Yoga is an oriental discipline with ancient origins, and it is now widely spread in our “Western” habits. The reasons for the wide diffusion of this practice lie in its incredible beneficial effect on the body and mind. Yoga helps to tone the muscles, make the joints elastic, improve balance and fight musculoskeletal pain, but not only: doing yoga also allows you to find an excellent psychophysical balance, lowers stress, calms insomnia and allows you to find unexpected energy.
If practising yoga is already an activity not to be missed, doing yoga at the seaside manages to combine the benefits of this practice with the relaxation that only contact with nature can offer. So during your next vacation, why not include some beach yoga sessions in your daily routine? Let’s find out what the benefits of yoga on the beach are and what are the best positions to try to perform, even independently, to get a taste of this extraordinary teaching.
Why practice Yoga on the beach?
The main advantage of practising yoga directly on the seashore is the opportunity to be enveloped by the pleasant sensations that this very particular location can offer. The fresh breeze that caresses the skin, the contact with the sand and the sound of the waves breaking on the coast are able, in themselves, to calm the senses and banish all worries. If you add to this the yoga positions , called asanas , relaxation is served.
Furthermore, the cushioning effect of the sand allows you to practice yoga comfortably with the simple aid of a towel, without excessively stressing your back and joints and allowing your muscles to work without too much effort.
When to practice yoga at the seaside?
It is best to choose the early hours of the morning , when the beaches are not yet crowded and the particular light of this moment of the day gently awakens the mind.
Sunset is obviously another great time to practice yoga on the beach: surrounded by the warm light of the sun melting into the sea you can only enjoy a super regenerating yoga session !
Yoga on the Beach: The Best Poses to Try
The Sun Salutation is perhaps the most famous yoga exercise: it consists of a precise sequence of positions, ideal for a morning beach yoga session, which allow you to reactivate your metabolism, stretch your muscles and fill up on vitality for the rest of the day.
Among the many typical yoga positions, you should also try the Tree and Cobra positions. The Tree position focuses on balance: to perform it, stand upright with both feet flat on the ground and slowly shift your body weight onto your left leg, simultaneously lifting and bending your right leg until the sole of your right foot is on the inside of your left thigh.
Then join your palms together and stretch your arms above your head: finding the balance point might keep you busy, especially if you are a beginner, but peace of mind is guaranteed .
To practice the Cobra position , lie face down on the towel and stretch your legs, leaving the back of your foot flat on the ground. Then place your hands at shoulder height and lift your torso, also stretching your neck backwards and making sure to leave your shoulders relaxed and your shoulder blades in. Then slowly return to the starting position: this exercise is a real panacea for the muscles of the pelvis, chest and neck.