Why the heat?

Muscles, fascia and connective tissues become more elastic allowing for greater flexibility with less chance of injury.

It promotes sweating which assists the detoxification process using the body’s largest elimination organ: the skin.

Your blood becomes thinner, which clears the circulatory system.

When the body is between three and five degrees above normal temperature, T-cell output from the thymus gland is multiplied 20 fold. T-cells fight infection which in turn helps to keep the immune system functioning properly.

Warmer temperatures produce a fluid stretch that allows for greater range of motion in the joints.

Heart rate becomes elevated improving the cardiovascular system and fitness.

Warm muscles burn fat more effectively. When we stretch, the fat has no room to sit, so it redistributes to the blood stream. We can then use it as energy.

Capillaries respond to the heat by dilating. This allows more oxygen to muscles, tissues, organs and glands helping to remove waste products from the body.

Higher temperatures improve the function of the nervous system, meaning that messages are carried more rapidly to and from the brain or spinal cord.

The heat improves strength because proteins can be utilised more effectively.

It speeds the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids.

It strengthens willpower, self control and determination through the challenging environment.

All this giving you a wonderful glow from head to toe. The heat combined with the sequence of the postures is what makes Bikram Yoga so special.