Bringing yoga to populations outside the studio

[Kimberly]

This week, we are going to be bringing yoga to population outside of the studio as we volunteer at a 5k race. As you prepare for this event, or maybe if you respond after the event, share your thoughts on bringing yoga to populations outside of a traditional studio setting. What do we need to consider? What modifications do we need to make? How did you prepare for this group? And if you are teaching outside of the studio for your Karma yoga, what factors must you consider? Share your thoughts.

[regmarlew63]

Taking Yoga Outside the Studio

Since my karma classes, so far, have all taken place outside of a traditional yoga studio, I have learned a lot about importance of surroundings for a yoga practice. First of all you must consider that you do not have the props that are traditionally available to you inside a studio . Therefore if you plan on doing poses that strongly suggest the use props, you need to think outside box; examples are chairs , tables, wall space etc. Also I did not have access to a clock, so I had to figure out a way to keep check on my timing without looking too distracted. Lighting and temperature control was a challenge . You had to take basically what was there and work with it. The space was very large so my music was hard to hear, and I wondered if the people were having trouble hearing me because I really did not want to shout and feeling it was counterproductive to the practice and keeping people in a more calm state. You must also make sure that the location has a way to be secure once class starts so that you and the students are in a safe space while your attention is not on the outside world. Places that are not in a studio can have a lot of distractions naturally. So it is important to try to keep a focus of the group and what we are actually doing and trying to keep their attention on practice and not to all their surrounding factors. A big perk of the place I’ve taught had a large wall of windows that loooked out onto a prairie . It was even mentioned to me by one of the students that it was so fun to be doing the poses while looking out on such a serene setting. I believe this helped a lot in bringing a peaceful mood to the class.
It was great to be aware, that even if there are outside challenges, we can practice yoga anywhere anytime. And all the distractions can help us in learning how to be centered & draw awareness inward & leave the world behind for just a short time.

Regina Lewis

[LAD92761]

So far my Karma teaching has been outside the studio and I do believe if you can get your students centered outside of a studio, you are a step ahead! I’m teaching in a gym like location, exercise equipment surrounds the room, the ceiling is angled quite a bit (like a loft) so wall space is at a premium, not easy if you need several to get to the wall and you need to be careful not to hit ceiling or grab TRX strap hanging from the ceiling! So set up and pre-planning is important. Also there is a class right before so there is only 10 minutes to get in the room, set up, greet students and begin! But the students do not realize these worries or things that I see. And that is what I must remember. By teaching them breathwork at the beginning, using eyes closed during long pauses, I believe they are staying centered. Tonight in the Narthex, with a bigger space, I have decided to take my larger speaker and will work to position it so it works. I find the music helps me stay focused and so I will get there earlier to figure that out. I have invested in straps for my outside the studio classes. Now I feel I need to invest next in blocks, but will wait a bit on that purchase. We will use what we can find in the meantime if we need it at the church. My next challenge will be Free Yoga day, teaching Pilates outside with no props. I’m super excited about it and even had a student last night tell me at the studio how excited she was to practice outside. So, planning begins! I really want to use nature in my teachings, I have a couple ideas/workshops for future, so I’m happy to say that learning first to teach outside of a studio is serving my journey. It makes you really think more!

[betshellhaas]

There is a lot to consider when teaching outside of the studio setting. Last Saturday I taught a yoga class at a local farm/market. We did it outside in the grass near the barn animals. I had not seen the setting before getting there early Saturday morning. Some things I thought about were music, wind, making sure I spoke loudly and clearly and no props. I used the small speaker Kimberly gave us with my iPad to play music. Before the class even started I decided to use no music at all. The animals were making noises, the wind was blowing and we were out in nature, I figured that was soothing and calming for the class. It was a windy day so I was worried about everyone hearing me clearly. I worked a little harder at that than normal but no one said they couldn’t hear me. I made the class a very simple beginners class. No props were needed for the poses I offered. When I did offer a more challenging pose I gave an option for a modification. I really wanted to create a class that would get people moving from seated to standing postures but in a very simple way. We were out in the sun so I did not want people to be overly sweating from the practice.
I think it’s wonderful to go outside of the typical yoga studio and teach. It reaches people who may feel uncomfortable coming to a yoga studio. However, it is almost impossible to provide the props and mats, especially when you have no idea how many people may show. I always suggest promoting to bring your own mat and water. As well as making sure you have liability wavers that cover you in case of an accident and having people sign them. Another random thought I had, I was worried about my cheat-sheet paper (yoga sequence) flying away in the wind and how was I going to read it easily? I decided to bring a large stone to hold the paper down onto my mat. It worked very well and will remember for next time! I also remembered to bring information on my studio, Tapestry, to hand out. I really enjoyed teaching outside, I plan to do another class at the farm in June.

