Practicing yoga on the beach can be a wonderful experience, as it combines the physical and mental benefits of yoga with the beauty and serenity of the natural environment. Being in contact with clean air, sand, and water brings numerous health benefits, especially for relieving stress and maintaining calm. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know before starting to practice yoga on the beach.
What is beach yoga?
Beach yoga is exactly the same as “normal” yoga but practiced on the beach, which adds benefits like the ones we will tell you about below.
Benefits of Beach Yoga
The benefits of yoga on the beach are similar to those of yoga in any other environment, such as: improved concentration, mental calmness, increased flexibility, calming the nervous system, enhancing the function of all body systems and organs, helping us concentrate better, and a long etcetera… adding the connection with nature and the natural environment.
We believe that yoga on the beach has great therapeutic value on a physical, mental, and emotional level, as new neural connections are generated that positively impact stress relief and consequently the functioning of our entire body.
Tips for practicing it
Like any activity you undertake, you should keep several tips in mind to ensure your experience is pleasant (as it deserves) and to avoid unnecessary mishaps. Here are 10 tips for you to keep in mind:
1. Choose the early hours of the morning or the late hours of the afternoon to avoid high temperatures (ideally, they should not exceed 22ºC). Choose the early hours of the morning or the late hours of the afternoon to avoid high temperatures (ideally, they should not exceed 22ºC). Although Bikram yoga is practiced in a shala at 42ºC, we don’t want such a high temperature at the beach, as we could suffer from heat stroke or sunburn.
2. Choose an appropriate place: Choose an appropriate place: Look for a quiet spot on the beach where there aren’t many people and you can have enough space to move around without obstacles.
3. Be respectful of the environment: Be respectful of the environment: Remember to take care of and respect the beach and the environment. Don’t leave trash and avoid disturbing the local flora and fauna.
4. Remember that practicing yoga on the beach can be different from doing it in an enclosed space. Remember that practicing yoga on the beach can be different from doing it in an enclosed space. Keep an open mind and enjoy the beauty and serenity of the surroundings while connecting with yourself through the practice of yoga.
5. Put on sunscreen. It often happens that when you practice, you lose track of time, and you can get sunburned, so you know, better safe than sorry.
7. Choose a space that is as firm and flat as possible, although it is always fun to challenge gravity a bit on the beach, for proper grip and balance, the flatter it is, the better. Choose a space that is as firm and flat as possible, although it is always fun to challenge gravity a bit on the beach, for proper grip and balance, the flatter it is, the better.
8. Practice on an empty stomach. Practice on an empty stomach. The ideal always (whether you do yoga on the beach or not) is that 3 hours have passed since you last ate, to ensure that your stomach is empty. If it’s impossible for you to do it right now, at least avoid inverted poses like Sirsasana (headstand), Sarvangasana (shoulder stand), and Halasana. (postura del arado).
9. Use a non-slip mat, sweat is the worst ally at this moment, and you could slip and cause an injury.
10. Bring a garment to wear in case you get cold. Bring a piece of clothing to wear in case you get cold. It is normal for the body to cool down a bit at the end of the practice – during the relaxation.
11. Bring your eco-friendly stainless steel bottle with room temperature water, it is very important to keep our body hydrated so that our entire organism functions perfectly (and at the beach, it is very easy to get dehydrated, so don’t let it happen).
Poses to do on the beach
All the poses you know can be done on the beach, although it is true that some balance poses are a bit more complicated, hand balance poses are more complex and your wrists may hurt more when sinking into the sand and on a soft surface, so always pay attention to your sensations and always avoid pain.
Next, we suggest a few poses you can do on the beach:
1. Standing: Virabhadrasana Standing: Warrior Pose
2. Standing: Trikonasana or triangle (with a twisted variation) and Parsvakonasana or angle.
3. Balance: Vriksasana or the tree, Natarajasana or the dancer, and Garudasana or the eagle. Balance: Vriksasana or the tree, Natarajasana or the dancer, and Garudasana or the eagle.
4. Hand balances: Kakasana or crow pose, Ashtavakrasana or eight-angle pose, Salamba Sirsasana or tripod pose. Hand balances: Kakasana or crow pose, Ashtavakrasana or eight-angle pose, Salamba Sirsasana or tripod pose.
5. Spinal extensions: Bhujangasana or cobra, Setu Bandhasana or half bridge, and Urdhva Dhanurasana or full bridge.
7. Inverted poses: Sirsasana or headstand, Sarvangasana or shoulder stand, and Halasana or plow pose.
8. Relaxation postures: Balasana or child’s pose in all its variations. Relaxation poses: Balasana or child’s pose in all its variations.
Practicing yoga on the beach only enhances the already numerous benefits of yoga. It is the best setting to escape, achieve calm, and relieve stress and anxiety, quiet the mental noise, and distance ourselves from the frenzy that usually accompanies us in our daily lives. We challenge you to also try different other yoga poses with a partner or paddle yoga and make it an unforgettable experience.
