So I have been roped into doing yoga for the first time.  Do you know much about yoga?
Sure it is a group of mental, physical, and spiritual practices originating in India.
Does it really have any health benefits or is that just a bunch of hippie talk?
Many people use yoga as a supplementary exercise practice. I don't think it can hurt to try.
I have heard of hot yoga, but do not really know what that is.  Is it a specialized version of regular yoga?
It is yoga that is practiced in hot and humid conditions.
I see.  Sounds like even less fun than the normal yoga.  But I guess if it works for Monks, it can work for me
The origins of yoga date to ancient Indian traditions in the 5th and 6th centuries BCE.