What could be a better companion for your yoga routine than a gentle breeze and some sunshine? Luckily, you don’t have to retreat to the wilderness to enjoy the benefits of outdoor yoga. These outdoor yoga landscaping ideas will help you stretch out right in your own backyard.
8 outdoor yoga landscaping ideas
Creating your own outdoor yoga studio is easy–– the options are endless to create a calming outdoor space that works for you. Here are just a few great outdoor yoga landscaping ideas.
Keep your feet on the ground
Select a spot where you feel comfortable being barefoot for an outdoor yoga session. A deck or patio is the perfect spot to stretch out into downward-facing dog on your yoga mat. Plus, your yoga studio can double as the perfect outdoor living space for entertaining.
Create a versatile outdoor living room for use when you’re off the mat. A seating area with oversized pillows and ottomans paired with rattan outdoor furniture will create a cozy, nature-inspired feel, while hammock chairs and fire pits add balance and a fun accent.
Relax in the shade
You’ll want your outdoor yoga space to be usable no matter the weather, so add some protection from the elements with a pergola or shade sail, and consider a discreet outdoor fan to cool the area and ward off insects. You don’t want to be breaking out of child’s pose to slap mosquitoes!
Provide privacy
Creating a backyard yoga retreat with privacy in mind will allow you to feel at one with nature without worrying about prying neighbors. Try adding privacy screens or curtains to your outdoor yoga space, or landscape for privacy with a few strategic shrubs or hedges.
Add some greenery with a container garden
Looking to brighten up your yoga oasis? Protected outdoor spaces are a great place for container gardens to shine. Large ferns, dracaena plants, and elephant ears are perfect accents for your yoga patio.
Tend to a meditation garden
Your yoga space will have a perfect counterpart with a zen garden for meditation and reflection after your savasana. Incorporate elements from rock gardens and sensory gardens for a serene yoga garden design that appeals to the senses. Accents like lanterns and statuettes will create an immersive environment.
Incorporate cool colors
Color can make a big impact in any landscaping design, especially an outdoor yoga space. Cool colors – greens, blues, and purples – generate a calming feeling that will create the perfect ambiance for your yoga practice.
There are plenty of ways to introduce color to your outdoor yoga area. Furniture and decor come in cool hues, while greenery and flowers will add a natural touch.
Add a water feature
The soft sound of running water makes a perfect addition to your outdoor yoga routine. Water features for your lawn come in all shapes and sizes, and there are plenty of options available to fit your needs.
A high-quality solar-powered water fountain is an easy place to start for a small-scale landscaping addition that will make a big impact. Looking to aim a little higher? Wall-mounted fountains, backyard ponds, and waterfalls are just a few of the larger options that will wash away your stress while you practice outside.
Attract pollinators–– at a distance
The wonder of a butterfly’s wings can create a beautiful view for your practice space, but the last thing you want is a bee sting. Position a small garden for pollinators with feeders away from your yoga space to coexist with nature peacefully. You’ll have the best of both worlds!
Benefits of outdoor yoga
Yoga on its own has a host of benefits, including enhancing fitness, reducing stress, and improving your cardiovascular health. Here are a few of the lesser-known ones:
- Improving body image
- Increasing balance and alignment
- Enhancing mindful eating
- Improving sleep quality
Time spent outdoors is great for you, too, leading to better mental health, memory, and metabolism. Research even shows that exercising outside can make you more excited about fitness and keep you working out for longer. Outdoor yoga combines all these benefits to take you outside of the four walls of your studio and into the open air.
Take a deep breath
Yoga should be relaxing and fulfilling, but taking on a new landscaping project can be stressful and overwhelming. If you’re yearning to stretch out with an outdoor yoga studio, don’t get bogged down in worrying about the set-up. Landscaping professionals are just a call or click away.
Particularly worried about lawn pests invading your idyllic outdoor studio? No need to worry–– Lawn Love can help with that, too.
Main Image Credit: Pexels
