Yoga Philosophy Explored on the Beach

Each morning when Don and I step out onto the beach to teach we find opportunities to live our yoga. Teaching in Nature gives us no room for expectations, only opportunities to be present, flow with what is happening and walk the path of acceptance. This season Cape Cod gave us so many opportunities to do all of that! This article is our Thanksgiving to our teachers!

THE TRACTOR –

Randomly the tractor joins us out on the beach. We hear it coming off in the distance on different days, at different times during class. The driver is doing his job in cleaning the beach before it is littered with people, chairs and beach toys galore. It rumbles down the beach, chugging and spewing, as it bumps along clattering with the sound of rocks tumbling.

Resist it or flow with it seems to be our options, and yoga teaches us to go with moments like this and find ways to work with what IS. We make space for its path, cue only when it is has moved further down the beach, and in doing so it seems the driver has recognized that we are working with him. Recently I noticed that he has shifted his routine staying at the far end of the beach until we are done with class rather than driving past us numerous times. I find great gratitude for this teaching of collaboration.

THE WEATHER –

When most of us think of Yoga on the Beach, the images are of a beautiful sunny day with a gentle breeze, the sound of the ocean’s chant of waves lapping the shore and the smell of the sea enthusing our practice. Many of our days out there are just like that, and then there are the challenging days of heat, threatening rain, chilly cold morning or humidity!

We have learned to adjust our teaching to the ever-changing nature of weather in “our studio”! I remember once being at Omega inside one of their beautiful classrooms and walking over to the thermostat to see if I could adjust it. It was unlocked with a small piece of paper taped underneath it with one word on it – ADJUST. I stood there for a moment as I realized how powerful that one word was and that I had a choice to adjust the thermostat on the wall or within myself. I chose the inner path, walked back to my place in class and continued on.

Don and I hold that lesson for our classroom, giving each student space to find their way to adjusting to the day. Face the sun, or keep your back to it. Stand by the water to cool down or IN IT! Wear layers for warmth or sun protection with the option of stripping down to your bikini.

We never know what the weather will be as it can shift even during class, and we amp it up for those days that start out chilly, or slow it down on the 3 H days of hazy, hot and humid.

THE FLIES –

This summer brought on an unusual amount of North winds that drive black flies onto the beach during class. What a challenge these small biters can be, and an opportunity to work with “what IS”!

One of the mornings was during Yin Yoga, which was a cooler morning then usual thank goodness, as the group did great in covering themselves with blankets to keep the flies off. It can be tough to find stillness while being bit, but it sure gave us the opportunity to practice finding inner peace over and over and over again!

Another morning we learned that you can run but you can’t hide with these persistent bugs. We started out on our mats, then moved to practice by the water (they followed us), then up on the deck (they found us again but in less numbers.) So we settled in and enjoyed using the props of chairs and wall to explore our practice. Guess who moved onto the beach while we were up on the deck? YUP, the tractor and what a perfect time to show up as we were already off the beach.

THE LESSONS –

Be Present

Be Open to what IS

Find your way to acceptance of what is happening and then while flowing with it, continue to walk the path of ease, joy and learning.

Create space for others to find their way.

Use resistance wisely