Does Hot Yoga Increase Cortisol? The Stress Hormone Study Unpacked

by admin | Oct 25, 2026 | Teacher Training Guides

Does hot yoga increase cortisol? Briefly, it can, because any hard workout nudges this stress hormone up for a short time. Over weeks, though, the hot yoga cortisol picture flips. In an 8-week trial of heated yoga, women who reacted most strongly to stress showed a smaller cortisol spike under pressure than women who did no yoga.

Does Hot Yoga Increase Cortisol? The Graded Answer

On this site we grade every health claim by the study behind it. So here is the honest version. Asking "does hot yoga increase cortisol" is really asking two questions, and they have different answers.

The first hot yoga cortisol question is what happens during and right after one class. The second is what happens to your stress response after weeks of practice. Here is what the research supports:

• During one class: cortisol may rise a little, as it does with most exercise. Lab studies show the clear rise starts at about 60% of your maximum aerobic effort.
• Right after class: exercise cortisol usually peaks 20 to 30 minutes after you stop, then settles back down.
• After 8 weeks: the main randomised trial of heated yoga and cortisol found a smaller cortisol response to a stress test in the women who reacted most strongly at the start.

That's the core hot yoga cortisol finding. A short, normal rise is part of how your body handles effort. It's not the same thing as chronically high cortisol, which is the problem most people actually worry about. The same stress question comes up for mood, which we cover in is hot yoga good for anxiety.

The Hopkins 2016 Cortisol Study Unpacked

Almost every article on hot yoga cortisol points back to one paper. It's often called "the Hopkins study", but the name comes from its lead author, L.B. Hopkins, not from Johns Hopkins University. You can read the full heated hatha yoga and cortisol trial free on PubMed Central.

It appeared in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 2016. It remains the main hot yoga cortisol trial, so here is what the team did, step by step, in plain language.

Who Took Part

The researchers recruited 52 women aged 25 to 46. Each one reported high everyday stress, and each one tended to eat when upset. None of them practised yoga regularly before the study.

Then a coin-flip style randomisation split them into two groups. Twenty-seven started yoga straight away. The other 25 joined a waitlist and got their yoga membership after the study ended.

What the Yoga Group Did

The yoga group had 8 weeks of the classic hot class: 26 postures, 2 breathing exercises and rest on the floor, in a room heated to 104°F (40°C). Each class lasted 90 minutes, and the instruction was to attend at least twice a week.

Real life got in the way, as it usually does. On average the women attended about 1.6 classes a week, and only 37% reached the twice-weekly target. Keep that in mind, because it means the results came from a fairly light dose.

How They Measured Stress Cortisol

Before and after the 8 weeks, every woman came to the lab for about 30 minutes of deliberate stress. The tasks included a version of the Trier Social Stress Test (a public speaking challenge), a breath-holding task and a frustrating mirror-tracing puzzle.

The team took seven saliva samples per visit. From those, they worked out how much salivary cortisol rose in response to the stress. Scientists call this cortisol reactivity, and it's a better window on your stress system than a single morning reading.

What Happened to Cortisol

Here is the key hot yoga cortisol result. The women who started as high reactors, meaning their cortisol jumped most under stress, saw that jump shrink more in the yoga group than on the waitlist. The effect size was large (d = 0.85), and their reactivity after treatment was also lower.

However, the low reactors showed no significant difference. So hot yoga did not lower everyone's stress cortisol. Instead, it seemed to help the people whose stress response ran hottest to begin with.

What Happened to Stress Eating

The yoga group also reported a bigger drop in binge eating episodes than the waitlist group. They became less likely to eat as a way of coping with feelings, too. For women who joined because stress drove their eating, that matters as much as any hormone number.

The Fine Print

The authors call their results "preliminary support", and they're right to. These limits stop us from overselling it:

• Waitlist control. The comparison group did nothing, so we can't tell whether heat, yoga, or simply joining a class did the work.
• Women only. All 52 volunteers were women with stress-related eating, so the result may not apply to men or to relaxed practitioners.
• Small sample. With about 25 people per group, one trial can't settle the question.
• Low attendance. Most women did fewer classes than planned, so nobody knows yet what a higher dose would do.

Hot Yoga Cortisol Research, Graded

One trial is a start, not an answer. So we placed it next to the other studies we could open and check. Only the first row tested heated yoga and cortisol together. The others fill in how exercise, heat and yoga each affect stress hormones.

Read across the rows and a hot yoga cortisol pattern appears. Hard effort pushes cortisol up for a while. Yet a regular yoga practice, heated or not, tends to bring everyday cortisol down. Those two facts don't contradict each other, because they describe different time scales.

Hot Yoga and Stress Hormones in 4 Numbers

If you only scan one part of this page, scan these four cards. Together they explain why hot yoga cortisol changes look so different after one class and after one month.

Why One Hot Class Can Raise Cortisol

Cortisol isn't a villain. It helps your body find energy for effort. So a short hot yoga cortisol rise during a demanding class is your body doing its job. The real questions are how big the rise is, and how fast it settles.

Effort Sets the Size of the Rise

The clearest data comes from a lab study by Hill and colleagues. Twelve active men exercised at three intensities on separate days. Cortisol barely moved at 40% of their maximum, rose about 40% at 60%, and jumped about 83% at 80%. The abstract of the exercise intensity and cortisol study sets out the full figures.

After the authors corrected for fluid loss and time of day, the easy session actually lowered cortisol. Sweat is the other thing people worry about, and we cover it in does hot yoga sweat out toxins. That's a useful detail, because it shows intensity, not exercise itself, drives the spike.

Most of a Hot Class Sits Below That Line

Hot yoga feels intense, mainly because of the heat and the sweat. But feeling hot isn't the same as working at a high aerobic level. In a 2020 study, 16 experienced practitioners did a one-hour hot sequence and the same sequence at room temperature.

Their oxygen use stayed close to a quarter of their aerobic maximum in both rooms, and average heart rates sat around 110 to 115 beats per minute. You can check the numbers in the heated yoga energy and inflammation study. That's well under the 60% line where cortisol clearly climbs in the lab data.

One caution, though. Beginners may work harder than experienced students, and that study didn't measure cortisol at all. So treat this as a strong clue, not proof.

Heat Adds Its Own Strain

Heat is a stressor too. In the same 2020 study, the inflammation marker IL-6 rose about 15-fold after the heated session, compared with about 2-fold at room temperature. IL-6 is a signalling molecule linked to inflammation, and the study didn't track how long it stayed raised.

Still, it reminds us that the heat changes how your body responds, and hot yoga stress hormones are part of that response. For example, dehydration, poor sleep or fasting before class could all add load on a hard day. That's when a short cortisol rise is more likely to feel like a drain. Men who wonder what else heat does in the body can read about hot yoga and male fertility research.

The Rise Is Short

A review in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience notes that exercise needs roughly 10 to 15 minutes to raise cortisol. It also says levels peak 20 to 30 minutes after the session ends. You can read the commentary on cortisol and exercise in young adults for the details. After that peak, levels fall back toward normal.

That's why the honest answer to "does hot yoga increase cortisol" depends on the clock. Measure hot yoga cortisol 20 minutes after a tough class and you may see a bump. Measure your stress response after 8 weeks of practice, and the trial data points the other way.

Does Hot Yoga Lower Cortisol Over Time?

The best wider evidence is a 2017 meta-analysis by Pascoe and colleagues in Psychoneuroendocrinology. It pooled 42 studies of yoga and mindfulness programmes. Compared with active control groups, yoga posture practice lowered both evening cortisol and waking cortisol, as well as resting heart rate.

Most of those programmes were not heated, so direct hot yoga cortisol data is thinner. Even so, the 26-posture hot class shares the same core tools: held postures, slow breathing and floor rest between efforts. As a result, it's reasonable to expect similar long-term effects, while noting that heated classes have far less direct data.

Mental health trials point the same way, so the long-term hot yoga cortisol story fits a wider pattern. A 2022 study by Hui and colleagues found that hot yoga reduced state anxiety.

Meanwhile, an 8-week Massachusetts General Hospital trial (Nyer, 2023) found that 59% of people in heated yoga had their depression symptoms cut by half or more, against 6.3% on the waitlist. We look at that trial closely in our article on what hot yoga mental health researchers measured. For a closer reading of that depression trial, see our guide to hot yoga for depression.

Heart health research supports the calm-down story, too. For example, several trials looked at blood pressure and arteries after weeks of hot classes, which we grade in our review of whether hot yoga is good for your heart.

Is Hot Yoga Bad for High Cortisol? Who Should Be Careful

For most healthy adults, the evidence suggests hot yoga is more likely to help an overworked stress system than to harm it. The Hopkins trial even found the biggest benefit in the women whose cortisol reacted most. But "most people" is not "everyone".

Please consult a healthcare professional before you start if any of these apply to you:

• A diagnosed hormone or adrenal condition, or medication that affects cortisol.
• A heart condition or blood pressure that isn't well controlled.
• Pregnancy, because overheating carries extra risk.
• Severe fatigue, burnout or poor sleep that isn't improving with rest.
• A history of fainting or heat illness.

Also, notice how you feel after class. If you leave buzzing and can't sleep, or you feel wiped out for a day, that's useful feedback. It's a sign to scale back the dose, not to push harder.