[KHuttsell]

Almost all my karma yoga opportunities are in a “non-traditional” settings. I’m very excited about this as I find I enjoy new spaces. And with my day job I’m used to working on the fly with whatever the situation presents.

My first karma yoga was for a dental office. We literally held the class in the lobby of the office, which opens to the Worthington Mall. We moved the furniture in a way that allowed for all the mats – and I found the space to be very quiet actually. Transitioning the associates from their typical workspace to a space to practice was my number one goal. (Because honestly I would have a hard time relaxing in my office where my stress originated!) I brought my own music and a portable speaker to aid in the transition to the class. As someone else said in their post – I chose a sequence that would be able to done by most students without needing props. However, thanks to advice from my fellow yogis – I packed extra mats and beach towels to ensure everyone could practice comfortably. I learned quickly that my class was diverse in abilities and previous experience. And since this class was not rated as a “level 1” or level “2” – I didn’t have a way to gage where the students might be. I made sure I was prepared with modifications for every pose. This class also had a more casual feel as some of the newer students talked to one another about the poses during the class. The positive element to this talking was that students felt comfortable asking me questions and discussing how their bodies felt or if they needed additional modifications. I learned a lot teaching this class.

Upcoming, I am co-teaching a Girl Scout Group outdoors. This will be a different group to plan for as they are younger and may or may not embrace the structure of the class. To aid it making it more “fun” – I am suggesting that we include a music soundtrack with more top 40 hits and upbeat music. We will use a shelter house in the park for class to guard against possible sun and to create a stable surface. We will also incorporate some additional elements into the event to aid the girls in earning their yoga badge. We will discuss part of the yamas, work on a meditation and also collect trash to support the environment.

I will teach my first “traditional” class in a week or so. I’m looking forward to seeing how different my planning process is for that type of class since I will have more control of the physical environment and access to props.

I think I will feel more pressure in a traditional class – as it seems like everything should be “more polished.” I believe a non-traditional class allows more opportunity to be flexible and creative as students don’t necessarily have a direct comparison to something they have done before.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by KHuttsell.

[msinghal]

I taught my karma yoga outside the studio, but luckily, I had the space to myself all to myself. It was an office space, but unoccupied. I decided to make it warmer by using lights and tea light candles. I used soft instrumental music. I carried my own speaker and placed it in the middle of the room, so my voice does not drown in its sound if placed next to me. It was a small room with no other distractions of noise, so speaking too loudly was not necessary. My major challenge was the room’s layout for which I had to be creative as to how to even fit about 7 students.

Today, when teaching outside at the race, voice projection was an issue, so were the many distractions of the people and music around. The unevenness and texture of the ground also offered a challenge. We could not do sitting and lying down poses and standing balancing poses were harder too.

All said and done, while teaching outside can offer challenges, practicing for your own self is very rewarding. Doing yoga in nature is my personal favorite as I practice on my back patio regularly during summer. I love to breathe and flow with the music created by chirping of birds and water from my fountain. Add to that the aroma of the fresh air and the flowers around, it is a heavenly experience. The final cherry on the cake is witnessing the joy of my poodle prancing around me enjoying nature every bit as I am. (I do miss my yoga buddy and neighbor, who for years practiced with me on my patio, and who I lost in February to cancer.) If you have not experienced it yet, I encourage you to try it this summer.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by msinghal.

[sally200]

I have not taught other than at a studio to date. My approach would be to do a site inspection and create a list on how best to create the comforts of a studio.

Now, I taken classes outside a studio. As a student, here we my take aways.
The surfaces either have been so hard or soft (sand). It’s had been in the hot sun, high noon. I feel time of the class Important if it is outside.

