Posted on May 4th, 2009 by Craig Maltby, Editor
‘Hot Yoga’ and allergies – does it work?
A fellow Twitterer recently posted a message about “hothouse yoga.” He feels it makes a difference in helping diminish allergies. 
More information is here. Also known at “hot yoga” or Bikram yoga, this yoga in performed in a heated room. The idea is that the hot environment makes for greater flexibility and ease of movement. It also, reportedly, helps rid the body of toxins due to greater sweat from the hot house. How hot? According to what I’ve read, the room temp is 105 degrees. Yeow. I hope these yoga hothouses have showers, too, because I would not get in my car directly after that kind of workout.
Wait a minute. Not everyone recommends hothouse yoga if you have allergies. Hmmm. Goes to show when it comes to health and treatments, whether traditional medicine or complimentary health therapies, there is no universal answer.
Anybody have experience with yoga – hot or cold – and allergies?
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:07 pm
i am currently enrolled in a Yoga class. the health benefits of Yoga on myself is great. I am more relaxed and i can sleep well at night.
August 9th, 2009 at 11:14 am
I find that the humidity in hot yoga really helps clear up the sinuses. But I’ve heard that some people find their allergies worse in humidity. It also helps that the breathing exercises force you to breathe through your nose. Yoga helps get rid of the general stress and misery of being itchy, stuffy and sneezy all summer.
August 10th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
FN: Can you share any detail of why hot yoga does what it does in sinus improvement?
Thanks for your comment.
February 6th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
In my hot yoga class, simply the combination of heat, exertion and focus on breath allows me to clear my sinuses. Any exercise should help do something similar, but the heat and focus on breath in hot yoga compounds that effect for me.
I’ve also found yoga to be very good for my asthma (again due to the disciplined breathing). My asthma tends to get worse when my allergies are bad, so that’s another benefit.
April 28th, 2010 at 2:24 am
I have been doing Yoga since college and i love the way that it can relax my body. yoga is great for stress relief. -
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:14 am
i have been suffering from sinusitis for so many years and i can only relieve the stuffiness of the nose by means of decongestants.’”,
May 25th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Most allergies can be treated by corticosteroids and also some antihistamine blockers.`’`
May 26th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Yes, but with risk of several potential side effects.
July 27th, 2011 at 11:00 am
When I lived in NYC practicing yoga, I went into a hot “open class” and was twisted and turned by an instructor on poses I could not really do. I was sweating profusely, I threw up and passed out. Is that safe and normal? I had/have asthma and allergies. I thought yoga was suppose to be relaxing. I went back to the basic classes after that horrific experience.
July 27th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Wow, Gail. Sorry to hear that. I’m not a yoga expert, but it sounds like they started you out a bit too aggressively. I would think yoga, especially, is something that a person needs to work into gradually. Kind of like trying to run a 10K race when you haven’t even jogged a mile in your life.