Yoga was developed in India, a country that sustains relatively high temperatures year-round. In order to mimic that intended environment adequate external heat can be viewed as essential. The heated room initially serves to prevent injury until the practitioners learn to generate their own internal heat and gradually come to welcome the warm environment as a tool for enhancing flexibility and deepening an awareness of breath. Beyond the physical implications (as further described below), environmental heat acts as a powerful and tangible psychological force that compels students of all levels to overcome attachment to external distractions. This enhances the practice of meditation, considered the primary vehicle for self-realization in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.