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Nama-stay in nature at Ontario Parks

This July, yoga instructor Adelle Leonard is travelling across Canada spreading her love of outdoor yoga through free classes in parks.

Inspired by Healthy Parks Healthy People, this program aims to bring people outdoors with an opportunity to practice yoga in breathtaking natural environments.

Yoga outdoors boasts a large amount of benefits, as well as an opportunity to try something new and connect with a new community.

Benefits of yoga

Woman does yoga pose on rocky beach

The science of yoga was developed over 5,000 years ago, and its teachings are still studied and passed on today due to the countless benefits of this practice.

Some well-known physical benefits of yoga include increased flexibility, stamina, muscle strength, joint mobility, balance, and breath capacity.

Other physical benefits to a regular yoga practice include improved circulatory system and immune system functionality, an increase in body awareness, and reduction of pain in the muscles and joints.

While yoga boasts countless physical benefits, the mental and emotional benefits of the practice are also quite endless. Yoga assists in reducing stress levels, fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and general worrying or overthinking.

Nature is good for you

Woman meditates outdoors

Spending time in nature has countless physical and mental health benefits as well. As little as 30 minutes outdoors can drastically reduce stress levels, blood pressure, anxiety and mental fatigue. A natural increase in oxygen intake boosts happiness levels, creates more energy in the body and calms the nervous system functions.

Spending time in nature also stimulates creativity, focus, and inspiration. Connecting with the earth we gain a better sense of the health of world around us, the health of our communities and of our own physical and mental well being.

Don’t forget about the beautiful scenery available outdoors too!

Why do yoga in nature

Woman does backbend on beach during sunset

When we experience the benefits of yoga and the benefits of being outdoors together, the two create a very supportive relationship.

The practice of yoga paired with a natural outdoor environment supports a greater connection to your self, and a larger connection to the earth. Nature invigorates and stimulates the senses, which assist the yoga practice in helping you to naturally feel more connected to your body, and in turn what’s around you.

If you are a current practitioner of yoga, taking your practice outdoors can turn a familiar routine into a heightened experience. If you are new to yoga, an out-of-studio class can created a gentle welcoming approach to try something new in a supportive and nurturing environment.

Woman does yoga pose on a log

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