6 Beach Yoga Poses for Strength and Flexibility

No matter what your fitness level is, you can always find a way to include more yoga in your routine. A beach is an ideal place, especially if you have been working out and strengthening specific areas of your body.

By utilizing a variety of basic yoga poses, with modifications depending on your fitness level while embracing the scenery around you, you can reap health benefits in a relaxing atmosphere.

Yoga Poses You Can Do On The Beach

Sand is one of the best places to practice yoga on. It allows you to make small mounds for your knees or flatten your mat entirely for forearm stands. On that note, here's a look at six yoga poses you can do on the beach:

1) Downward Facing Dog

The downward facing dog is a popular pose, especially in vinayasa Yyoga. The benefits of this pose include stretching the hamstrings, calves, shoulders,and hands while strengthening the legs and arms. It also makes you feel energized and helps alleviate anxiety.

How to do it?

Start in a tabletop position with your knees under your hips and wrists under your shoulders.
As you exhale, tuck your toes, and lift your knees off the sand.
Spread your fingers and press down, straightening your back as much as possible.
Bend your knees, one at a time, lowering yourself into the downward facing dog.
Keep breathing deeply, and when you’re ready to come out of the pose, lower your knees back onto the sand into the tabletop position.

2) Tree Pose

The tree pose is a standing balance pose that can stretch and strengthen your body. By improving your balance, you will be able to stay grounded while focusing on your breathing.

Here's how you do this posture:

Start in the mountain pose (Tadasana).
Lift your arms towards the sky; inhale and exhale as you bring your hands to your heart.
Find a focal point for balance; lift your right foot off the sand, and place it on your left ankle, taking your time as you raise it higher till it reaches the side of your left knee.
Take a few deep breaths, and return to the mountain pose. Repeat on the opposite side.

3) Shoulder Stand

The shoulder stand yoga pose has many benefits, including relieving stress and depression, and strengthening the glutes, arms, core, legs, and arms as well as improving digestion.

How to do it?

Begin by lying on your back with your legs straight. Bend your knees, and bring them towards your face; place your hands on your hips to support them.
Lift your hips and legs towards the sky while keeping them straight, taking several deep breaths as you do so.
To exit the pose, slowly lower them to the ground.
You may also choose to stay in a shoulder stand to transition into the next posture.

4) Plow Pose

The plow pose is an excellent way to ease back pain and stress, calm the mind, and stretch the spine. This pose is a great choice for the beach, as it involves deep relaxation and facilitates stress relief.

How to do it?

Lying down on your back, bend your knees, and bring the bottom of your feet to the floor.
Exhale, and tuck your chin to your chest; place the palms of your hands on the lower part of your back, just above where it creases.
Inhale, and bring your legs over your head, bringing them back as far as they can comfortably go.
Keep holding on to your lower back with both hands.

5) Bow Pose

The benefits of the bow pose include improved posture, strengthened back muscles and increased flexibility in the thighs, core, chest, and throat.

To do this pose, follow these steps:

Find a quiet place, and lie on your stomach, with your arms extended by your sides and your palms up.
Taking a deep breath, hold it for a moment, and let it out as you reach towards your feet with your hands while bending your knees slightly.
Reach farther till you feel a gentle stretch along the front of your body.
Hold this stretch for about 30 seconds, and release the pose while taking another deep breath.

6) Pigeon Pose

The pigeon yoga pose is a wonderful way to stretch your hip flexors, get your body ready for backbends, and open the hip joint. It relieves stress and anxiety too.

How to do it?

Start seated with your legs crossed and back straight.
Extend one leg behind you as you inhale deeply, and exhale, sinking your body onto the extended leg.
Try to bring your forehand down to touch the mat. Close your eyes, and breathe deeply for a few minutes.
To exit this yoga pose, walk your hands back up towards your torso, and resume a seated position.

Takeaway

If you want to find a great way to regain a sense of perspective, consider heading to the beach for a few days and entering into a meditative state that can only be experienced at beaches.