Laugh, unwind,
settle into 60 minutes
In front of the blue sea, with a light breeze and the sound of the waves. About half of the people who join have never practised yoga. We build the poses around your experience, the temperature and how you feel that day, so both first-timers and those who want to move hard are in good hands.
Poses you will find
nowhere but Okinawa
"Yoga looks difficult." We wanted Okinawa's brightness to loosen that guard. So we turned the island's dances, its landmarks and its endearing creatures into poses. You hear the name, you laugh a little, and while you are imitating the shape your body and mind have already let go. These are the original poses of Okinawa Beach Yoga.
The seahorse
Like a seahorse drifting between the waves, round your back and purse your lips. Moving the spine one vertebra at a time softens a back that has stiffened up.
Sea grapes
Umi-budō, sea grapes, are a gift of Okinawa's waters. Curl your body comfortably small, the way those beads cluster together. With deep breathing, the relaxation spreads through you.
Yārū, the house gecko
"Yārū" is the Okinawan word for the gecko that lives in your house. Stay low and supple, like a yārū crossing a wall. It opens the hips wide and works harder than it looks.
The pineapple
A sweet pineapple, full of Okinawan sun. Spread both hands above your head like a flower and draw the shape of the fruit with your whole body. Reaching high stretches the sides of the body, releases tension around the shoulders and quietly sets your posture right.
Poses are built around the experience of the people who come and the temperature on the day. These are only a few examples — first-timers have nothing to worry about.
Sixty minutes, inward
About 60 minutes from arrival to farewell. Rather than rushing through a fixed sequence, we take time over each breath and each view.
Arrival and check-in
Come to the meeting point at least 10 minutes before the start. We check your name and quietly ask how you are feeling, what you would like to work on, and the pace you prefer. Mats are provided, so travel light. It begins with taking your shoes off and finding the warmth of the sand.
Warm-up
Standing, one long breath. Little by little you lay your own breathing over the rhythm of the waves coming in and drawing back. Neck, shoulders, wrists, ankles — we loosen the stiff joints one at a time and wake the body up comfortably.
Original poses
On to the poses you will find nowhere else, named after Okinawan dances, landmarks and island creatures. There is no need to brace yourself and get them right. While you are still laughing, your spine has straightened and your breath has deepened.
Photo time
In the most beautiful light of the day, your instructor chooses the framing and photographs you against the view — holding a pose, or simply looking out at the sea. The files are yours, in full, on the spot.
Cool-down
Finally, lie back gently on the sand. With only the sound of the waves, you let your breathing settle. The body lets go, and the line between you and the sea seems to dissolve — a deep, unhurried rest. We finish quietly, a little reluctant to leave.
How to book, what to wear and bring, what happens in rain, and answers to the worries first-timers usually have are all gathered on About Beach Yoga.
Shaped around the sea
and around you
Even at the same beach, the wind, the waves and the colour of the light are completely different from one day to the next. Our instructors watch both the sea that day and your body, and adapt the poses and the pace as they go — slowly through a single movement for a first-timer, and properly hard for someone who wants to move.
Sending you home smiling, saying that felt wonderful, is what we want most.
Did any of these
catch your eye?
Your actual lesson will be built around the sea that day and around you. All you need to do is pick a date, time and beach.