What Is Hot Yoga? Types, Benefits, Safety, and What to Bring
Hot yoga is yoga in a room heated to 90 to 105 degrees. The main styles, what research says about the heat, who should skip it, and what to wear and bring.
Hot yoga is yoga practiced in a heated room, usually between 90 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit, often with added humidity. It ranges from Bikram's fixed 26-posture sequence at 105°F to heated power and vinyasa classes in the low 90s, and it makes you sweat heavily and raises your heart rate more than room-temperature yoga.
This guide covers the main styles, what research says about the benefits, how hot yoga compares to regular yoga, who should skip it, what to wear and bring, and how to get through your first class.
Types of hot yoga
"Hot yoga" is a category, and studios use it loosely. These are the formats you will see most:
| Style | Typical heat | Format | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bikram, or "26 and 2" | About 105°F, 40% humidity | The same 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, 90 minutes | Predictable, intense, very sweaty |
| Hot power or hot vinyasa | About 90 to 100°F | Flowing sequences that change each class, 60 to 75 minutes | Athletic, music-driven |
| Hot hatha | About 90 to 100°F | Slower holds with more rest | Steadier, more beginner friendly |
| Warm yoga | About 80 to 90°F | Any style with the heat turned down | A good first step into heat |
| Infrared yoga | Varies | Heated by ceiling panels that warm your body directly | Can feel hotter than the number suggests |
The Bikram brand has a complicated history, and many studios that teach the same sequence now call it "26 and 2" or "hot hatha." Whatever the name, ask the studio for the room temperature and class length before you go.
Hot yoga benefits: what the research says
Yoga in general has good evidence behind it. Mayo Clinic notes that yoga may reduce stress and anxiety, improve balance, flexibility, and strength, and help with risk factors for chronic disease. The specific question for hot yoga is what the heat adds.
- Heart and blood vessels. In a 12-week study of sedentary middle-aged adults, Bikram yoga improved blood vessel function equally in a 105°F room and in a room at about 73°F. The researchers concluded the heat was not necessary for that benefit (Hunter et al., Experimental Physiology).
- Mood. A 2023 Massachusetts General Hospital trial found that adults with moderate to severe depression who took heated yoga classes for eight weeks had larger drops in symptoms than a waitlist group, and 44% reached remission compared with about 6% (Harvard Gazette). It was a small study, and it did not test whether the heat itself mattered. It is not a replacement for treatment.
- Heart rate. Heat pushes your heart rate up. In an American Council on Exercise study, experienced Bikram students averaged 80% (men) and 72% (women) of their predicted maximum heart rate during class (ACE).
- Flexibility. Warm muscles feel looser, so poses feel deeper. That feels good, and it is also a reason to stay within a range you can control.
The honest summary: hot yoga gives you the benefits of yoga, with a harder cardio feel. If you love the heat, great. If you do not, regular yoga is not a lesser option.
Hot yoga vs regular yoga
| Hot yoga | Regular yoga | |
|---|---|---|
| Room | About 90 to 105°F | Room temperature |
| Sweat | Heavy, through your clothes | Light to moderate |
| Heart rate | Higher for the same poses | Lower |
| Learning curve | Steeper, since you manage heat and poses | Easier for beginners |
| Who should skip it | Pregnant people and some medical conditions | Very few people |
| What to bring | Large water bottle, mat towel, change of clothes | Water, mat |
If you are brand new to yoga, a few room-temperature classes first will make your first hot class much easier. Our guide to yoga classes for beginners covers that first step. If you are deciding between yoga and other formats, see pilates vs yoga or our heated pilates explainer, what is hot pilates.
Is hot yoga safe?
For healthy adults who hydrate and rest when they need to, hot yoga is generally safe. Mayo Clinic cautions that it is not for everyone because the intensity and temperature can cause heat-related illness. The ACE study above found core temperatures rising steadily through a 90-minute 105°F class, with seven of 20 experienced participants passing 103°F and one reaching 104.1°F.
