Some environmental concerns

Hi hubbiida

Welcome to the forum. Your question has a lot more to it than meets the eye. One the surface it could be a simple equation of ecology: and your case you mention resources wasted in the name of yoga. On that point you do have valid concerns. Most studios use heat sources that require a ridiculous amount of energy. But naturally that is not all anyone considers when partaking in any pursuit. If we did, we’d probably all be hamstrung wondering what was the most efficient way to operate. We’d not drink water or any drink from a plastic bottle. We’d only buy bulk supplies of any product rather than waste the packaging associated with products delivered in unreasonably small quantities that encourage too frequent purchasing. We might all have solar panels, may grow all our own food, ride bicycles, recycle more, etc, etc, etc.

It is a question of where you choose to draw the line. And it is one where you have to decide on the benefits of your choices.

Actually, if I were to get a little deeper more philosophically, I might say that we all vigorously defend our own choices. So, whatever choices I make in this moment, in my life, I believe are right for me. And I ‘defend’ them to the hilt by my deeds and actions and words. It’s part of our survival mechanism.

One of my reasons and that I believe of many, many others when it comes to choosing to do the hot yoga is that there is little else in my life that is something that I do that makes me feel so darn good. I am one of those who love it WHILE I am doing it. There are just as many who hate the yoga itself (strong word I know) but love how they feel after practice.

Feeling good about yourself is a great way to change the world. It’s a great start to see the world through a better lens (to feel more empowered). I have conducted surveys through my websites and in a survey of 1100 plus respondents the majority response (where the respondent typed in what they loved and not just chose from a multi-choice list) was that they ‘felt good for no good reason’ (or similar wording).

So, the most powerful reason I can think of at this moment (and I am sure after I press ‘submit’ I will think of a number of ways I could have answered this post) is that doing hot yoga, this series particularly, the alchemy of heat and yoga makes me and countless others ‘feel good for no good reason’. It makes people feel more healthy, more vital, more alive, more able, more healed, more loved, more flexible, more accepting, more accepted, more connected and more ‘mores’.

My justification for going is strong and I will defend it. But, let’s take a practical approach to it. If you do happen to practise hot yoga, then I suggest that the best use of resources is to practise in a public studio where a number of people leverage the use of the energy to produce the heat. It will be far more efficient than practising at home in a studio built for one.

Finally, I strongly believe that many studios heat their studios to temperatures that are too high and introduce risk for some of the participants. Heating to around body temperature (98F or 37F) is as high as one needs to go. Higher than that is unnecessary, uses way too much energy and many students do get signs of chronic heat exhaustion (however mild). That is a conversation we can have another time and there are plenty of threads on this forum that already have much information about ‘heat index’, heat exhaustion, and many other subjects such as studio heating.

More importantly I would like to hear your response! I would love to know if you’ll try hot yoga and or what other thoughts and feelings you have as a result of reading my words

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi hubbiida

Well, that was certainly taken out of context! My apologies that I didn’t make my ideas more clear. My point is that I DO agree with you. I tried to demonstrate that with the very sentence you took so negatively: “We might all have solar panels, may grow all our own food, ride bicycles, recycle more, etc, etc, etc.” My point is that we don’t and that’s a terrible shame.

For somebody such as yourself who has such vast yoga experience I am surprised at some of the turns of phrases you have used.

My point that people might not drink water from a plastic bottle (and other ensuing thoughts) illustrates that sometimes people make decisions that go against the logic and rational. I for example HATE those single use plastic bottles and carry my own water in a vessel that I use many times 24/7 for months or years (as long as it lasts), but if I were with my daughter and she needed water I WOULD buy her a bottle. So I think that more thought needs to be given to the arguments proffered.

My point is that people in general make justifications for ALL the choices that they make. How one judges those choices is a personal thing. I would prefer to live in a world where everybody uses solar and renewable energy sources. However, that’s not the world I live in right now.

I see that a world with people doing more yoga, and yes even with more people doing more hot yoga (leveraging that resource use by practising together in one well insulated heated room) is a world where more people can be more mindful. There are studios that heat efficiently. The yoga grows the mindfulness. I don’t care what style of yoga that is. There is choice for everyone. From practice grows change. It is not for me to judge what style is right for anyone. If one type of anything worked for everyone then we’d all be doing it. Maybe we need more people to awaken through whatever form of yoga they want.

A world where people feel good for no reason is a world I want to live in. The flow on effects of such a world would quite likely be a place of peace and love and connection. So no, I reject the notion that anyone should feel wrong for practising yoga. The more the better.

You give the impression  that people have to qualify to stand alongside you! I am sure (or at least hope!) that’s not the message that you intend to give. I prefer not to be judged for my choices. I am sure the same goes for you. Perhaps you would prefer a world where the following applies. [And still, the person in the following description also makes their own justifications to exist. They are just different justifications.]  Do you know anybody and I mean ANYBODY who eschews ALL non-sustainable ways of living and doesn’t participate in any means that use non-sustainable production? Do you know anybody at all operating from a dwelling that is ‘off-grid’, built entirely from sustainable means, someone who wears totally ecological clothing choices, (one could ask for eg, if cotton and its water-hungry production is sustainable, but I don’t want this thread to go there, I am just making a point) eats organic food preferably grown in one’s own garden, rides transportation that is powered by renewable energy or rides some kind of people-powered vehicle like a bicycle, who doesn’t use any chemicals to clean their environment or self, recycles everything they can, does not purchase packaged products that are wrapped or contained in any kind of plastic made from fossil fuels, and the list goes on and on with myriad choices… ? I don’t know anybody who fits that hyper-ideal description. But I know many people who make many choices from that extensive list. I am in no position to question their choices. Inspired decisions of others fuel some of my own decisions. So I try to be inspired rather than judgmental or exclusive.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

I don’t get why people who choose to practice hot yoga, have to constantly defend their reasons for doing so.

You don’t hear this about other styles.

What works for me doesn’t need to work for you, just like anything else in life I choose to spend money and time on.

And to the OP: you said you weren’t coming here to be difficult, but your post screams the opposite to me.

Best of luck to you!

Why do you continue to try to shove your opinion down others throats?

I don’t happen to agree with you and you’re not going to make me stop practicing something I enjoy.

You are not being very yogi-like with your view.

I feel a yogi respects others and their right to practice a style they enjoy, and not preach and force opinions onto one another.

Sigh…..I’m done.

The only energy being wasted on the environment is responding to you.