With all of the rain in Southern California the coastal waters are considered unsafe. What is a surfer to do on no surf days in order to stay limber and ready for the day the surf is up and the water is safe? Mark de Dubovay DC, a local surfer and chiropractor thinks yoga might be the answer.
Which is harder, Yoga or Surfing?
With all of the benefits of yoga, you can see how a surfer might also benefit from yoga when they are out of the water. HARD yoga founder Monica Carroll, tells us that there are several commonalities between the two lifestyles.
Surfing is widely considered one of the most difficult sports. In a Stab interview, John John Florence and Shaun White, both amazing athletes, testified to the difficulties they had surfing. If you have ever watched Shaun White on the snow, you know it’s hard to imagine him having difficulty on any board sport.
Yoga, is feared by many, simply because of a lack of experience according to Monica Carroll. She says that yoga, like surfing has to be started in small bites. Just like no surfer runs out to Jaws for their first ride, you don’t walk into a yoga studio and start out with a one handed inverted tree pose.
Yoga doesn’t care about weather.
The biggest benefit of yoga for many surfers is the fact that you can do it anywhere any time. While it is very important to learn the correct way to enter and exit a pose. If the weather is bad there are great studios close to the beach like HARD yoga.
Monica says “If the waves are small, you can still get in a great workout on the sand once you learn the right technique.” In fact Monica will be hosting Yoga on the sand each month at Bolsa Chica State Beach.
Just like surfing, you start yoga with simpler versions of each pose. As you build strength and gain flexibility, you move on to more complete poses. “Your body has probably been a lot more sedate than you think” says Dr. Mark. Our entire life is sitting in cars, sitting at desks, waiting in line. “To be in the best health your body needs to move” he adds.
So while the water is yellow, maybe it’s time to try yoga until the surf is safe again.
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