Talk to your doctor before trying hot yoga if you have heart disease, high or low blood pressure, diabetes, a history of fainting or heat illness, or take medications that affect hydration. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises avoiding hot yoga and hot pilates during pregnancy (ACOG).
During class, stop and lie down if you feel dizzy, nauseated, confused, or unusually weak, or if you stop sweating. Step out of the room if it does not pass quickly. Good instructors will tell you this at the start of class and mean it.
What to wear to hot yoga
- As little fabric as you are comfortable with. Shorts or cropped leggings and a sports bra or light tank. Many regulars wear swim-style shorts.
- Moisture-wicking synthetics. Cotton soaks through and gets heavy.
- Fitted, not loose. Loose shirts slide over your face in inversions and folds.
- Bare feet. Socks are slippery on a wet mat.
For room-temperature classes too, see what to wear to yoga.
What to bring
- A large water bottle, plus water before you arrive
- A mat towel to lay over your mat (most studios rent them)
- A hand towel for your face
- Your own mat if you have one, though most studios rent mats
- A full change of clothes and a bag for the wet ones
- Something with electrolytes or a salty snack for afterward if you sweat heavily
Your first hot yoga class
- Pick a beginner-friendly format. Hot hatha, warm yoga, or a class labeled "intro" or "level 1."
- Hydrate through the day and eat a light snack one to two hours before. Skip a big meal.
- Arrive 15 minutes early to sign in, set up, and let your body adjust to the room.
- Set up near the door or the back, where it is often slightly cooler and easy to step out.
- Tell the instructor it is your first hot class and mention any health conditions.
- Your only goal is to stay in the room. Lying on your mat for a few poses is completely normal.
Most people find the second and third classes noticeably easier as their body adjusts to the heat.
How often should you do hot yoga?
Two or three classes a week is a common rhythm for regulars, with water and electrolytes on class days. Start with one or two a week for the first month while you adapt. If you feel wiped out for the rest of the day after class, swap one hot class for a room-temperature one. A mix of heated and unheated classes is a good long-term setup for many people.
Full disclosure: Corvi is our app. You book hot yoga with the studio, then check in on Corvi to count your classes, keep a weekly goal, and see when friends are in the same room. It is free.
Where to try hot yoga in Portland, Maine
Portland Power Yoga on Cove Street is the best-known heated studio in Portland. Several other studios heat select classes, so check individual schedules for temperature and style. See our Portland hot yoga guide for heated options, and the full Portland yoga directory for every studio, including room-temperature classes to start with.
Common questions
What is the difference between hot yoga and Bikram yoga?
Bikram is one specific type of hot yoga: the same 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises in a 105°F room with about 40% humidity, for 90 minutes. Hot yoga is the broader category and includes heated power, vinyasa, and hatha classes at a range of temperatures, often 90 to 100°F, with sequences that change from class to class.
Is hot yoga good for beginners?
It can be, but a few room-temperature classes first make the transition easier. If you start with heat, choose a warm or hot hatha class rather than a fast power flow, hydrate well, set up near the door, and rest whenever you need to. Expect the first class to be hard and the next few to get easier.
Is hot yoga better than regular yoga?
Not clearly. A 12-week study found Bikram yoga improved blood vessel function equally in a heated room and at room temperature. Hot yoga raises your heart rate more and many people enjoy the sweat, but research has not shown that the heat adds major health benefits. Choose the version you will keep doing.
Who should not do hot yoga?
Avoid hot yoga during pregnancy, and talk to your doctor first if you have heart disease, high or low blood pressure, diabetes, a history of heat illness or fainting, or take medications that affect hydration or heat tolerance. Skip class if you are sick, dehydrated, or hungover, since heat increases the strain on your body.
How many calories does hot yoga burn?
It varies widely with your size, the style, the room temperature, and the length of class. Heat raises your heart rate, so you may burn somewhat more than in the same class at room temperature. A lot of the weight you lose during class is sweat, which returns once you rehydrate. Fitness tracker numbers in hot rooms are rough estimates.
Find your next class: browse heated and room-temperature studios on our Portland yoga directory, or join Corvi free.