Winter Outdoor Yoga - What to wear!

Although it’s colder in the winter we still meet up every week for yoga by the sea on Sunday mornings at 09:30 in Scarborough as long as the weather is not too bad. We've had a pretty cold start to the new year with a beautiful session on the snow recently.

If you haven't been to our yoga by the sea classes in the winter before then it's worth knowing what to wear to make the experience a pleasant one. I think the benefits we receive from practising outside are well worth it as long as we wrap up warm.

Here is our guide to what to wear for outdoor yoga by the sea:

Layers with room to move

Lots of layers are the key to what to wear for outdoor yoga, so that you can reduce as necessary as we transition through more intense sequences and then increase as we wind down towards Savasana. Try to find layers that are breathable and allow movement as you flow between different poses. If you're not sure have a look at this little reel I made for social media to show the many layers I have to put on - very rare that I wear them all!

Socks to keep toes cosy

Socks will help keep your feet warm, anything with a grip on the bottom will give you better connection to the mat, so if you have a pair of toasties they could be a good option or there are various specialist yoga socks available. I have tried socks with and without toes. I personally struggle with toe socks because my second toe is much longer than my big toe so it's always a bit difficult to get them on. A lot of the grippy socks tend to be quite thin so I will sometimes wear them under a thick pair of normal socks and if I get warm enough during class then I can remove the outer pair.

Generally though I tend to stick to a nice thick pair of normal socks as I find the toes stay warmer when they are huddled together in the sock much like fingers in mittens!

Hat or headband to keep those ears warm

With an uncovered head we can lose a large proportion of our body heat through our heads so wearing a hat is great for those colder mornings, if you get too hot you can always take it off. You'll usually see me sporting my Happy Seal Yoga Beanie. Although if it's not too cold I sometimes alternate with a fleece headband which keeps the ears warm.

Gloves to keep the fingers moving and gripping

As it gets colder gloves are also essential, again anything with a grip on will help you keep good aligment in your poses and also stop you slipping and falling.

I’m currently using these gloves from Trailheads which are warm, grippy and have phone friendly tips so I can still check who's booked into class as I wait for you to arrive in class.

Waterproof trousers & jacket

I always bring waterproofs with me not just in case of a rogue shower but also because they are great at reducing that wind chill factor. So if you have them it's definitely worth bringing them along.

Blanket or dry robe for Savasana

As we finish class in Savasana (corpse pose) we will be lying still and surrendering to relaxation for several minutes so having something you can wrap up in such as a dry robe or a nice fleece blanket will really help you to enjoy your final minutes of class. It's also worth bringing a picnic rug and towel to put under your mat for a bit of increased insulation from the ground below.

If you're a regular at yoga by the sea let me know in the comments what your top tips for staying warm during our winter classes are. Keeping fingers crossed for dry Sundays and hope to see you for yoga by the sea soon.