Are you a sports enthusiast searching for something new to do but unsure of what to try next? Or perhaps you are planning your next vacation and would like to take a different trip to rediscover yourself. In any case, attending a surf yoga Porto retreat camp is always a smart choice if you’re the kind of person who loves being outside and learning new things about yourself.
Surfing and yoga are often combined as a routine and practice. To be honest, these two are a great combination if you want to develop a connection with your body. Both tasks need strength, flexibility, balance and focus. Keep reading to learn more about the relationship between these two sports and how they can help you surf better.
How Practicing Yoga Could Help You Learn to Surf?
Yoga improves almost every aspect of life, both mentally and physically. Among its many remarkable physiological and physical advantages are gains in strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance.
Its spiritual and emotional effects are even more valuable. The original, traditional yoga practice was actually far more mental than physical, emphasizing many “golden rules” in a way that was more about introspection than criticism of oneself.
How Practicing Yoga Can Be Enhanced by Surfing?
There are a lot of things to learn from the natural world, and the ocean is a veritable school for retaining information. Surfing teaches valuable lessons about being in the ocean, letting go, and using its power.
These are teachings that apply to many aspects of life. In truth, yoga is meant to be more mental than physical. Therefore, there are a number of benefits that are directly related to your practice. The most common reason is that surfing is a perfect setting for applying the principles you’ve learned in yoga.
How Both Yoga and Surfing can Benefit your Body and Mind
Both Yoga and Surfing can benefit you in the following ways:
- Strength
Surfing uses every muscle in your body, including your arms, shoulders, core, abs, legs, and feet. It activates the smaller muscles involved in balance and fine motor control, as well as the larger muscles required for surfing and standing up on waves.
Given their limited use in regular activities, these smaller muscle groups may be more challenging to train. Yoga is an excellent technique to get in wave-riding shape because, like surfing, it works all of the body’s muscle groups, both large and small. This improves overall muscle tone and conditioning.
- Focus
Being surrounded by a crowd of other surfers increases the unpredictability and potential danger of the ocean. If your attention is diverted, you will suffer consequences from paddling out to searching for your next wave to standing up and riding.
Due to the hard physical demands placed on your body both yoga and surfing forces you for more focus. In any situation, maintaining an even head can help you stay safe in the water, progress more quickly, and get a better understanding of your mistakes.
- Balance
The need for balance in both surfing and yoga is obvious, but you might be surprised to learn that balance is a skill that requires care as well as practice. Flexibility and strength both affect balance. Your body can more effectively fix itself when something goes out of balance when all of its muscles are used correctly.
In addition, your brain becomes better at responding quickly and precisely when you find yourself wobbling between balance and off-center conditions. This ability will help you stay on track whether you’re surfing a wave or standing upright in a tree pose.
Final thoughts
In the world of professional surfing, combining surfing and yoga is nothing new. Combining surfing and yoga can benefit you in more ways than just surfing waves and fancy stretching. You can take up both activities, use one to fuel the other, or even just go on a short-term surfing and yoga holiday. Give surf yoga Portugal a try; your mind and body will definitely appreciate it.
