10 best hot yoga poses | Hot Yoga Teacher Training (2024)

Hot yoga has gained widespread popularity for its unique combination of traditional yoga poses and the added challenge of practicing in a heated room. The heat helps to warm up the muscles, making them more pliable and allowing for deeper stretches. If you’re looking to enhance your hot yoga practice or explore this dynamic and invigorating style, incorporating specific poses can take your experience to the next level. In this article, we will introduce you to 10 of the best hot yoga poses that can be a valuable addition to your routine. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or new to hot yoga, these poses will help you build strength, flexibility, and mindfulness in the heat.

10 best hot yoga poses | Hot Yoga Teacher Training (1)

Pose 1: Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

The benefits This pose stretches the hamstrings and lower back while promoting a sense of calm and relaxation.

Step-by-step instructions: Start in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart. As you exhale, bend forward from the hips, keeping your spine long. Allow your head and neck to relax. You can bend your knees slightly if needed. Hold the pose for several breaths, allowing your body to release tension and deepen the stretch.

“MIND RESTRICTION IS A PERSONAL SIN”

Pose 2: Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

Benefits: Warrior II strengthens the legs, hips, and core while improving balance and concentration.

Step-by-step instructions: Begin in a standing position with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot out to the side and bend your right knee, aligning it with your ankle. Extend your arms out to the sides, parallel to the floor, with your palms facing down. Gaze over your right fingertips and hold the pose for several breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Pose 3: Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

Benefits: Triangle pose stretches the hamstrings, opens the chest, and improves overall spinal flexibility.

Step-by-step instructions: Stand with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot out to the side and extend your arms out to the sides, parallel to the floor. Reach forward with your right hand and hinge at the hip, placing your right hand on your shin, ankle, or the floor. Extend your left arm straight up towards the ceiling. Gaze at your left hand and hold the pose for several breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Pose 4: Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

Benefits: Chair pose strengthens the legs, glutes, and core while improving overall balance.

Step-by-step instructions: Begin in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart. As you exhale, bend your knees and lower your hips as if sitting back into an imaginary chair. Keep your weight in your heels and lift yourchest. Extend your arms forward, parallel to the floor. Hold the pose for several breaths, engaging your core and thighs.

Pose 5: Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

Benefits: Camel pose opens the chest, stretches the front body, and energizes the mind.

Step-by-step instructions: Kneel on the floor with your knees hip-width apart. Place your hands on your lower back, fingers pointing down. As you inhale, lift your chest and gently arch your back, leaning back and reaching for your heels. Keep your neck long and gaze up or slightly back. Hold the pose for several breaths, gradually deepening the stretch.

Pose 6: Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Benefits: Tree pose improves balance, focus, and ankle stability while strengthening the legs and core.

Step-by-step instructions: Start in a standing position and shift your weight onto your left foot. Place the sole of your right foot on your left inner thigh, avoiding the knee joint. Find your balance and bring your hands to your heart center or extend your arms overhead. Hold the pose for several breaths and repeat on the other side.

Pose 7: Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

Benefits: Extended triangle pose stretches and strengthens the legs, hips, and spine while stimulating digestion.

Step-by-step instructions: Stand with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot out to the side and extend your arms out to the sides. Reach forward with your right hand and hinge at the hip, placing your right hand on your shin, ankle, or the floor. Extend your left arm straight up towards the ceiling. Gaze at your left hand and hold the pose for several breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Pose 8: Locust Pose (Salabhasana)

Benefits: Locust pose strengthens the back, glutes, and hamstrings while improving posture and concentration.

Step-by-step instructions: Lie on your stomach with your arms by your sides and palms facing up. As you inhale, lift your chest, arms, and legs off the ground. Keep your gaze forward and lengthen your body. Hold the pose for several breaths, focusing on engaging the back muscles and keeping the legs active.

Pose 9: Boat Pose (Navasana)

Benefits: Boat pose strengthens the core, hip flexors, and back muscles while improving digestion.

Step-by-step instructions: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Lean back slightly and lift your feet off the floor, balancing on your sitting bones. Extend your arms forward parallel to the floor. If possible, straighten your legs to a 45-degree angle. Hold the pose for several breaths, focusing on maintaining a straight spine and engaging the core.

Pose 10: Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Benefits: Corpse pose promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and allows for integration of the practice.

Step-by-step instructions: Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms by your sides, palms facing up. Close your eyes and relax your entire body. Allow your breath to be natural and observe any sensations or thoughts that arise. Remain in the pose for several minutes, embracing stillness and deep relaxation.

Conclusion

By incorporating these 10 hot yoga poses into your practice, you can experience the transformative benefits of increased strength, flexibility, and mindfulness. Remember to listen to your body, practice proper alignment, and modify the poses as needed to suit your individual needs and abilities. Whether you’re attending a hot yoga class, practicing at home, or exploring hot yoga teacher training, consider joining the renowned hot yoga teacher training program led by Mr. Ian at YogaFX. This comprehensive training program will deepen your understanding of hot yoga, refine your teaching skills, andempower you to guide others on their yoga journey. Embrace the challenge, embrace the heat, and unlock the full potential of hot yoga in your life. Start your journey to becoming a certified hot yoga teacher today with YogaFX and Mr. Ian.

