Any yoga session offers substantial benefits for body, mind, and spirit. However, one of the things we love the most about yoga is that you can practice it from anywhere and at any time. Did you know you can receive even more from the discipline of yoga if you take your mat outdoors from time to time? Plus, who wouldn’t want to spend some extra time with the sun shining and birds chirping? It’s also a great way to add some variety to your yoga routine.
Jolene Cherry is a passionate yoga teacher and fitness coach who encourages people of all fitness backgrounds to discover the joys and benefits of yoga practice. Apart from her traditional in-person sessions, Jolene offers online guidance for those hoping to strike a balance in their life and embrace new opportunities and challenges. In this article, Ms. Cherry shares six persuasive reasons why you should take your yoga outside.
- More Energy: Spending time outside, especially when the sun is shining, is a great way to restore depleted energy. Breathing in the fresh air and exhaling into the sunshine will do wonders for your yoga routine and as well as your mental health and energy levels. It’s no wonder we often feel invigorated and rejuvenated after being outside.
- Break Up the Routine: If you practice yoga in the same spot every day, it can start to feel monotonous, and you may become bored with your routine and yoga in general. Practicing yoga outdoors will bring something new and fresh into your routine, break it up a little, and leave you feeling even more energized and awake. Variety is the spice of life, after all!
- Become One With Nature: Being out in nature is an excellent way to practice mindfulness when doing yoga. Being outside will give you more things to feel and observe. You’ll be able to really feel the wind on your back, listen to the birds chirping, or move in harmony with the swaying grass. Practicing yoga outside is a way to become one with our planet and universe and also loving and appreciating our world and universe.
- Different Terrain: When you take your yoga outside, the terrain will be different than what you’re used to. The uneven ground and different surfaces of the outdoors will add an element of challenge to your yoga routine and spice things up.
- Nature’s Beauty: There’s no denying it, the great outdoors offers a lot more beauty than your living room, gym, or yoga studio. By practicing yoga outside, you’ll be able to experience all of nature’s beauty in different scenes every day. Sunsets, sunrises, animals, birds, water… the possibilities of experiencing nature’s beauty while doing yoga outdoors are endless.
- Connect to Your Neighborhood: Taking your yoga outdoors will allow you to connect with your neighborhood and surroundings in a whole new way. You may even notice things in your community that you’ve never seen before. Practicing yoga outside will help you connect to your neighborhood, city, and world in a whole new and exciting way.
Consider practicing yoga outdoors at least twice a week. You will easily see and reap the benefits while also breaking up your yoga routine and experiencing new things. Whether you’re in your backyard or traveling, outdoor yoga can lead to a new understanding, feelings, and experiences, and those are things we all need more of. If you discover a new outdoor spot for your yoga routine, please drop a comment or message – the world would love to hear about it.
About Jolene Cherry: Jolene Cherry is a certified and experienced yoga instructor and personal trainer based in Portland, Oregon. She has always been interested in fitness, meditation, and nutrition and decided to help others reach their desired levels of physical fitness. Her international training and experience, ranging from Hawaii to Thailand, along with her nurturing one-on-one sessions have helped propel her to a prominent personal trainer and yoga instructor in the Pacific Northwest.
