Feeling Hot During Meditation? (Here’s Why & How To Cool Off)

Are you feeling hot during meditation? Is it becoming distracting or bothering you?

First of all, don’t worry – it’s perfectly normal.

Not everyone feels hot or gets sweaty while meditating. Most people feel some kind of sensation though; from being cold or hot, tingling, vibrations, throbbing, feeling heavy or like your floating, and more.

If it’s been playing on your mind, I can help put your mind at ease as to why you’re getting so hot and what you can do to stay cool while meditating:

Does Meditation Increase Body Temperature?

Meditation does – or at least it can – increase your body temperature, yes.

There have been some interesting studies on this topic. One such study, which was published on The Harvard Gazette, measured the effects of meditation on the core temperature of some Tibetan monks.

They were using a technique called Tum-mo, and they obviously were very experienced in meditation – but the results were amazing.

Some monks were able to raise their temperature as much as 17 degrees!

Further studies have been conducted on western groups. While the results were not as extreme, there is no doubt that the practice of meditation can get you all hot and sweaty under the collar.

Related – Feeling intense heat while meditating? Read this.

Why Do I Feel Hot When Meditating?

As I explained above, simply the act of meditating can cause some people’s body temperature to rise.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t some other factors also contributing to you being too hot though. Here are some things to consider and some possible solutions:

You’re Too Tense or Anxious

First of all, there are two things you need to get right if you’re going to get the most out of your meditation;

• Finding somewhere comfortable to relax where you will not be interrupted, and
• Being able to breathe naturally after taking a few deep breaths to start

If you’re not comfortable or you’re tense for any reason it’s going to cause a problem for one or both of these things.

This can have a knock-on effect of causing your core temperature to rise. It takes time and practice to set the stage for meditating, but these are two of the most important things to work on first.

You’re Not Breathing Correctly

As I also mentioned above, breathing plays a key role in meditating. It also plays a key role in regulating our core temperature.

Mindful breathing during meditation requires you to pay close attention to your first few breaths to lower your heart rate and relax your mind and body.

Then you need to transition to natural breathing. This is where some people new to meditation find it difficult to allow their breathing to carry on naturally while they focus on their meditating.

It’ll improve with practice. But for now, it might account for why you’re getting hot.

It’s the “Qi” Energy Flowing Through Your Body

This is a slightly controversial one because some people don’t believe in qi or chi as it’s also called.

Chi is the energy that flows through our bodies. In ancient Chinese medicine, a good flow of chi promotes good health. When something is causing it to be out of balance, one experiences health issues.

Meditation can help improve or stimulate the flow of qi throughout your body. Or, for some people, as they reach a deeper state of awareness they are simply more aware of qi flowing throughout their body.

This might mean you feel a tingling sensation, tickling, vibrations… it feels different to different people.

However it feels to you, it’s completely natural and can also cause your temperature to rise.

Related – Feeling heavy during meditation? Here’s why.

Some Tips to Stay Cool While Meditating

If sweating or getting too hot is becoming uncomfortable or distracting, here are some tips to help:

Work on your breathing – As I mentioned above, not breathing correctly is the reason a lot of new practitioners get too hot.

Spend a few minutes throughout the day working on taking big deep breaths. You’ll find it helps relax you each time too! It just comes down to practice.

Think about your position – If you currently lay down, try sitting. Having your body flat on a bed will retain more heat than sitting upright.

Sit closer to an open window too so you have a breeze coming in. I have one friend who even places a wet towel on his forehead. If that’s what it takes, try something like that too.

The thing is, you probably aren’t going to stop your temperature rising due to the effects of meditation itself if it’s due to the response from your body.

It tends to affect some people more than others for sure though. It’s not an indication of how effective you’re meditating, so don’t worry if you’re not feeling any sensations at all.

I’m’ sure you’ll be able to find a balance that works for you.

In Summary

Hopefully, I’ve helped to put your mind at ease. Feeling hot while meditating is perfectly normal, in fact, it’s a good sign if anything.

If it’s getting too distracting, I hope some of the tips above will help. Feel free to drop me a note below if you also have any tips or experience you want to share with the community, thanks!

Resources

What Is Chi Energy? – OprahMag.com

Image credits – Header Photo by Mor Shani, window image by Tarik Haiga on Unsplash