Try outdoor yoga

To try outdoor yoga is a genuinely different practice rather than the same session relocated. Uneven ground makes balance poses harder, wind and sound compete for attention, and there is no mirror or instructor to correct you. Those are the interesting parts rather than the drawbacks.

Why try outdoor yoga is worth an hour

Grass is slightly unstable, which recruits stabilizing muscles that a flat studio floor never asks for. Balance poses that feel easy indoors become properly demanding. The absence of a mirror also forces you to work from sensation rather than appearance, which is closer to what the practice is supposed to develop anyway.

How to try outdoor yoga step by step

1. 1

   Find a level, dry patch

   Flatter than it looks from standing. A slight slope changes every standing pose in ways you will feel immediately.

2. 2

   Check the ground before laying a mat

   Stones, thistles, anything unpleasant. You will be putting hands and face close to it.

3. 3

   Go earlier or later for shade

   Midday sun makes a sustained practice unpleasant and dehydrating. Early morning is ideal in every respect.

4. 4

   Expect balance poses to be harder

   Uneven ground and wind both destabilize you. Use a lower version rather than fighting for the full pose.

5. 5

   Practice without audio

   Let the surroundings be the soundtrack instead. It is the main thing an outdoor practice offers that an indoor one cannot.

Tips to get more out of it

• A thicker mat, or a folded blanket underneath a thin one, helps considerably on hard or lumpy ground.
• Weight the mat corners with stones if it is windy, or simply choose poses that keep you in contact with it throughout.
• Check whether the space permits it if you are anywhere formal. Most public parks are fine, though some botanic and private gardens are not.

Ways to mix it up

If self-consciousness is the barrier, go early or find a quiet corner; almost nobody is watching, but early morning removes the question. If it is cold, a standing sequence keeps you warm where a floor-based one will not.

Try outdoor yoga: frequently asked questions