Here’s a fact: Exercising outdoors is way more beneficial than doing it indoors.
A study published on the AUS Library of Medicine claims that any form of exercise, when done in a natural environment, has immense advantages such as better stress management, it reduces anger & depression, increases your energy levels, reduces fatigue, and improves your confidence. This, of course, includes yoga! So, let me delve into some of the benefits or wellness multipliers that come with practicing yoga outdoors:
1) Revitalise your lungs
Our lungs hold 6L of air capacity. Practicing yoga in the open air will ensure inhaling of better-quality oxygen, which, in turn, breaks down pollutants and toxins that may have been accumulated in your alveoli. With better oxygen, one tends to inhale and exhale more air, improving the performance of your heart.
2) Refill your daily dose of Vitamin D Vitamin D is critical for healthier bones. In Australia many people have a low levels of Vitamin D.This deficiency can be attributed to the limited exposure to the sun with all that slip slop and slap Aussies have had drummed into us as infants. To protect ourselves from the harmful rays of the sun. Another factor contributing to low Vit D levels is less exposure to the outdoors. Many of us are spending far too much time indoors due to work and poor lifestyle choices. The consequence of deficient Vitamin D, could lead to an array of health hazards such as cardiac arrests, depression and cancer. Whenever given a chance, you should practice yoga in the open and refill your Vitamin D quota.
3) Your bare feet kissing the dew drop-filled grass, sand or rock improves your heart health A study by the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, suggests that contact between earth and the human body keeps your heart healthy by reducing the viscosity of the blood, i.e. thinning the blood. Another research published in the AUS National Library of Medicine found that close contact with the earth helps to reduce inflammation in the body, releases stress and improves sleep. This is also called Earthing or grounding - walking barefoot in nature / outdoors.
To put it briefly, when your bare feet or skin comes in contact with the earth, free electrons are taken up into the body. These electrons could be referred to as nature’s biggest antioxidants and help neutralise damaging excess free radicals that can lead to inflammation and disease in the body. The Earth is a conductor or free electrons and so are all living things on the planet, including us. The body is composed of mostly of water and minerals which in combination are excellent conductors of electrons from the Earth providing there is direct skin contact or some other conductive channel for them to flow through.
4) Improves your concentration and listening ability Studios or your home cannot match up to nature when it comes to your serenity. The soulful music played on your audio system to emulate nature is far from reality. When you perform yoga in the arms of Mother Nature, you automatically improve your listening skills as you’re now away from human-made noises such as car honks. Without any source of distractions, you can establish a connection with your inner self and with nature.
5) Deep cleansing of your emotional quotient Practicing yoga outdoors helps you to connect with your surroundings and enables you to resonate with the environment around you. With your feet on the ground, your root chakra will start to match the frequency of the surroundings, making your mind more receptive and syncing with the rhythm of your heartbeat. With both heart and soul in sync during meditation, emotions will arise, clean your memories, and lighten your feelings. This will help increase your confidence and self-realization.
6) Outdoor yoga is more intense When you practice yoga in nature, you may require a higher level of concentration due to the uneven terrain. This helps your body to sync with the environment around you, increasing the intensity of the practice. You may also embrace the elements of nature such as the wind, the sun, the sand or the water, and systematically establish a relationship with these elements. E.g. the warmth of the sun and the moisture of the sea can help your muscles to be more flexible. There are many yoga retreats that are held in a natural environment. From a hiking and yoga holiday to a yoga and surfing holiday.
7) You don’t have to fight for floor space With the growing popularity of yoga in the cities, there’s a mad rush in most yoga studios. If you go outdoors, you have more space to execute your poses without the need to squeeze in for space.
We all know the benefits of yoga are profound, but they’re even better when practiced outdoors. So, whenever you can, take your mat and head to the closest park or beach instead of going to your regular studio.
See for yourself how truely beautiful you will feel practicing yoga in the outdoors. You will feel more grounded and connected to yourself and your environment.
Try one of our outdoor group or private yoga sessions at Refresh Wellbeing.
Book online: refreshwellbeing.com.au / book a class.