Posted 2/9/2023 8:15 AM (GMT 0)
Just wanted to share that I recently discovered warm infrared yoga. It's heated to 30 degrees, whereas hot yoga is heated to about 38 or sometimes into the 40's (sorry friends who are on imperial, I don't know the conversion).
Context: I am massively heat intolerant. I do NOT sweat, and have very rarely ever broken a proper sweat. I got infected when I was 7 and I can't remember ever properly sweating - the occasional upper lip droplet, or some groin sweat from the heat of a bike seat, that's about it. Never had forehead sweat, back sweat, armpit sweat. I always blamed myself and thought I was out of shape (not sure why I equated the two) but I was a swimmer, rower, dancer, yogi. I was not inactive, I just couldn't break a sweat and had MCAS reactions to cardio (bronchial constriction). I felt like Cameron Diaz in The Holiday trying to make herself cry, but with sweat, lol.
My friend recently asked if I wanted to join her for warm yoga, heated to about 30 degrees with infrared. I was massively hesitant and skeptical because I do so poorly with heat, and had a really bad reaction to an infrared sauna. But I am now completely hooked. I started with Yin yoga because I haven't done much other than walking and Yin in over 2 years because I was house bound with neck instability and pain after my health spiralled downward, but I have progressed to doing all-levels classes which was Vinyasa based. This is within the last month - I literally never thought I'd be able to do something like that again with my neck.
In the infrared room, I can actually sweat!! At least with the flow classes, not so much the yin but it still feels damn good. Not to mention, it helps so much with my pain. When I first got sick, all the joints in my body started clicking, and as I mentioned above I have neck instability and possible hypermobility (not EDS but possibly HSD, maybe due to bart). I have been going almost every day because they have a cheap monthly pass and it helps so much with my pain, but I have not felt this stable in a long time. Early on, I did push my body a bit too much and had to get my neck readjusted with my nucca chiro, but since then I have made sure to modify the poses as needed, and listen to my body to know what poses feel safe and what don't. But overall I can keep up with 90-95% of what's being asked.
Just wanted to offer this - it's a bit niche, I'm not sure every city would have a warm yoga studio, but I just wanted to share, especially for others like me who can't handle the full effect of a high temperature infrared. Warm yoga could be a decent alternative. Some hot yoga studios offer the odd class that has a lower temperature. Just make sure it's infrared - I think this plays a key role.