How To Prepare For Hot Yoga

Last month I took my 50th hot yoga class! It marks six months of stepping onto my mat and making time for my body and mind. It felt like quite the achievement, and I have to say, it has really benefitted my mental and physical health too. To celebrate, I wanted to share a guide to preparing for hot yoga, so that you can feel empowered trying out a hot yoga class (Maybe you’ll even fall in love with how it makes you feel – like I have!)

What Is Hot Yoga?

Hot yoga is a type of yoga practice that takes place in a heated room. The original type of hot yoga was founded by Bikram Choudhury, although there are variations. At Yoga In The Lanes, my preferred yoga school, they teach the traditional type of hot yoga, which consists of 26 poses and two breathing exercises (also known as the ’26+2′.) This series is practiced within a heated room at 41°C and 40% humidity. The heat and humidity gets you sweating within minutes of stepping onto the mat, but quickly becomes comfortable, and helps you to stretch more easily.

How To Prepare For Hot Yoga

I’ve practiced yoga on and off for more than 10 years (you can read about how I got into yoga back in 2015!) It’s only in the last six months that I’ve discovered hot yoga, and fallen in love with the practice. If you’re thinking about trying hot yoga for the first time – or wish to return to it – I wanted to share a few things that will make your practice more enjoyable:

1. Wear breathable clothing. I mean this two ways – make sure you wear clothes you can breathe comfortably in, because you will find yourself breathing heavily, and make sure your clothing is comfortable while sweating. At my classes, students wear a mix of yoga clothing, shorts, and swimwear.
2. Bring a yoga mat and towel. You will need a yoga mat and full-sized towel that covers the entirety of the mat. Most yogis use microfibre towels, although I tend to bring a beach towel.
3. Drink lots of water before class. I try to drink at least two litres of water in the daytime before an evening class, and I stop eating around two hours beforehand too.
4. Bring a reusable water bottle. This is both eco-friendly, and if you have an insulated water bottle, will keep your water cool during class. Win win!

I’ve included a longer checklist below, but these are the essentials. The other essential is to bring an open mind. Hot yoga – or at least, the traditional 26+2 sequence – is unlike any other yoga I’ve practiced. It is rigorous, and requires focus getting into and holding the poses. It’s not for everyone, but when followed openly, I’ve found it to be truly transformative for mind and body. That said, be kind to yourself. Follow your teacher’s instructions to the best of your ability, and be sure to take breathers whenever you need.

My Hot Yoga Essentials

Breathable Yoga Clothing

My favourite yoga clothing to wear to hot yoga comes from Wellicious. Made with natural fibres and the world’s first non-toxic elastane, it provides breathability while being gentle on my skin.

I own two sets of yoga clothes from Wellicious – this black set, and another set all in white. I would love for Wellicious to make yoga shorts next, as these would be great for hot yoga practice. Read my full review →

Insulated Water Bottle

My next essential is my insulated water bottle from Contigo. I worked with the brand back in 2020, and have used my Matterhorn Water Bottle hundreds of times since then. It is the perfect water bottle for hot yoga, as it is fantastic at keeping water cold, and you can even fit full-sized ice cubes into the bottle by removing the mouth piece. This removable part also helps with cleaning. Put short: if I lost this bottle, I would replace it immediately!

After class, I like add lemon and electrolytes to my water. This helps with rehydration, and is more eco-friendly than buying sports drinks.

Towels & Other Essentials

Next, let’s talk towels. I actually bring three towels to yoga practice, which may seem excessive, but all are essential (at least to me!)

The first is a full-size towel that covers the majority of my yoga mat. I have a natural rubber yoga mat from Manduka, and I use a beach towel to practice on top of this. You can buy non-slip towels made specifically for yoga, but for your first practice, a beach towel can suffice. You’ll need a towel to go over your entire mat because you are going to sweat – a lot.

Alongside the towel for my mat, I bring a small hand towel to wipe my face during practice. Traditional hot yoga asks that you do not move or itch during poses, but sometimes I need to clear my eyes or nose during class. This is the most polite way to do it.

Finally, I bring a third towel to dry off on after showering. It’s almost impossible to leave a hot yoga class without showering, so be sure to pack shower essentials before class too. I’ve included these on my checklist below.

The Ultimate Hot Yoga Checklist

With more than fifty hot yoga classes under my belt, I think I’ve got my pack list down. Here’s what I recommend bringing to a hot yoga class:

Have a great practice! Drop me a comment if this guide helped you!

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