Practicing Yoga in Nature

Photos by my friend Yoel Eisenstadt.

There is something beautiful about taking your yoga outside. When you move beyond the mat, you learn to rely less on the sound of a teacher's voice, or the feeling of even floor under your feet, or all those little habits you've developed by coming to the studio and setting up in the same spot for every class.

Spontaneous, in-the-moment yoga is an inspiring breath of fresh air. It happens when you step outside of the car to stop for gas in the middle of a road trip, or when you spot a grassy field where it's just too beautiful not to try a handstand.

When you practice yoga in nature, you find your flow, your living meditation. You connect to the breath and your own personal practice; nothing else remains.

Try embracing the notion that you can take your yoga anywhere. See where it takes you :)

PS You may have noticed I'm a fan of spontaneous yoga. Check out when I practiced in the middle of busy Chicago streets, on the edge of a fountain, in the heart of Boston, and near Lake Michigan. These guerilla yoga pictures are also hilarious.