How to Keep Hot Yoga Cortisol in Check: 6 Steps

If you worry about hot yoga cortisol spikes, you don't have to quit. Instead, shape the practice so the short spike stays short. These steps follow the research above:

1. Start with two classes a week. That's the dose the 8-week trial prescribed, and it still showed results with lower attendance.
2. Work at a conversational effort. Stay well below the 60% effort line, especially in your first month.
3. Arrive hydrated and fed. Drink water through the day and eat a light meal a few hours before class.
4. Take every floor rest. The rests between postures let your heart rate and breathing settle.
5. Breathe through your nose. Slow nasal breathing keeps the class calm rather than frantic.
6. Give late classes a buffer. Since exercise cortisol peaks 20 to 30 minutes after you stop, leave time to cool down before bed.

The final floor rest, Savasana, deserves special attention. Many students rush out of it. Yet it's the moment your nervous system shifts from effort back to recovery, so stay for the full minute or two.

Hot Yoga Cortisol and Weight Gain Worries

Some people ask whether a hot yoga cortisol rise could cause belly fat. No study has shown that. In fact, the Hopkins trial found less stress eating after 8 weeks, not more. We cover what the scale really does in our review of hot yoga weight loss studies.

What Our Trainees Say About Stress in the Heat

Hot yoga cortisol data tells one part of the story. Our trainees tell another: what it feels like to meet fear and pressure in a hot room and come out steadier. These comments come from Google and video reviews of YogaFX teacher trainings.

"I've never traveled on my own. I'm a very fearful, shy person... I feel like I've just blossomed into the person I really want to be."

Donna, YouTube review, 2026

"The personal interaction to all his student as individuals is exemplary and respectful, reassuring and brings out the confidence in the most reluctant and doubtful student."

Konrad, Google review, 2025

"Now I believe I can do four classes a day... I know I'm going to teach one day."

Paula, YouTube review, 2025

None of these trainees measured their cortisol, of course. But Donna's words echo the trial's main finding. The people who start out most anxious often have the most to gain from learning to stay calm in the heat. You can watch her full review below.

Teach the Stress Science With YogaFX

Students will ask you, "does hot yoga increase cortisol?" A good teacher answers with the study, the dose and the fine print, not with a slogan. That is exactly what our hot yoga teacher training online course prepares you to do, with the 26 postures, the dialogue and the physiology taught at home.

The course is led by Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, who has more than 12,000 teaching hours. He trained for 5 years, from 2014 to 2019, with the founder of the method. Since 2017, YogaFX has trained more than 1,500 graduates from 80+ countries.

Mr. Ian teaches trainees to cue the heat as a tool, not a test. So you learn to spot the student who is pushing past a calm effort, and to guide them back to their breath before stress takes over.

• See how online study works. Read the 8-week breakdown of online yoga teacher training.
• Learn the physiology. Know why heart rate, sweat and cortisol each tell you something different about a student's effort.
• Teach in the Original Hot 26&2 Yoga method, the same 26-posture sequence the 2016 hot yoga cortisol trial tested.

When you're ready for the heat in person, the next step is the 6-day Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass in Bali. The next batch checks in on Sunday 24 January 2027 at Soham Wellness Center in Seminyak. The Early Bird price is US$1,899 (normally US$1,999), with payment plans from US$250 a month.

FAQ

Does hot yoga increase cortisol levels?

For a short time, it can. Cortisol rises with effort, mostly above 60% of your maximum, and peaks 20 to 30 minutes after exercise. Over 8 weeks, though, a randomised trial found that heated yoga shrank the stress-test cortisol response in women who reacted most strongly at the start.

Does hot yoga lower cortisol?

It may, with regular practice. A 2016 trial of 8 weeks of 90-minute hot classes found a smaller cortisol spike under stress in high-reacting women. A 2017 meta-analysis of 42 studies also linked yoga postures with lower waking and evening cortisol, although most of those classes were not heated.

Is hot yoga good for high cortisol?

Research suggests it may help people with a strong stress response. In the 2016 trial, the women whose cortisol jumped most under pressure benefited most. Start with two classes a week at a calm effort, and consult a healthcare professional first if you have a diagnosed hormone condition.

Is hot yoga bad for cortisol?

Not for most healthy adults. A brief rise during a hard class is a normal response to effort, and the research shows it is temporary rather than lasting. Problems are more likely if you train very hard every day, sleep badly or skip water and food, so match your dose to your recovery.

Does yoga increase cortisol?

Gentle yoga rarely does, because cortisol mainly rises above about 60% of maximum effort. A meta-analysis of 42 studies found yoga postures lowered waking and evening cortisol compared with active controls. Fast, demanding styles can cause a short rise, much like any other moderate to hard workout.

Still have questions? Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team answer them personally. Take the 2-minute quiz to see if you're ready to teach hot yoga, or go straight to the online course enrolment page.

Is Hot Yoga Good for Weight Loss? What Controlled Studies Found

by admin | Oct 24, 2026 | Teacher Training Guides

Is hot yoga good for weight loss? Only a little, on its own. Controlled studies of hot yoga weight loss found body weight barely changed over 8 to 12 weeks, even though strength and flexibility improved. A 90-minute class burns real calories, but food, sweat and short study periods explain why the scale rarely moves much.

Is Hot Yoga Good for Weight Loss? The Graded Answer

On this site we grade every health claim by the quality of the study behind it. So here is the honest version. The best hot yoga weight loss evidence comes from small randomised controlled trials, and none of them found a big drop on the scale.

That does not mean hot yoga is useless for your body. It means the benefits show up in other places first. Here is what the research supports, and what it does not:

• Body weight: no meaningful change after 8 weeks of classes in young adults (Tracy and Hart, 2013).
• Body fat: small drops in some groups. In a 12-week trial, body fat fell more in the heated group than at room temperature (Hunter, 2018).
• Calories: one class burns about 330 calories for women and 460 for men, according to Colorado State University researchers.
• Strength and flexibility: clear gains in the same short trials where weight stayed flat.

In short, hot yoga can be one useful part of a weight loss plan. But nobody should expect it to melt kilos by itself. If you hoped for a fast fix, that's frustrating. If you want a habit you'll actually keep, it may be exactly the right tool. The same graded approach applies to mood, as in our review of hot yoga for anxiety.

What the Controlled Hot Yoga Weight Loss Studies Found

Most blogs quote a calorie number and stop there. Instead, the table below lists the studies we could verify that actually measured hot yoga weight loss or body fat. The last column is our evidence grade, so you can see how much each result deserves to count.

Four Hot Yoga Studies on Weight and Body Fat

Tracy and Hart 2013: Stronger, Not Lighter

Brian Tracy and his co-author Hart at Colorado State University ran one of the first randomised trials of the full 26-posture class. Ten adults did 24 classes in 8 weeks, while 11 kept their normal routine. Published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, it remains the cleanest test we have.

The yoga group's body mass did not change significantly. Body fat slipped from 28.4% to 27.3%, but the authors called it a trend, because it did not beat the control group. Meanwhile, deadlift strength rose about 13% and sit-and-reach flexibility improved by roughly 10 cm.

So the body changed in a real way. It just changed in strength and range of motion, not in kilograms.

Hunter 2018: Heat Nudged Body Fat Down

Stacy Hunter and Hirofumi Tanaka's team in Texas randomised 52 sedentary adults aged 40 to 60. One group practised at 40.5°C, one at 23°C, and one stayed inactive. Each yoga group did three 90-minute classes a week for 12 weeks.

The trial was built to measure artery function, which we cover in our review of whether hot yoga is good for your heart. Still, it reported one useful weight detail: body fat decreased more in the heated group. That is a modest signal, not a dramatic result, because the abstract gives no large weight change.

Zoila 2026: Six Months, but No Comparison Group

The newest study ran much longer. A research team led by Federico Zoila followed 22 beginner women for six months of classes, three times a week. You can read the full six-month Bikram study in Healthcare, which is open access.

Body fat fell by about 6 percentage points across every age group. That sounds impressive. However, there was no control group, diet was not tracked, and body fat was estimated from skinfold equations. The authors themselves say randomised trials are needed before anyone draws firm conclusions.

Hot Yoga Weight Loss Research in 4 Numbers

If you only scan one part of this page, scan these four cards. Together they explain why hot yoga weight loss is real but slow.

Why the Scale Barely Moves: 5 Reasons

Many students feel cheated when they sweat through a month of classes and weigh the same. There are good physical reasons for that. Once you know them, the flat scale stops feeling like failure.

1. One Class Burns About as Much as a Long Walk

The Colorado State team found heart rates around 160 beats per minute in experienced practitioners. Even so, the overall energy cost was roughly equal to walking briskly for 90 minutes. You can read the summary in the Colorado State University report on hot yoga fitness.

For context, Harvard Health's calorie table lists walking at 3.5 mph at about 133 calories per 30 minutes for a 155-pound person. Over 90 minutes, that lands close to the measured class figures.

That's a solid workout. But some claims put a class as high as 1,000 calories, and the measured figures were far lower. Three classes a week adds up, yet it's easy to undo with a few snacks.

2. Sweat Is Water, Not Fat

You may step on the scale after class and see a lower number. That drop is mostly fluid lost as sweat, so it comes back as soon as you drink. Fat loss is much slower, and it never shows up in a single session.

3. Hunger Often Rises After Hard Sessions

Many people eat a little more after a demanding class, often without noticing. None of the trials in our table controlled diet. As a result, any extra calories burned in the room may have been eaten back at home.

