• Sun – Nothing new here but a reminder that vitamin D provides many physical and mental health benefits.  Don't forget to apply a natural sunscreen before stepping outside.
• Mix it up – Perhaps you are like me and you have reached periods of burnout from your yoga practice. As the teacher guides you through another sun salutation you are secretly thinking "How many of these have I done in class already today?  Can't we do something different?"  By taking your mat outside, you add variety to your practice and take preventative measures against yoga burnout.
• Birds and Bees–When you practice outside, you are connecting with the roots of your being - all of our beings – Mother Earth.  Take the time to reconnect with nature. Close your eyes and take in the sounds of the birds calling in the distance, the scent of fragrant blossoms, and the feeling of the subtle breeze on your skin. Let life be simple.

Now that I have convinced you to get outside, you might be wondering where or how to practice outside. Here are my suggestions:

• Check with local yoga studios- Many studios are starting to offer outdoor yoga classes in the summer.
• Gather a group of friends – Round up your nearest and dearest yoga buddies for a fun, impromptu outdoor gathering.
• Hire a Teacher – If you can't find any outdoor yoga classes, propose the idea to your favorite yoga teacher or hire a teacher!
• Retreat to the outdoors – Find a retreat that takes place outside (camping, in the jungle, at the beach, etc.) or incorporates outdoor yoga classes as part of the retreat.

Bio:  Melissa is looking forward to taking her yoga practice outside this fall at the Red Rock Yoga and Hiking Retreat in otherworldly Goblin Valley, Utah with Get In The Wild Adventures. Besides practicing yoga with goblins, Melissa founded and directs the Northwest Yoga Conference which takes place in the Seattle, WA area each February.

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For those unfamiliar with the park, it is characterized by colorful sandstone formations, cliffs, canyons, ridges, buttes and monoliths.  It’s most stunning geologic feature is a 100 mile long warp in the Earth’s crust known as the Waterpocket Fold.  This 65 million year old fold is the largest exposed monocline in the North America.  It is comprised of younger and older layers of the Earth’s crust which were folded over each other in an S-shape.  This striking geologic feature was probably caused by the same collision of continental plates that created the Rocky Mountains.  It has weathered and eroded over melinnea to expose a fascinating amalgam of brilliantly colored sandstone cliffs and canyons, gleaming white domes and contrasting layers of intricately shaped rock and sand.