Feeling depressed? Hot yoga could change everything – and is proven to rewire your brain and crush depression

Clinically proven to reduce depression, hot yoga could be key to managing your mental health, writes Eve Boggenpoel

Words: Eve Boggenpoel | Images Shutterstock

‘It was so hard, my stomach was pulsing!’ Dr Maren Nyer, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, tells Women’s Fitness. Unable to perform the poses in the sweltering heat of her first hot yoga class, but determined not to be beaten, Dr Nyer returned to the studio the following day. This time she not only finished the class but had a transformative experience. ‘It was a totally different feeling. I felt as if I was in a new state of consciousness,’ she explains. ‘I soon started going to classes regularly and noticed my sleep improve, my concentration improve, and I was less anxious and less reactive… everything just got way better.’ In fact, she was so impressed with the results, she decided to conduct her own research into the mental health benefits of this style of yoga.

Better than medicine

Dr Nyer’s study looked at the effects of hot yoga on people with moderate-to-severe depression, with participants either attending hot yoga sessions once or twice a week for two months, or being on a waiting list for the same classes.

‘Using the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology – a gold-standard instrument that covers everything from lack of motivation and anxiety to thoughts of suicide – the hot yoga participants saw significant reductions in anxiety and stress, and improvements in quality of life, energy and emotional wellbeing,’ she says. ‘In fact, the effect size in our study was around one. With anti-depressants it’s 0.4, so the effect size was more than double that of medication.’

Why heat helps

With its slow flowing moves and deep breathing techniques, it’s no surprise yoga is a calming practice, even without heat. Indeed, research shows it lowers the stress hormone cortisol, which tends to be higher in people with depression. Interestingly, heat on its own also has anti-depressant effects. One study, by professor Charles Raison in the American Journal of Psychiatry, put participants in a hyperthermic device a bit like a tanning bed and subjected them to 38.5oC of heat, while a control group wore a leg-warming device at a lower temperature. Surprisingly, the control group became hotter than the researchers expected.

‘Raison thinks people with major depressive disorder have a thermoregulatory disfunction; they run a temperature and are not good at cooling down,’ explains Dr Nyer. ‘After being in this device their temperature came down. Raison believes the heat re-regulates their thermoregulatory system, and what he showed is that the degree of temperature change before and after the intervention correlated to the anti-depressant effect.’ And, it seems, this could be one reason why hot yoga is also helping reduce symptoms of depression.

So just how toasty can you expect a hot yoga class to be? ‘Temperatures take place in anything from 32-42oC, and various heating methods create slightly different effects,’ explains Nick Higgins, co-founder and head of teaching at Hotpod Yoga (hotpodyoga.com). ‘Fan heaters, which we use at Hotpod, combine with students’ body heat to take the temperature to a comfortable 37oC or higher, while infrared heaters warm objects rather than the air, with temperatures ranging from 32-40oC. In our studios, we combine humidity with heat, which increases the challenge.’

Body benefits

Along with its mental health benefits, hot yoga can also make you physically strong, which, in turn, supports mood and confidence. ‘The heat makes muscles more pliable, which may contribute to improved muscle endurance,’ says Higgins. ‘It also boosts circulation, resulting in better oxygenation of tissues, more efficient nutrient delivery and enhanced heart health.’

Make it work for you

If you want to try hot yoga for yourself, being well hydrated before, during and after your class is essential, as you’ll be perspiring a lot. Higgins even suggests drinking more fluids the day before a session. You’ll also need a large yoga towel to prevent you slipping on your mat which is likely to become quite drippy with sweat! Being aware of how you’re responding to the heat is also key. ‘Pay attention to how your body feels throughout the class,’ advises Higgins. ‘Steady, light breathing can help you manage the heat, and take breaks whenever you need to, especially if it is your first time.’

Hot yoga sessions range from 45-to-90 minutes in length, so you may want to start with a shorter class until you become acclimatised to practising in the heat. And while Dr Nyer’s study found positive mental health benefits with just one class a week, taking more can give you a rounder practice and meet varying needs. Hotpod yoga, for example, offers Foundation Flow (basic class), Hotpod Flow (open level), Nurturing Flow (a calm and restorative class) and Dynamic Flow (for those wanting an extra challenge).

When it comes to choosing styles, everyone will have a different experience, so Dr Nyer advises, ‘Pay attention to what feels right to you’. While some classes take place in a normal studio, we love Hotpod for those times when you want a mental boost. ‘Classes take place in a heated “pod” which glows with a purple hue that takes you deeper into your practice. It calms the mind and quietens racing thoughts, which then transports you a million miles from the outside world,’ says Higgins. ‘Immersive soundscapes accompany every class, while a blend of bergamot, lavender and orange essential oil ensures a beautifully scented environment, that helps to unwind the body and awaken the mind.’ Hmm, sounds like bliss…

Get kitted out for hot yoga

Kimjaly Non-Slip Yoga Towel

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Chilly’s Series 2 Water bottle

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