4. Muscle Can Offset Fat on the Scale

In Tracy and Hart's trial, strength rose while weight held steady. If you build a little muscle and lose a little fat, the scale can stay flat while your clothes fit differently. That is why body fat or waist measurements tell you more than weight alone.

5. The Trials Were Short and Small

The controlled trials lasted 8 to 12 weeks. For comparison, the CDC's guidance on losing weight recommends a gradual pace of about 1 to 2 pounds a week. Small groups and short timelines make modest changes hard to detect statistically.

Does Hot Yoga Help Lose Belly Fat?

This is one of the most searched questions, and it is where hot yoga weight loss claims drift furthest from the data. The honest answer is that no study has shown it. None of the trials above measured belly fat on its own. So any promise that hot yoga targets your stomach goes beyond the evidence.

Your body decides where it stores and loses fat. Crunching, twisting or sweating over one area does not pull fat from that spot. When overall body fat drops, the waist usually shrinks along with everything else.

What hot yoga can do is build core strength and posture. For example, the floor series includes Locust and Bow poses that work the back body hard. A stronger core can change how you stand and how your midsection looks, even before fat loss shows.

How Often to Do Hot Yoga for Weight Loss

If you want hot yoga weight loss results, copy the dose researchers tested and add the parts they left out. Every trial in our table used about three 90-minute classes a week. Here is a simple plan built on that:

1. Book three classes a week. That matches the Tracy, Hunter and Zoila protocols.
2. Commit to at least 12 weeks. Body fat changes appeared after 12 weeks to 6 months, not after a few sessions.
3. Watch what you eat after class. Plan a normal meal instead of a reward snack, so the calories you burn actually count.
4. Measure your waist, not just your weight. Check once a fortnight at the same time of day.
5. Add walking or strength work on other days. Hot yoga covers flexibility and strength well, but more total movement helps fat loss.

Daily classes are possible for experienced students. Still, more is not automatically better for weight loss, because fatigue and hunger rise too. For most people, three to four classes a week is a sustainable rhythm.

Hot Yoga Weight Loss in the First Month: What to Expect

Expect your first two weeks to feel hard, mainly because your body is adjusting to the heat. By week four, many students notice better sleep, looser hamstrings and more energy before the scale changes at all.

Bikram Yoga Weight Loss Compared With Other Exercise

People often ask whether Bikram yoga weight loss, or hot yoga weight loss in general, beats running, Pilates or the gym. The fair answer is that nobody has run that head-to-head trial. However, we can compare what each study actually measured.

• Calorie burn: similar to a 90-minute brisk walk, so it is moderate rather than extreme.
• Strength: deadlift strength rose about 13% in 8 weeks, which most walking plans won't match.
• Flexibility: sit-and-reach scores improved by about 10 cm, a big change in a short time.
• Consistency: the fixed 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises make it easy to repeat week after week.

That last point matters more than it looks. The best exercise for weight loss is the one you still do in six months. If the heat and the routine keep you coming back, that consistency may matter more than any single calorie figure.

The class most studies tested is the same sequence many studios now teach as Original Hot 26&2 Yoga. You can explore every posture in our guide to the 26&2 poses.

Who Should Check With a Doctor First

Hot yoga is safe for most healthy adults, but the heat adds strain, and no hot yoga weight loss goal is worth ignoring that. Please consult a healthcare professional before your first class if any of these apply:

• A heart condition or blood pressure that is not well controlled.
• Medication for weight, blood sugar or fluid balance, since heat and sweat can change how it works.
• Pregnancy, because overheating carries extra risk.
• A history of fainting or heat illness.

Also, never use the heat to sweat off weight quickly before an event. That loss is dehydration, and it can leave you dizzy. Drink water before, during and after class, and rest whenever you need to.

What Our Trainees Say About Body and Mind Changes

The hot yoga weight loss research shows strength and control improving faster than weight. Our trainees describe the same thing in their own words, and the mood side of the practice is covered in what researchers measured about hot yoga and mental health in men. These comments come from Google and video reviews of YogaFX teacher trainings.

"It taught me how to control energy, breath, and focus in extreme conditions, something that truly complements physical strength."

Kadek, Google review, 2026

"I learned a lot to control my mind or control my emotion."

Cherry, YouTube review, 2019

"It was a quick decision, it was the right one. Thank you to your team for being so efficient, helpful and kind all the time."

Mariana, YouTube review, 2024

Kadek's point about control is worth noticing. Learning to stay calm in the heat often spills into calmer choices about food and rest, which is where lasting weight change really happens. You can watch Mariana's full review below.

Learn the Science of Hot Yoga With YogaFX

Students ask teachers about hot yoga weight loss constantly. A good teacher answers with the studies, not with sales lines. That is exactly what our hot yoga teacher training online course prepares you to do, with the 26 postures, the dialogue and the physiology taught at home.

The course is led by Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, who has more than 12,000 teaching hours. He trained for 5 years, from 2014 to 2019, with the founder of the method. Since 2017, YogaFX has trained more than 1,500 graduates from 80+ countries.

That is why the course teaches trainees to explain the research honestly. The heat is a tool for strength, focus and flexibility, not a fat burner, and your students will trust you more for saying so.

• See how online study works. Read the 8-week breakdown of online yoga teacher training.
• Know the physiology. Learn why sweat, heart rate and calorie burn are three different things, so you can answer hot yoga weight loss questions with numbers.

When you're ready for the heat in person, the next step is the 6-day Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass in Bali. The next batch checks in on Sunday 24 January 2027 at Soham Wellness Center in Seminyak. The Early Bird price is US$1,899 (normally US$1,999), with payment plans from US$250 a month.

FAQ

Can you lose weight doing hot yoga?

Yes, but usually slowly. A 90-minute class burns about 330 calories for women and 460 for men. In an 8-week randomised trial, body weight did not change significantly, although strength and flexibility improved. Combining regular classes with sensible eating and more daily movement gives the best chance of real weight loss. For how hard the heart works in class, see is hot yoga a cardio workout.

Does hot yoga help lose belly fat?

No study has shown that hot yoga targets belly fat. Your body loses fat from all over, not from the area you work or sweat most. Hot yoga can strengthen your core and improve posture, which may change how your midsection looks while overall body fat slowly comes down.

How many times a week should I do hot yoga to lose weight?

Most studies used three 90-minute classes a week, so that is a sensible target. Give it at least 12 weeks before judging results. Adding walking or strength work on other days, and watching what you eat after class, makes the routine far more effective for weight loss.

Why am I not losing weight with hot yoga?

Common reasons are eating more after class, regaining sweat as soon as you drink, and building some muscle while losing fat. Short timelines matter too. Track your waist and how clothes fit for 12 weeks, and look honestly at food intake, before deciding the practice isn't working for you.

How much weight can you lose doing hot yoga for a month?

There is no reliable figure for one month, because no controlled study measured it. Any quick drop in the first weeks is mostly water. The CDC recommends a gradual pace of about 1 to 2 pounds a week, and hot yoga alone rarely reaches that without changes to diet.

Still have questions? Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team answer them personally. Take the 2-minute quiz to see if you're ready to teach hot yoga, or go straight to the online course enrolment page.

Hot Yoga and Male Fertility: What Heat Studies Actually Measure

by admin | Oct 23, 2026 | Teacher Training Guides

The honest answer on hot yoga and male fertility is that nobody has measured it directly. Sauna and hot tub studies show heat on the testes can lower sperm count and motility for a few months, and the effect reverses. A hot yoga class is far cooler than a sauna, so the risk is probably smaller, but it has not been tested.

Hot Yoga and Male Fertility: The Short Answer

If you're a man trying to conceive and you love your hot class, you've probably read two kinds of advice online. One says heat kills sperm, so quit. The other says it's fine, so ignore it. Neither is backed by a study on hot yoga itself.

What we do have is a set of heat studies on saunas, hot tubs, hot baths and lab animals. Each one measured something slightly different. So the useful question isn't "is hot yoga bad for male fertility?" It's "what did those heat studies actually measure, and how close is a hot yoga class to them?"

Here is the summary a careful reader can take away today:

• Heat can affect sperm. Testes normally sit 2 to 4°C below core body temperature, and raising that temperature can impair sperm production.
• The effect is usually reversible. In the best sauna study, sperm count and motility recovered fully 6 months after the men stopped.
• Hot yoga has never been tested. We could not find a published study that measured scrotal temperature or semen quality in a hot yoga class.
• Your doctor has the final word. If you're actively trying for a baby, or you already know your sperm count is low, ask a healthcare professional before you change anything.

That's the frame for the rest of this guide. We'll grade each piece of evidence on hot yoga and male fertility, explain its limits, and give you a sensible plan while you wait for better science.

Why Heat Matters for Sperm in the First Place

The testes hang outside the body for a reason. A 2023 review in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (De Toni et al.) explains that the scrotum keeps testicular tissue about 2°C to 4°C cooler than the core of the body. Sperm production, the engine of male fertility, works best at that lower temperature.

When the testes warm up, the cells that make sperm come under stress. As a result, fewer sperm may be made, and the ones that are made may swim less well. Researchers call this testicular heat stress.

The 70 to 80 Day Delay

Timing is the part most articles skip. The same review notes that a sperm cell needs at least 70 to 80 days to mature. That means a semen test today reflects what your body was doing roughly three months ago.

