Stress Reducing Benefits of Hot Yoga

What are the stress relieving benefits of hot yoga? If you've just heard about Bikram yoga, you may be thinking it would cause you more stress to attend a class than it's worth. Twenty six poses?  Ninety minutes of challenging asanas? Temperatures of up to 100 degrees? Forty percent humidity? How can any of that reduce stress? How does that relieve tension? What are the stress relieving benefits of hot yoga?

Apparently, it does reduce stress really, really well.

Those who participate in Bikram yoga on a regular basis typically experience lower heart rates, lower blood pressure, lower levels of cholesterol and better sleep at night. Why? Because the strenuous exercise actually reduces stress, resulting in an amazing feeling of well-being after a class.

Bikram yoga is designed so that you will release a great deal of toxins from your system, resulting in feeling much healthier. During the 90 minute class, your body will flush its lymphatic system, flush even more toxins from the bloodstream through all that sweat, and then replenish your system with the massive amounts of clean, pure water you are sure to drink before, during and after the class. The release of all those toxins also results in the release of stress-induced hormones such as cortisol, a hormone produced by the body when under extreme levels of stress.

Bikram yoga classes are also conducted in such order that each position (asana) leads into the other in a flowing manner, acting as a tourniquet and release, flushing the body, releasing tension in the muscles, and relaxing the body through the stimulation of pressure points. At the end of a class, you will emerge feeling exhausted but renewed, challenged but ready to sleep like you never have before.

The controlled breathing exercises taught in these classes, pranayama and kapalbhati,  also enhance your ability to relax, release tension and experience serenity of a clear, focused, relaxed mind. You will be taught how to meditate while exercising, a very valuable skill when dealing with stress in everyday life. Because of these results, Bikram yoga classes are valued by those who want to learn how to handle the stresses of life while bettering themselves.