Mat Collective – Free Outdoor Yoga Around Vancouver

(Photos courtesy of Mat Collective)
What could be better? Free yoga outside on a beautiful summer day. Love it!
Have you heard of Mat Collective? If you haven’t, you need to check them out. They host free outdoor yoga at least once a day, in several different spots around the city. They accept tips to help keep the program going, but they’re completely optional, and they don’t make you feel forced to give anything. If you can and you want to, go for it, if you just want to enjoy some yoga, that’s totally cool too. How awesome.
The locations:
- Kits Beach (above the dog park, at 1015 Maple St)
- Riley Park (across from Nat Bailey)
- Granville Island (1404 Anderson St, at the fork in the road where there used to be a bunch of parking)
- Robson Square (800 Robson St)
- 520 E 1st Ave @Emily Carr’s Wilson Arts Plaza (in East Van)
Below is an image from their Kits Beach spot:
Their schedule:
https://www.matcollective.com/yoga
They offer a mix of hatha, flow, power, and yin. The classes are typically around 9 or 10am and 6 or 7pm, but they also offer some lunchtime classes. I highly recommend taking a class at Kits Beach (above the dog park area) – it’s such a great view, and the breeze off the water is lovely.
The creators:
Mat Collective is a nonprofit organization that was created by Rebecca Holgate and Selina Pechlaner. They also recycle used yoga mats, how cool. I’ve seen a lot of old mats get thrown away so it’s nice to see they’re doing something for the environment. You can rent or buy them, and obviously bring them your old ones!
Yoga instructors:
If you’re a yoga instructor they offer volunteer teaching positions. This is a great way to build your hours if you’re new to teaching, or to help promote your brand in the community.

Classes run rain or shine (though obviously they cancel if it’s pretty crummy out), so come join while the weather’s great!