​Do yoga. Not just hot yoga.

Jing aka Joing

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I've been teaching yoga for a couple of years. I know I should get used to this by now but sorry, it irks me now as much as it did before when people tell me 'Nope, I won't do this class because it's not hot. I want to do hot yoga to burn more fats'.

The next thing you see is a good 10% of the class resting in child's pose in the well heated room -
and these are people who choose to practice in a heated room to burn more fats.

Yes, heat will make you sweat a lot. That is the truth. But if heat can burn fats without you exerting physically, then I would sit by in the pool daily and enjoy the mid afternoon sun, with the application of my tanning oil as the only physical activity. I will sweat buckets but I don't think anyone would believe me if I say I am going to slim down just because of this.

​The same goes for hot yoga.
Yes,​ the heat makes it harder to breathe, easier to sweat, and the class becomes tougher. But that is precisely when u may start losing focus on your practice because you have to deal with the heat at the same time. And when the teacher sees that many people are starting to take breaks, it is a signal to start making the class a little easier, a little less physically exhausting, a little more relaxing
​- this is obviously not what you want to happen if your main purpose of practicing yoga is to lose weight.

So I say focus on your yoga practice, go to a class because you want to learn from the teacher, because you need a kick in the butt, or because you want to feel the energy of a group of people practicing together. Don't go to the class for the heat.
If you want to have a good workout, try a flow class which is faster paced and keeps your heart pumping hard.

Reflect on your past experiences.
If you ever notice that the heat does distract you from your practice or worse, causes you give up mid way through class, then hot yoga classes might not be the most suitable for you.

Open up your mind. Keep your practice fun, fluid and enjoyable. Understand that yoga is not about burning calories or losing weight, that is just the by product of your practice. Practice, and all is coming. 

What heat?
​Anyway, isn't Singapore warm enough already?

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About the author
Joing is a teacher at Yoga Inc and she teaches in a bit of singlish. 
She flips die people and plays mandopop in flow class.
Go to her class confirm will sweat and lose weight one.
​No need heat.