A Guide to Practicing Yoga Outside

Some people practice outdoors without their mat, we like to take our gear. 

My favorite place to practice is out in the great outdoors. When you settle on the yoga mat for your practice, you'll slowly feel nature come to life. The sun on your shoulders will warm you as the birds and squirrels start scuttling around in the background. One of the most interesting things about practicing outside is how animals will come very close by to those practicing yoga, as if they have some insight into the peaceful nature of the practice. By the end of your practice you may feel like Snow White or some other Disney Princess surrounded by all of the critters. 

The following is a guide on how to do yoga outside for people who already have a home practice. If you do not have a home practice, I recommend doing some research, chatting with your teacher and planning to establish what your flows will be doing outdoors. It is such a rewarding experience to practice outside, I hope you will enjoy your outdoor practice.

Step 1: Get Prepared 

Gather all of your props- the mat, blocks, a water bottle, blankets, straps and anything you will need for your practice ready to take outside. There is nothing worse than needing to stop the physical and mental flow of a work out, because you need to go back inside to grab something.   

For practicing yoga outside, you will need one very special piece of equipment, a beach towel or blanket, to go under the mat. You will want to use one of those items as a ground cover between your mat and the surface you practice on outside. This prevents you from tracking in any dirt, pesticides, squished bugs and other icky things into your home. 

You should also prepare your skin for the elements. Bug spray, sunscreen, etc. to make sure you can enjoy the outdoors without the unpleasant and unhealthy side effects of bug bites and sun exposure.

Step 2: Scope out Your Spot   


Find a place to preform your yoga practice outside. Ideally somewhere with a flat surface. Porches are a really good option, but you can go out in the grass if you are so inclined. It is a little more lumpy, but it can be fun to get that close to the Earth for your practice.

At my house I do it in the backyard to avoid the noise of traffic and advertising the fact I'm doing yoga. In the dangerous world we live in, it is good also not to unnecessarily draw attentions to ourselves by bending every which way in our front yards. It also ensures no "friendly" passer-bys will feel the need to make chit chat when you are in the middle of your practice. 


When you set out your blanket or towel make sure that it is flat as possible on the ground. Any major wrinkles you will actually be able to feel through your mat. After your ground cover is down, roll out your mat on top.   


Step 3: Yoga Outside Leaves no Trace

Important Warning (especially for Marylanders): When you come in, make sure to check for ticks! Tick-borne Lyme disease is a huge problem in Maryland with over 100,000 cases reported annually according to the CDC. It is also a very under-reported and under-diagnosed disease, so that number is actually probably low. You should even take a shower to make sure to wash off any ticks that may have leached on, and this will also allow you to wash off any bug spray, sun screen and sweat you worked up during your practice.  

The rest is just a matter of hauling everything inside. To reduce laundry I actually put my beach towel in a safe place, so I can take it out the next time I'm ready to practice outside. If you love it as much as I do, that won't be too long after your first outdoor practice.