Yoga: Excessive Sweating

My tip: a Yoga towel (by Manduka) is what I use to keep my sweat-slick hands from slipping in downward-facing dog. Yoga hack: a plain, old microfiber towel also works.

People have been asking lately: do you sweat a lot during your Yoga practice? You may have heard that excessive sweating during Yoga can be linked to a poor fitness level or the quality of your breathing. Excessive sweating can also indicate an underlying medical issue. So, if you find yourself sweating more than you feel comfortable with, for the sake of your own health– none of these causes should be overlooked. However, some of us just plain sweat when we engage in any form of exercise. I happen to come from a long line of people who literally drip with sweat every time they work out.

First off, I’m assuming that you’re one of those people, too, since you’re reading this post. And I’ll admit that what feels like excessive sweating during your Yoga practice can be a little uncomfortable in the beginning. But if you’ve ruled out your fitness level, pranayama, or an underlying medical issue as the cause – it’s time to start seeing your propensity to sweat as a blessing.

How can making puddles on your mat be a blessing? And what can you do when slipping becomes an issue? 

Well, a few years ago I took an all-day Yoga workshop where the studio’s A/C went out. Now, a lot of us practice in heated rooms to begin with, so what was the problem with the A/C shutting down? The outside temperature that day happened to reach in excess of 105F and we weren’t practicing in the Bikram style. However, the heavy sweaters in the group weren’t as affected by the heat. Sure, we were a little tired by the end of the workshop—but we did just fine with the heat because our bodies cooled themselves efficiently.

Of course, the teacher also recommended taking breaks—and if you feel yourself overheating—take a break! We were working with a combination of Vinyasa and Yin sequences, so the teacher was very careful in making sure that everyone was comfortable. Thanks to the teacher’s experience, we made sure to drink plenty of room-temperature water and walked out feeling great at the end of the day. But just let me say– you should never, for any reason, push yourself to the point where your health is in danger. Be grateful for the wonderful things your body can do and treat yourself with kindness.

However, when I find myself sliding around my mat by the middle of a Vinyasa class? That’s just plain scary because …

Sweat + Yoga mat = Free slip and slide adventure

I’ve found that when people ask me about sweating during Yoga, it’s often related to slipping. And the threat of accidentally taking someone out while attempting a harmless pose, like downward dog, on a slick mat– I don’t take it lightly. If my hands were to slip, I could probably reach Mach 5 by the time I actually left my mat and I really don’t want to hurtle toward anyone or any wall like a human bowling ball. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit. But, honestly, postures should be found with intention. No one wants to become intimate with Hanumanasana by accident, believe me.

What to do? You might find a few techniques to help you hold your poses, such as engaging specific muscles that will keep your hands and feet planted to the mat. Yoga teachers usually have plenty of experience with this and can show you techniques accordingly. But if your mat or skin is slick enough from sweat, those techniques might not completely solve the problem. Bringing a towel to wipe your mat down with can really help. Many studios encourage this habit and some even provide free towels for exactly this purpose. (Tip: I keep a few in my trunk so that I don’t forget one.)

Because my issue involved a pretty serious problem with slipping, a teacher pointed me toward Yoga towels. I purchased two Yoga towels from Manduka and I haven’t had a problem holding poses since. Basically, they are microfiber towels that can cover either a portion or the entire surface of your mat, and they are EFFECTIVE. I’ve also seen people make their own microfiber towels, or switch to more absorbent cloth/blanket mats instead. I also know people who forgo mats altogether, but that’s another story.

So, as autumn approaches and people begin new routines – such as Yoga – the more questions I get from people about sweating during my practice. And I tell them exactly what I’ve shared with you; rule out fitness, breathing and medical conditions, and then look for tools that will help to keep sweat from becoming disruptive. Over time, I’ve found that I no longer give sweating much thought. My attention is reserved for my practice alone. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about and as you develop your own practice, it will become far less noticeable and it may even come in handy should an unexpected heat wave catch you off guard. And, of course, always remember to keep yourself hydrated!

If you have any tips to share, please leave them in the comments. I would be grateful to read them!