yoga on sand

April 2, 2012 2:06 PM

Do I need a mat when doing yoga on the beach?

Have always only done yoga on a mat. I'm going on holiday to a place by a beach and want to do yoga there in the mornings on my own. Would I run into problems doing my routine directly on the sand without a mat? Want to travel light.

posted by Paquda to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

What's the sand look like at the beach you're traveling to? I've done yoga on the beach in powdery sand before, but coarser sand, or sand with pebbles or big chunks of shell could be painful.
posted by saladin at 2:14 PM on April 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

I tried practicing yoga on the beach last time I went, and I gave up pretty quickly: it was hard for me to get into postures with the sand constantly shifting under me. I'd recommend doing it when the tide goes out, on the sand that's smoothed out and a little damp. (On preview: presuming that this beach has smooth sand without pebbles or broken shells or a hundred beached jellyfish.)

The sand will give you plenty of cushioning, so you don't need a mat. However, you definitely want to practice on a beach towel, to minimize the sand getting all over your hands and feet.
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:17 PM on April 2, 2012

I think it depends on what your routine is. Only standing poses? Fine. But if you're doing sitting/lying poses then I would certainly want a mat. If you're doing sun salutations your hands are going to get sandy, right? I wouldn't want to have to stop and keep wiping them off. But then that's me.
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:17 PM on April 2, 2012

Response by poster: It will be smooth damp sand. Yes, sun salutations will be my main thing. Metroid Baby's beach towel advice sounds good...
posted by Paquda at 2:21 PM on April 2, 2012