Beach Yoga is, in a word, magic. We arrived with a tornado of irritating thoughts whirling round in our minds. The man from the laundry had gone completely AWOL with all our clothes, the taxi driver had inexplicably misheard ‘Corniche’ as ‘coffee shop’ and refused to be persuaded of his mistake, and – worst of all – never having tried yoga before we were pretty sure we weren’t going to like it (what kind of people enjoy contorting themselves into excruciating twists in the name of exercise?) In other words, we were wound as tight as a spring. Yet somehow, by the end of the session, we were relaxed, happy, and felt like we were walking on air, converted in 90 minutes from a crabby urbanite to a blissed-out, chanting hippy child. What on earth happened?
Well, first off, we were mollified by the sight of the venue – a spacious wooden gazebo on an empty stretch of beach at the Corniche. The wooden boards were spot lit and surrounded by candles, and we placed our yoga mats facing out on to the lapping waves of the Arabian Gulf. Faced with that scene, who could stay in a bad mood for long?
Laila Dajani, of Yoga Juice, was holding the session and started us off by sitting still in a cross-legged position and concentrating on our breathing. She gently urged us to slow down our thoughts and focus on our bodies. Vinyasa Yoga, the style we practised that evening, is a fluid series of motions that are synchronised with each breath you take, giving you a very deep sense of rhythm and connection to your body. We practised a basic sun salutation series, which was composed of movements and positions that were challenging to hold, but not too complicated to master, even for beginners. Laila added extra levels of difficulty for those who were more experienced, and some easy options for the newbies, as our group was a broad mix of abilities, male and female.
Laila, who has been teaching for six years, is as serene a presence as you could imagine, but she says it’s all down to yoga. ‘I used to be highly strung, but yoga really changed me, physically and mentally. It makes me feel much better in day-to-day life. After I started practising, I changed the way I eat, and became much more aware of my body. I find it so grounding.’
Throughout the session she padded between us, adjusting our positions where necessary, and murmuring things like, ‘beeeeyoootiful’ and ‘stay in the moment’ and reminding us to keep our breathing steady.
‘Yoga helps me to be in the present – the right here, right now. When things are chaotic, which they so often are, it gives me a sense of perspective,’ she says.
Muscles pleasantly aching after the session, we stretched out our limbs and lay flat on our backs. Breathing deeply, we repeated the yoga affirmation: ‘I accept myself’ as we inhaled and ‘I am willing to let go’ with the exhale, while listening to a recording of a Devi incantation set to music. Listening to everyone else’s breathe rising and falling was as calming as the music, and we almost nodded off. The classes are becoming increasingly popular, especially now the weather is cooling, and Laila says she’s looking forward to the yoga community developing in Abu Dhabi. ‘Learning yoga is a lifetime process’ she says. You might not be able to spare a lifetime, but if you can spare an hour to get your feet sandy, listen to the sea, soak up the candlelight and work on those muscles, you’ll definitely feel like a new person.
Beach Yoga Dhs50 plus Dhs10 entrance to the beach. Classes are held at Bake on Abu Dhabi Beaches at Gate 2. Monday and Wednesday 6.30pm-8pm and Saturday 9am-10.30am. For more information, visit www.theyogajuice.com
