Are you looking for another reason to get outdoors this summer? How about beach yoga! Yoga is already known for its many positive effects on the body and mind, but did you know you can absorb even more health benefits by taking a class outdoors? Here are a few reasons to practice at the beach with Radiate Yoga.

Connect to nature

In a technology-focused environment, disconnecting from the overdrive of stimulation, notifications, and screen time has become more challenging. Beach yoga gives you the opportunity to put your phone aside for one hour and connect the elements around you. Even if you show up and lay on your yoga mat, you still absorb all the amazing benefits of being outside -  like grounding to the earth, absorbing vitamin D, and charging your ions. Recent studies have shown the benefits of simply grounding into the earth to reduce inflammation in the body, pain, anxiety, and many more benefits of “earthing.”

One of the best things to come out of disconnecting from technology during beach yoga is giving yourself space to observe life happening around you. You will notice the beauty in mundane everyday moments through nature. And maybe even spot some dolphins swimming in the ocean!

It helps your strength and balance

Yoga in the sand can be uneven and windy, but embracing all outdoor elements will help improve your strength and balance. If you step inside a yoga studio or flat terrain, you may notice your balance improves by regularly practicing on an uneven surface! Radiate Yoga classes always incorporate beginner-friendly balancing poses to improve your balance over time.

In balancing postures, you are challenged to find your “drishti,” a yogic gaze on a point that’s not moving to focus energy to help you balance. This is done while simultaneously using the breath to keep you in the present moment. This yoga technique helps to develop your concentration by drawing the mind inward without noticing external distractions.

The sand is forgiving

This one speaks for itself, but falling out of a yoga pose on the sugar sands is much easier than on a hardwood floor!

Improves focus

It is no surprise that yoga at a public beach comes with occasional distractions. This is an excellent opportunity to return to our center and focus the mind. When we find ourselves distracted during a yoga class, we can bring our attention back to the breath to re-focus into practice. One study uncovered that only a few minutes of yoga each day boosted the brain’s cognitive functions to control emotional responses, improve memory and goal-oriented behavior.

Ocean medicine

Studies have shown the sound of beach waves has a calming effect on the nervous system. Practicing beachside yoga allows us to naturally drop into our parasympathetic nervous system. We do this by slowing down our heart rate and connecting to our breath. Radiate yoga classes use  Ujjayi pranama (closed mouth, nostril breathing), to mimic an oceanic sound through the gentle constriction of the throat. This breath technique creates a sense of calm at a cellular level in the body.

Whether you are an advanced yogi or a beginner, Radiate beach yoga classes will help deepen your mind, body, and breath connection while absorbing all the benefits of being outdoors and connecting you to an amazing community of yogis.