In addition to the controversy surrounding Hot Yoga founder Bikham Choudhury, the health risks associated with this particular type of yoga are getting renewed attention after experts warn of its dangers.

For those who are not familiar with Hot Yoga, it consists of performing yoga for 90 minutes in high temperatures of around 105 degrees with 40% humidity. Choudhury designed it this way to mimic the hot temperatures of India. The problem is that these conditions can place “extreme stress” on the cardiovascular system.

“I’ve seen how the intense heat forces the heart to work overtime to cool the body,” Dr. Veronika Matutyte, a lecturer at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, told the Daily Mail. “I’ve seen how the intense heat forces the heart to work overtime to cool the body. This isn’t just a mild increase in heart rate but a significant physiological demand [and] coupled with the electrolyte imbalances caused by profuse sweating, [it] can create a perfect storm.”

She added: “In such cases, hot yoga can act as a trigger, potentially leading to cardiac arrhythmias, heat stroke, or other serious and even fatal complications.”

For example, Hot Yoga may have contributed to the death of John F. Kennedy’s nephew, Christopher Lawford, who was the son of Patricia Kennedy and Peter Lawford. Christopher was 63-years-old in 2018 when he died from a heart attack while in a hot yoga studio.

U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy told the New York Post that he believed the workout “must have been too much for him at that point.”

Dr. Matutyte agrees. “I believe the death of JFK’s nephew, while the official cause may be debated, underscores a critical and often overlooked risk of hot yoga that I find deeply concerning.”

She continued: “This tragic case, regardless of the final determination, serves as a stark reminder for all of us that hot yoga isn’t simply a flexibility workout – but a significant physiological challenge. I feel strongly that this point is often lost in the marketing and hype surrounding the practice.”

Even though some may find the stretching and mental focus to be beneficial, the risks to the cardiovascular system “are real, significant, and shouldn’t be underestimated.”

She goes on to warn that just because a person is young and feels healthy does not mean they are immune to these risks.

“The heat can affect all of us, and it’s always better to err on the side of caution. I’ve seen the consequences of underestimating these risks and I can attest that they can be devastating.”

Dr. Matutyte’s warnings are not without basis. A 2015 study led by Emily Quandt, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, found that Hot Yoga raises temperatures and heart rates to dangerous levels.

As Dr. Quandt warned at the time: “The dramatic increases in heart rate and core temperature are alarming when you consider that there is very little movement, and therefore little cardiovascular training, going on during class.”

The scientists involved in the study said that although the excessive perspiration that occurs during the class is touted as being a benefit because it releases toxins, the study found that even this profuse sweating was insufficient to cool down the body. Dangerous core temperatures started to appear in the study group at around 60 minutes into the session, meaning participants had another 30 minutes of exercise at this alarming level.

Dr Cedric Bryant, chief science officer at the American Council on Exercise, which commissioned the study, agreed.

He said: “Bikram teachers should recognize that participants’ thermoregulatory systems will be challenged in this environment. It is essential that they are aware of the early warning signs of heat intolerance.”

These include cramps, headache, dizziness, and general weakness.

Bikram yoga has been plagued with controversy due to the erratic and alleged criminal behavior of its founder who fled the country in 2016 after failing to pay the $7 million he owes in a sexual harassment suit. Aside from likening himself to Jesus, Superman and Buddha, the yogi who likes to practice yoga while wearing nothing more than a tiny Speedo has been sued by other women in the past, including a 29 year-old student who claimed he sexually assaulted her and then ruined her yoga career when she continued to resist him.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, shortly before he left the country, Choudhury denied the accusations, calling his accusers “trash” and “psychopaths.”

“Why would I have to harass women?” he asked. “People spend one million dollars for a drop of my sperm.”

Due to the scandal, and not wishing to tarnish their profits, the multi-billion dollar yoga industry in the U.S. rapidly dropped Choudhury’s name from this style of yoga, changing it from Bikram yoga to Hot Yoga.

But changing its name does nothing to reduce the physical and spiritual risks of this practice.

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