Experience Yoga in the Great Outdoors
“Time in nature is not leisure time; it is an essential investment in our health”
- Richard Louv
This week we begin outdoor yoga classes in the park! At Roots + Wings Wellness, we have always been passionate about connecting yoga and nature. By connecting yoga with the natural world, we create a deeper understanding of the relationship between self and nature - knowing that time in nature can help us to reset, recharge, and reconnect. While definitely different than your typical studio setting, practicing yoga in the great outdoors has a TON of benefits:
Grounding. You can’t get much more connected to the earth than planting your bare feet on the grass. Mat or no mat - simply standing in mountain pose or laying in savasana surrounded by nature will help you to feel more grounded and centered. Planting your bare feet in the grass literally creates a transfer of earthly electrons into the body. Studies have shown that these electrons have the power to improve sleep, reduce pain, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system - creating a calmer, more relaxed state.
Replenishing Your Energy. Spending time outside sends signals to the brain that the body is back in its native environment and recalibrates itself to stay alert - how cool is that? According to a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, when people spend time in a forested setting, feelings of vigor and vitality are increased. Breathing in the fresh air can also help the body to feel more energized.
Exploring Your Senses. Being outdoors allows our senses an opportunity to awaken and experience the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of nature. Hours spent indoors or staring at a screen dull our senses, and getting outdoors helps us to focus in and explore them.
Expanding Your Horizons. Similar to using your senses, being in nature allows us to gaze further than the screens that occupy at least a portion of our everyday lives. Science is now proving that fully taking in your surroundings and having a wider panorama helps you more easily slip into a state of relaxation, resourcefulness and creativity.
Dosing Up on Vitamin D. Practicing yoga in the sunshine allows you to soak up some sunshine and increase your body's production of Vitamin D after a long winter. Vitamin D helps to increase the immune system, fight disease, reduce symptoms of depression, and more! Just don’t forget your sunscreen…
Pushing Your Boundaries. Practicing outdoors is not without challenges. Uneven ground, distractions from small creatures, unpredictable weather changes, and more. Yoga studios are familiar and predictable, enclosed spaces that provide comfort. The outdoors is quite different, but it provides us the opportunity to expand our comfort zone and deepen our practice each time we step out the door.
Join us lakeside this summer and experience these benefits and more - plus the added bonus of seeing your favorite instructors IRL for the first time in months...
Tuesdays at 10am with Brittany
Thursdays at Noon with Leona
Saturdays at 9am Leona or Brittany!
>>> full class schedule + registration at rwyoga.com/schedule <<<