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Throughout all of Japan beach yoga has become popular, but out of all beach yoga events “Shonan Beach Yoga” is at the heart. This time we had Shonan resident blogger Romy, who has written special columns before, take part in beach yoga.
Romy
He is attracted by a rich enviroment surrounded by the sea and mountains and the peaceful time in Kamakura, that's why he move to Kamakura from Yokohama with his family in summer of 2016.
(Actually he had commute high school in Kamakura!)
Since then, he posts about living in Shonan, Kamakura・gourmet・outing information・domestic and overseas travel journals. He likes journey, cafe, dancing, surfing and sunset at beach.
■Blog：「ENJOY YOUR LIFE!」
romyhiromi.com
■Instagram：
instagram.com/romyhiromi/
What is Shonan Beach Yoga?
Shonan Beach Yoga is an event where instructors from all over Japan gather to spread their passion for beach yoga. This event first began in the autumn of 2015 at the centre of Hayama and has been held at the seaside in Hayama, Zushi, and Yokohama every year since. It’s different than standard yoga, which takes place in a studio, because it’s very open minded. One of the best things about it is that it’s perfect for everyone, even beginners, men and parents with children.
More event information can be found here.
Beach Yoga Experience Report
My autumn 2018 Hayama beach yoga experience began at Morito Kaigan and finished at Isshiki Kaigan. Here I’ll tell you all about the lesson I took part in at Isshiki Kaigan which was led by model, Waka Nozawa. For outdoor lessons the biggest concern is, of course, the weather. On the day I went it seemed as though summer had completely returned and we practiced until we were dripping with sweat!
At the beginning of the lesson, Waka talked to us about “Going beyond your normal abilities”. In general we usually decided what our abilities are and stop trying once we’ve reached our limit. However, in this lesson we were encouraged to go beyond. Keeping this in mind, we started our beach yoga experience.
We started by curling up into the “child pose” then stretched out onto our sides, all the while moving at a gentle and pleasant pace. The sound of the waves, the blue sky above, and the vast ocean before me created a combination for paradise on earth! A world free of boundaries seemed to unfold just before my eyes!
In the latter half, we experienced familiar yoga poses such as the “sun salutation pose” and balanced on one leg while stretching out the other one and moving our bodies into different poses for a set amount of time.
After that, we experienced the best part of beach yoga! All participants lined up at the water’s edge and made a “standing figure four pose” with the next person and stretched each leg back and forth. Part way through, the sand under my feet became soaking wet and I could truly enjoy the pleasure of the sea to my heart’s content. Finally, I returned to my mat for “shavansana – corpse pose”. Lying on my back, I could fully relax while my whole body soaked up the sun’s energy.
It was so hot that day that I stopped focusing on little details somewhere along the way and before I knew it I was simply moving my body peacefully. In one sense, I guess you could say I was just being myself. Beach yoga really depends on the weather as if it’s too cold or raining you may wish to be inside, but if it’s too hot there is also a risk of heat stroke. Through all this I learned how difficult it really is to hold a beach yoga event.
SPECIAL LUNCH TIME
After the lesson, I enjoyed Waka Nozawa’s special lunch. It was full of vegetables from her hometown, prepared by food creator “Amigo Kitchen” who works out of Zushi. It was incredibly delicious!
LUNCH MENU
・Herb water
・Misaki tuna confit and ratatouille
・Pear and almond salad
・Obuse chestnut crepes
Special Day Workshop
Introducing a one day only Special Day Workshop!! At this event there were many local products from Hayama, food and drink stalls, and miscellaneous goods being sold. A variety of different workshops were held including, wreath making, acupressure earrings, beauty face massages, and make-up sessions, everything to entice a woman!
Experience Herbarium Bottle Workshop
Herbarium bottles for displaying indoors have recently become hugely popular. Using a small set of tweezers you can place an assortment of dried flowers of your choice into a glass bottle. Arranging the flowers inside the bottle is the most vital part! I could have spent an eternity matching colours and different materials trying to find the perfect combination! Finally I was able to decide on my arrangement and then poured a special oil into the bottle over the flowers to finish. Herbariums last much longer than fresh flowers and they bring an extra little touch to your home!
For those who have participated in yoga lessons in a studio but never tried beach yoga, you may be a little worried about many things. Will the weather be alright? What kind of people will be taking part? Moving your body under the warmth of the sunshine while listening to the sound of the waves is positively blissful! Everything happening in the world around you and those nagging little thoughts will simply melt away! The executive committee of beach yoga carries out yoga events at the seaside during the spring and autumn. Wouldn’t you like to join in and experience a sense of unity with nature, away from all the hustle and bustle of the city?