‘It was so hard, my stomach was pulsing!’ Dr Maren Nyer, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, tells Women’s Fitness . Unable to perform the poses in the sweltering heat of her first hot yoga class, but determined not to be beaten, Dr Nyer returned to the studio the following day. This time she not only finished the class but had a transformative experience. ‘It was a totally different feeling. I felt as if I was in a new state of consciousness,’ she explains. ‘I soon started going to classes regularly and noticed my sleep improve, my concentration improve, and I was less anxious and less reactive… everything just got way better.’ In fact, she was so impressed with the results, she decided to conduct her own research into the mental health benefits of this style of
