Outdoors yoga in Pokhara
Parks, the Feld and open sky.
Outdoor classes happen under open sky: in parks, on Tempelhofer Feld, in meadows and gardens. Most run in summer, roughly May to September. You bring the mat, the city brings the weather.
No classes scheduled in the next two weeks.
What Outdoors does for you
You get fresh air, grass under your hands and the sun on your back. Practicing outside makes even a familiar sequence feel different: balance gets more interesting on uneven ground and your senses wake up. Many people leave feeling lighter and more awake. It is also a good way to make the most of Berlin's short, generous summer.
It suits you if
- you love being outside
- studios feel stuffy to you in summer
- you like a relaxed, social mood
- you want to try a class without walking into a studio
Read the full guide to OutdoorsWhat a class is like, your first time, history and the words you will hear
What a class is like
Classes usually meet at a marked spot, such as a park entrance or a particular tree, and last 60 to 75 minutes. The ground is uneven and grass can be damp in the morning. Expect company: dogs, frisbees, curious kids and, on Tempelhofer Feld, kites and skaters. Facilitators speak up or use a small speaker, and music is quiet or absent. Many outdoor classes are cheaper than studio classes or donation based, and rain plans vary.
Your first time
- Bring a mat with good grip, plus a blanket or towel to lay underneath on damp grass.
- Dress in layers, since mornings and evenings can be cool even in July.
- Tempelhofer Feld opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, so early and late classes there are timed around it.
- Arrive a few minutes early to find the group; look for a cluster of mats.
Good to know
- Tempelhofer Feld and many parks have very little shade, so bring sunscreen, a hat and water.
- Ticks live in long grass in Berlin and Brandenburg, so check your skin after classes in meadows.
- Weather decides: check the facilitator's channel for cancellations before you go.
Where it comes from
Exercising outdoors has deep roots in Berlin. In 1811, Friedrich Ludwig Jahn opened the first open-air gymnastics ground in the Hasenheide park, the start of the German Turnen movement. Around 1900, the life-reform movement promoted sun, fresh air and natural movement as a counterweight to crowded industrial cities. Volkspark Friedrichshain, opened in 1848, is Berlin's oldest public park, and the Tiergarten, once a royal hunting ground, sits at the city's center.
The city's largest open space arrived recently. Tempelhof Airport, known for the Berlin Airlift, ended all flights in 2008, and on 8 May 2010 its airfield opened as a public park; around 235,000 people came on the first weekend. In a 2014 referendum, 64.3 percent voted to keep the field undeveloped, and its runways and meadows now host kites, gardens, skaters and, on summer mornings and evenings, mats.
Practicing outdoors is now part of Berlin summers: classes in parks, on the Feld, in courtyards and by the lakes, plus bigger gatherings around midsummer and the International Day of Yoga on 21 June. Most run from late spring to early autumn and pack up when the evenings get cold.
Words you will hear
- Tempelhofer Feld
- The former Tempelhof airfield, a public park since 2010.
- Volkspark
- German for people's park, a public park laid out for everyone's use.
- Rain plan
- What happens if it rains: moving indoors, postponing or cancelling.
- Grounding
- A cue to feel your feet, hands or body in contact with the earth beneath you.