10 best hot yoga poses | Hot Yoga Teacher Training (2024)

FAQs

10 best hot yoga poses | Hot Yoga Teacher Training? ›

After several verdicts and defaults against him in the range of tens of millions of dollars, Choudhury left the country in 2016 and took painstaking efforts to abscond with his fortune and hide his assets as best possible. The next year, his College filed bankruptcy.

What are the 26 Bikram postures? ›

26 Bikram Yoga Poses explained
  • Pranayama (Standing Deep Breathing) ...
  • Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) ...
  • Utkatasana (Awkward Pose) ...
  • Garudasana (Eagle Pose) ...
  • Dandayamana Janushirasana (Standing Head-to-Knee Pose) ...
  • Dandayamana Dhanurasana (Standing Bow Drawing Pose) ...
  • Tuladandasana (Balancing Stick Pose)

What happened to Bikram Guru? ›

After several verdicts and defaults against him in the range of tens of millions of dollars, Choudhury left the country in 2016 and took painstaking efforts to abscond with his fortune and hide his assets as best possible. The next year, his College filed bankruptcy.

What is the sequence of hot yoga for beginners? ›

The beginner hot yoga sequence starts with breathing deep, progressing into standing series, followed by deep stretches of the spine in supine and prone, ending with the practice of Kapalabhati. Savasana (Corpse Pose) is practiced in between the 26 poses, and not at the end of the sequence.

Is hot 26 yoga for beginners? ›

Hot 26 is a beginner class. If you're in good health, it is generally safe with some precautions in mind. Dehydration is a major concern with hot yoga. Drinking water before, during, and after a hot yoga class is essential.

What are the 5 pillars of Bikram yoga? ›

The five pillars of Bikram Yoga
  • Faith - Do you believe in yourself? Do you have hope?
  • Self Control - Discipline, morality, practice.
  • Willpower - Determination. Willingness to do.
  • Concentration - Focus, balance, presence.
  • Patience - Do we have what it takes to keep trying.
Oct 13, 2023

Why did Bikram go to jail? ›

Choudhury has not faced criminal charges; after losing a civil case of wrongful termination and sexual harassment by his former legal adviser Minakshi “Micki” Jafa-Bodden, he fled the United States and refused to pay the $6.8m in damages.

Do people still teach Bikram yoga? ›

Yes, people still teach Bikram Yoga. Studios still teach Bikram style because it is a safe and effective form of yoga that offers countless physical, mental and emotional benefits. It consists of a set of 26 postures that are designed to systematically work the entire body and can be practiced at any fitness level.

What is Bikram yoga called now? ›

The Bikram series is now officially called the “Original 26 + 2,” even though a lot of people still confuse it with “hot yoga.” The Original 26 + 2 is so named because the practice includes 26 poses and two breathing exercises, most performed twice in the exact same order, for the 90-minute practice.

What is the first rule of yoga? ›

1. YAMA – Restraints, moral disciplines or moral vows. This first limb, Yama, refers to vows, disciplines or practices that are primarily concerned with the world around us, and our interaction with it.

What is the best yoga mat for hot yoga? ›

Best hot yoga mat: Manduka Pro Yoga Mat 6mm

Not only is it 6 millimeters thick — which means it's guaranteed to give you lots of dense cushion — but this mat has tons of grip and weighs a whopping 7.5 pounds, which means it won't move easily or slip during your practice.

What not to do before hot yoga? ›

Eating too much before your class can leave you feeling sluggish, crampy, and uncoordinated. Try to avoid eating any food two or three hours before your class starts. If you do feel hungry, opt for light snacks, such as a handful of nuts or a piece of fruit.

Why do you lock your knees in Bikram Yoga? ›

Unlike hyperextension, where the knee joint may be overstretched or “bent backward” (often as a result of an involuntary movement), locking the knee in Bikram Yoga means consciously squeezing the quadriceps – the four prevailing muscles at the front of your thigh – to protect the joint so that you can safely and ...

Does hot yoga ever get easier? ›

Your body will eventually get used to the heat

Any yoga expert will tell you to keep at it; your practice will eventually get easier.

How to train for hot yoga? ›

  1. Get a couple good nights of sleep in before your class.
  2. Pre-hydrate with lots of water. ...
  3. Eat healthy, balanced, nourishing meals before and after class. ( ...
  4. Along with your yoga mat (any mat), bring a mat towel (a long, yoga-mat-shaped towel designed for hot yoga). ...
  5. Bring a large, full, insulated water bottle.
Jan 1, 2011

How many Bikram yoga poses are there? ›

The following are the 26 postures of Bikram Yoga, as it names them; some of the Sanskrit names differ from those used for the same or closely related poses in other schools of yoga, and some of them are otherwise used for different poses.

Is Bikram harder than vinyasa? ›

Overall Comparison

Side-by-side, a skilled vinyasa practitioner will be stronger than one who practices Bikram or hot yoga. Vinyasa yogins will also be more aerobically fit. However, if your goal is to increase your tolerance to heat and work with thermoregulation, Bikram might be your choice.

How many poses are in a 90 minute Bikram practice? ›

Bikram Yoga Beginning Series classes run for 90 minutes and always consist of 26 postures, namely a fixed sequence of 24 asanas and two pranayama (breathing exercise).

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