Yesterday I was at the Living Beyond Breast Cancer Yoga on the Steps fundraising event at the Philadelphia Art Museum. There were over 2,000 people gathered to raise awareness, raise money and participate in a MEGA yoga class.
It was a beautiful day and it reminded me why I LOVE practicing yoga outdoors. So here are my top 5 reasons to take yoga outside and beyond the mat.
#1. Nature’s soundtrack can’t be beat. Birds singing, water flowing, bees buzzing. Need I say more?
#2. It connects you back to your cidadian rythms. Yoga means union. Outdoor yoga reconnects you to nature and the fact that you are just one of the many living beings sharing this earth. The slow steady stream of clouds, waves, rushing water, buzzing bees calms the mind and body back to a state of relaxation and ease.
#3. You have some new opportunities to try new things. The sand or a bumpy rock can really change things up for your practice. I loved experimenting with headstand in the sand because the fall was a little less injurious. An uneven surface can challenge your balance and help build the secondary muscles of the feet, hips, spine and shoulders.
#4. Your choice—to mat or not. I love feeling of different texture on the soles of my feet so going sans mat can be awesome. Other time, I might find a perfect spot but the surface below is too hard for my feet so I’ll bring my mat along so I can truly enjoy child pose without getting splinters in my toes.
#5. Your perfect view.
Yes, you get to choose your perfect outdoor “room with a view.” Part of the fun is just heading out with an intention and being open to the delight of finding that perfect spot.
Are you ready to go? Keep posted, we’ll be offering some impromptu outdoor lunch classes this summer so keep an eye out on twitter for these classes. You can follow us on twitter @delivermewell or facebook.
Be well…it’s a state of mind.
Alice Dommert (with Sarah Hill)
deliver me wellness
alice@delivermewellness.com
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