Photography by Eddie Berman
This ancient art offers a way for boaters to stay limber, toned, and strong, on the boat or off. Danielle Brown helps you get started.
As we know, the best boats are able to adapt to their surroundings and keep their crews content and feeling safe, even as wind, current, and the boater’s choice of course can sometimes work against each other: Indeed, such vessels are able to remain centered and maintain poise and balance, even in the face of tricky and ever-changing conditions.
So should it be with your body, even when you’re spending most of your time on board. The balance, strength, and flexibility that yoga can impart may help you to find your way through shifting winds, rough seas, and other challenges. And since all you need is a flat surface and a little room, it’s an ideal form of exercise for boaters.
Yoga is a voyage of awareness that will help you find the flow of your life. The physical postures stretch and strengthen your muscles and joints. The still work of breathing and meditation helps you to acknowledge a relationship of balance: between self and nature, between body and mind, between intention and attention.
Stretching does not need to include four walls, incense, and a guru. Your boat can be your “studio.” No allotted time is too little to enjoy the space between the rush of schedules. Relax, kick back, and stretch. The poses shown here are all simply suggestions and there are many more that may work for your needs.
The real teacher, the one that is inside you, will guide you to better balance. Take your time and remember that yoga is referred to as a “practice” because it’s a constantly shifting, evolving thing. The body lengthens and contracts just as the sun rises and sets. Get tuned in with the currents, and you’ll be on your way. If you don’t have an existing yoga practice, why not make today the day to start? Here’s where to begin.
This article originally appeared in the November 2015 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
