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| > Bikram himself, in my opinion, is nowhere near enlightened, and a selfish , money-making pig the way i see it.
Ha ha ha...good one... |
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| Whenever people ask me about the dangers of doing yoga in the heat, I like to remind them that yoga recently came to the rest of the world from a little hotbox called INDIA!!!!
Whatever the pros and/or cons of doing yoga in a hot environment, that yoga comes from India and India is hot has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Firstly, people in India traditionally practice yoga in the early morning and the evening when it is cool.
Secondly, people who live in India have acclimated themselves to the hot climate. When you live all the time in a hot climate, your blood gets thinner for example.
Thirdly, the people who live in India live in a hot climate all the time, they don't live in a cool or cold climate and then practice yoga in a hot place.
Fourthly, all of India is not hot. India is a huge place with all kinds of environments and climates.
I could go on, but I think that is more than enough.
If you want to argue a point of view or want to defend a certain practice, logical, fact based arguments do a lot more good as bogus arguments only make the issue look stupid, regardless of it's validity.
If I may quote Rudyard Kipling, who grew up in India and spent much of his life there: "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun."
Edited by jimg 2009-12-12 6:44 PM
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| Speaking of myths -- living in a warm climate does NOT thin your blood. Your blood viscosity remains the same regardless of the ambient temperature because your body core temperature remains stable. Heating and cooling of your body to maintain this core temperature has to do with blood flow and blood vessel dilation in and near the skin surface. But you blood does NOT thin out. There will be viscosity changes due to ALTITUDE because of the atmospheric pressure changes on your body as a whole. But NO, living in a warm climate does NOT thin your blood!
Edited by freiamaya 2009-12-12 7:38 PM
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| Blood is thinner in a warm climate because:
More water is needed to be carried - when perspiration occurs, water is lost.
More electrolytes are needed in heat - lost from perspiration.
Body activity is higher in the warmer temperatures so more oxygen has to be carried: thinner blood requires less work to move it to extremities.
In a cold climate conservation of heat occurs and vessels contract reducing volume blood vessels can carry.
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| While the vessels reduce blood volume and you may be talking about the volume of blood you have in warm climates -- extra water and oxygen needs, the viscosity or thickness of blood does not change. The amount of blood or fluids your blood vessels carry may vary but this is VOLUME not THICKNESS or viscosity or flow impedance through blood vessels. If your theory is correct, chemical blood thinners such as warfarin would not be needed for cardiac patients -- they would all just move to Florida. This is not the case. There are probably more patients in Florida on blood thinners regardless of the temperature because of the age population and medical status, but I digress.
The VOLUME or amount of blood/fluids will vary in a person, but the VISCOSITY or thickness does not. The number of red blood cells and white blood cells in a blood sample has a standard set range that indicates health and is applicable regardless of the external temperature. The same goes for clotting times, hemoglobin carrying capacity etc. You may have more blood fluid volume, but the viscosity won't be affected by the heat. It will be affected to a minor degree the the amount of water you drink and by the amount of cholesterol in your blood but there are no "dipstick" tests available to measure this. Blood flow impedance causing heart attacks is normally caused by flow disruption due to roughness on the blood vessel inner surface and not due to "thick blood". However, cumadin/warfarin chemical blood thinners are used to improve blood flow through these restricted vessels or to prevent blood pooling and therefore clotting inside of heart chambers if you have a heart condition. Blood "thickness" is not addressed through drinking water or through living in warm climates.
This is a medical fact. But we all reserve the right to believe what we believe, I suppose...
Edited by freiamaya 2009-12-13 10:56 AM
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Blood "thickness" is a non-medical term that may not be scientifically correct, yet has served as a shorthand description of an actual occurrence for a long time. We have been told that, for example, headstand "increases blood flow to the brain" which is not at all true. The flow of blood to the brain remains pretty stable if our bodies are working correctly and even blood pressure remains stable. However, I do recall reading of a study that said the rate of blood flowing through the brain does, in fact increase while in headstand. So, while the terms may not be scientifically accurate, they will suffice for most of us.
Can we agree that there are changes in the blood of individuals who live in hot climates? And can we agree that living in a hot climate and exerting oneself physically while in the heat is far and away a different thing physiologically from living in a colder climate and going into a hot room to exercise for 90 minutes on a regular or irregular basis?