So this delay works in both directions. A heat habit you start now won't show up in a test for weeks. Equally, a change you make today needs about three months before you can judge it. Keep that window in mind for every study below.

What the Heat Studies Actually Measured

Most headlines about heat and sperm come from a handful of studies. They differ a lot in temperature, dose and what was measured. The table lines them up and gives each one an evidence grade for the question of hot yoga and male fertility.

Five Heat Studies Side by Side

The Sauna Study Everyone Quotes

The clearest human evidence comes from Padua, Italy. Andrea Garolla and colleagues asked 10 healthy men with normal sperm to use a Finnish sauna at 80 to 90°C, twice a week for 15 minutes, for three months. They tested semen before, at the end, and 3 and 6 months later.

By the end of the sauna period, sperm count and motility had dropped sharply. Mitochondrial function in sperm, a marker of energy, fell from 76.8% to 54.0%. Yet the key line in the paper in Human Reproduction is this: all of these effects were completely reversed six months after the men stopped.

Hot Tubs and Hot Baths

For male fertility, wet heat is a different case because hot water touches the scrotum directly. The De Toni review summarises a 2007 study by Shefi and colleagues in infertile men who soaked in water above 37°C for at least 30 minutes a week. Their sperm motility was lower, and it improved after they cut back. The review describes wet heat as having a "reversible negative effect" on motility.

The Couples Study That Measured Pregnancy

Sperm counts are a proxy. What couples care about is getting pregnant, which is the real test of male fertility. The PRESTO study, published in Andrology in 2022, followed 3,041 couples in the US and Canada and asked the men about their heat habits.

Men who used a hot tub or hot bath three or more times a month had a fecundability ratio of 0.87, which hints at slightly slower conception. However, the 95% confidence interval ran from 0.70 to 1.07, so it included no effect at all. Sauna use showed no link (1.04). Men with four or more heat habits had a ratio of 0.77, also imprecise.

The authors themselves call their heat score "not a standard or validated measure". That honesty matters. The study is useful because it looked at real couples, but it can't tell us much about hot yoga and male fertility, because hot yoga wasn't one of the questions.

How Close Is a Hot Yoga Class to a Sauna?

This is where the hot yoga and male fertility debate usually goes wrong. People see the word "heat" and assume a hot class equals a sauna. The numbers say otherwise.

• Air temperature. An Original Hot 26&2 class runs at about 40°C with 40% humidity. The sauna in the Garolla study ran at 80 to 90°C, roughly twice as hot.
• Session length. A hot class lasts 90 minutes, which is much longer than a 15-minute sauna. So time in the heat is higher, even though the air is cooler.
• Contact with heat. A hot tub heats the scrotum through water. In a yoga room, the heat comes from air, and you are moving and sweating the whole time.
• Core temperature. Your body does warm up. That's the one number researchers have measured in a hot class, and it's the reason this question is fair to ask.

What Happens to a Man's Core Temperature

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, working for the American Council on Exercise, put temperature sensors in 20 regular hot yoga practitioners, 7 of them men. The room was 105°F with 40% humidity for a 90-minute class.

The men's core temperature peaked at an average of 103.2°F. One man reached 104.1°F, and 7 of the 20 people went above 103°F. Nobody showed signs of heat illness, but the ACE research summary still called those numbers concerning.

Notice what this study did not measure, though. It tracked the core of the body, not the scrotum, and it collected no semen. So a warmer core is a reason for caution, not proof of harm to male fertility.

The Limits of the Evidence

Our site grades evidence rather than repeating headlines, so here is the honest grade. On hot yoga and male fertility specifically, the evidence is indirect and low quality. That doesn't mean there's no risk. It means the risk hasn't been measured.

• Tiny samples. The sauna study had 10 men. Small studies can show a real effect, but they can't tell you how big it is for most people.
• Different heat. Saunas and hot tubs are hotter or heat the scrotum directly. A yoga room is neither.
• Proxy outcomes. Most studies measured sperm count or motility, not pregnancy. A lower count isn't the same as reduced male fertility.
• Animal data. The mouse study used 8 hours of heat a day for 3 days. Mice aren't men, and no class lasts 8 hours.
• Self-reported habits. The couples study asked men to remember their habits once, at the start.

That said, there is a consistent thread. Every human study that found an effect also found it reversed after the heat stopped. That's the most reassuring fact in the whole field, and it applies whatever the source of the heat.

Can Yoga Itself Help Sperm?

There's a twist worth knowing. A 2018 study from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, gave 30 men 21 days of a yoga-based lifestyle programme. It was not heated yoga.

Median sperm count rose from 38.9 to 43.4 million per ml, and progressive motility rose from 50% to 55%. Markers of oxidative stress fell by 69%. However, there was no randomised control group, and the authors say a larger sample is needed. So treat it as a promising signal, not a fertility treatment.

Put the two lines together and you get a fair hypothesis. Regular yoga may support male fertility, while too much heat may work against it. Nobody has tested which effect wins in a hot room, and that's the open question on hot yoga and male fertility.

A Sensible Plan If You're Trying to Conceive

You don't need to choose between panic and denial. If you're a man thinking about hot yoga and male fertility right now, these steps follow the evidence and cost you very little. None of them is medical advice, so please consult a healthcare professional about your own situation.

1. Talk to your doctor first. Ask whether a semen analysis, the standard male fertility test, makes sense before you change your routine. It gives you a baseline instead of a guess.
2. Think in 3-month blocks. Because sperm take 70 to 80 days to mature, any change needs about three months before a test can show it.
3. Don't stack heat. A hot class followed by a sauna or hot tub adds up. If you want to cut one heat source, the hot tub has the strongest evidence against it.
4. Pace the class. Sit down when you feel dizzy, drink water, and skip the last set of a posture if you need to. Heat is a stressor, and pushing through proves nothing.
5. Consider a cooler phase. Some men switch to fewer hot classes, or to unheated yoga, during the months they're actively trying. That's a cautious choice, not a required one.

If you already know you have a low sperm count, a varicocele, or another fertility condition, the advice is simpler. Ask your specialist before you practise in a heated room, and follow their plan.

What Our Trainees Say About Asking the Hard Questions

Questions like this one are awkward to raise in a busy studio. That's why we encourage trainees to bring them to the teacher directly. These three comments from YogaFX students describe a training where honest questions get honest answers.

"The YogaFX team led by Mr. Ian is extremely responsive and supportive."

Ajay, Google review, 2024

"You have an amazing ability to understand human beings, you're perceptive."

Omayra, YouTube review, 2019

"If you haven't done the movement... you can't deliver the dialogue, you can't own it and you can't stand up here and call yourself a teacher."

Ben, YouTube review, 2025

Ben's point is why our course teaches the science behind the heat, not just the postures. A teacher who understands what the research does and doesn't say can answer a student's fertility question calmly. You can watch his full review below.

How Mr. Ian Teaches Heat Safety

Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500 and founder of YogaFX, has more than 12,000 teaching hours. He trained for 5 years, from 2014 to 2019, with the founder of the method. In that time he has heard every version of the male fertility question, usually asked quietly after class.

His answer is always the same. Respect the heat, listen to your body, and let your doctor guide medical decisions. In training, he teaches future teachers to spot overheating, to invite students to rest, and to never promise that yoga will fix a health problem.

This matters for men in particular. Men in the UW-La Crosse study ran hotter than women, with an average peak of 103.2°F against 102.0°F. A teacher who knows that can coach a man to back off before he overheats.

For more on how men respond to the practice, see our guide to what researchers measured on hot yoga mental health in men, and our review of hot yoga trials on heart health and blood pressure.

Heat also costs energy. A University of Wisconsin study (Porcari et al. 2014) measured an average of 460 calories for men in a 90-minute class, at about 80% of maximum heart rate. That's a real workout, so treat it like one.

Learn the Science Online With YogaFX

If questions like hot yoga and male fertility interest you, you'll probably enjoy teaching. Our hot yoga teacher training online course covers the 26 postures, the dialogue, and the research behind heat and the body. You study at home, on your own schedule.

• Start with the postures. You learn all 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises in order, with the alignment cues for each one.
• See how online study works. The course runs on a clear weekly plan with live sessions, so you always know what comes next.
• Check any course first. Use these 7 honest checks for an online hot yoga certification before you pay.

When you're ready for the heat in person, the next step is the 6-day Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass in Bali. The next batch checks in on Sunday 24 January 2027 at Soham Wellness Center in Seminyak. The Early Bird price is US$1,899 (normally US$1,999), with payment plans from US$250 a month.

Since 2017, YogaFX has trained more than 1,500 graduates from 80+ countries.

FAQ

Does hot yoga affect male fertility?

Nobody knows for sure, because no published study has tested hot yoga and male fertility directly. Sauna and hot tub studies show that heat on the testes can lower sperm count and motility, and the effect reverses after stopping. A hot yoga room is much cooler than a sauna, so any effect is probably smaller.

Does hot yoga kill sperm?

There is no evidence that hot yoga kills sperm. Heat studies show reduced sperm count and motility, not permanent damage. In a 2013 sauna study, sperm fully recovered six months after the men stopped. Hot yoga itself has never been measured, so ask a healthcare professional if you are worried about your own fertility.

Is it safe to do hot yoga while trying to conceive?

