The Magic of Practicing Yoga Outside, on The Ritual Rug

Have you ever practiced yoga outside on a Ritual Rug? If not, I highly recommend giving it try!

Recently, with my deep desire to have a change of scenery, I’ve found myself practicing outside on my Ritual Rug and I absolutely love it.

I’m actually really surprised at how long it’s taken for me to make this discovery. After all, I’ve been practicing yoga for decades, I love being outside, and I think back fondly to the times that I’ve taken classes at outdoor studios in Mexico and San Diego. 

So why haven’t I practiced outside consistently until now? Maybe the reason is because many of us put yoga in a box and constrain it with ideas of what makes a practice “yoga”. Or maybe it was simply the fact that I didn’t want to get my beloved Ritual Rug dirty!

Whatever the case may be, Kelly (the founder of Ma Wovens and creator of The Ritual Rug) has talked excitedly about practicing outside on her Ritual Rug since we met over a year ago.

It’s actually one of the reasons Kelly created the rug- she wanted something that would be easy to take with her on travels across town or around the world and that would inspire her to practice anytime, anywhere.

Last summer, when we were in New York at my family’s house, I did The Great 108 in the yard after seeing Kelly come into the house glowing from her own sun salutation practice. While I had been worried about ruining my stone Ritual Rug, I found that after shaking off the stray grass blades there was not a single indication that I had practiced outside. Other than my own glowing countenance.

 The funny thing is that as much as I loved that experience, it still didn’t click that this was something I could do regularly. I simply didn’t think of it as an option for my regular practice.

But, again, a silver lining that has sprung from this time of staying home is that I finally took my rug outside, raked away the cherries that were on the ground, laid out my rug and did my practice. It felt amazing. So I’ve done it again and again and feel so happy to have made this recent “discovery” of my own.

When the weather cooperates, I put my rug in the shade of the cherry tree, feel the breeze as it rustles through the branches, hear the chirping birds, enjoy a visit from my cats- it’s all so delicious. But the best part of practicing outside, and this is something you'll only get from The Ritual Rug because it’s woven with hemp and foam, is that I feel the comfort and support of the foam while also feeling the earth underneath my feet. I feel more connected with what’s around me, and underneath me, which is such a lovely gift. I hope you'll give it a try- and let me know how it goes!

Best,

Liz (liz@ma-wovens.com)

(practice outside on your Ritual Rug, but please don’t have your rug in the direct sunlight as it will cause damage to the non-toxic foam)