Beginner’s Guide to Bikram Yoga (or Hot Yoga): What to Expect During Your First Class

Hot Yoga, formally known as Bikram Yoga, has become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s a great way to improve your health and can give you an exciting new way to get in shape (or even lose weight) in the fall when it starts to get chilly outside. Being in a room that is heated to 95-100 degrees can be a unique experience for those of us who are used to working out in an air-conditioned gym.

Preparing for your first Bikram Yoga class is sure to make you excited and anxious. Will I be able to hold the poses? What if my breathing technique is not correct? What if I get dizzy? What if the room temperature makes my heart race?

There are some steps you can take in advance to help you overcome this anxiety and set yourself up for success with yoga, no matter what your fitness goals are. You can make these changes as soon as you decide to try hot yoga and continue to follow this guide as you go.

1. Get in the habit of drinking plenty of water before exercising. Imagine doing your normal exercise routine in the sauna room. Now, imagine doing yoga in the sauna room (literally), where you have to hold a pose and look past your sweat, discomfort, and breath. If yoga is your thing, you’ll eventually learn to love it, but if you’re a beginner, make sure you don’t add dehydration to the list. Drink plenty of water before trying hot yoga for the first time and you’ll be rewarded with a fabulous feeling afterwards.

2. Eat a snack before class. Eating a whole wheat toast, granola or energy bar, banana, or some other healthy carbohydrate before your workout will give your body more energy and prevent water from churning in your stomach as you change positions. Some instructors will tell you not to eat anything, but Fit Girl disagrees. For the sake of your own comfort, a piece of toast won’t ruin your first yoga experience. Plus, you’ll burn a LOT more calories in a yoga class than is on that piece of toast. Keep your light snack below 150 calories. Any more than that and the heat will make you nauseous.

3. Bring a towel. You will sweat a lot, as expected. Your body will also burn calories like crazy because it will use energy to cool you down and bring your temperature back to normal. This is where fat burning comes in: if you eat a light breakfast and then do hot yoga in the morning, you’ll likely burn most of your calories sleeping and have a low supply available from your light snack in the morning. So as soon as your body burns off that snack, it goes straight to the fat stores you’ve been wanting to cut back on. Ready! If you do yoga at night, try to eat your carb-rich meal in the morning, eat something light for lunch, and have a snack 30 minutes before your hot yoga class.

4. Wear tight clothing. Put on a comfortable set of shorts that hug your thighs (not running shorts) and a sports bra or a fitted tank top. As you sweat, you want your clothes to absorb it quickly, so you don’t have puddles around you. You also don’t want to worry about giving someone a peek at your underwear, and as you take on new poses, tighter clothing with adequate coverage will allow you to focus on your workout instead of your clothes.

5. Share your experience. Beginner yoga can be more enjoyable if you don’t try it alone. Since the popularity of Bikram yoga has grown so much in recent years, there are many beginners in classes across the country. Chances are you’re not the only beginner in your class. After your yoga class is over, you’ll have shared an amazing hot yoga experience with people you’ve never met, and if you don’t bring a friend, you may only have one in the class. Be positive and outgoing – yoga is all about encouragement and motivation!

Side Comment: Is Yoga a Sport? Some would argue that yoga is not a “sport” but rather a lifestyle change, fitness regimen or something. We think it’s what you make of it. You decide what role yoga will play in your life. Whether you’re using it in place of meditation, or seeking zen and inner peace for the body, or simply mixing it up at the gym with a new workout, it’s YOUR decision how you approach your yoga experience.