From Tapas to Thermostats: The Evolution of Heated Vinyasa

carolefrey
1 day ago
4 min read

I’m currently enrolled in my second 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training, working toward 1,000 hours of yoga studies. As part of our yoga history weekend, we were asked to write a paper on any yoga history topic of our choice. Since hot yoga has become so popular in recent years, I thought it would be a fascinating subject to further explore. I enjoyed the process so much that I decided to turn my paper into a blog post and share it with you all.

Originally, when most people heard “hot yoga,” they thought of Bikram: 105 degrees, 26 postures, always the same sequence. But today, people hear “hot yoga” and often think first of the heated power vinyasa that fills studios everywhere. I’ve always wondered how we got from yoga’s ancient roots, where heat was cultivated within, to modern rooms blasting heaters and humidifiers.

The Ancient Roots of Heat in Yoga

The concept of “heat” in yoga isn’t new at all. In the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, the word tapas appears — usually translated as “heat” or “austerity,” but really meaning the inner fire that burns away impurities and obstacles on the path to self-realization. Tapas was never about external temperature; it was about discipline, effort, and transformation.

Later, in medieval Hatha yoga texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, heat shows up again — but this time it’s the warmth generated from breathwork (pranayama), specific postures (asanas), and cleansing practices (shatkarmas). Practitioners sought to warm and prepare the body from the inside out, supporting meditation and spiritual awakening.

From Mysore to Modern Flow

The leap toward what we now call vinyasa began in early 20th-century Mysore, India. T. Krishnamacharya developed a method of linking postures with breath in a purposeful sequence (vinyasa krama). One of his students, Pattabhi Jois, codified this into Ashtanga Yoga — an athletic, rhythmic practice designed to build heat naturally through movement and ujjayi breath.

When Ashtanga reached the U.S. in the late 20th century, it collided with American fitness culture — but the adaptation wasn’t just about physicality, it was also about accessibility. Two key figures here were Bryan Kest in California and Beryl Bender Birch in New York.

Bryan Kest had studied directly with Jois in Mysore and with David Williams (one of the first Americans to learn from Jois). He broke from the fixed Ashtanga sequences to create what he called “Power Yoga,” with creative, adaptable flows. While his classes kept much of the athletic pace and strength-building nature of Ashtanga, Kest also wove in yogic philosophy, often speaking about self-acceptance, non-competitiveness, and presence. His style was physically demanding but still pointed students toward mindfulness.

Beryl Bender Birch also trained in Ashtanga, but she tailored her “Power Yoga” for athletes and runners. Her 1995 book, Power Yoga, explicitly marketed the practice as “The Total Strength and Flexibility Workout.” The sequencing still followed the breath-movement connection, but the branding leaned heavily into performance, conditioning, and measurable physical gains.

Once “Power Yoga” caught on, the name became a kind of open-source brand. Gyms and studios across the U.S. began offering their own interpretations — often removing chanting, meditation, pranayama, and philosophical discussion altogether. Music playlists replaced mantra; calorie burn replaced contemplation. The sweat and strength of Ashtanga remained, but the broader context of yoga’s eight limbs was often left behind.

This shift — from a set, disciplined practice aimed at internal transformation to a flexible, high-energy workout — set the stage for heated vinyasa to emerge in the 1990s. Adding external heat simply amplified what Power Yoga had already popularized: intensity, sweat, and a tangible physical challenge.

Turning Up The Temperature + Modern Science

So how did the thermostat enter the story? In the 1990s, teachers like Baron Baptiste began offering heated power vinyasa in rooms around 90–95°F. There were a few reasons:

Mimicking India’s climate (or at least the feeling of practicing in a warm, humid environment)
Increasing challenge and intensity — sweating became a badge of effort
Marketing differentiation — “hot yoga” stood out from other fitness and yoga offerings
The detox narrative — selling the idea that sweat eliminates toxins (though physiologically, detox happens in the liver and kidneys)

Modern research shows that while the heat may make stretching feel easier and increase perceived exertion, the main physical benefits — improved flexibility, balance, and cardiovascular health — come from the yoga itself. Heated and non-heated vinyasa both produce cardiovascular and mobility gains; the extra heat doesn’t necessarily make the practice “better,” though it can make it feel more intense. Risks like dehydration, overheating, and overstretching are important considerations, especially for certain populations.

The shift Away From Philosophy

In traditional yoga, asana was only one part of an eight-limbed path, which included ethical living, meditation, and ultimately, enlightenment / liberation (Samadhi). But as heated vinyasa evolved in Western studios, the focus often shifted toward performance, calorie burn, and flexibility. Chanting, pranayama, and philosophical discussion were minimized or left out altogether.

Scholars like Mark Singleton (Yoga Body) and Andrea Jain (Selling Yoga) describe how yoga, when adapted for modern consumer culture, often becomes a secular fitness practice. That doesn’t mean the spiritual side is gone forever — some heated vinyasa teachers integrate philosophy and mindfulness into their classes — but the balance between physical and spiritual emphasis has definitely shifted.

Where We Are Now

Hot vinyasa today is a hybrid. It’s rooted in ancient concepts like tapas, shaped by the athletic flows of Ashtanga, and influenced by late-20th-century Western fitness trends. The external heat is a modern addition, but the idea of generating heat as a tool for transformation has been there from the start.

For me, the history of heated vinyasa is a reminder that yoga constantly adapts to new cultures and needs. The challenge — both as practitioners and as teachers — is to keep the practice connected to its deeper roots, so the heat we generate is not only on our skin, but also in our hearts and minds.

I’d love to hear from you — when it comes to yoga, what draws you in the most?

The inner heat, discipline, and self-transformation (tapas)
External heat & sweating: intensity / challenge of hot yoga
The wisdom, philosophy, and lessons I can apply off the mat
Not just asana but meditation, breathing and mantras too