For most healthy men it is probably low risk, but it has not been proven safe. The cautious approach is to speak to your doctor, avoid stacking heat such as a sauna after class, pace yourself, and think in three-month blocks, because sperm take about 70 to 80 days to mature.

Can yoga increase sperm count?

One small study suggests it might. In 2018, 30 men in India did 21 days of unheated yoga-based lifestyle training, and their median sperm count rose from 38.9 to 43.4 million per ml. There was no randomised control group, so this is an early signal, not a fertility treatment.

Is hot yoga bad for sperm count?

It has not been shown to be. Sperm count drops have been measured after saunas at 80 to 90°C and frequent hot tubs, not after hot yoga at about 40°C. Because your core temperature does rise in class, men with a known low count should ask their specialist before practising in a heated room.

Still have questions? Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team answer them personally. Take the 2-minute quiz to see if you're ready to teach hot yoga, or go straight to the online course enrolment page. This article is general education, not medical advice, so please consult a healthcare professional about fertility or heat.

Is Hot Yoga Good for Your Heart? Blood Pressure Trials Reviewed

by admin | Oct 22, 2026 | Teacher Training Guides

Is hot yoga good for your heart? The research says it probably is, in modest ways. Small trials of Bikram-style hot yoga show better artery function, lower blood pressure in people with mild hypertension, and a real cardio workload. However, the studies are small, and the heat itself adds strain. So it may help healthy hearts, but it is not a treatment.

Is Hot Yoga Good for Your Heart? The Short Verdict

Here's the honest version, graded the way we grade every claim on this site. The evidence that hot yoga is good for your heart comes mostly from one research group in Texas, led by Dr. Stacy Hunter. Their trials are careful, but each one has between 10 and 54 people.

That means the results are promising signals, not proof. Here is what the trials do and do not show:

• Arteries: 8 to 12 weeks of classes improved how well arteries widen or how stiff they are, in some groups but not all.
• Blood pressure: in healthy people it barely moved. In 10 adults with raised blood pressure, 24-hour systolic pressure fell by about 5 points.
• Heart rate: a 90-minute class pushes men to about 80% of their maximum heart rate on average, so it is real cardio work.
• The heat: one trial found the same artery gains at room temperature. So the postures may matter more than the thermostat.

In short, a regular practice looks good for your heart if you are healthy, but nobody has shown it prevents heart disease. And if you already have a heart condition, the heat changes the question entirely. Please consult a healthcare professional before your first class.

The Hot Yoga Blood Pressure Trials, Side by Side

Most articles quote one study and stop. Instead, the table below lists every controlled or measured trial we could verify on hot yoga, blood pressure and blood vessels. The last column is our own evidence grade, so you can see how much weight each result deserves when you ask whether hot yoga is good for your heart.

Seven Hot Yoga Trials at a Glance

The Pattern Across the Trials

Read the table from top to bottom and a pattern appears. The early trials had no comparison group, so we can't tell whether yoga, a new routine or simply the season caused the change. The later randomised trials are stronger, and their results are mixed but mostly positive.

What the Blood Pressure Numbers Mean in Plain Language

Blood pressure is written as two numbers, such as 126/82. The top number (systolic) is the pressure when your heart beats. The bottom number (diastolic) is the pressure between beats. Both are measured in millimetres of mercury, or mmHg.

In the 2019 pilot, the top number dropped by 5 points and the bottom by 3. That is a modest change, roughly the size seen with yoga in general. For example, a 2016 review of 32 yoga trials in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (Chu et al.) found an average systolic drop of about 5 points versus no exercise.

So hot yoga does not look like a blood pressure miracle. Instead, it looks like a solid form of exercise that produces exercise-sized results. That is still useful, because many people who hate running will happily come back to a hot room three times a week. Regular exercise you actually do is good for your heart, whatever the room temperature. If weight is your main goal, read what the hot yoga and weight loss studies found.

7 Honest Findings From the Heart Research

If you only remember one section, make it this one. These seven findings sum up whether hot yoga is good for your heart, based on what researchers actually measured.

1. Healthy blood pressure stays healthy. In normal-pressure adults, 8 weeks of classes did not move blood pressure up or down (Hunter 2013).
2. Raised blood pressure may come down. The only trial in people with high readings saw a 5-point systolic drop, but it had just 10 people.
3. Older arteries respond best to widening tests. Middle-aged and older adults improved artery widening, while young adults did not (Hunter 2017).
4. Stiffness results depend on the person. Overweight adults and young adults got less stiff arteries. Healthy middle-aged adults did not.
5. The postures do much of the work. Room-temperature Bikram yoga matched or beat hot yoga for artery widening (Hunter 2018).
6. Attendance matters. In Hewett's 16-week trial, people averaged 27 classes, and only those who came more often saw lower diastolic pressure.
7. The heat is a real load. Heart rate and core temperature climb steadily through a 90-minute class, which is why screening matters.

Put together, those findings explain the careful wording you see from researchers. Hot yoga is likely good for your heart in the same way other regular exercise is good for your heart. It is not yet proven to be better than that.

Four Numbers That Sum It Up

What Happens to Your Heart During a 90-Minute Class

Long-term results are one half of the story. The other half is what the heat does to your heart rate, blood pressure and core temperature in real time. Two studies measured this directly. For posture-by-posture numbers, see is hot yoga a cardio workout.

Heart Rate and Core Temperature: The Quandt Study

Emily Quandt and John Porcari at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse tested 20 regular practitioners, 7 men and 13 women aged 28 to 67. Each did a standard 90-minute class at 105°F and 40% humidity while wearing heart rate and core temperature sensors.

Men averaged about 80% of predicted maximum heart rate and peaked at 92%. Women averaged 72% and peaked at 85%. Core temperature rose steadily all class long, and seven of the 20 went above 103°F.

A workload this high is part of why the class can be good for your heart, and also why it deserves respect. You can read the full write-up from the American Council on Exercise, which funded the work.

Nobody in the study showed signs of heat illness. Even so, the authors suggested hydration, acclimatisation and shorter or cooler classes for anyone new to the heat. Their message is useful for teachers too: sweating alone does not cool a body efficiently in humid air.

Blood Pressure Posture by Posture

A 2019 pilot by Miranda Hurtado and colleagues in Chile measured blood pressure after every posture in 16 experienced female practitioners. Heart rate averaged 126.6 beats per minute and reached 168.1 at its peak.

Surprisingly, systolic pressure never rose significantly above resting levels. Diastolic pressure actually fell by about 10%, especially during the floor series. The heat widens blood vessels, which seems to offset the pressure rise you would expect from effort.

That drop is reassuring for healthy people. However, it is also why some beginners feel light-headed when they stand up quickly from the floor. If that happens, sit down, breathe and let your body catch up. A class is only good for your heart if you finish it feeling steady, not shaky.

Is Hot Yoga Bad for Your Heart? Who Should Check First

Many people search the opposite question too: is hot yoga bad for your heart? For most healthy adults the answer is no. Still, a 2025 systematic review of 43 hot yoga studies by Willmott and colleagues, published in Sports Medicine - Open, urges caution.

The review describes case reports of a sudden cardiac arrest in a 35-year-old woman and a heart attack in a 53-year-old man after hot yoga. The authors stress that the direct causes are uncertain, because underlying conditions were not ruled out. In a survey of 157 practitioners, many reported dizziness, light-headedness or nausea at some point.

What is good for your heart when it is healthy can be too much when it is not. So talk to your doctor before you start if any of these apply to you:

• A diagnosed heart condition, such as heart failure, an arrhythmia, a valve problem or a past heart attack.
• High or low blood pressure that is not yet under control, or regular dizzy spells.
• Medication that affects heat or fluid balance, such as blood pressure pills or diuretics.
• Pregnancy. A 2014 review in Canadian Family Physician advised pregnant women to avoid hot yoga because of the risks of overheating.

People who have recovered from a heart attack often ask online whether they can return to the hot room. That decision belongs to your cardiologist or cardiac rehab team, not to a blog or a studio. If they agree, start with a cooler or shorter class first.

How to Practise So Hot Yoga Is Good for Your Heart

If your doctor gives you the green light, copy the dose that researchers tested. That way you know your routine matches the evidence, rather than a guess. The steps below follow the Hunter and Hewett protocols as closely as a normal week allows.

1. Aim for three classes a week. Most trials used three 90-minute sessions weekly for 8 to 12 weeks.
2. Give it at least 8 weeks. Artery changes in these studies showed up after 8 to 12 weeks, not after a few classes.
3. Track your blood pressure at home. Measure at the same time each morning, so you can see your own trend.
4. Drink before, during and after class. Sip water through the session rather than gulping a litre at the end.
5. Rest whenever you need to. Sitting or lying down in the room is always allowed, and it is a smart choice, not a failure.

Expect your first week to feel harder than the next. Acclimatisation usually takes 10 to 14 days, according to the ACE experts who reviewed the Quandt data. As a result, many people find that the same class feels noticeably calmer by week three. Steady, repeated practice is what makes hot yoga good for your heart, not one heroic session.

Warning Signs to Stop and Sit Down

Stop, sit down and tell the teacher if you notice chest pain, a racing or irregular heartbeat, confusion, severe headache, nausea or cramps. For example, cramps and dizziness are early signs of heat intolerance. Chest pain needs urgent medical help, so call emergency services rather than waiting it out.

