No Mats Necessary and Other YHDC Details

No Mats Necessary and Other YHDC Details

Do I need to bring a mat?  Can I participate if I’m new to yoga?  How far do we hike?Danielle on YogaHike 1

All good questions and we appreciate you asking!

The most commonly asked question to date has definitely been, “Do I need to bring a mat?”  Great news!  You do NOT need to bring a yoga mat with you!  During a Yoga Hike we want you to have an active cardio experience, so your arms and legs need to be free to move unencumbered.  Also, if you’ve practiced yoga outside you know that a mat is not always that helpful and sometimes messy.  What is helpful are our handy mat squares, which provide a good barrier between your bottom and the ground.  Your instructor will have mat squares for everyone to use at the final YogaStop.  That said, the choice to take a seated or full savasana on the ground is up to the comfort level of each individual participant.

Another popular question has been about the level of the yoga.  Yoga Hikes is an open level vinyasa flow yoga format.  Open level yoga means that our yoga practice is accessible to beginners and more advanced yoga practitioners.   Is it helpful to have some prior exposure to yoga?  Sure!  But if  you are new to yoga, a Yoga Hike is a great way to learn.  At the same time, more experienced yogis will be invited to take more advanced versions of poses during the flow and are encouraged to make the practice their own.

Finally, (at least for this post) are the questions about the duration and intensity of the hiking.  You can currently sign up for 90 minutes Yoga Hikes and coming soon, 2 hour Yoga Hikes.  During a 90 minute hike you will likely get in about 45 minutes of hiking in 3 fifteen minute intervals (though this varies depending on the route and location of our Yoga Stops).  As for intensity, this is an outdoor fitness workout.  The hiking is our cardio work, so we keep a comfortable, but steady hiking pace.  Keeping pace with the group is important in order to maintain the workout and get to all of our YogaStops in time!

From time to time we will offer a more restorative Yoga Hike with a leisurely pace and restorative postures.  If you like the idea of going on a Yoga Hike, but would prefer a more leisurely pace, consider organizing a private hike.  Private Yoga Hikes can be tailored to meet the needs and interest of the group.  For more information on private hikes or other questions about the Yoga Hikes, please email danielle@yogahikesdc.com or tweet @YogaHikes

 

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