What to wear at hive hot yoga

Hive hot yoga – The clothing one wears to a hive hot yoga class has a significant impact on comfort and performance. Yoga is about the alignment of breath and movement. It is therefore important that one’s yoga wear aligns with one’s yoga practice. Yoga apparel that is light, comfortable, and allows one’s body to move freely is best including mens hot yoga shorts.

Hive Hot Yoga Clothing

Hive hot yoga students will have special clothing needs such as mens hot yoga shorts due to the hot and humid environment. Clothing for hot yoga should ideally be lightweight, breathable, and have sweat-wicking, anti-bacterial properties. It is best to wear minimal clothing to a hive hot yoga class, as the sweat should be allowed to flow freely from the body.

Women will generally wear a sports bra or tank-top combined with shorts or yoga-style lightweight pants. Men usually opt for athletic-style shorts including mens hot yoga shorts. Some men combine this with a t-shirt, while others prefer to go shirtless, depending on their comfort level.

Eco-Friendly Yoga Clothing

Many yoga apparel manufacturers are opting to produce yoga wear that is environmentally sustainable by using eco-friendly fabrics that are both good for the earth as well as comfortable and functional for the wearer. Three of the most popular eco-friendly fabric choices include hemp, bamboo, and soy.

Hive Hot Yoga and Hemp Fabric

Hemp is becoming increasingly popular in the clothing industry due to its significant eco-friendly qualities. Hemp is highly renewable, is much easier to grow than cotton, without the use of pesticides or other chemicals, and is an extremely tough, natural fiber that is both durable and versatile.

Hemp is an excellent fabric choice for hot yoga. It is both extremely soft and incredibly long-lasting. Unlike cotton, hemp wears in with age and becomes stronger the more it is used. Hemp is also easy to clean and does not break down through repeated washings, making it an ideal fabric for the rigorous hot yoga practice.

Hive Hot Yoga and Bamboo Fabric

Bamboo is relatively new to the clothing industry. The bamboo plant grows quickly and easily without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. Bamboo has been described as similar in feel but more affordable than silk.

Bamboo clothing is soft, naturally moisture-wicking and hypoallergenic, all of which are desirable qualities for ideal hot yoga apparel. Bamboo can be expensive, however, and there is some concern about the chemicals used to process the raw bamboo into clothing fibers.

Hive Hot Yoga and Soy Fabric

Soy fabrics are made from the by-products of the soy food industry, and thus production of soy clothing has minimal environmental impact. The soy plant is easily renewable, and soy fibers are quickly biodegradable.

Often referred to as “vegetable cashmere”, clothing made from soy is soft, breathable, and has excellent absorption qualities, making it another excellent eco-friendly option for hot yoga clothing. The main drawback to soy clothing is the price-tag. As soy clothing is not yet widely available, it can be a bit expensive to purchase and harder to find.

Educated Choices in Yoga Clothing Will Increase Clothing Options

As consumers of yoga clothing are starting to demand more environmentally friendly yoga-wear, the marketplace is responding with more sustainable fabric options. There is a wide selection of comfortable, earth-friendly yoga clothing in today’s market, which will only continue to grow as consumers become more educated about the effects of the clothing industry on the environment.

Need to Know: Yoga Mats, Clothes

Get your own yoga mat

It is common for beginners to borrow a mat from a studio or gym for the first couple of sessions. If you can see yourself coming back for more, the very first thing you should invest in is your own personal yoga mat.

You’re doing this to be healthy, right?

There haven’t been conclusive studies, but dermatologists and podiatrists have made unofficial connections between infections such as athlete’s foot and plantar warts with the sharing of communal yoga mats. Think about it: you wear flip-flops in the shower, but you’re barefoot on your mat! If you can’t always lug a mat around with you, consider looking into wipes, a non-slip mat towel or non-slip toe socks or booties that will provide both traction and a barrier for germs.

All mats are not created equal

Your mat should be the right size:

thick enough to pad and support you in a variety of poses
long enough for your height
light-weight enough for your needs (especially if you travel)

All mats should be safe, so they should:

grip the floor without sliding.
lie flat on the floor without curling
not slip under your hands and feet, even if you are sweaty
be durable enough for your lifestyle

Other considerations could include:

Durability
Washability
Anti-microbial properties
Not to mention color and style!

Go green

Most standard exercise mats are made of PVC. Thanks, in part, to the efforts of the Green Yoga Association, there are five or more brands on the market (check out Hugger Mugger, Gaiam, Jade Yoga, YogiPeople or EcoYoga to find the one that’s right for you) made from plant-based materials, recycled materials or renewable resources, and made with a manufacturing process with reduced carbon foot prints. Many of these vendors also sell green props, such as yoga blocks made of bamboo.

Dress Properly

As noted in Five Safety Tips for Yoga Class, it is not necessary to purchase clothes specifically designed and marketed for yoga. Your clothing needs to be stretchy enough to flex and bend with you in a variety of poses. Most yogis prefer their clothing to be a little form-fitting, because it’s less likely to ride up or flop down when you’re in an inversion.

A particular style of yoga called Bikram or “Hot Yoga” is performed in rooms ranging from 95- to 100-degree temperatures Fahrenheit. Some lines of clothing are designed specifically for the hotter temps.

Others aim keep you fresh and cool in spite of all that sweat. (lululemon athletica has a line of yoga clothing that takes advantage of the antimicrobial and deodorant qualities of real silver, and another designed to release amino acids, vitamins and minerals into your skin when it comes in contact with moisture!)

For the eco-conscious, there are yoga clothing lines made from organic cotton, hemp, and even bamboo.

Of course, if you are daring enough to try out another hot new yoga trend – nude yoga – you don’t need to bother with wardrobe questions at all!