Hot Yoga vs Regular Yoga for Heart Health

Yoga at room temperature has a bigger evidence base than hot yoga. A 2013 meta-analysis of 17 studies by Hagins and colleagues found yoga lowered systolic pressure by about 4 points and diastolic by about 3.6 points in people with hypertension. The effect was larger when classes combined postures, breathing and meditation.

Harvard Health summed up the wider picture in plain terms. Yoga, it reported, may cut heart disease risk factors about as much as brisk walking, including a drop of roughly five points in systolic pressure. You can read the Harvard Health summary of yoga and the heart for the details.

So where does that leave the heat? The Bikram Yoga Heart Study found no clear extra benefit from 40.5°C over 23°C. On the other hand, the hot group lost more body fat, and many students simply enjoy the heat more. If you love it and you are healthy, it is a fine choice. If heat worries you, room-temperature yoga is also good for your heart.

Bikram Yoga and Blood Pressure: Same Sequence, New Name

You will see this topic searched as bikram yoga and blood pressure as well. Nearly every trial above used the same 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, now often taught as Original Hot 26&2 Yoga. That consistency is useful, because it means the research applies to the class most hot studios teach today.

Why the Evidence Is Still Early

Our site is built around graded evidence, so we owe you the weak spots too. The question of whether hot yoga is good for your heart is still open for four reasons:

• Small samples. The largest heart trial had 63 people, and the blood pressure pilot had 10.
• One main lab. Most results come from the same research group, so independent replication is thin.
• Short follow-up. Nothing lasted longer than 16 weeks, so heart attacks and strokes were never measured.
• Healthy volunteers. Almost nobody with heart disease took part, so the results do not apply to them.

The 2025 Willmott review reached the same conclusion. It found signs of better body composition, blood fats and artery function, which are all good for your heart, yet it called for larger, better-controlled trials. That's the honest headline: likely helpful, modest in size, and not a medical treatment.

What Our Trainees Say About Training From the Heart

Research measures arteries. Our graduates talk about the other kind of heart, the reason they kept showing up. These comments come from video reviews recorded at the end of YogaFX teacher trainings.

"Honestly, this is the best training that I've ever learned... it's from the deep of my heart. This is what Mr. Ian has been teaching from his heart."

Musya, YouTube review, 2023

"I've learned that I can do it... it feels so good to just accept you don't have to be perfect... I love the practice and these classes are great, they're the best."

Louise, YouTube review, 2025

"It was so crucial for us to have posture clinics and learn about the anatomy, muscular system... and yoga's principles."

Stephanie, YouTube review, 2019

Stephanie's point about anatomy matters here. A teacher who understands the circulatory system can spot a struggling student early, and can explain honestly why a class is good for your heart without overselling it. You can watch Louise's full review below.

Learn the Science Behind the Heat With YogaFX

If this article made you curious about the physiology, that curiosity is exactly what good hot yoga teachers need. Teachers are often the first people students ask whether hot yoga is good for your heart. Our hot yoga teacher training online course lets you study the 26 postures, the dialogue and the science at home, on your own schedule.

The course is led by Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, who has more than 12,000 teaching hours. He trained for 5 years, from 2014 to 2019, with the founder of the method. Since 2017, YogaFX has trained more than 1,500 graduates from 80+ countries, and Mr. Ian keeps the class structure fixed so every student knows what comes next in the heat.

• Know the postures. Start with our guide to the 26&2 poses, including the floor series where blood pressure dips.
• See how online study works. Read the 8-week breakdown of online yoga teacher training.
• Read the mental side. See what researchers measured on hot yoga and mental health in men.

When you're ready for the heat in person, the next step is the 6-day Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass in Bali. The next batch checks in on Sunday 24 January 2027 at Soham Wellness Center in Seminyak. The Early Bird price is US$1,899 (normally US$1,999), with payment plans from US$250 a month.

FAQ

Is hot yoga bad for your heart?

For most healthy adults, no. Trials of 8 to 16 weeks found neutral or positive effects on blood pressure and arteries, so regular practice looks good for your heart. However, a 2025 review noted rare case reports of cardiac events after hot yoga. If you have a heart problem or take heart medication, ask your doctor first.

Does hot yoga lower blood pressure?

It may in people whose blood pressure is raised. A small 2019 pilot of 10 adults found 24-hour systolic pressure fell from 126 to 121 mmHg after 12 weeks. In people with normal blood pressure, an 8-week trial found no change. Larger trials are still needed to confirm the effect.

Can you do hot yoga with high blood pressure?

Possibly, but only with your doctor's approval. Researchers have safely tested hot yoga in unmedicated adults with mildly raised blood pressure. If you take blood pressure medication, the heat can add to its effect and cause dizziness. Start slowly, drink regularly, and rest whenever you feel light-headed.

Does hot yoga get your heart rate up?

Yes. In a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse study, men averaged about 80% of their predicted maximum heart rate during a 90-minute class and women about 72%. Peaks reached 92% and 85%. That puts a hot class in the range of moderate to vigorous cardio, even though you stay on one mat.

Is hot yoga good for heart patients?

There is no research on hot yoga in people with heart disease, so nobody can say it is safe for them. Gentle room-temperature yoga is often used alongside cardiac rehab instead. Anyone with a heart condition should get clearance from their cardiologist before trying a heated class of any kind.

Still have questions? Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team answer them personally. Take the 2-minute quiz to see if you're ready to teach hot yoga, or go straight to the online course enrolment page.

Hot Yoga Mental Health in Men: What Researchers Measured

by admin | Oct 21, 2026 | Teacher Training Guides

The best hot yoga mental health research so far says heated yoga can cut depression symptoms and lift well-being, but men barely appear in the data. In the two key trials, 79% and 81.5% of volunteers were women. So the results probably apply to men too, yet nobody has measured that directly.

Hot Yoga Mental Health in Men: The Short Answer

If you're a man wondering whether a hot class could help your head as much as your hamstrings, here's the honest picture. Two randomised trials give us the strongest hot yoga mental health evidence we have. Both found real benefits. Neither one was built to answer your question.

That gap matters because men are less likely to ask for help with low mood, so they are also less likely to sign up for a depression study. As a result, the people who joined these trials were mostly women in their late twenties and early thirties.

Here is what the evidence does and does not tell a man reading it today:

• It does show that 8 weeks of heated yoga lowered clinician-rated depression scores far more than waiting did.
• It does show that 6 weeks of hot yoga raised mindfulness, peace of mind and life satisfaction in healthy adults.
• It does not show whether men respond more, less or the same, because too few men took part to compare.
• It does not replace treatment. Hot yoga sits beside professional care, not instead of it.

That's the frame for the rest of this guide. We'll walk through exactly what researchers measured, why men are missing, and how a man can use the practice sensibly while the science catches up.

What Researchers Measured in the Two Key Trials

Most headlines about hot yoga mental health benefits come from just two studies. One tested people with depression in Boston. The other tested healthy adults in Cambridge, UK. The table puts them side by side, including the detail most articles skip: who actually took part.

The Boston Depression Trial

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital randomised 80 adults with moderate to severe depression. Half were asked to attend two heated classes a week for 8 weeks. The rest waited. A clinician then scored each person's symptoms with the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, a standard rating scale.

The result was striking. 59.3% of the yoga group saw their symptoms drop by 50% or more, compared with 6.3% of the waitlist group, according to a summary from MGH Psychiatry News. The effect size was large, and no serious side effects were reported. Our separate guide to hot yoga for depression reads that trial in more detail.

Attendance was lower than planned, however. Participants averaged about 10 classes over 8 weeks, not 16. Even so, Harvard Health reported that people who managed roughly one class a week still improved.

The Cambridge Well-Being Trial

The second hot yoga mental health study asked a different question: does hot yoga help people who aren't depressed? Bryant Hui and colleagues gave 290 yoga beginners six weeks of free 90-minute classes in a 40°C room. Participants attended about 17 classes each.

Compared with a waitlist, the hot yoga group gained in mindfulness, peace of mind, life satisfaction, eudaimonic well-being and general health. Flourishing did not change. People who started with the lowest well-being gained the most, which is worth noting for anyone who feels flat right now. You can read the full paper in Psychosocial Intervention.

The Missing Men in Hot Yoga Mental Health Studies

Look again at that women column. Only about one in five volunteers in either trial was a man. The Cambridge authors list this skew as a limitation themselves. So any claim about men's mental health yoga results is, for now, an educated guess built on mostly female data.

Why Men Don't Sign Up

The reason men are missing from hot yoga mental health data is the same reason they're missing from therapy rooms. A 2016 systematic review led by Zac Seidler at the University of Sydney looked at how masculinity shapes help-seeking for depression. Later researchers summarise its finding bluntly: men were about half as likely as women to seek help from a GP for mental health concerns.

A 2020 German study of 12 men treated for depression, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, explains why. Before treatment, the men held onto ideas of being strong, self-reliant and the provider. So they played down symptoms and tried to fix things alone.

Why It Matters

Silence also has a cost. In 2024 the US suicide rate was 22.3 per 100,000 for men and 5.6 for women, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. That's roughly four times higher for men.

Hot yoga isn't a crisis tool, and nobody should treat it as one. If you're thinking about suicide, call or text 988 in the US, or your local emergency number, today. But for many men, a structured physical practice can be an easier first door than a waiting room.

