Namaste indoors? Not with snow yoga heating up Montreal's parks

Montreal has hit its midwinter peak but the cold weather and dark days are no reason to stay indoors when groups are heating up local parks with sun salutations.

Snow yoga, or "snowga," is being offered for free by the Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough in Laurier Park every Sunday until March 18. It is also in La Fontaine Park on Saturdays.

Pop Spirit yoga co-owner Marie-ve Bertrand leads the open-air classes and said she hopes the novelty of doing yoga in the snow offers people a doorway to a more complete practice.

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"If I can pique people's curiosity to want to learn more about more traditional yoga, my work is done," Bertrand told Radio-Canada.

"For me it's a good challenge."

Bertrand developed a special course of about 45 minutes which focuses on sequences that help build heat in the body it helps ward off the chills.

Social media boom

Still, some people find the frigid weathera bit too much to bear and will leave the course before it's over.

"Because they start to get cold and that's fine," Bertrand said.

Typically, if the weather is too treacherous, the class will be cancelled and Pop Spirit informs people through social media.

After a few years of offering both summer and winter yoga in parks, Bertrand said its popularity has snowballed.

This year's "snowga" schedule on Facebook has garnered the interest of almost 7,000 people.

In reality, she said about 60 people show up to each class.

Courses don't require advanced yoga training, just warm layers and a mat.