26 postures. 105°F. A deeply complicated legacy. The style itself has genuine physiological merit. The founder has a federal arrest warrant. Both things are true and neither cancels the other but both deserve space.

Hot Yoga is a thoroughly modern invention, and its name tells you everything you need to know upfront: it's yoga practiced in a room heated to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The concept traces back to Bikram Choudhury in the 1970s, who built an entire branded practice, Bikram Yoga, around a fixed 26-pose sequence performed twice each, always in the same order, always in a sauna-like room. Other studios eventually adapted the heat element without the rigid sequencing, creating what's now generally just called Hot Yoga: same intense temperature, but a freer, more flow-based structure instead of a locked routine.

The heat itself is the whole point. It loosens stiff joints, helps muscles stretch further, and produces serious sweat, which practitioners associate with detoxification. Hot Yoga classes tend to follow a Vinyasa-style flow with high energy throughout, while Bikram classes stick rigidly to their signature 26 poses. Either way, hydration isn't optional. The combination of heat and exertion carries real risk of dehydration, dizziness, or heat exhaustion if you're not paying attention to your body.