Practising yoga outdoors in the fresh air can add an extra special dimension to your experience. You can feel more connected to the earth and to nature, hearing the birds singing and feeling the refreshing sensation of the lush green grass under your bare feet and the sunlight on your face. Or maybe you just simply find it nice to be away from the stuffy indoors, out in the fresh air, to make the most of the summer days.
Despite the unreliable Dutch weather, there are outdoor yoga classes offered in parks all over the country all summer long. Here are a few outdoor yoga classes to choose from:
Oosterpark, Flevopark, Rembrandtpark, Vondelpark and many more, have proven to be urban outdoor yoga hotspots. Take your mat to an Amsterdam park this summer: Rembrandtpark on Saturdays and Tuesdays, Flevopark on Mondays and Fridays, Oosterpark on Saturday mornings, and so on.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg! At Vondelpark, there are multiple yoga studios offering yoga classes in the park around the clock - far too many to mention here!
Start your Tuesdays with some rooftop yoga in one of the most dynamic and creative establishments in Amsterdam. From 7am-8am from June until October 2019, unfold into your day at the free yoga classes on the Badplaats terrace at the Volkshotel.
There are yoga classes taking place on other days of the week at this location for 12 euros, but if you’re brave enough to be on your mat at 7am on a Tuesday, then you enjoy it for free! Reserve your place by sending them an email. Find their details on the Volkshotel website.
It’s non-stop yoga in Nijmegen! You don’t have to feel like you’re missing out because, impressively, these yoga classes are held every single day of the week! At Limos park, you can experience several different styles of yoga for just six euros per session.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, it’s an after-work class, and on the other days of the week, it’s a morning ritual. If you love yoga and you’re in Nijmegen, be sure to take advantage of this open-air treat until September 22. Check out the Kundalini Yoga Nijmegen website for details.
What’s more poetic than listening to the sea waves, away from it all on your yoga mat? Beach yoga is a sensory reward, with the gentle sea breeze on your skin, the feeling of sand beneath your soles, the smell of salt and the sun on your face.
Take a load off on Sunday and Wednesday mornings in Noordwijk (meet at Bries Beach Club), or on Sunday and Thursday mornings at Zuiderstrand in Scheveningen (meet at Beach Club Zuid). If you're away for the summer, you don't have to miss out, because these sessions are happening right up until October!
At Leidse Hout Park in Leiden, the yoga classes take shape on the pergola right next to the pond. Although it’s in the great outdoors, there’s still a roof over your head, so you can feel safe from the elements, while still enjoying nature to its fullest. Stretch and breathe to the sound of frogs, birds and flowing water every Friday morning until the end of September.
Feel the refreshing grass under your feet as you stretch during your yoga sessions in Utrecht’s parks. From May until September, take your yoga mat to some of the most scenic city parks in Utrecht. Start your Sunday morning with yoga at Wilhelmina Park from 10am or de-stress on Wednesday evenings at Oog in Al Park after a busy day's work.
Slow it right down with meditation in one of the newest parks in Rotterdam. Stadspodium open-air events area outside Laurenskerk is a place for outdoor meetings, concerts and fun, and every Friday at noon during summer, it’s for meditation and contemplation with Stadsmeditatie.
Organised for free by Buddha House in Rotterdam, Stadsmeditatie (City Meditation) is taking place each Friday at 12pm-1pm during June, July and August.
The number of outdoor yoga classes in the Netherlands is astonishing. We hope this selection of suggestions will help you choose a class, or at least give you some inspiration to get out there and do yoga al fresco. Step outside, meet the tribe and get lost in your power poses. Check out sites like Buitenyoga for outdoor yoga class listings all over the Netherlands.