Why a Hot Room May Suit Men Who Avoid Talking

Here's where the research on men and the design of a hot class meet. Seidler's later PhD work at the University of Sydney found that men in therapy valued structured, goal-focused treatment and wanted to understand the system they were in. The Original Hot 26&2 class is built almost entirely on structure.

• Same sequence every time. 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, in the same order, so progress is easy to see.
• No talking required. The teacher speaks a scripted dialogue. You just follow it, with no group sharing.
• A clear physical goal. Locking the knee in Dandayamana Janushirasana or going deeper in Ustrasana gives you a target you can measure.
• A fixed time box. Each class runs 90 minutes in about 40°C and 40% humidity, then it's over.

That doesn't prove hot yoga works better for men. It does suggest why some men who would never book a counsellor will show up to a hot room three times a week. The Frontiers study also found that men valued men-only peer groups, where they could admit weakness without judgment. A shared, sweaty, silent class can play a similar role.

Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500 and founder of YogaFX, teaches the class this way on purpose. Over more than 12,000 teaching hours, he has kept the dialogue, the order and the timing fixed, so every student knows exactly what comes next. For a man who dislikes open-ended conversation, that predictability is often what makes the first class possible.

How Men Can Use Hot Yoga for Mental Health Safely

If you want to try hot yoga for mental health, copy the dose researchers actually tested rather than guessing. That is also the safest way to test hot yoga mental health benefits for yourself, because you can compare your results with theirs. This plan follows the MGH and Cambridge protocols as closely as a normal working week allows.

1. Check with your doctor first. Do this especially if you have heart problems, high blood pressure, or take medication that affects heat tolerance.
2. Book two classes a week for 8 weeks. That was the MGH target. One a week still helped, so don't quit if life gets busy.
3. Keep your existing care. Some MGH participants were already taking antidepressants. Yoga was added, not swapped in.
4. Track one number. Rate your mood from 1 to 10 after each class. Researchers in Cambridge tracked mood four times a day for the same reason.
5. Hydrate and pace yourself. Sit down when you need to. Heat is a stressor, and pushing through dizziness proves nothing.

Expect the first two or three classes to feel rough, but that's normal. Many men are surprised by how hard the heat is, because a 90-minute class is a real workout. A University of Wisconsin study (Porcari et al. 2014) measured an average of 460 calories for men per class at about 80% of maximum heart rate. If you also wonder how that heat load relates to men's health, our guide to hot yoga and male fertility studies looks at what researchers actually measured.

When Hot Yoga Is Not Enough

Watch for signs that you need more than a class. These include low mood lasting more than two weeks, losing interest in things you used to enjoy, drinking more to cope, or any thoughts of harming yourself. In any of those cases, please consult a healthcare professional. The hot yoga mental health research supports the practice as an addition to care, never a replacement.

What Our Trainees Say About the Mental Side

Data tells you what happens on average. Trainees tell you what it feels like. These three comments come from video reviews recorded at the end of YogaFX teacher trainings, so each one touches on the hot yoga mental health side of the practice.

"It took me to real depth, mentally, physically. I could not even imagine it would be like that. The third day I felt like I was shining, and the fourth day was much easier."

Jamasb, YouTube review, 2026

"This is not like physical practice, but our emotion, our mental, our heart, our love." (translated)

Arkan, YouTube review, 2023

"I'm going to also use my skills and do research into Bikram yoga and mental health, which is my passion."

Fiona, YouTube review, 2025

Jamasb's description of day two as the hardest and day three as the turning point matches what many trainees report. You can watch his full review below.

The Limits of the Evidence

Our site leans on graded evidence, so it's only fair to grade this body of work too. The hot yoga mental health findings are promising, but they're early. Here's what a careful reader should keep in mind.

• No active control. Both trials compared yoga with waiting, not with a gym class or room-temperature yoga. So we can't separate the heat from the exercise.
• Short follow-up. The trials ran for 6 and 8 weeks, so long-term hot yoga mental health results are thin.
• Small male samples. With about one man in five, neither study could test whether men respond differently.
• Volunteers, not patients off the street. People who sign up for a yoga study may already be open to yoga.

None of this cancels the results. It means the honest headline is "promising, especially for women, and probably for men too." The next useful study would recruit men on purpose, for example through workplaces or sports clubs, and compare heated with unheated classes.

Bikram Yoga Mental Health Research and the 26&2 Sequence

You'll see this topic searched as bikram yoga mental health, too. The MGH team describes its classes as heated yoga in a 105°F room, and Harvard Health notes the style is also called Bikram yoga. Today most studios teach the same sequence as Original Hot 26&2.

For the depression-specific evidence in more depth, see this guide to what the research shows on Bikram yoga for depression. For anxiety, read about the real benefits and honest risks of hot yoga for anxiety.

Learn the Method Online With YogaFX

Some men who feel the hot yoga mental health benefits first-hand decide they want to understand it properly, or even teach it. That's exactly who our hot yoga teacher training online course was built for. You study the 26 postures, the dialogue and the science at home, on your own schedule.

The course is led by Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, who has more than 12,000 teaching hours. He trained for 5 years, from 2014 to 2019, with the founder of the method. Since 2017, YogaFX has trained more than 1,500 graduates from 80+ countries.

• Start with the postures. Our guide to the 26&2 poses breaks down each one.
• See how online study works. Read the 8-week breakdown of online yoga teacher training.
• Check any course first. Use these 7 honest checks for an online hot yoga certification.

When you're ready for the heat, the next step is the 6-day Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass in Bali. The next batch checks in on Sunday 24 January 2027 at Soham Wellness Center in Seminyak. The Early Bird price is US$1,899 (normally US$1,999), with payment plans from US$250 a month.

FAQ

Is hot yoga good for mental health?

Early research says yes. A Massachusetts General Hospital trial found 59% of people with depression halved their symptoms after 8 weeks of heated yoga, and a Cambridge trial found gains in mindfulness and life satisfaction. Most participants were women, so results for men are likely but not yet measured directly.

Can hot yoga help with depression?

It may help as an addition to care. In the MGH trial, adults with moderate to severe depression who did heated yoga improved far more than a waitlist group, with no serious side effects. It is not a replacement for treatment, so keep working with your doctor or therapist while you practise.

Can hot yoga help with anxiety?

Hot yoga may ease everyday stress. In the Cambridge trial, six weeks of classes raised peace of mind and mindfulness in healthy adults, and moods rose on studio days. Anxiety disorders were not the focus, so anyone with diagnosed anxiety should ask a healthcare professional before starting.

How many hot yoga classes to see a difference?

The MGH trial asked for two classes a week for 8 weeks, and participants averaged about 10 classes in total. Harvard Health reported that people who managed about one class a week still improved. In Cambridge, people attended around 17 classes over six weeks. So aim for two a week, but don't give up if you only manage one.

Who should not do hot yoga?

Talk to your doctor first if you have heart problems, high blood pressure, are pregnant, or take medication that affects heat tolerance. Harvard Health specifically advises people with heart conditions to check before trying it. Anyone in a mental health crisis should seek urgent professional help rather than start a class.

Still have questions? Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team answer them personally. Take the 2-minute quiz to see if you're ready to teach hot yoga, or go straight to the online course enrolment page.

Hot Yoga Instructor Salary: Honest 2026 Pay vs Training Cost

by admin | Oct 19, 2026 | Teacher Training Guides

The median hot yoga instructor salary in the US sits close to the national figure for fitness instructors: about US$47,160 a year, or US$22.67 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With hot yoga teacher training online starting from US$329, a new teacher at median pay can earn back the course fee in about 10 classes.

From Hot Yoga Teacher Training Online to Your First Paid Class

Most people looking at hot yoga teacher training online have the same two questions, and both are really about the hot yoga instructor salary waiting at the end. Can I actually get hired after an online course? And will the money I spend come back to me?

Both questions have honest answers, but they depend on the path you take. Here's the realistic route from your laptop to your first paid class.

1. Study the theory online. Anatomy, philosophy, teaching method and the full posture dialogue, at your own pace.
2. Practise the dialogue out loud. Record yourself and get feedback in live sessions.
3. Complete your practicum. Teach full classes in a heated room with a senior trainer watching.
4. Audition at a studio. Most hot yoga studios ask you to teach part of a class before they hire you.
5. Start as a substitute. Cover classes, build trust, then take on your own regular slots.

The online part covers steps one and two well. Steps three to five are where your hot yoga instructor salary actually starts. That is why the best online programs connect you to an in-person practicum. A certificate with no teaching experience rarely gets you hired.

Hot Yoga Instructor Salary: The Real Numbers

Nobody publishes an official hot yoga instructor salary figure on its own. There is no government category for hot yoga teachers alone. Instead, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics groups yoga instructors with fitness trainers and group fitness instructors. That is the most reliable yoga teacher salary data available.

Two things stand out. First, the range is wide. A new teacher covering a few classes a week earns far less. An experienced teacher with a full timetable, private clients and workshops earns far more. Second, the field is growing. A 7% projected rise means more studios and gyms will be looking for qualified instructors over the next decade.

Why the Average Yoga Teacher Salary Can Mislead You

Many yoga teachers work part time, and most are paid per class rather than a fixed salary. So the annual figure describes teachers with steady hours, not someone teaching two evenings a week. When you plan your own hot yoga instructor salary, think in classes per week. Yearly totals come later.

