Sam Hothersall found her symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) so crippling that she moved to Malta to avoid the long British winter. Last autumn she was anxiously awaiting the onset of SAD when a friend recommended she tried hot yoga at Yogafurie.
For Sam, an arts teacher at a secondary school, attending the classes was a revelation. ‘It was amazing,’ she says. ‘I went five times a week through the winter and it really helped me. I was waking up early and going before work, and I felt lovely and warm all day.’
Generally in winter, Sam struggled with SAD symptoms that had a major effect on her daily life. ‘I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed, I felt very tired, very down and a lack of motivation,’ she says.
After living in Malta for eight years she had returned to the UK and was braced for the cold weather and long dark nights that bought on her symptoms. She had tried approaches such as special lamps to mimic sunlight but found any benefits short lived.
But after taking up hot yoga at Yogafurie, this winter was a totally different experience.
Sam started doing classes in the heated studio every morning from Monday to Friday. ‘My symptoms just never arrived,’ she says. ‘I found that hot yoga was the opposite of the colder days, and balanced out those aspects of winter. It energized me for the whole day.’
Sam also experienced other positive benefits from her regular, deep practice. ‘I became stronger, and I felt more balanced and grounded,’ she says. ‘I found the heat and fire a transformative experience. Meeting the element of fire helped me release old patterns and welcome many new things into my life.’
Others who have experienced difficult symptoms in winter should consider Yogafurie hot yoga, she says. ‘The heat was really essential to me,’ she says. ‘I would definitely recommend trying it out. It was a big surprise to me that it made such a difference.’
Yogafurie offers 19 hot yoga classes every week, you can find the Hot Yoga Timetable here. Book yourself a space to see how it can transform your life!
