Want to learn to teach yoga classes with all standing postures, from grounding and centering to Savasana? You can teach yoga outdoors without a mat just about anywhere.  Consider combining it with a hike or a walk, on the beach, by the lake, or in a park.  The possibilities are endless when no mat is required.  No need to find level ground, freshly cut grass, or worry about insects hopping in your ear!  Read on to see how to teach your next standing class with ease.

I get a lot of questions about how and why I teach yoga hikes, one of my favorite ways to share my love of yoga and passion for the outdoors.  The truth is it came intuitively.  For several years, I practiced equestrian yoga on my horse, Sienna, while riding. Deep into the forest solitude we would go where I would do all sorts of twists, backbends, side bends, and forward folds in the saddle.  I experimented with different arm variations, mudras, and pranayama too.  If I can do all of this on horseback while enjoying nature, I thought, I can certainly do it while hiking on foot. Keep reading to learn how.

Beginning The Journey

When considering how to begin this journey, curiosity guided me to a class at a local lavender farm advertised as a yoga hike.  The instructor was an experienced yoga teacher, and held a certification as an outdoor guide – something I aspire to achieve one day as well. 

The experience delivered exactly what it promised: an opportunity to commune with nature.  The vistas from the farm were breathtaking. We spent time taking in the view of a serene lake while warming up and in the forest connecting with trees through the standing postures before returning to culminate the class in the lavender fields as the sun was setting.  

I took away a few pointers from the class and felt ready to give teaching yoga and hiking a try.  I set up a series of classes and thoughtfully planned my classes.  I decided I would use themes (see below) to help strengthen students’ connection with the outdoors.  My first class focused on the five senses. I took the class to one of my favorite riding trails and as we started with grounding and centering along the water, it was just as I had imagined.

Your Audience

When teaching an outdoor class or yoga hike that uses all standing postures and does not require students to bring a mat, you open your audience up to all levels.  Students do not need to be able to get up and down off the ground.  My classes are limited to adults however, to ensure peace and quiet and to limit distractions during the yoga hike.  I describe the hiking as “moderate.”  I don’t want the hike to be so strenuous that it takes away from what we are there to accomplish: oneness with nature.

What Do They Need to Bring?

In the class description I ask students to wear sturdy hiking shoes, to bring water and a snack if desired.  I send an email the day before with instructions and directions to the trailhead.  In the email I reiterate what is needed and after checking the weather forecast, I may advise a rain jacket or to wear a hat and gloves if temperatures are plummeting.  It usually doesn’t take long to warm up, but wind chills can be uncomfortable at the start of a class.

Length of the Class

An hour and a half seems to work well with yoga hikes.  I choose trails that are about 2 – 3 miles long (although this can vary depending on the trail).  I prefer loop trails rather than out and back.  If your “no mat required” outdoor class does not require hiking or walking, you may choose to condense it to an hour or less.  If hiking and yoga are combined, you may wish to pre-hike the trail, and run through your sequence of postures at specific locations.  I plan for about 30 minutes of yoga on the trail (broken up at various locations) and the rest hiking (moving along the trail).  I begin at a scenic location early on the trail for grounding and centering, then stop two additional times for yoga.  A standing Savasana is practiced near or at the end of the trail.

The Postures

Grounding and Centering

Start students standing in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) with feet about hips width distance, instructing them to find level, sturdy ground if possible and to take a soft gaze or close their eyes.  Begin guiding them to draw their awareness inward by following the path of their breath.  You may choose to guide them into Pranayama if desired such as Dirga Breath (Three-part Breath), Sama Vritti (Equal Breath), or even Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breath).    

Guide students to ground into the earth by first noticing their feet and legs and the support provided by the earth beneath them.  Then continuing to scan up through the body becoming aware of gravity pulling them down.  I may use imagery such as “imagine your legs like tree roots” or “reach the crown of your head towards the sky.”  

“This is the place the journey begins. Half rooted in the earth, half floating in the endless sky…”  

~ Leza Lowitz

Following grounding introduce your theme.  If using the five senses for example, consider instructing them to notice the feeling of the earth under their feet supporting them, and the air and sun on their skin. To notice the sounds of leaves rustling as the wind moves through them, or the sound of birds singing.  To smell the scents of the earth, plants and flowers. To notice the taste in their mouth.  Finally, instruct them to open their eyes and imagine seeing all the sights around them with fresh eyes, as if seeing the colors of the trees, plants, and the blue sky for the first time. See additional theme suggestions below.

Warm-up

From Tadasana, consider starting with a quarter sun salutation.  Cue students to reach their arms up to the sky then to bring hands to heart center.  You can incorporate a few neck stretches, side-bends, open arm twists, a modified (hands on hips) Parsvottanasana (Pyramid Pose) to begin warming up the hamstrings and maybe a balancing quad stretch if appropriate – balancing on one leg, bending the opposite knee and reaching back for the foot (possibly holding on to a tree for support). Remember to do both sides of each asymmetrical pose.  Consider working up to a half sun salutation:

When cueing through any pose – from Pyramid pose to Warrior III – consider including the cue “any amount.”  For example, “fold forward any amount,” or “lift your leg any amount.” Remember that you will likely have all levels of students in your class so variations and options are recommended. 