Why Hot 26&2 Training Is Easier to Turn Into Paid Work

Here's something most hot yoga instructor salary guides miss. The style you train in changes how quickly you get hired. And the Original Hot 26&2 method has a clear advantage for new teachers.

Every class follows the same 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises in the same order, for 90 minutes, guided by a set dialogue. That consistency matters to studio owners for three reasons:

• You can cover any class. A trained 26&2 teacher can substitute in any 26&2 studio, because students already know the sequence.
• Quality is easy to check. An owner can hear in five minutes whether you know the dialogue.
• There is less to prepare. You don't build a new sequence for every class, so you can teach more classes in a week.

Better still, the dialogue is exactly what hot yoga teacher training online teaches well. You can replay the breakdown of Ardha Chandrasana or Dandayamana Janushirasana as often as you need, then record yourself until your timing matches. Many students arrive at their practicum already word-perfect on the standing series. That shortens the road to a hot yoga instructor salary.

Students also keep coming back to hot classes, and that keeps teachers busy. A Harvard-affiliated trial at Massachusetts General Hospital found that 59% of participants in heated yoga had their depression symptoms drop by half or more over 8 weeks, compared with 6% on a waitlist (Nyer et al. 2023). Results vary from person to person, and anyone with a health condition should consult a healthcare professional before starting.

What Studios Look For Before They Pay You

Your hot yoga instructor salary starts the day a studio owner says yes. So it helps to know what they check. Studio owners tend to care about the same few things, whether you trained online or in person.

• A recognised 200-hour qualification. Most studios and their insurers expect it.
• A confident audition. Clear dialogue, steady pacing and a calm voice in the heat.
• Reliability. Teachers who arrive early and cover last-minute classes get more hours.
• Your own practice. Owners want teachers who still take class themselves, because students can tell when a teacher knows the heat from the inside.

Notice what is missing from that list. It's short, but it's telling. Nobody asks whether your theory was studied online. What they judge is how you teach. That is good news for anyone choosing hot yoga teacher training online, as long as the course gives you real teaching practice.

A simple habit helps here. After every online module, teach that section out loud to a friend. By the time you audition, you will have taught the dialogue dozens of times. That practice shows, and it is what turns a certificate into a hot yoga instructor salary.

Hot Yoga Teacher Training Cost: Online vs In Person vs Hybrid

Your course fee is only part of the real cost. Time away from work often costs more than tuition, especially for in-person trainings that run for several weeks.

That's why many working students start with hot yoga teacher training online and add a short in-person practicum later. You keep earning while you study, and you only travel when you're ready to teach in the heat.

At YogaFX, the two steps connect directly. The online course is US$329 at the Early Bird price (normally US$399). If you later join the in-person MasterClass in Bali, your full online course fee is credited toward it, so the online step doesn't cost you anything extra.

How Fast Does Hot Yoga Teacher Training Online Pay for Itself?

You can work this out with one simple formula. Divide what you spent on training by what you earn per class. The answer is the number of classes it takes to break even.

Classes to break even = training cost ÷ pay per class

Here's a rough example using the BLS median hourly rate. A 90-minute hot class is 1.5 hours, so at US$22.67 an hour, one class earns roughly US$34. On that basis:

• Online course only (US$329): about 10 classes to break even.
• Online course plus the Bali MasterClass (US$1,899 Early Bird): because the online fee is credited, your total stays at US$1,899, or about 56 classes.

Teaching three classes a week, that is roughly a month for the online course and around four months for the full hybrid route. Your own hot yoga instructor salary will differ by city, studio and experience. Treat this as a starting point, not a promise.

To run your own figures, use the free calculator below. Enter your city, likely pay rate and the number of classes you plan to teach.

What Raises or Lowers Your Hot Yoga Instructor Salary

• Location. Big cities usually pay more per class, but rents and living costs are higher too.
• Class count. Ten classes a week and three classes a week are two very different incomes.
• Experience. Studios tend to raise rates for teachers who fill their classes.
• Extra income streams. Privates, workshops and online classes all add up.

None of these depend on whether you studied online. Your hot yoga instructor salary depends on how well you teach and how many people want your class. A good hot yoga teacher training online gives you the first. Showing up week after week builds the second.

It also pays to be patient in year one. Most new teachers start with substitute slots and a couple of regular classes. Then the timetable fills as students start asking for you by name.

How Much Do Online Yoga Teachers Make?

Training online also prepares you to teach online, which can lift your hot yoga instructor salary early on. Many teachers grow their hot yoga instructor salary by adding online income on top of studio classes, especially in their first year while their timetable grows.

• Live online group classes for students who practise at home in a warm room.
• Private sessions by video, often with higher rates per hour than group classes.
• Posture clinics and workshops on single postures or problem areas such as backbends.
• Recorded courses you build once and sell many times.

For example, a new teacher might run two online classes a week for friends and colleagues while finishing the course. By qualification day, she could already have a small group ready to follow her to a studio.

Online teaching income varies even more than studio pay, because it depends on your audience. What it rewards is the same skill hot yoga teacher training online builds: clear verbal cueing. In a dialogue-based method, students follow your words, not your demonstration, and that translates naturally to a camera.

6 Ways to Grow Your Hot Yoga Instructor Salary

1. Say yes to substitute classes. They're the fastest way into a regular timetable.
2. Teach at more than one studio or gym. Spread your hours across locations.
3. Offer private sessions in person or by video.
4. Run workshops on single postures, breathing or beginner foundations.
5. Teach corporate or retreat classes when the opportunity comes up.
6. Keep learning. Yoga Alliance continuing education and advanced credentials can open better-paid roles over time.

The YogaFX Hot Yoga Teacher Training Online

YogaFX built its hot yoga teacher training online course for people who want to start teaching without leaving work for a month. It's led by Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, who has more than 12,000 teaching hours, trained for 5 years (2014 to 2019) with the founder of the method, and serves as Master Trainer for the Republic of Indonesia Yogasana Sports Federation.

What You Get in the Full 200-Hour Package

• On-demand lessons on any device, at your own pace.
• Complete workbooks on anatomy, philosophy and teaching methodology.
• Interactive quizzes with instant feedback and explanations.
• Progress tracking toward your certification.
• Support from experienced teachers whenever you get stuck.

Bonuses That Help You Start Earning Sooner

• 10 extra premium lectures on anatomy, philosophy and teaching method.
• Full MasterClass credit. Your course fee is credited toward Mr. Ian's in-person MasterClass Practical Teacher Training.
• Pre-course preparation credit, so your online study counts as preparation for the practical days.
• Yoga Alliance RYT-200 and YACEP upgrade options as your career grows.
• Lifetime access to your videos, workbooks and certificate.
• A 250-page Lifetime Yoga Manual on the history and benefits of hot yoga.

Price, Payment and the Next Step

The full 200-hour online package is US$399, currently US$329 at the Early Bird price, or 4 interest-free payments of about US$82 a month by card or PayPal. Students also buy two required reading books, listed on the course page.

When you're ready to teach in the heat, the next step is the 6-day Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass in Bali. Graduates earn the Yoga Alliance RYT 200-Hour plus the Bikram Hot 26&2 200-Hour International Yoga Certification.

• Next batch: check in Sunday 24 January 2027, check out Friday 29 January 2027, at Soham Wellness Center in Seminyak.
• MasterClass price: US$1,899 Early Bird (normally US$1,999), with payment plans from US$250 a month.
• Track record: more than 1,500 graduates from 80+ countries since 2017, and 550+ reviews across Google, Yoga Alliance and YouTube.

Several YogaFX graduates now compete for Indonesia at international Yogasana championships, and many others teach in studios around the world. Watch a behind-the-scenes look at the in-person training below.

Still deciding whether online study is right for you? Read our week-by-week online yoga teacher training breakdown and the 7 honest checks before you pay for a hot yoga certification. For salary data by credential, see this guide to RYT 200 salary in 2026.

FAQ

How much do hot yoga instructors make?

US government data groups yoga teachers with fitness instructors, whose median pay was US$47,160 a year, or US$22.67 an hour, in May 2025. New hot yoga teachers usually earn per class and part time at first, so income grows as they add regular classes, private clients and workshops.

How much is hot yoga teacher training?

It depends on the format. Fully online courses cost the least, while in-person trainings add travel, accommodation and time off work. The YogaFX hot yoga teacher training online is US$329 at the Early Bird price, and its fee is credited in full toward the in-person MasterClass in Bali.

Can you get a hot yoga job with an online certification?

Yes, if it is a full 200-hour course from a Yoga Alliance registered school with live hours and a practicum. Most studios also ask you to audition. Teaching practice in a heated room, which a hybrid route adds, makes that audition much easier to pass.

How much do online yoga teachers make?

Online income varies widely because it depends on your audience and what you offer. Teachers combine live online classes, private video sessions, workshops and recorded courses. Many hot yoga teachers use online teaching to add income alongside studio classes, especially during their first year of teaching.

How long does it take for teacher training to pay off?

Divide your training cost by your pay per class. Using the BLS median hourly rate, a 90-minute class earns roughly US$34, so a US$329 online course pays back in about 10 classes. Your own result depends on your city, studio and how many classes you teach each week.

Still have questions? Take the 2-minute quiz to see if you are ready, and Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team will follow up with answers for your situation. Are you ready to become a hot yoga teacher? Take the quiz, or go straight to the online course enrolment page.