Take Your Practice Outside

Practice in the Park with Yoga Tree

CpBFhA6UAAIbgsKJoin us at Russell Farm Park on Saturday August 20th for a morning of free outdoor yoga! Yoga Tree will be hosting an event to celebrate our wonderful community of yogis! We will provide three yoga classes that are accessible to all levels:

9:00 am with Rana

10:00 am with Daniel

11:00 am with Eric

And, there will be food and music! This is a free event but donations will be accepted in support of S’port for Kids Foundation. 100% of the proceeds will go to this local community outreach program that provides underprivileged children with access to organized sporting activities – a wonderful cause to support with mindful movement.

The event will be held at Russell Farm Park located at Bayview Avenue and Bantry Avenue in Richmond Hill. Please be sure to register a spot online under the workshops section of our website as we are expecting a large group for this fun event.

Benefits of Practicing Outdoors

Nature and yoga seem to go hand in hand. For starters, practitioners have historically practiced yoga in outdoor environments – and for good reason! Yoga is about disconnecting from the daily distractions and connecting to the universe. What better place to do so than with among the inanimate living organisms that make up our environment. Not to mention the numerous health benefits of spending time outside… Parks Victoria commissioned Deakin University to review over 200 articles related to the environment improving elements of our bodies, minds and souls. They found that within these articles was a mountain of evidence that shows contact with nature can: FullSizeRender (1)

  • Increase productivity
  • Decrease levels of stress and anxiety
  • Enhance creativity
  • Provide rehabilitative and recuperative benefits to those suffering serious physical and mental illnesses
  • Improve self-awareness, self-esteem, self-concept
  • Positively effect mood, and
  • Alleviate symptoms of depression, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, tension, headaches, and indigestion

These are just a few examples of some of the health and wellness benefits that being in touch with nature can provide you. You all have probably experienced some of these effects before. There is something about being outside that allows our body, mind, and soul a collective sigh. The outdoors usually gives us a much needed reminder of the beauty of simplicity. This freedom from distraction is a mindset we are constantly working toward in yoga, and being in nature can really help you to find that place of calm. The environment can help to still you, energize you, and inspire you – it has a way of giving you exactly what you need (a lesson you may have learnt from Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree”).

We mimic many of the patterns of nature in our practice seeking to find grace and harmony in movement and through the expression of cycles – whether it be the repetition of a series of postures, of breath or of mantra. So, it’s fair to assume that immersing yourself in nature can only enhance your practice. There is no better way to discover that everything is connected than through nature!

If you are practicing outdoors, be sure to protect yourself from the heat that can be overwhelming in summer months. Stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and remember to listen to your body! Mallorie, a fellow Yoga Tree blogger has written a blog post about summer and ayurveda that contains some great advice for beating the summer heat. Be sure to keep these tips in mind throughout your summer adventures and we hope that you join us next Saturday August 20th in one of ours!


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Video is created by The Art of Grace