Teaching Yoga Outdoors

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to venture into teaching yoga outdoors. In many ways, outdoor yoga is the same as indoor yoga. It's that same basic flow, the same poses (mostly) and the same focus on linking breath and movement. Yet planning for a few key differences can help ensure the comfort (and safety) of your class.

Here are 5 things to consider when teaching an outdoor yoga class:

1. The ground

If you've ever practiced yoga on the grass, or sand, you've felt your muscles adjusting to support you on an uneven surface. It can be a startling sensation, especially in poses that you've taken dozens (or hundreds) of times on a steady wood floor.

When teaching yoga outdoors, always be aware of the ground. Is it grass? Sand? Cement? Brick? In a forest? Yoga can be practiced anywhere, but care should be taken on some surfaces.

If possible, go to the location before the event and try out poses in a few different spots. Scout out the most even area you can find and keep in mind that students' mats will have varying thickness.

On a hard surface, you may want to limit poses that put pressure on the knees, like balanced table, low lunge or frog pose.

Whatever the location, remind students to be mindful of practicing on a surface that's different than a studio floor. If appropriate, encourage them to check their area for sticks or debris before setting up their mats. And continue to cue gentle reminders about being mindful of the ground throughout the practice.

2. The sun

Unless you are teaching a class under the stars (what a great idea!), take some time to think about the sun. Where will the sun be during the time of your class? Ideally, you want the sun behind your students backs as much as possible. But there may be exceptions.

In the picture above, I was teaching at an evening Vino & Vinyasa event (practice followed by a wine tasting). The sun was only visible for the first few minutes of practice and quickly lowered behind the barn. Facing in this direction was also the best option for the view it offered (see #3).

The sun is an important consideration because you don't want your students to burn. Encourage students to bring/wear sunscreen and you may want to bring your own in case anyone forgets. Keep in mind that applying sunscreen will make hands slippery, so bring wet wipes if there isn't a place where they can wash their hands.

During daytime classes, students may also want to wear sunglasses, especially once you hit the mat for supine poses and savasana. If some students have taken off their sunglasses for the practice, I've found it's helpful to cue a suggestion like, "you may want to close your eyes or slip on your sunglasses for our finishing poses."

3. The view

In outdoor yoga, plan your sequence to take advantage of the best possible views. For example, at the event pictured above, there were lovely natural views to the front, right and back, but a less interesting view of houses on the left side.

To offer more views, and give the class a more free feeling, I sequenced some standing poses to start facing forward, transition facing right (utkata konasana), then turn to the back of the mat. We then spent some time facing the back, before again turning right (prasarita podottanasana) to return forward.

Some outdoor locations are less about natural beauty, but the surroundings are still a consideration. Whether teaching on a downtown plaza or a grassy event lawn, you can always cue towards reaching for the sky or feeling the sensations of a passing breeze.

Bring something of the outdoors into your cues to set the practice apart from an indoor class.

4. The sounds

Sound is a big consideration when teaching outdoors. There are no walls or ceilings to contain your voice, and there are likely to be competing sounds all around you. In a natural setting, I was surprised by the overpowering and continual chirping of cicadas. When teaching on a downtown plaza, it was the sounds of traffic, passersby, construction on a nearby building, and airplanes overhead.

It's best if you have a mic (headset) to amplify your voice. But that isn't always an option.

I've taught yoga outdoors when there wasn't a mic available and also when the available mic wasn't working properly. Without a mic, be prepared to speak as loudly as possible and stay close to your class. Make an announcement at the beginning, explaining that it may be hard to hear, and encourage students to watch each other for visual cues. It also helps to walk through your class and demonstrate as needed.

5. The props

You may be used to teaching in a yoga studio or gym where mats and props are provided. That probably won't be the case at an outdoor yoga event. Students are asked to bring their own mats, but some may forget or may choose to bring a towel or blanket instead.

Not having a mat can be a problem on brick or hard pavement. While most people will bring their own mat, I've always brought a couple of extras when teaching outdoor yoga and they've been needed every time.

When props, like blocks and straps, are not provided, very few students bring their own. Plan your sequence as if no one will have blocks, straps or other props.

Unless you are teaching a small group that you know well, assume that you will have a mixed group of students, and leave out any poses that would be unsafe or inaccessible for beginners without props.

Teaching yoga outdoors has a few added challenges, but it's a great experience. Give it a try if you're ever offered the opportunity, or look into starting your own outdoor yoga group. Just be prepared to breathe through the challenges and enjoy the journey.