance and well-being into your life. Iyengar’s method, a form of hatha yoga, is based on giving primacy to the physical alignment of the body in the poses. Later, with the rise of Hatha yoga, asana came to refer to all the “postures” Pranayama (“Lengthening Prāna”): Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, “āyāma”, to lengthen or extend Pratyahara (“Abstraction”): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external objects.

About the Author:
What is Yoga? A View At An Ancient Practice

The question “What is Yoga?” is not the type of question that is answered simply or in depth in such a short space. The practice of yoga has numerous unique schools of thought and varying opinions. In ancient Hinduism, the...

Hatha Yoga – The Most Popular Version Of Yoga

Chakras and Kundalini may be foreign to you, but it’s something that is bringing tranquility and strength to the 30 million Americans who practice Hatha yoga. The ancient practice of posturing and breathing has been taught by Indian sages to...

Learning About The Various Types of Yoga

Do you ever get so busy you can’t even think straight? Do you frequently suffer from headaches and feel lethargic? Instead of indulging in all the “one-pill cures” on late night television, why not take an hour of your day...

Some Information on the Benefits of Yoga

Yoga in Sanskrit stands for union and it denotes a union or balance between the spirit, body and mind so there is a state of harmony. This is an ancient holistic method of individual improvement practiced for years. This age...

Basic Yoga for beginners

Yoga is an experience related with the vast interrelatedness of all life and of all things. Yoga is about learning from direct experience. Yoga is intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of the Indian religions. It is control...