Lots of people prefer hot yoga because they say the heat allows them to experience a deeper stretch from yoga postures than in a regular-temperature room, Dr.Skipnavigation!StoryfromYogaphotographedbyAndiElloway.Thefeelingwhenyoustepoutofahotyogastudioafteraclasscanbegross,butalsokindofmagical.Yourbrainisbasicallymush,yourporesfeellikethey'vebeenblastedclean,yourleggingsaredrenched,andyourmusclesarelimberandrelaxed.Alltypesofyogacanhavethiseffectonyou,butthere'ssomethingabouthotyogathatjustfeelssodamngood.Thatsaid,researchsuggeststhathotyogaisn'tnecessarilybetterforyouthanunheatedtypesofyoga.Studieshaveshownthatpeoplehaveasignificantlyhigherheart-rateresponseduringheatedpractice,butyourbodyisn'treallyworkinganyharderinhotyoga,saysStacyD.Hunter,PhD,assistantprofessorinthedepartmentofhealthandhumanperformanceatTexasStateUniversity,whohasstudiedthehealthbenefitsofhotyoga.Thisyear,Dr.Hunterpublishedastudythatfoundthatunheatedyogaisjustasgoodforyourheartashotyoga.So,ifsciencesaysthathotyogaisnotthatamazingforyourhealth,thenwhydoesitfeelsogood?Well,it'stoughtosayexactly,butwecantrytoguesswhatcontributestothatpost-hotyogaeuphoria.AdvertisementSimplyspendingtimeinahotroomcanbeenoughtoboostpeople'smood.Infraredsaunausersclaimthattheyfeelhappierafterasession,perhapsduetoareleaseoffeel-goodhormoneslikedopamine,oxytocin,serotonin,andendorphins(althoughtherehaven'tbeenanyformalstudiestoconfirmthis,onepopularinfraredsaunaclaimsthisisthecase).Plus,doctorsoftensuggestthatpatientsuseasaunaasaformofstressrelief,alongwithyoga,meditation,ormassage."Theexposureofthebodytoheatdoessomethingphysiologicallythatproducessomesortofbeneficialeffect,"Dr.Huntersays.“Ithinkthereissomethingthathappens—ifnothingelse,psychologically—forsomepeoplewhentheygointoaroom,andtheyleavefeelingliketheyhavejustdonesomethingthatwasverydifficult.StacyD.Hunter,PhD”Ofcourse,takingahotyogaclassinvolvesmuchmoremovementthanjustsittinginasauna.Lotsofpeoplepreferhotyogabecausetheysaytheheatallowsthemtoexperienceadeepers