Chronic Heat Exhaustion

Hi Trefor

Thank you very much for your detailed account. I am sorry that you have to go through this. I agree with you (as you probably are aware if you’ve read even just a few of the forum posts on this website) that many teachers do overdo the heating and really think the hotter the better. It’s unfortunate because it doesn’t allow students to be as mindful as they can be. It’s very clear that students will override feelings and no longer ‘listen to their body’ in order to get through class. Breathing, presence, attention to detail (etc) and executing the poses correctly suffer.

Ideally the heat and moisture should facilitate great focus, a great practice and of course a satisfying sweat (which is definitely a strong aim!). It’s obviously not just the heat and I can tell you know that. It’s that marvellous interplay of moisture with heat to provide a flexible solution. As you know, one can lower the heat and raise the humidity and create the same feeling (and a particular heat index). That is much safer and gets far superior yoga outcomes than having super high temps.

I actually do have a question for you. What’s the air movement like in that room? Are there cooling fans set up anywhere? Or is a heating system of any sort plus humidifiers? I want to know the answer to that question before I can answer whether there’s anything you can do besides not going.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Trefor

What you are describing is in fact unconscionable behavior. It is reckless and dangerous. To heat a room intentionally to such high levels where only 2 people are left standing is a blatant CLUE. How can they not see that a change to the teacher’s approach is what is required, NOT that of the student? If you go to yoga, it is reasonable to expect you can finish any class you start. Taking a break is not an issue, unless it’s because the conditions are not conducive to yoga but more to an ironman competition.

My number one rule for when I teach and what I teach my trainees, is that everyone in the room is SAFE. The temperature is not dangerous at body temp plus a degree or 2 max. The humidity can then be played with to get the right feeling. Yup, the feeling, or perception that you’re in a hot room and being appropriately physiologically challenged. In fact, you can have the temp at 34-35C / 93-95F and boost the humidity to about 60-70% and I guarantee you’ll feel as satisfied as when the room is at body temp and 40-50%.

You’d also be aware of the trigger points where core temperature gets so high that irreversible damage is caused and death could occur. Why risk it? Is that YOGA? I am sure yoga is about being mindful. And ‘mindful’ has to be a 2-way street. In other words, the students must be mindful of what is going on and managing response to instruction, movement, breath, and how they feel. Teachers must be mindful of the environment, the effect of that environment on students, the effect of their words. It’s not good enough to know the ‘dialog’ one must know how to adapt it so that it instructs EVERY person in the class, not just say the words that pertain to those doing what they think is ideal pose (which is actually what the ‘dialog’ does). You have obviously learned classes to the dialog and while I don’t condone parroting the dialog, one can get amazing results when one is taught to break down the intent of every pose and instruct so that every student can employ the correct mechanisms each and every pose, so they actually do get the benefits at EVERY moment. I’ve gone to other public studios for 2 decades and watched countless students miss out on getting taught what would benefit them even more deeply, because the teacher can only teach to the script. People kicking out in Standing Head to Knee because it’s instructed and expected, even when they are not ready and can’t lock out the standing leg or even touch their foot. Or people in PadaHastasana who are locking their legs out and they don’t have the basics covered. The list of similar examples goes on and on. But, enough about all that.

I don’t need to tell you that there must be so many people in those studios who have low grade (or higher) chronic heat exhaustion.

Yet, the really odd thing: If you ask anyone why they go to hot yoga, it’s because of the how they feel after class. All it takes is a tweak of conditions for everyone to feel great in and out of the room, and from beginning to end of class (notwithstanding the vicissitudes of practice!).

Regarding the exact temperature: Bikram NEVER, EVER, ever said it should be a particular temperature. To say it is traditionally 115 is just such a load of BS. He turned the heaters on and that was it. It was a hot room. (We seem to concur on this point.) Then sometime early this century, somebody started touting a figure and shared this idea with Bikram and it’s become some kind of hot yoga lore ever since. The figure bandied around is 105F and 40% humidity. (Notice… that’s not 115! :D)

The whole problem with setting a rigid high level is once people start to practise, the room gets more humid. It’s not unusual to have humidity rise to 70+%. This alters the heat index and voila, more dangerous conditions. I don’t see teachers reducing the temp often. Sometimes they open a window or a door.

What to do?

One thing is to practise and stay focused, follow the cues of the teacher for entry and exit and don’t obviously go ahead of them. And perform a safe practice. You have absolutely no obligation to follow poor instruction especially if it causes you to ignore what your body is telling you. On the contrary, you have to practise what is right for you within the demands and intents of the poses themselves. I do this every time I go to a public studio. I ignore poor instruction and at the same time I am respectful of the teacher. But they also have to show you respect. That is a given in any student-teacher relationship. Following the cues (rather than the minutiae of incorrect instruction) means for the most part, nobody will notice you.

I just have to ask: How can studio owners or teachers be so disrespectful that they can’t engage you in meaningful conversation about this important issue? It seems that the more you say, the more they dig their heels in despite the evidence (which by the way is a very predictably irrational response to arguments. It’s also possible that on some level they are trying to defend themselves against what they could perceive as an accusatory approach).

I would certainly be interested to know more about your approach to them. You said: “I’ve talked with many teachers telling them what they are doing is wrong and dangerous.” It’s very hard to know from those few words if your approach was a little heated (haha) or if you’re the epitome of diplomacy. I have a feeling you’ve had enough and feel unhappy that nobody is listening to you. It’s hard to enter into a negotiation like that.

On fans: They don’t actually cool the room down as much as provide the means for cooling the body down, due to evaporative cooling. (Evap cooling is one of three major ways the body cools itself.) Not having the fans on means no evaporative cooling. That’s ok in lower temperature rooms, but at very high heat index, particularly where HUMIDITY is high, it’s not safe to shut off a major avenue for body cooling. My suggestion would be to have the fans on the lowest setting (at least) and set the fans to summer mode. The increased circulation of air will help manage the real risk of increased core temperatures.

I would love for you to post links or quotes from those studies you mention regarding core temp and bulky folk. Evidence would also indicate people with larger stores of adipose tissue can be at risk of higher core temps. In both cases, the body needs a chance to cool and conditions can still be hot enough for ‘hot yoga’ to feel hot enough and be safe.

I don’t think you’re ranting. You bring up some extremely relevant points and you should be heard. I think you know what’s going on in the room and in your body.

Let me know how you’ve approached those teachers and maybe we can come up with something that they won’t feel threatened by. In my experience, they’re defending their decisions. It’s hard to save face and take a different approach. It takes humility. That applies to both sides of any communication.

Namaste
Gabrielle 😊