Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or a casual practitioner, yoga is a great way to become more in tune with your body and reset your mind. Practicing yoga at a studio or in the quiet of your home is one thing, but there’s no experience quite like practicing yoga in the great outdoors. We’re here to convince you to take your next yoga session outside.
1. FREE WARMUP
First of all, you have to go outside in order to do yoga outside. A short hike or walk to a suitable yoga spot can help warm up your muscles and prepare your body for proper stretching. Just by venturing to your yoga destination you’re readying your muscles and preventing injury. Neat, right?
2. FRESH AIR
It’s science: fresh air and exercise go hand in hand. Being outside stimulates energy and mental wellbeing plus lowered stress. Also, certain natural smells trigger relaxation and calmness, the perfect mood for a morning yoga session. Stuffy studio, begone.
3. THE CHALLENGE
Compared to a studio, outdoor yoga can challenge you in new ways. You can test your balance by setting up on slightly uneven ground or flowing with a light breeze. The elements can also allow for a sweaty hot yoga practice when stretching it out in the summer heat - just make sure you hydrate before, during, and after.
4. FIND YOUR FOCUS
Many people find meditation to be difficult in an urban environment. Not only is there white noise indoors, but the distracting noises of traffic, other people, and cell phone notifications can pull you away from your focus. We can’t promise you silence when you head outside, but the sounds of a summer breeze, singing birds, and rustling plant life can breathe fresh air into your ability to focus and recenter.
5. NO SPECIAL GEAR REQUIRED
While you can always bring your mat along, it’s certainly not required. Find a durable patch of land (without any delicate vegetation or cryptobiotic soil) and get stretchy. Sub a cam strap for a yoga strap, wrap a fleece around a gear box for a block, place a stuffed sleeping bag under your head for a bolster. Out here, we improvise!
If you’re an outdoorist, you may have already sought the healing powers of outdoor yoga - but if not, get on out there and get stretchy!