Check out how safe an area, people traffic. What are the noise factors.

Then think about the group you will expect in your class. What type of yoga will they be expecting? And of course, your liability coverage.

My next thought will be how to market myself and my home studio??

[lisaclick48]

I had a blast doing yoga with my yoga sisters at the 5K. It really was fun and made a big impact on me for future opportunities. What a great way to occupy kids or families to prepare for a 5k Run. Doing the same poses all together outside was really refreshing. I think we could have really created some great ideas for the future as we could perform in small groups surrounding the run in various places with coupons for those who joined us. It makes my mind start churning on ideas how to get folks engaged to do some yoga poses and how it would be a great way to market Balancing Owl throughout the surrounding cities of Columbus.
I will be teaching girl scouts outside in a shelter area, so I’m very interested in making the environment safe. Making sure the ground is free from debris as I’m bringing a broom to make sure we don’t have any issues and ensure we have plenty of room for students so moving tables around as needed. I will have insect repellent, water, paper towels and hand wipes since we are going to be outside in the elements. I don’t have any music planned as I think it will be nice to include the nature sounds of the park instead. The girls will be earning a badge for truth and non-harming, so I will be focused on the key poses they must complete to get the badge along with words of wisdom during our meditation timeframe. I think being outside, I will be aware of my surroundings and stay alert since it’s a public place.
I will be teaching a group of women outside in Galena. I’m focused on how to incorporate nature as a part of my theme. Safety and plenty of room will be key as well. I was thinking that sunscreen, water, and towels may be needed along with baseball caps depending on the weather. We will be incorporating essential oils with poses, so I will have hand outs that will need to be used in the outside elements so I’m going to use cardstock and larger print to ensure it’s easy to view and rocks to hold down if it’s windy.
I’m sure I will learn a lot from teaching outside, so I can apply it to future classes!

[Beth]

I really enjoyed teaching yoga in a public place and attracting attention to the calming practice. I think amidst the chaos of a 5k race event, it was a nice contrast to have yoga happening. I thought of different poses that would help a runner, particularly legs, to prepare for this event. Mostly the preparation was in my head, because this was not a traditional environment for yoga, whether practicing or teaching. I do not mind people watching me do something, I am not shy in front of groups, but with yoga there is a sense of fear that I won’t do the pose the way I meant to, or I will somehow forget something important. I realize in my Karma Yoga teaching, this is happening less and less, I am not as nervous. When I prepare mentally now, I am confident and forgiving of what I know inevitably I will forget or do in a way I would have preferred not to. I pre-forgive myself, because I know I am going to do something. Instead of worrying about what it will be, I do so in advance. This makes me more relaxed and helps to bring back, or unblock the passion and excitement I have about teaching and sharing yoga.

I think fear and anxiety so often rob us of things we enjoy. My nervousness faded quickly at the race when the young boys and girls came over to practice with us. Even though they were falling over, laughing and bumping into each other, it was still a lot of fun. I think we forget that yoga can be fun, or funny and when shared in a large group is empowering. I think others in the crowd enjoyed watching us practice even if they weren’t ready to share in it. I think yoga sends a positive energy into a crowd and I was happy to be out doing it with my peers. I think that was one of the best parts of the day, was encouraging each other, as teacher’s to get our nerves out and go in front of the group to lead a pose. Watching Lisa come out and get everyone moving was really wonderful! I was really proud of all of us, and I realized how much I enjoy having yoga in common with others.

[dooley]

When you are teaching outside a yoga studio, you need to do your homework. You need to see what props they have. What type of students you will be teaching. Have they done yoga before? Then you need to prepare for the class by bringing any props that you want your students to be using. Your sequencing may change depending if they have any experience doing yoga.

The place I am doing my Karma yoga only has block, so I had to borrow straps to use. Some of the students didn’t have mats, so I brought the extra mats I had for them to use. When we were doing the yoga at the 5K, we were on a hill. We had to be aware of the people who were on the slop of the hill when we were doing certain poses. Most balances poses were a challenge for them, so we needed to make adjustments on how they did the pose. it was a great experience helping the runners get ready for the race.

Always make sure you do your research when you are not teaching at a yoga studio. This way you can be prepare for anything.

