247CM fotografering | Kelsey Garcia
247CM fotografering | Kelsey Garcia
With pool yoga, like many things in life, the hardest part is starting. That's what I discovered as I very inelegantly crawled onto my floating yoga pad, my knee dunking one edge of the mat into the water, creating a puddle that would remain for the rest of class.
Jeg prøvede for nylig aqua yoga, også kaldet flydende yoga, under et ophold på Unik 20º87º i Riveria Maya, Mexico. Jeg var der for at deltage i feriestedets årlige Aura Wellness-begivenhed, som består af egenomsorg og fitnessaktiviteter som denne.
I should note that I'm an absolute yoga beginner . (Is there a word to indicate a level below beginner?) While I admire those who practice yoga regularly, and can imagine its benefits, I've just never gotten into it. That said, I do consistently work out and take barre classes several times a week, so I felt somewhat prepared to try the unique class. Here's how it went.
Hvad er Aqua Yoga?
Aqua yoga is pretty much what it sounds like: a yoga class taking place on an inflatable pad in some form of water, typically a pool or the ocean, instead of a mat on a floor — because that would be far too easy, right? Some similar variations can take place on a paddleboard or simply in the water with more of a lower-body focus. (There's even a vintage 247CM fitness video for det.)
Like aerial yoga, the workout makes traditional yoga slightly more challenging because you have to carefully maintain your balance throughout the entirety of class. Each class is different, but participants can likely expect to mostly move through a variety of seated poses: cat-cow, one-leg boat, and spinal twists. Though you likely won't find yourself fully standing at any point, especially in a beginner's class, some more challenging moves may consist of a straight-arm plank, low crescent lunge, and a Chaturanga .
Min erfaring med Aqua Yoga
Da jeg ankom til aqua yoga, følte jeg mig afslappet. Klokken var lidt før 8.00. Solen var lige begyndt at kaste et gyldent skær over poolen, og alle de oppustelige puder var pænt stillet op. På trods af at jeg observerede, at andre klarede sig fint på deres måtter, fandt jeg det stadig svært at hoppe på uden at dyppe puden i vandet, som jeg tidligere nævnte. Men uanset hvad klarede jeg det.
The class began with a kneeling backbend to gently wake up the body. After a few cat-cow poses, followed by child's pose and cobra stretch, I started to work up more of a sweat with a few tricep pushups. Then downward dog flowed into a straight-arm plank, a cycle we'd repeat a few times throughout class.
Because my pad was located next to the jacuzzi, which was running at the time of class, I sometimes found it hard to hear the instructor, and so I would be a move behind everyone else or facing the wrong side as my neighbors.
247CM fotografering | Kelsey Garcia
Chaturanga was sprinkled in throughout the class, sort of like a punctuation mark added on to each series of poses. (Bad news if you're me and haven't quite mastered Chaturanga yet.) More kneeling backbends followed, kneeling twists we held for quite a long time, and then some single leg raises, which felt familiar from barre. We ended the class with some simple seated ab work, and got to lie down as our instructor offered a mini sound bath meditation .
All in all, I found the workout was slow moving and graciously appropriate for participants of all levels, but because it all took place on an uneven surface, my core was definitely working overtime to stabilize throughout. Movements that would normally be easy on solid ground, like a seated twist, took on new meaning in the pool. Mind you, the entire class is moving in synchronicity, meaning that small waves would ripple each time we'd collectively move to a new position, making it even harder to balance on the pad.
Now, the moment you've all been waiting for: did I fall in? Shockingly, no. Despite minimal coordination getting on and off the pad, I managed to make it through the class without falling in the water.
That said, the poses we were doing weren't terribly complicated. If you take a more advanced class, swimwear might be an appropriate choice in the event you fall off your pad; I did consider wearing a swimsuit during the class, but truthfully, I'm just not there yet in my confidence journey. And perhaps, in the end, being in full-blown workout clothes motivated me that much more to stay on that damn pad.
Aqua yoga is definitely a fun way to switch up your usual yoga practice, whatever that might look like. (The challenge may be in finding a nearby class since it's a pretty niche workout.) I would certainly try it again if the opportunity presented itself, but in the meantime, I'll keep working on my Chaturanga on land.
Kelsey Garcia er associeret indholdsdirektør for 247CM Balance, hvor hun overvåger livsstilsdækning, fra dating til forældreskab og økonomisk velvære. Kelsey er passioneret omkring rejser, hudplejetrends og ændringer i det sociale medielandskab. Før hun kom til 247CM-teamet for mere end otte år siden som redaktionsassistent, arbejdede hun blandt andet hos Elle og Harper's Bazaar.
