While doing a class in your home and at a yoga studio can be comfortable, mixing it up with nature can bring higher benefits to your practice. Recent studies led by Gregory Bratman out of Stanford University found that walking 50 minutes in a city park boosted people’s moods as well as their working memories and attention, while a 90-minute walk yielded changes to their brains in a way that can protect against depression.
To these researchers and many others, it all adds up to this: get outside, regularly, and find some happy-making green or blue spaces wherever you may live. And to maximize feelings of restoration, experts like David Strayer, a psychologist at the University of Utah, says we should put away our cell phones and pay attention to the sounds and sights of nature. “When people use a phone, what they notice is cut in half,” says Strayer. The idea is to engage our senses and interrupt, even briefly, the steady drip of urban stress.
At the end, nature makes us happy! Here are the best spots to do your yoga outside:
By the Lake- The stillness of the lake can help us release anxiety and quieting the mind. Extra points for a meditation practice. Be still and just be.
By the River- The ever changing flow of the river reminds us nothing is permanent and things are always moving.
By the Park- The park is a beautiful and social spot to do your yoga practice. Bring your friends/family, watch the birds, flowers, trees and enjoy!
By the Sea - The sea refresh us, heal us and renew us. The waves reminds us that there's a constant change in the world. Everyday is a new start. Take a deep ayer your yoga class and feel restore.
By the Mountain- Claim the mountain, they said. You will find enlightenment, they said. Although reaching for enlightenment requires years of devotion and practice, climbing the top of the mountain can give you a glimpse of what it is. Find a viewing point, see the world below, feel the air and take it all in.
Doing yoga around nature will not only bring beauty to your live, but it will bring a positive shift into our consciousness. What are you waiting for?
Interested in learning more, check this article by National Geographic.
Check my EVENTS page for outdoor yoga classes here.
15 best outdoor spots to practice yoga
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