‘Outdoor yoga keeps me healthy and grounded’
Laurie Bell, 45, from East Neuk of Fife, does yoga on the beach to balance her body and mind.
‘I live in a vibrant fishing village that’s situated on the Fife Coastal Path, looking out to the Isle of May nature reserve. I have a great love and respect for the outdoors and my local area is rich in history, beaches, wildlife, golf and water-based activities. Before I eventually became a yoga teacher, I practised yoga outside for years. I would meditate in the garden or by water and used to find quiet beaches to enjoy practising and swimming alone, which is still one of my favourite things to do.
When my sister was very ill with cancer and died, I’d often go and practise on the beach by myself. It was a way to be present, feel supported by the environment and come to terms with my circumstances. Even now
I can head to the beach with some challenge or another and it seems to melt away into the sea as I move through the poses.
Yoga is a way of life and soon becomes part of everything – your practising continues long after you leave the mat. My husband and teenage children do beach yoga with me too, they have grown up to appreciate and pay attention to nature.
It has so many physical benefits and doing it on the shoreline is a completely different experience to being in a studio. Calming the nervous system through regular practise helps to regulate hormones and optimise organ health. Movement generates healthy fluid production, and increases strength and flexibility, as well as promoting the production of feel-good hormones. Yoga brings attention to the present moment and the added element of being by water impacts the way you feel. The naturally meditative quality relaxes the mind and body, helping you feel at one with nature. I love absorbing the healing sounds and sensations and responding to its changing states and tides. This helps me to be adaptable, learning to go with the flow and let go of expectations.
I now teach regular group yoga classes on the beach. Everyone who comes brings their own energy to the natural environment and we encourage a welcoming, inclusive culture. People are naturally more playful on the beach and appreciate the space around them so it feels warm, friendly and is a fun form of exercise. There is laughter and a real appreciation for the views. Nature guides the practising, from blossoming movement at ground level in the spring, to shorter, upright sequences in winter. The range of ages and experience is also notable. We have serious athletes and yoga teachers next to beginners and people with physical restrictions, and there are teenagers and great-grandparents stretching side by side. Everyone belongs on the beach.’
✢ curativate.co.uk
‘People are
naturally more playful on the beach’