Benefits of Beach Yoga

July 22, 2011 By: Lynne Brick

This fit tip was filmed at Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

            Yoga provides so many medicinal benefits.  Here are just a few: you gain strength, help to balance your Qi (chi), help to balance your hormones, help to strengthen your heart and help to improve your flexibility.  Doing yoga on the beach helps to take your experience to a whole new level.  Here are three benefits of doing yoga on the beach:           

#1:  Closer to Mother Nature.    When you take an indoor yoga class, your instructor references the heavens and the earth.  Yoga on the beach, allows you to experience mother nature’s glory first hand.  You can absorb the energy of the earth without the obstruction of a floor or a roof.

#2:  Gain energy from the sun and water.  The sun and the water provide incredible energy.  Chinese reference the horary cycle (or circadian rhythms) to the rising and falling of the sun. The energy derived from water correlates to the rising and falling of the moon.  Conscious awareness of water and sun energy can help improve your energy.

#3:  Support from the sand.   The sand offers great support to your ankles and feet when you are in an asana (pose) that requires you to balance.  Supporting your ankles and feet also provides support to your knee and your hip.  For example, when you do a warrior 2 pose in the sand, you can dig your feet into the sand to get into the proper position.  The support from the sand can help you feel more comfortable in the position and help to extend deeper into pose, without putting stress or strain on your knee or hip.

The next time you are at the beach this summer, enjoy these three benefits of doing yoga on the beach.  Share how you feel. Share your favorite beach pose.

Enjoy in good health!            

You Go Girl!    Lynne Brick, RN

Last week’s question:  Is the saturated fat in coconut oil helpful or harmful? No!  See my blog from 7-17-11

This week’s question:  What is the “happy hormone”?

Thoughts for the day:  “If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.”   –Katherine Hepburn

Lynne Brickism:  Get grounded to improve your health and well-being.

Sources:    www.LynneBricks.com;    www.BrickBodies.com