Tag Archives: detox

Get On Your Mat This Fall!

Fall is officially upon us. The trees are starting to change colors, the days are getting shorter, and the weather is cooler. Bring on the sweaters, boots, and hot soups.

Often the body takes a minute to catch up with what our environment has to offer us. A balanced yoga practice can help our bodies transition from one season to the next with ease. Incorporating yoga into your day and week can help keep you heated, energized, detoxified, and restored.

HEAT:  As our climate cools off, our joints often stiffen due to lack of circulation to the extremities. So getting on your mat and practicing is a great way to keep the body warm and circulation flowing from the inside out.

ENERGIZE. Our natural inclination as we transition into darker days is to hibernate and to stay indoors. And while that is ok sometimes, we still need to find balance. Yoga is a great way for you to stay uplifted and energized so you combat fatigue and sluggishness.

DETOX: Throughout our heated flow, you will be sure to detox and flush out all of the toxins and stuck energy you may have been holding onto.  A steady practice with twists and inversions is a great way to help you boost your immune system and provide your organs with fresh, oxygenated blood.

RESTORE: The Yin portion of a yoga class is a great way to help your body recharge.  Restorative poses that are held a little longer (i.e.Supta Baddakonasana, Legs up the Wall, & Savasana) allow the body to clear out and for the nervous system to completely relax, making room for all that the new season has to bring.

As we balance out our bodies, we balance out our minds. Embrace this transition & join us on the mat!

Namaste!

 

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Benefits of Hot Yoga in the Summertime!

The hottest months of the year are quickly upon us.  As a result, most of us want to sit inside with the A/C on while having  a cold drink.  When we think of summertime activities, we don’t always think about going to a heated yoga studio to practice. However, doing hot yoga in the summer does have many benefits and can actually help you survive the dog days of summer!

Here’s a few reasons how hot yoga helps:

You can easily acclimate to the summer’s heat!

Practicing in a heated studio allows your body to become more adapted to sweating and hot temperatures. Studies have shown that hot yoga practitioners are less sensitive to sweltering temps, often aren’t bothered by temperature changes, and don’t need to blast the A/C as high as others do.

It detoxifies your body through sweat.

If you’ve practiced hot yoga then you’ve probably left the class dripping in sweat. The sweat is incredibly cleansing and detoxifying. Sweat is a great way to cleanse your organs, muscles, and glands.  Many people feel lethargic during the summer, but those who practice hot yoga feel more energized and refreshed because they sweat out bad toxins.

It helps you stay hydrated.

Proper hydration is essential when it’s hot out.  Hot yogis know that drinking fluids is essential both on and off the mat. Whether you’re losing a lot of water from a sweaty class or from simply being outside in the heat, it’s important to stay hydrated.  Hot yoga students are often already careful about staying hydrated from their hot yoga practice,so they are able to maintain that habit throughout their daily life.

It gives you stronger coping capabilities.

A hot yoga class is a great way to learn how to cope with excessive heat. When your practice gets a little too hot for you, you learn how to listen to your body and adjust to the environment; i.e. slowing down your breathing, taking a child’s pose, or grabbing a drink of water. Hot yoga helps you become more in tune with your bodies needs, particularly in the heat.  

It helps you maintain your practice all year.

I think one of my favorite things about hot yoga is walking into a heated class after a chilly winter day. But after months of taking classes during the colder months, it’s almost impossible to take three months off. When you practice regularly, yoga becomes such a critical part of your life and daily routine that when you don’t do it, you feel different, not as open or energized. So don’t let summer put a damper on all the hard work you’ve accomplished throughout the year. Get to class!

Nothing like the feeling you get after a great class.

After a long day at work, your first down dog can feel stiff and when you try to move, you experience a few creaky joints.  Hot summer temps and high humidity can actually help loosen up muscles and joints before you hit the mat, and make warming up at the beginning of class that much easier. A heated class definitely gives your muscles a good stretch and prepares your body for other activities throughout your day. My runner friends even say that they experience the same endorphin rush they get from running during a hot yoga class. They feel on top of the world!

Helps you be more active in the summer.

There is no better time than summer to enjoy a run outside, long bike ride or a hike in the woods, even in the heat. If you’re someone who has difficulty training or completing physical activities in the heat, (Ii.e. try training for a fall marathon in August lol)  a hot sweaty yoga session will lessen the shock of being active during the summer months and prepare your body to handle activities in the heat.

Get to a hot class, what are you waiting for?  

Join Empower Yoga this summer this summer & get your sweat on!

 

 

 

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