A Hot Yoga Routine You Can Take Outside

Who needs a studio when you've got the summer sun?

Sweating through a killer hot yoga class always feels amazing, but especially in the winter when you've been freezing all day long. On the flip side, in summer, we're a bit less tempted to head to a heated indoor studio when it's just as warm outside. We have to wonder: Why not combine the two, so we can stay outside, enjoy the fresh (but hot) air, and get a good workout? We asked New York City yogi Tamara Behar to do just that, for a simple hot yoga sequence that you'll want to bring outside.

Behar is the founder of  Tangerine Hot Power Yoga, a new studio that isn't just noteworthy for its airy Brooklyn digs or kick-ass flow—its heating mechanism is powered by solar panels that mimic the sun's rays, for an authentic-feeling (and sustainable) sweat sesh. Still, there's nothing quite as authentic as basking under the sun itself, which is why we'll be taking this simple routine to the park (or the roof, or the backyard). Pile on the sunscreen and follow Behar's lead, below.

The Workout

Because the sweating part is built right in, take it slow and really focus on your alignment for each pose. Behar gives a quick rundown in the clip below, but don't rush it: Once you get the hang of the sequence, sink into each posture for several breaths for a deeper stretch.

Flip Dog/Rockstar 

  1. Come into Down Dog. Make sure hands and feet are rooted into the ground. 
  2. Lift your right leg up, and stack your right hip on top of your left.
    Flip your leg over and let your right foot land on the ground. Lift your hips upward and reach your right arm back behind you. 

    Low Lunge with Quad Stretch 

    1. Come into Down Dog. 
    2. Place your right foot to your right thumb. Take your back knee to the ground. 
    3. Take a twist: Place your left hand down and reach your right arm up.
      Bend your back knee and catch the outer edge of your back foot with your hand. 
    4. Kick your foot into your hand and lean back in your upper body by hugging your shoulder blades together. 

      Low Lunge to Side Plank 

      1. Come back into Down Dog. Take a twist, placing your left hand down and reaching your right arm up. 
      2. Stack your right leg on top of your left. Flex your feet like crazy and lift your hips upward. 

        Side Plank to Wild Thing 

        1. Starting in side plank, place your right foot on to the floor behind your bottom leg, closer to your bottom knee. 
        2. Open your hips upward and reach your right back and extend through your fingertips. 

          Fallen Triangle 

          1. Come into Down Dog. 
          2. Lift your right leg up. Pull your right knee over to your left elbow.
            Slide your right leg all the way out to the left. Take your back heel to the ground. 
          3. Lift your hips upward and reach your left arm back extending through your fingertips. 

            Half Moon to Sugarcane Pose 

            1. Come into a low lunge on your right side. Place your right hand about six to eight inches in front of your bottom foot, closer to your pinky toe. 
            2. Lift your left leg up and flex your left foot. Open your hips, your heart, and your gaze to the left. 
            3. In half moon, bend your upper knee and catch the outside of your upper foot with your hand. Kick your foot into your hand and wrap your shoulder blades together. Let the whole front side of your body open up.
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