Yoga for Surfing
You’d probably be surprised to hear that surfing and yoga go hand-in-hand. They both share very similar attitudes of promoting well-being and making you physically healthier. They may look different and feel different – but both activities try to reach the same goals. Yoga can also help make you a better surfer as well!
How Does Yoga Help Surfing?
There are several reasons why yoga can enhance your surfing capabilities. The exercises that the traditional practices promote can clear your mind, make you feel more at peace, and strengthen your body. Professional surfers often take up yoga to condition themselves for the intense competition ahead. These are a few features of why yoga will make you a better surfer.
It helps with your flexibility
Many yoga exercises and moves are tailored to relax your muscles – which in turn allows more flexibility. Surf sessions will require a lot of movement – especially at higher levels. Practicing yoga routinely reduces stiffness and helps in maneuvering the board better. Not to mention, it helps keep injuries at a minimum.
Yoga builds up your strength
Surfing can be intense – and longer sessions will require some strength. Yoga can be the perfect preparation for a surf session. It helps condition your body in significant areas through exercises on arms, shoulders, and lower back. They build up strength in these areas and are great routines for easing up the paddling into the waves.
The breathing exercises help improve your sessions
As a surfer, you’ll know that there will be a lot of time spent under the water. Yoga teaches breathing exercises that help hold your breath longer. They also help administer techniques that create relaxing breathing patterns, allowing surfers to focus better.
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Being mindful of your breathing has surprisingly good applications to future surf sessions.
There’s a focus on balance
There is a much focus on balance in yoga – another trait shared in common with surfing. The practices will have you working on staying upright through balanced postures. The lessons will teach you how to keep as sturdy as possible on your board – increasing your strength and flexibility at the same time.
Yoga enhances the mental benefits of surfing
Surfing can be considered a way to reduce stress and clear the mind. Yoga focuses on the same thing – but offers the solutions outside of your surf sessions instead of the water. You can consider yoga a continuation of the mental health benefits surfing brings, so you can always stay in a relaxed and peaceful state.
A Spiritual Practice to Enhance Your Session
If you speak to any frequent surfer about the benefits of yoga – it’s more than likely they will recommend it. Both practices run in harmony with each other – one being on land and the other in the sea. If you haven’t tried yoga, but you are a keen surfer – give it a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how a couple of sessions can make you a better surfer.
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