The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Injuries, Restrictions, Ailments, Pose Modifications › Illnesses/Ailments › Night Sweats
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I am 31 and have been doing hot yoga for about 8 months and recently started experiencing hot flashes/night sweats (not necessarily when I am sleeping but in the evenings, hours after class and showering). The most frequent occurrence is where I all of a sudden feel very warm and my face flushes, and it only lasts for a few minutes before it subsides. More annoying than anything else, but reading others’ stories confirms for me that it is definitely related to my yoga practice.
I posted another thread about how, in addition to this, I have noticed slight pain/discomfort in the lymph nodes in my neck, with no enlargement or pain upon palpitation. I know yoga increases lymph flow, so I’m wondering if it could be related. Has anyone else experienced this?
Hi Emily
Thanks for posting! There are definitely questions that I ask myself when I hear this sort of thing happen. I want to know if there is a perimenopausal aspect to the problem. I also (very importantly) want to know what the practice temperature is like in the studio.
There are studios that don’t just heat the room hot, they heat it above and beyond what is considered safe. So what indication have you about the actual temperature? It could be that the studio says it heats to x degrees so if you do ask them, make sure you ask them how they know exactly what the conditions are in the room at any moment. A well controlled and predictable scenario is one where everything is transparent and there is nothing to hide! If they don’t know or are cagey then it is possible that the room could be too hot (not just for you, but for others).
Humidity also has a tremendous effect on the heat, and your perception of it. It can be affected by the number of people in the room, the ambient conditions and the ventilation. If you have any feedback there, please provide it.
Also can you tell me, when you practise is the class very focused, no fidgeting, nobody taking rests or are there a number of people having to lie down every class (or somewhere in between)?
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle!
Thanks for your reply. My studio claims that the temperature is at about 105 degrees, but I have to say that I notice quite a variance in terms of both temperature in general and humidity level in the studio from class to class depending on, as you mention, the number of people in the room, whether or not there was another class right before the one I am taking, and whether or not the instructor opens the door/window to provide cool, fresh air during the course of the class. I have been in extremely full, hot classes before where the instructor has not opened the window or door once during the 60 minutes to provide a cool air break and that can be very tough to handle. I have no idea how they regulate or monitor the temperature of the studio but that is a great question and one I will ask for sure.
I do notice that many people tend to take breaks and lay down during the course of the classes I take. I should also mention here that the classes I take are not Bikram classes, but rather what my studio calls Power Yoga classes, which involve moving through the poses at a sometimes very fast pace and LOTS of vinyasas. It definitely gets the heart rate going and almost feels like more of a cardio workout at times, which I think is a big part of the appeal for people looking for a really intense workout, like myself. I have not had to lay down and take a break since probably my first or second month of practice…I feel I have gotten used to the intensity at this point and while I will come close to losing my breath here and there, I never really feel like I need to stop to regain it.
Hi Emily
This is just my opinion (naturally!) but generally speaking the reason why the temperature can be higher in Bikram or similar hot yoga studios is that the poses are largely static poses, with no vinyasa.
It is unusual and dare I say, perhaps a little too much for many people’s systems to practise vigorous active yoga styles in excessive heat. Normally if one does a power style yoga in the heat, the temperature is more somewhere around 90 degrees.
If people a lot of people are needing to sit or lie down then that is a sign.
I am not sure what you can do with that information regarding different series and temperatures. However it really could be that you have some measure of heat exhaustion. Pay attention to your electrolyte levels, maybe use more sea salt in your food and some in your water (with a few drops of lemon juice if you need it).
What resonates for you?
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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