How to Do Yoga on the Beach

Yoga on the beach can be soothing, serene and simple. Or you could get hurt, humiliated or even drown. It all depends on how you prepare yourself. The best way to do yoga on the beach is to wear something that won’t give you a wedgie during downward facing dog and follow a few basic tips.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Dress properly. An itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bikini of any color or pattern isn’t going to cut it. Unless you are on a nude beach, wear something that won’t expose more than you want to during twists and bends.
2. Choose the right time and location. Pick a remote area not too close to yelling kids or a lecherous fat man in bikini briefs. Also try to pick a time where you’ll have at least a modicum of privacy.
3. Create your yoga space. Level the sand and clear any debris, like glass shards, in an area large enough to complete your poses. Make sure it’s not on a steep slope leading to the sea.
4. Note the tide. If the tide is going out, take advantage of the compacted sand and move with it. If it’s coming in, make sure you’re far enough back so you don’t really become a corpse during corpse pose.
5. Face the sun, if you want. Although yoga series like “sun salutation” constantly encourage yogis to face the sun, yoga on the beach is the one time you should be allowed to face the ocean, even if it’s westward during a sunrise.

Tips & Warnings

• Be prepared to get stared at, gawked at or even cat-called to.
• Don’t be afraid to fall. Sand makes for a soft landing.
• Don’t be afraid to play, if you end up enjoying your fall.
• Never even attempt to do yoga on the beach in Coney Island on the Fourth of July.