And can I, for my own amusement, say that this particular aspect of this discussion is much like hearing two Trek fans arguing who is the better captain - Kirk or Picard? (And for the record - it is Picard.   ) |
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Although "thinner blood" is a poor or misleading description, blood volume increases along with a variety of other physiological changes as one adapts to a hotter climate. Heat adaptation includes "improved cardiac output, lowered heart rate, increase in stroke volume, sweat rate and blood plasma volume, decreased core temperature and mean skin temperature at rest, rectal temperature at rest and oxygen consumption at a given work rate, earlier sweating during exercise and decreased sodium chloride losses in sweat and urine." These adaptations allow one to deal with a much hotter environment.
People in colder climates are much more likely to die when the temperature is high than people from warmer climates. Many studies have shown that people in England and Scandinavia are much more likely to die from heat related conditions during the summer months than people from southern Italy and Greece.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | You wouldn't believe how many Tibetans that died from heat when they had to flee cold Tibet and go to warm India. That is why the Indian Government gave them Leh Ladakh, India which had a similar climate.
Then you have the Sherpa's and Nepalis who eat heat warming spices to be able to trek the Himalayas....interesting stuff.
If your gonna do Hot Yoga...better be acclimated...eat the correct foods and balance your body...otherwise, you'll probably have a heat stroke, throw up or eventually die too. Doing this yoga will teach you this about yourself eventually,  That is why we always say LISTEN TO YOUR BODIES,
Edited by Cyndi 2009-12-13 4:03 PM
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Extreme Veteran
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| I remember seeing a yogi in freezing tempreatures in the himalayas,wearing only a loin cloth.He looked quite chilled,calm and content. I dont think he was desperate to go to a weekly hot yoga session. However I didnt ask him. |
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| He probably just finished a hot yoga class and was trying to cool off before putting his clothes back on. (It is always a drag to put clean, dry clothes on a sweaty body.)
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| Hey Cyndi,
Could you elaborate more on the diet or provide a link? I'm really curious as to what sort of diet (hydrating fluids aside) helps to balance out the heat. Thanks! :-)
www.eattheyolk.blogspot.com |
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Member
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Location: Texas | freiamaya - 2009-12-13 9:45 AM
If your theory is correct, chemical blood thinners such as warfarin would not be needed for cardiac patients -- they would all just move to Florida. This is not the case. There are probably more patients in Florida on blood thinners regardless of the temperature because of the age population and medical status, but I digress.
Technically, "blood thinners" do not "thin" the viscosity of the blood, they merely inhibit the clotting mechanisms. |
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| Alexander I - 2009-12-12 2:03 PM
4theyoga - 2009-08-21 3:41 PM
Whenever people ask me about the dangers of doing yoga in the heat, I like to remind them that yoga recently came to the rest of the world from a little hotbox called INDIA!!!!
True. Historically populated with skinny people who live outside and know nothing but heat and humidity. Those of us who don't look like the DANCINGJ need to be smart.
Hey now, what's this! I know I took a picture in the desert, but I grew up in New England - I'm in snowy Boston right now and feeling right at home. |
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| Torqued - 2009-12-14 11:17 AM
freiamaya - 2009-12-13 9:45 AM
If your theory is correct, chemical blood thinners such as warfarin would not be needed for cardiac patients -- they would all just move to Florida. This is not the case. There are probably more patients in Florida on blood thinners regardless of the temperature because of the age population and medical status, but I digress.
Technically, "blood thinners" do not "thin" the viscosity of the blood, they merely inhibit the clotting mechanisms.
It's all a play of words. I am in the medical profession. And yes blood thinners "thin the blood". People take them who are prone to clotting or have mechanical heart valves. They inhibit some of the clotting factors. Try cutting yourself on blood thinners and you will see how "thin" your blood it. 
And warm weather does not "thin" the blood.
Back to Bikram and the heat. Personally I love the Bikram series and dont love the heat so much. But you do get more stretched out and probably can push yorself a bit more. I doubt many people have died in a bikram class if any. Any medical consequences? Not that I would be aware of. Your body adapts to whatever you subject it too. Often in a good way. |
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Hot Yoga Can Be Dangerous!!!!!
