Infrared hot yoga has all the benefits of yoga – and then some. Instead of a forced air system that leaves you feeling dried out, infrared light rays offer direct, penetrating warmth that can foster a more effective, soothing workout.
Other benefits include increasing circulation – infrared heat can help stimulate blood flow and lower blood pressure. (NASA found infrared heat helped keep astronauts’ hearts in top condition - good enough for us.) And you’ll use energy – burning calories – to regulate your body temperature.
It also can rid the body of toxins. “Detoxifying sweat flushes toxins from your blood, and as blood flow is increased, fresh oxygen flows to muscles, joints and glands,” says Rosemary Devlin, founder of O2 Living. “An infrared hot yoga session will leave you feeling cleansed and on a natural high!” That increase in oxygen to your body will also speed up healing time for injuries and ease joint stiffness.
And infrared heat assists with pain relief for injuries as well as chronic ailments like arthritis. Infrared hot yoga is even a cancer fighter - when your body temperature is increased 2 to 3 degrees in a hot yoga sauna session, cancer cells are slowed down, and white blood cells produced.
Your skin will look and feel more vibrant, too, thanks to the purifying quality of increased perspiration, as well as the greater amounts of nutrients delivered to the skin with increased blood circulation. “There are people who come to O2 Living hot yoga mainly for the benefits to their skin,” says Rosemary. “That blood circulation keeps skin and cells healthy and leaves it glowing from the inside. Some people even find hot yoga improves cellulite.” (To avoid breakouts that can accompany a new routine, we advise drinking hot lemon water in the morning, followed by lots more water throughout the day.)
Staying hydrated is important, and if you have low blood pressure, check with a doctor before jumping into hot yoga. Also avoid overstretching – just because you can do it in infrared heat, doesn’t mean you should.
But of course hot yoga, or any yoga for that matter, isn’t just about the body. “At O2 Living we focus on making physical and emotional connections,” says Rosemary. “Yoga is the union of the body, mind and spirit – and whatever your motivation for engaging, it will deliver more than you expect.”
If you’d like to learn more or to book a class, go here: https://www.drinklivingjuice.com/pages/yoga