There is nothing like unrolling our eco friendly, chemical free Shakti Warrior yoga mat on a patch of fresh cut grass and practicing our Surya Namaskar outdoors. Right?
There are so many benefits to taking your yoga practice outside, such as aligning with nature, heightening our awareness, building confidence, and soaking up some vitamin D from the sun. So, while we are 150% encouraging an outdoor practice this summer, do not forget your sunscreen!
As much as we want to take in all that vitamin D, we also need to protect our skin from harmful UV rays. Next time you are going to a yoga festival, rooftop yoga, or doing a solo practice in a local park, or your own backyard, don’t forget the following tips to protect your skin:
- Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes prior to starting your outdoor yoga practice in order to allow it to be fully absorbed into the skin.
- Depending on what time you are practicing, check your sunscreen’s SPF. An early morning practice will be safe with a lower SPF like 20-30, but if you are practicing in the middle of the day, or you are attending a yoga festival where you will be practicing outdoors all day, we suggest you go for the higher SPF (50-70). Better safe than burned. Aloe Vera can only soothe so much!
- Re-apply, re-apply, and re-apply. This goes for the festivalgoer and multiple outdoor classes a day kind of yogi. If you know you are going to be outdoors all day, take the sunscreen with you and keep applying it throughout the day as needed, especially after a strenuous class that made you sweat it all off!
- Remember that sun block and sunscreen are different. Sun block protects against UVB rays and sunscreen protects from UVA rays. The good news is that there are a number of products out there that offer both in one. Be sure to check before stepping out for some outdoor yoga fun.
- If for some reason you forget your sun protection, ask another yogi for some or stay in shaded areas to avoid sunburn and skin damage. If you do get more than that sun kissed look (AKA: sunburn), apply Aloe Vera as soon as you can to soothe the burnt skin and prevent more skin damage. (Putting a small bottle in your yoga mat bag will solve this problem!)
So there you have it yogis, this outdoor yoga season stay healthy and sunburn free with these simple tips.
-- by Viviana Wilches
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