[melross1]

Planning for classes outside the studio. If they are outside, which is where my Karma classes will be, I plan to just have a mat. And I will speak as loudly as I can but, I will mirror them the best I can as well. I believe it will be a bit difficult for them to hear me on the practice field that we will be using. I realized this when we did the 5k. I’m also going to be doing a lot of stretching and my class will be off the ground as much as possible since I don’t know if any of the kids have grass allergies (I know mine does but we have meds:)

I have been googling ways to make props like use blankets and pillow cases tied at the end for bolsters. So that if I am in a place where I might feel that I will need props for some of my poses but I might not have enough, I can throw something together.

I love practicing outside, so I often will use 2 mats and a towel. I normally keep 2 mats in my car just in case I go somewhere to practice and someone needs one. It’s come in handy a couple of times. We can’t be prepared for everything, but we can try to be prepared for as much as possible.

[EmilyD]

I’m responding post race, but I’m doing my Karma Yoga in an outside setting so the things that have been on my mind are now answered. The biggest challenges I will face are making my voice heard and finding level ground. We experienced both of these at the race.

For the voice, I do not plan to use a microphone, so I will have to find a way to make my voice carry with the group. And while I love music, I am going to omit it for my outside classes because it will be even harder for the kids to hear me. I plan to put the kids in a semi-circle around me so that they will all be a little closer, and I’ll have to walk around to make sure they are getting cues and suggestions as we go. Luckily, I won’t have to compete with the PA system!

The second challenge is location. We had to chose between working on a hill or concrete. The hill was a challenge because it’s hard to keep your balance, even as an experienced yogi. The concrete was hard because we didn’t have mats to protect our knees and hands. I will be working with a team at the middle school, so the ground won’t be hilly. I’m hoping that we will be on the field, which will be even more level.

I am also concerned about the weather. Wet grass is not the best situation for yoga. I need to work with the coach to see if there is an alternative space we can use to keep the kids safe. Or, I’ll have to come with a back-up plan that has poses with less slippery tendancies (for example, skip warrior and do more with low lunge).

[CindyHurst]

My first teaching experience outside of a studio environment was at Athleta in Easton. The request was for a gentle / restorative yoga class for beginners. I asked the coordinator ahead of time about the space. She said they did have a speaker so I could plug in to use my own music. They also had a few yoga mats to lend, but no other props. I designed a sequence that was very basic (no down dogs or vinyasa flows). The real challenge was to come up with restorative poses that did not require props. I planned for half frog, legs up the wall (with no wall), and reclined twists. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the yoga class posted until late in the week, so I did not have any students. Nonetheless, it did teach me about making sure you know what you have to work with before the event so you can plan accordingly. It also taught me not to be sad when no one shows up – sometimes that’s going to happen.

Our volunteer opportunity also offered some interesting challenges. The loud music, all the vendors / distractions, and the available surface for practicing. Once we started practicing as a team, we did attract some participants. It was really fun when the kids joined us. It definitely helped to have the studio passes to hand out. We may not have practiced a lot of yoga with the race participants, but we did stir up interest in the practice of yoga.

[heatherfly]

I am sorry I missed that event at the race. It sounds like it would have been valuable to me for several reasons. Especially in the sense of problem solving and developing an understanding of the gaps between the ease and convenience of a studio and any other setting.

I will be teaching outside a studio setting. There will be mats but the space is an open concrete gym which has a tremendous echo. I don’t know whether music will work at all in that space. And the likelihood that others will walk in and play basketball is pretty high. So in this sense my verbal cuing will be important but my physical cuing/actually showing the poses takes on more importance when sound becomes a challenge.

The other thing about outside the studio is that the participants will by no means be traditional yogis. They will have no or very very little experience so there’s an additional challenge to creating the kind of experience that will make them wish to repeat it; the quiet that most of us enjoy as inherent to the practice will be unavailable. This probably means I’ll have to be sure I’m as quiet as can be on the inside.

As for props, I’ve been practicing almost exclusively at home for the last several years and haven’t had anything but a mat. Doing videos or just finding what I want or need in a self-directed practice has been good practice in keeping things simple. I haven’t needed blocks or straps and i haven’t thought to get them.

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