How Hot 26 has helped me manage my anxiety

By Emily Ross

We all experience worry and stress at some point in our lives. The sensation of anxiety -those butterflies in the stomach, tightening of the throat, the loss of ability to focus on anything other than the experience of worry - is the brain’s natural response to a perceived threat.

When confronted with stress and danger, the brain activates the sympathetic nervous system to prepare our bodies for action. Stress hormones such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol trigger the body’s physiological response to danger - increasing heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar, suppressing the immune system and inhibiting digestive function. This way, all our energy is targeted towards the parts of our body that will serve us best when confronting or escaping a threat.

Activation of the sympathetic nervous system is a natural and helpful tool for protecting ourselves. Mild stress can even be a source of empowerment - it can motivate us and ensure we are prepared for the task at hand. Take, for example, bubbling nerves before a stage performance. This natural injection of energy can help an actor focus their mind on the task at hand (remembering their lines and blocking!) and enhance the intensity and animation of their performance.

For many of us, our experience with anxiety can go beyond what is useful. When I am experiencing severe anxiety, it leaves me in a prolonged state of physiological stress. My anxiety will be triggered by anticipated or hypothetical situations. It throws me out of equilibrium, physically and mentally, leaving me submerged in the quagmire of an imagined future. Anxiety disorders leave sufferers in a near perpetual state of fight or flight. This persistent activation of the sympathetic nervous system is harmful to our physical health: it places strain on the heart, disrupts the metabolism, interferes with digestion and weakens the immune system.

The body does have an inbuilt mechanism to counter the effects of the sympathetic nervous system: the parasympathetic nervous system. Think of the parasympathetic nervous system as the yin to the yang of the sympathetic nervous system. When a threat has passed, this system is activated to calm the body, slowing the heart and respiration rates, stimulating the digestive system and increasing libido. People with anxiety disorders will struggle to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. That’s where yoga can help.

There are many styles of yoga out there, and all have potential benefits for reducing anxiety. It’s important, however, to remove any expectation of a miracle cure. An anxiety disorder does not magically disappear overnight. I have found an integrative approach suits me best: combining medical treatment and therapeutic support with a regular yoga practice helps me to stay in control of my anxiety. The style that I have found most effective when experiencing a severe bout of anxiety is the Hot 26.

‘But Emily!’ I hear you cry, ‘I can’t think of anything worse for my anxiety! A sweltering room full of sweaty people! An instructor barking at me and telling me when to drink water! I’m not even allowed to do child’s pose!’

Look. I agree, Hot 26 is marmite yoga. It’s not for everyone and we won’t pretend that it is. There are also medical reasons why Hot 26 may not be for you - you should always consult your doctor before starting any new style of yoga. But hear me out! Here is why it works for me and my anxiety:

The Routine: The Hot 26 series will, without fail, feature the same 26 postures, two sets of each. In times of severe anxiety, the reliability of these postures is exactly what I need. There is nothing unexpected. I know what is coming, and I can stay in the present. 

The Heat: When we’re anxious, we hold an excess of tension in our bodies. The hot room helps us ease into the postures, gently stretching our muscles and allowing us to go deeper (especially in that second set!). This relieves much of the muscular tension that our anxiety can create.

The Environment: It’s hot. It’s sweaty. An instructor is telling you to wait to take a sip of water. It’s an intense experience. This intensity requires immense focus and resilience. Yoga isn’t meant to be comfortable - it teaches us that we can emerge from challenging situations intact and stronger than before. We learn to relax in a strenuous environment. We learn to bring our attention to our breath when we start to feel overwhelmed. We learn that we don’t need to run away - we have everything we need, right here, right now.

Patanjali wrote that yoga leads to the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. When the mind is constantly in flux, we are exhausted with worry and self doubt. Yoga reminds us of our own power. For me, the Hot 26 is the best reminder I can give myself of my own strength in the face of adversity.

We got this.

Emily teaches Hot 26, Hot Power and Hot Flow Hour on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays - in studio and online.