5 Reasons You Should Take Your Yoga Practice Outdoors

Spring is a time of growth, renewal, and opportunity to change for the better. With warmer temperatures and longer days upon us, most people are excited to enjoy more of the great outdoors and become more active! Now, if you are into yoga and usually practice in a studio, this is a great time to think about taking your practice outdoors. Outdoor yoga is already popular in beach towns and tropical destinations, especially at retreats that combine yoga with other outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking and kayaking. If you don’t live in a beach town, you can always do a quick Google search to help locate appropriate studio and retreats that offer outdoor yoga.

So grab your mat and get to the beach, a park, or a local rooftop this spring.

Here are some reasons that outdoor yoga is oh so beneficial:

Connect With Nature: 

A huge part of yoga and meditation is grounding. It’s important to get grounded, get in touch with yourself, your surroundings, and Pachamama (the earth/time goddess). If you are laying in savasana with just your mat separating you and this wonderful earth, you’ll feel more grounded than ever! You need to root down before you rise up, and outdoor yoga is a fantastic way to re-root.

Gain Energy:

Did you know that spending time outside actually gives you more energy? Studies show that being outside triggers signals to our brains that the body is in it’s natural environment. Therefore, triggers the senses to stay alert, therefore giving you more energy! If you do an outdoor practice after a long day, it’s sure to give you a second wind.

Treat Your Senses:

Being outdoors actually heightens your senses, therefore making it an enchanting experience you just couldn’t get indoors. Fresh air elevates your breath awareness making it easier to be self-aware in terms of your breathing. If you’ve practiced yoga, you know how important breathing is, so practicing outside is the ideal way to do it.

Zen, Zen, Zen: 

Birds singing, wind in the trees, maybe a babbling brook! The sounds of the great outdoors are enough to alleviate stress all on their own. Studies have shown that people who are exposed to a forested environment, more often have far less stress than those who are only in urban environments.

Vitamin D:

This is a great opportunity to spend more time in the sun and work on your Vitamin D. Just be sure to pick a more shaded area if you are practicing during the hot days.  Also, always remember to wear sunscreen to protect your face and body.

We’ve fallen totally in love with outdoor yoga, and hope you give it a try!