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What’s the Right Temperature for Yoga at Om? I Mean Home!



If you’re like me, maybe you don’t have time to jet to a yoga class. I have a jam-packed schedule and have to plan my laptop-based yoga sessions around it.

For the best workout, I require two things: the absence of family members pointing and laughing at me and a temperature that doesn’t leave me so cold that I hurt myself. Not to mention (but I’m completely mentioning), it’s a bummer when I get to Shavasana and I’m too chilly to fully relax.

The argument for warmth in yoga is simple: heat relaxes your muscles, which in turn increases flexibility and allows you to go deeper into your poses. Plus a good sweat is supposed to facilitate a good detox through the largest organ of your body — your skin. On the flip-side, coolness can cause muscles to tense up, which decreases flexibility.

I found myself wondering this morning if I’m working out at the right temperature. So here’s what my completely non-scientific, web-based research turned up:

Hatha Yoga: generally 70 to 76 degrees

Vinyasa Flow: generally 80 to 85 degrees

Heated Vinyasa Yoga: generally 78 to 95 degrees

Power Vinyasa: generally 95 degrees

Bikram (or Traditional) Hot Yoga: generally 105-108 degrees

108 degrees! Wow, right? Can imagine your heating bills? For a true hot yoga feel with the proper balance of heat and humidity, you’re better off in a professional studio. I’m a Vinyasa Flow kinda gal, so 80 degrees (or close enough) is do-able at home. If it’s nice out, I like to throw open the slider and Adho Mukha Shvanasana for the birds.

Where do you set your thermostat for daily yoga?

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