Standing Postures

Pretty much any standing posture you plan in your in-studio sequence can be included in your main outdoor standing sequence.  Considering the view, position your students so that they will face the direction you wish for them to see most.  This may mean a forward and back type sequence to flow through both sides of the body while mainly facing the view. View a sample standing sequence below:

Balancing Postures

Considering the level of your students, here are other balancing postures you might consider:

Cool-Down

Choose a quiet spot for your cool-down and Savasana.  Bring students back to Tadasana.  Take any standing cool-down postures, forward folds and twists that seem appropriate (as described in the warm-up).  Cue students to slow down their breathing and become aware of their breath once again.  You might choose to include Pranayama such as Dirga Breath (Three-part Breath), Sama Vritti (Equal Breath), or even Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breath).   

Savasana

The practice will conclude in a standing Savasana (final relaxation).  Cue students to perhaps re-establish their Tadasana stance maybe taking feet a little wider than hips width distance.  Give them an option to take a soft gaze or close their eyes.  Ask them to notice how they feel now as compared to when they began their practice. Walk students through a body scan once again.  This time consider starting at the crown of the head and working down to the feet. Perhaps give them a few moments in this posture and let them know they will hear your voice again shortly.  Use your script, a poem or a reading of some sort to culminate the practice. Nikita Gill’s The Forest is one of my favorites. End with the Anjali mudra and Namaste if it feels right. 

Themes

Here are a few themes I have used in yoga hike classes:

• Shinrin Roku (Forest Bathing) – Slowing Down, Immersing in Nature, We Are Nature
• Inner Child – Playfulness, First Memories of Connecting with Nature
• Perspective – History of Yoga, History of the Earth
• Intention – Setting an intention of Reconnecting with Nature

“Intentions lead to behaviors which lead to habits which lead to personality development which leads to destiny.”

~ Jack Kornfield

• Prana – Life Force from the air that we breathe; what we eat and drink from the Earth
• The Senses – Becoming aware of the Sights, Sounds, Scents, Feel and Taste of Nature
• Natural Elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether (Space)
• Seasons – Focusing on a theme for the present season, for example:
  •               Fall – Equinox, Balance, Accepting Change, Letting Go, Gratitude
  •               Winter – Solstice, Turning Inward, Rest, Restore, Looking forward to more Sunlight
  •               Spring – Equinox, Balance, Planting New Seeds, Rebirth
  •               Summer – Solstice, Honor the Sun, Vacations, Relaxation, Rewards for Hard Work

Other Ideas To Be Integrated Into Yoga Hikes/Outdoor “No Mat” Classes

Forest Bathing

Although Forest Bathing is listed above as a possible theme, it can easily be interwoven into any class with a woodsy, outdoor atmosphere. The term “Shinrin-yoku” was not coined until 1982, but the Japanese practice of Forest Bathing is an ancient one honoring the healing powers of the natural world. Bringing awareness to this practice can help students slow down and appreciate all the natural elements encountered outdoors.

Earthing

Earthing, or grounding, is another practice that can be included as well.  Presumably shoes would remain on for the duration of the class, but if the environment permits the removal of shoes during Savasana is an option.  Earthing is known to recharge our battery – increasing energy and reducing inflammation among other benefits.  It is known to some as a “cure-all.”

“Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.”

~ Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Rituals

Rituals can be a powerful experience.  Pick-up a stick, rock, or leaf symbolic of something you’re holding onto that causes worry or anxiety. Take a deep inhale and as you exhale release the object, “letting it go” along with the weight of what you’ve been carrying. Other rituals include offerings to the forest – to Mother Earth or entering through a portal (drawing a line in the ground, trail head or any opening into the woods) leaving your thoughts and worries behind you as you enter.

Pranayama

Pranayama, like those mentioned in Grounding and Centering and Cool-Down above, can be added anywhere in your class. A circular breath – in through the nose down the back of the throat then out through the front of the chest and throat – can be symbolic of the cyclical rhythm of everything in nature. 

Mudras

Mudras such as the Chin or Jnana mudra representing oneness with the Universe, the Open Lotus mudra reaching up to the light through the mud and muck – symbolic of the challenges we go through in life, or the Closed Lotus to Open Lotus mudras, representing new beginnings, are all powerful ways to channel and direct energy for a specific purpose.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The disadvantages of “no mat” yoga are few.  The first one that comes to mind is having little control over the outdoor environment.  Mainly, the weather, but also other people, pets, wildlife, and activities in a public open space. If the weather forecast looks questionable, tell students to check their inbox in the morning for a cancellation. Monitor the radar and make a judgement call the morning of. Additionally, not all trail heads and scenic areas have bathroom facilities.  If this is the case, make sure students are aware so they can plan ahead. 

The ADVANTAGES, on the other hand are many! Just being in nature offers many health benefits, from lowering blood pressure and heart rate to reducing harmful stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. Did you know negative ions are produced by plants and trees in the forest? If you’re not near a waterfall or ocean don’t worry, the forest has you covered.

“Negative ions are found in high-quantities throughout dense forestation and they can absorb through your skin and lungs. Once absorbed, it’s believed these ions may have the potential to lower inflammation, reduce stress, and boost serotonin levels.” says ionloop.com.

Add in the benefits of yoga (which include many above), plus enhancing flexibility, improving balance, boosting mood and an overall feeling of well-being makes outdoor yoga a win-win. 

With “no mat” yoga, students learn to practice in their shoes or hiking boots (or barefoot if they prefer!), making it a practice they can take with them wherever they go.  They can reach for the clouds in a Half Sun Salutation, connect with a tree in Tree Pose, or pull strength from a Warrior pose whenever the mood strikes – on the trail or in their own backyard.  The possibilities are truly endless.   

Additional Resources:

The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing: Finding Calm, Creativity, and Connection in the Natural World by Julia Plevin

Yoga Sequencing: Designing Transformative Yoga Classes
by Mark Stephens

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/standing-yoga-poses