Photo: Tia Vath
Tired of practicing yoga in your living room? As spring starts to bloom around us and the weather gets warmer, check the weather forecast, grab your mat and head out for some yoga with a view. Here are some epic places to find some peaceful bliss in the city.
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Photo: Jana Josue-McLaren
While there are many benefits to yoga (the list is long!), these are some of the reasons why I love taking my yoga practice outside:
- Fresh air is amazing for the soul.
- It reawakens my senses.
- The Vitamin D we get from natural light is important for our immune system to function well. (Psst! You’re not getting that inside.)
- I get some of my best ideas and clarity from an outdoor yoga practice.
- Sometimes you need just need to get out of the house!
Here are some beautiful outdoor spaces to unroll your mat at in our beautiful city:
Sunset Beach Park
Right around the bend from English Bay Beach, Sunset Beach Park is one of the quieter areas of the Vancouver waterfront and Seawall. I would consider it one of the city’s best kept secrets for where to picnic, watch the fireworks in the summer, and have a peaceful outdoor practice.
Photo: Jana Josue-McLaren
Olympic Village Boardwalk
The Olympic Village boardwalk has everything I love for an outdoor practice: a stunning view of “my” mountains, the sound of the water, and various nooks off the main walk where I can unroll my mat. The boardwalk can get busy around midday, but you can bring your mat down to the large cement steps that lead down to the water to have less people around you. (The square footage of any one of the steps is bang on for your yoga mat.)
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Top Tip: Whichever place you choose for your outdoor practice, consider arriving around sunrise to take advantage of some peace and quiet. Sunrise yoga is always a stunning experience and a great way to start your day.[/perfectpullquote]
Stanley Park
While Stanley Park can be quite busy all year round, there are many quiet areas to unroll your yoga mat. These include the Rose Garden, Lost Lagoon, and the Second Beach Picnic area. I like to stroll through the park or around the Seawall afterward to be around the trees — they are very grounding.
David Lam Park
One of my favourite things about this city is that we have so many green spaces. David Lam Park in Yaletown is one of those gems, facing out onto False Creek. The park’s stretch of the Seawall goes west towards the ferry to Granville Island or east to Science World and Olympic Village. There are many shady or open areas for a yoga session, and a spot I’m always keen on is the lookout above the waterfall on the west side.
Photo via Kitsilano.ca
Kits Beach
Any beach is amazing for yoga, but Kits Beach happens to be a favourite of mine with it’s mountain view and beautiful trees. Other beaches to consider taking your yoga mat to are, Spanish Banks, Third Beach and New Brighton Park.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Where will you take your yoga mat? Be sure to share with us by tagging @inside_vancouver on Instagram![/perfectpullquote]
