How To Prepare For Hot Yoga Class: Ultimate Guide For Beginners

If you don’t know what to expect, taking your first hot yoga class might seem a little intimidating. Despite the fact that our yoga instructors are qualified to support beginners through their first yoga class, getting ready for your class in advance can help you get the most out of the experience. Learn how to get ready for your hot yoga class by reading on.

Before a Hot Yoga Class

Arrive Well-hydrated

Prior to your first class, make sure you are getting enough water throughout the day. Start drinking water the night before if you have an early morning class. The 80 to 105-degree room feels much more tolerable because a hydrated body can expel heat more effectively. However, be careful not to drink too much an hour or so before class… you won’t want to leave the room during class, and many of the postures are designed to massage and compress your internal organs, so imagine what that may feel like to a full bladder…

Watch What You Eat

Eat light, healthy meals throughout the day leading up to the class, avoiding eating at least two hours prior. You’ll regret that huge bowl of pasta slathered in alfredo sauce when you’re trying to “compress the abdominal wall, contract the abdominal muscles”

Come Prepared

A towel, water bottle, and yoga mat are required. If you don’t have your own, the studio will rent you a yoga mat and towel. One towel for their mat and one for themselves is preferred by some people. Additionally, by the end of class, your clothes will be covered in sweat, so take that into consideration. Bring a change of clothes and some extra layers if the weather is chilly because it will feel even colder outside after a hot yoga session. Considering that most studios have showers, you can prepare to take a shower before leaving the space.

What to Wear

Long pants and baggy clothing should be avoided because they will become heavy from perspiration. Choose clothes that won’t restrict your movement and that you can still feel comfortable in even when it gets sweaty. For women, tight shorts and a tank top or sports bra will do, while men should wear relaxed shorts. Also, don’t wear cologne or perfume! Nobody wants to fill their lungs with an overpowering chemical-laden scent before beginning a hot yoga practice with deep breathing exercises.

Arrive Early

You’ll have some quick paperwork to complete, and now would be a great time to ask the instructor any questions you might have. Avoid arriving late because studios frequently lock their doors at the start of class, which means you’ll miss your class. And even if they don’t lock their doors, having a student arrive late is disruptive. Furthermore, you must attend the entire class in order to benefit fully from it.

During a Hot Yoga Class

Stay in the Room

The poses are difficult, and it gets hot. If you feel like you need to take a break, pay attention to your body and take a seat on your mat with your eyes open, spine straight, and breathing deeply. In lieu of a child’s pose or savasana, we advise you to unwind while seated. This will give your lungs room to breathe and enable you to keep up with the class through observation.

Nobody Cares If You “suck”

Yoga doesn’t care if you’re strong or flexible. It is instead about paying attention. A scattered mind in a “difficult” pose is practicing like a beginning student, while a still mind in an “easy” pose is practicing like an advanced student. Regardless of the posture, advanced yoga is practiced with an internal, still, focus. So, as you move, pay close attention to your breathing and the internal sensations in your body. Furthermore, keep in mind that all mental constraints are created before any physical ones. You will never be able to perform a posture if you believe you will never be able to. You will eventually master a posture if you put in the effort to learn it. The effort is the same whether you convince yourself that you can or that you can’t.

Keep Your Attention on Your Own Practice

We can only fully benefit from our yoga practice by concentrating internally.
At the end of class, stay in savasana for at least a few minutes
You get to enjoy the results of all your labor during practice here. Take a moment to unwind and be.

After a Hot Yoga Class

You’ll Probably Feel Amazing

Numerous people claim to feel at ease, at the moment and refreshed. You just did something that is absolutely wonderful for you! You have massaged your internal organs, strengthened every muscle, relieved tension in every muscle, and created a tourniquet effect around each organ, allowing your body to heal each organ by supplying it with new, oxygen-rich blood. In addition, you’ve worked out your muscles, joints, and ligaments and sweat a lot, which helps your body detoxify. Wow!

You May Not Feel So Great

After their first class, some new students experience nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness, or extreme exhaustion. With each class you take, the intensity of these feelings will lessen, so keep going! These feelings may be brought on by intense exercise in the high heat, which is very cleansing and detoxifying. If you don’t feel great after your first class, don’t assume that hot yoga isn’t for you. Come back for your second class as soon as possible because with consistent practice, your body will find its equilibrium and you’ll start to feel great after class!

Summary

A further suggestion is to get to the studio for your class early. Before beginning the hot yoga class, you can meet your instructor, get clarification on any issues, and acclimate to the studio’s heat. The front or back of the class, depending on your preference, are both options when you arrive early to the studio.

It’s time to set your concerns aside and prepare for the amazing world of hot yoga!