Yoga and sand seem to have a lot in common. In addition to the emotional well-being that physical exercise outdoors can bring, yoga on the beach has many advantages.
Beginners and more experienced alike can enjoy yoga sessions on the sand. In addition, there are many postures and asanas that can be shown off in photos with a sunset in the background.
Benefits of yoga on the beach
Yoga on the beach not only sounds idyllic and makes you feel like you’re on vacation, but it’s also been shown to improve physical and mental well-being. Taking the practice to the beach can help us face a new challenge, protect the body, connect with nature and feel better about life.
Some of the advantages of practicing yoga on the beach are:
- Deepen relaxation . Exercising outdoors can have extremely positive effects on the nervous system. The sensory experiences of ocean sounds, soothing ocean breezes, and the chirping of some peaceful birds can help relax and deepen poses like Child’s Pose or Warrior’s Pose. In addition, the sea breeze helps to cool us down after a vigorous session.
- Connect with nature . Sometimes we forget this because we’d rather be snuggled up under a blanket in front of the TV than up against a nice sturdy tree in the woods. Feeling grass under your toes, sand on your feet, and fresh air on your skin brings us back to our evolutionary roots and can help you feel grounded in your yoga practice.
- Breathe sea air . The body can more easily absorb oxygen thanks to the negative ions that are present in the ocean air. These negative ions can help naturally increase serotonin, which can help us feel more relaxed and happy. Salt also has antibacterial properties. This means that it will help us recover faster from any infection or bacteria that we may have contracted.
- Vitamin D. Any exercise we do outdoors will give us a huge boost of vitamin D, even on a cloudy day. Vitamin D is essential for regulating calcium and phosphate in the body. We need a lot of this vitamin to feel happy and healthy. Lack of vitamin D is associated with autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D can help maintain healthy bones and muscles, which is an important part of any yogi’s exercise routine.
- Leaning on sand . Although leaning on the sand can add a bit of a challenge to the practice, we’ll also get the relaxed benefit of having a soft cushion of support beneath us. This will also help support your hips and butt. We may want to try some more challenging poses on the beach because we won’t have to worry about falling on a hardwood floor.
Tips
- Choice of time . To practice yoga on the beach, it is advisable to do it early or late in the day. It is the moment when there is a greater tranquility and you can concentrate easily. In addition, you are likely to find the environment more still and the sand more regular. If you are lucky enough to be able to witness the sunrise, or the sunset, consider yourself privileged and awaken gratitude.
- Choice of place . Try to find a remote, quiet beach that allows you to discover the surroundings. The wilder the place, the more you will feel part of nature. If in a place you already know, it is possible that you lose concentration with thoughts, memories or past experiences. Allow yourself to discover new places.
- flat sand . Before beginning the practice, smooth out the sand to make it easier to perform the asanas. In this way you will be more stable and will not hinder the balance postures.
- Mat? Whether or not to wear a mat is a personal choice. We advise you to take off your shoes and feel the sand under your feet. It is a way to stimulate the nerve endings of plants and enjoy pleasant sensations.
- Comfortable clothes . Wear comfortable clothes and if the weather allows it, go as uncovered as possible. In this way you will not be thinking about other things beyond the comfort of the moment, how natural contact with the sand is and how wild the experience is.
Yoga poses on the beach
Some of these yoga poses not only benefit your body, but can also look amazing in photos.
Monkey pose (Hanumanasana)
If we’re really open to this stance, sand is a great surface to practice sliding your feet forward and backward simultaneously. Normally, those who achieve the split practice it with one or two feet on blankets.
The sand surface can also be built into a mound to support the hamstrings and legs if the full stance is not quite achievable.
Hero Pose (Virasana)
Sand is especially good for giving your knees a bit of blanket-like softness in this pose. Sand can also be built into a small mound under your seat bones to lift your hips, just like a block or blanket would.
Also, for sputa Virasana (or the reclining version of this pose) we can also build a mound of sand to support the back.
Headstand (Sirsasana)
The soft sand is so forgiving on the crown of the head. We’ll just build a little mound, put the head and buttocks up. The sight of an upside-down beach scene is even more beautiful.
However, we must be sure that the surface is quite flat and not inclined, such as the slope near the water’s edge. It may be wet, so we’ll keep that in mind when we lay our heads down.
Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)
Sand is a great support for anchoring your feet, as is a non-slip yoga mat, and it’s also an easy surface to allow for the front foot to extend or step forward, should the pose need to dig a little deeper.
In addition, we will try to isometrically pull the feet towards each other on the sand; we will add another dimension of resistance. If we usually prefer a block to support the lower hand on the ground, we can build a mound of sand at the height we prefer: we will only take the sand and pile it up until it reaches the appropriate height.
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
With this yoga posture on the beach we will be able to completely immerse our consciousness in the soft and relaxing sounds of the beach. We will close our eyes and scan the body to help release any lingering tension we are holding on to. We will let the crystal clear water encourage us to clear our minds of nagging chatter and allow ourselves to fall into the present moment, free from worries about what the future may hold.
We will breathe deeply through the nose, keeping the upper part of the inhalation. Then, we will exhale slowly, sighing through our mouths and relaxing on the sand.
Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)
If we normally use blocks to lift our arms and chest, we’ll use the mounds of sand, again, setting them to whatever height we prefer. And, whether we prefer a low stride (with the knee on the ground) or moving into Anjanaya asana, sand is a wonderful support to ease the pressure on the knee.
We will allow the chest to be open in a low stride while maintaining strength in the lower body. We will take a deep breath and sit comfortably.
Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
Camel Pose is another asana that is ideal for the beach because any discomfort we normally feel in our knees here is taken care of by the gentle support of the sand beneath you.
The deeply heart-opening properties of ustrasana can arouse raw emotion as we sink into this backbend. We will allow the radiance of the sun, the infinite compassion of the ocean, and the eternal support of the sand below to sustain us as we allow those feelings to emerge through the heart.
