Whether you practise yoga three times a week, are a Saturday regular or a newbie, you can increase the benefits of your activity by taking your mat outside. Outdoor yoga can differ from indoor yoga. It’s a complementary experience that can enrich your practice and here’s why.

Deepening your connection

Practising yoga outdoors helps us disconnect from everyday life, to reconnect with nature, to find our source and our roots. It’s not only the spiritual aspect of practising yoga outdoors that can help you feel more grounded, but the literal connection of your feet to the earth that has significant benefits as well. For example, walking barefoot allows the multiple joints and muscles in your feet to stretch and stabilize.

Stretching your comfort zone

You may not be completely comfortable with your first outdoor yoga experience. It’s easier to practise in a closed environment that you are used to. Habit creates a sense of security, but stepping out of your comfort zone gives rise to a whole new interpretation of the yoga session. Imagine a sun salutation under the sun, tree pose rooted beside a spruce tree, or mountain pose on the top of a mountain!

Improving your balance

Finding balance on a mat, with two feet in the grass, or on a rocky surface are all different experiences! The uneven nature of the ground will strengthen your ankles and your muscles in general and you will have to deepen your concentration in order to keep your balance. Taking your practice into nature is a way of reminding yourself that we are all part of something much bigger. Try it out and enjoy the benefits.

Would you like to know our outdoor yoga schedule for this summer? Email us at jessica@enerj.ca

To your health.

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