Take it outside

While doing yoga in a hot and sweaty room is lovely, doing it outside is something else altogether.

Instead of going to my usual lunch time class at the gym, yesterday my friend and I decided to head along to one of the free yoga classes that are run in Hyde Park in the Sydney CBD by Lululemon Mid City. They get different teachers from local yoga studios to take the classes in the park each Monday throughout the Summer. We were lucky enough to have the lovely Vicki from Preshana Yoga taking the class yesterday. 

Given my recent experiences with Bikram, doing a flowing vinyasa class with our mats laid out on the grass under a giant tree and the sun shining through the leaves felt incredibly freeing. There were quite a few people who had turned up for the class, all of them buzzing with the thrill of being out of the office, even if for just one hour.

While Vicki took us through a pretty strong practice, the class felt really easy. I think it was the distraction of the new - the sounds and smells of the outdoors, having a strong breeze wash over us every couple of minutes so you never really felt too hot or sweaty, in spite of all your efforts. And then, following a short but amazing shavasana, I got to open my eyes to this. 

And it was the perfect break in the middle of the working day. While we may have raced to park to get to the class on time, hoping that it was going to be worth all of the effort, we were in no real hurry to leave our mats after the class. We literally floated back to the office with our lungs full of fresh air.

Obviously doing yoga in the park isn't something you can do all the time - and I'm certainly not planning doing yoga outdoors during the nasty winter months - but it did remind me of how good it is to mix up the routine every now and then. Even if it is just changing your surroundings. 

Next - I want to head down to the beach and do a few asanas by the sea before the end of the summer. Anyone want to join me?