Tissue extensibility
Connective tissue (fascia, tendons, joint capsules) becomes measurably more pliable at body-warm temperatures. The 35°C R1SE studio puts you safely deeper into postures than cold-room yoga can.
Yoga Library · Hot Yoga
Hot yoga, the R1SE Sheffield way.
What hot yoga actually is. Why we run at 35°C, not Bikram's 40°C. The science of heated practice. Every hot yoga style on the R1SE timetable, honestly compared.
~ 11 min read
← Back to the Yoga LibraryWhat it is
Hot yoga is not Bikram yoga.
This matters because Bikram Choudhury (the founder of the 26-and-2 sequence performed in 40°C / 40% humidity rooms) was disgraced in the 2010s over multiple serious allegations. The Netflix documentary 'Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator' (2019) is the standard reference. He fled the United States; his franchise collapsed.
The wider hot yoga movement is much larger and older than Bikram's specific sequence. Heated yoga rooms operated in India for centuries before Bikram, and modern hot yoga at studios like R1SE draws on the full classical repertoire (Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Power, Sculpt) rather than the rigid 26-and-2 format.
At R1SE we run heated yoga at 35°C across nine different styles. None of it is Bikram. All of it is hot yoga.
Why heat
Six things heat does that cold-room yoga can't
Cardiovascular load
Hot yoga raises heart rate into the 60-80% max zone for most participants, similar to brisk walking on a hilly route. You build aerobic fitness alongside flexibility and strength.
Heat-acclimation training
Repeated controlled heat exposure trains the cardiovascular and thermoregulatory systems. Members practising hot yoga 3-4 times a week show lower resting heart rate and better heat tolerance.
Heat-shock proteins
Sustained heat exposure triggers HSP70 and HSP90, the same molecular chaperones the sauna research focuses on. Yoga is a longer dose than a typical sauna session, possibly producing larger HSP responses.
Sweat and circulation
Significant sweat output supports circulation and provides at least modest excretion of lipophilic toxins (Sears & Genuis 2012 on sauna sweat composition; mechanism transfers).
Mental focus
The heat removes the option to drift. You can't half-do a hot yoga class. The intensity of attention that the room demands is, for many members, the actual reason they return.
Detailed citations on the Science of Yoga page; the cross-over heat-shock-protein and tissue-extensibility evidence is covered on the Sauna Science page.
Why 35°C
Hot enough to work. Sustainable enough to repeat.
Bikram's original sequence runs at 40°C with 40% humidity. This is towards the upper end of what most adults can sustain. Multiple studies on Bikram show heart-rate, blood-pressure and dehydration responses that some practitioners struggle with.
35°C with moderate humidity, R1SE's setpoint, achieves the heat-acclimation, tissue-extensibility and cardiovascular benefits while sitting in a range that is sustainable for daily practice across years.
The 5°C difference also matters for cardiovascular safety in older members, those with cardiovascular conditions (under GP guidance), and members new to heated practice.
The hot yoga literature post-2015 increasingly favours 32-37°C as the sweet spot. Our 35°C lands squarely in that band.
Hot yoga at R1SE
Eight hot yoga styles on the timetable
R1SE runs more variety of hot yoga than any other studio in Sheffield. Pick the format that matches your day.
Hot Vinyasa
Flowing breath-paired sequences at 35°C. Cardiovascular, strength-building, the workhorse of the R1SE hot timetable.
Best for: Most members. The default entry point for someone new to heated yoga.
Hot Flex
Building towards a peak pose with detailed alignment cueing. Heated Hatha with a goal.
Best for: Members who want technical work alongside the heat.
Hot Flow
A faster, more athletic Vinyasa. Breath-led but with less stopping.
Best for: Members with a few months of hot yoga; anyone who wants flow over technique.
Hot Power
Strength-focused, faster-paced, peak postures. The most demanding of our hot formats.
Best for: Experienced practitioners. Has a high cardiovascular demand.
Hot Sculpt
Vinyasa sequences integrated with light weights and core work. The strength session in the hot room.
Best for: Members wanting hypertrophy and strength alongside the yoga benefits.
Hot Pilates
Mat-based Pilates in the heated studio. Core-led, deep abdominal engagement, controlled breath.
Best for: Pilates practitioners wanting heat; yoga practitioners wanting core depth.
Hot Chill
Slower, restorative-leaning yoga in the heated studio. Heat without intensity.
Best for: Members who love the heat but want a calmer class; recovery days.
Hot Bliss
Restorative yoga with sound healing and meditation in the heated studio. Deeply nourishing.
Best for: Members in burnout or stress; the most parasympathetic of our hot formats.
Safety
Practising hot yoga well
- First-time hot yoga: hydrate 500ml in the hour before class. Bring a bottle.
- Eat lightly 2 hours before, not immediately before.
- Speak to your GP first if you have uncontrolled blood pressure, recent cardiac events, are pregnant in the first trimester, or are taking diuretic or anticholinergic medications.
- Listen to the body. Stepping out of a hot class for 30 seconds to drink water and reset is not failure; it's intelligent practice.
- After class: 500ml water plus electrolytes (a pinch of salt and a banana works).
- Allow 90 minutes between hot yoga and bed if you're sensitive to evening alertness.
Sheffield's largest hot yoga studio.
R1SE Brook Place (112 Napier Street, S11 8DL) and R1SE Kelham (8 Shepherd Street, S3 7BA). Multiple hot yoga classes daily. £40 intro offer for new members.
Continue Reading
More from the R1SE Yoga Library
Yoga Knowledge Library
Every yoga page on the R1SE library, one place.
ReadHistory of Yoga
5,000 years from the Indus Valley to Sheffield.
ReadThe Eight Limbs
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yamas, Niyamas, the deeper system.
ReadThe Science of Yoga
Cardiovascular, mental-health, back-pain, cancer-survivorship evidence.
ReadEvery Style of Yoga
Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Yin, Hot, Kundalini, Bikram, Power.
ReadYoga Poses Library
Sixty named asanas grouped by category, with Sanskrit and English names.
ReadPractise yoga in Sheffield
Hot and non-heated yoga at R1SE Brook Place and R1SE Kelham. Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Power, Sculpt, Bliss, Chill. All levels.
Train to teach
R1SE Academy delivers comprehensive yoga teacher training in Sheffield. Mat, hot, anatomy, philosophy, hands-on practice.
Yoga Teacher Training