There is unequivocally something uniquely special about doing yoga to the sound of the ocean’s waves. To match the deep ujjayi I breaths to the ebb and flow of the tide allows for a different level of connectivity to nature. I have the gift of both practicing and teaching yoga just meters from the shoreline of the Gulf of Thailand. The waters are crystalline turquoise and expand out in all directions, before disappearing in the distance, here on the island of Koh Rong Samloem.
The yoga studio is meters from the ocean, but is also snuggled against the Cambodian jungle, filled with monkeys, snakes, and a bajillion insects. I may not have counted them myself, let’s be honest, but I sure have heard them. The jungle never stops singing. At all times of day, there is a constant humming — a constellation of cadences that create the jungle itself. At sunrise and sunset the hermit crabs, starting at the sea and working the way up to the jungle’s edge, emit a high-pitched ringing singing sound, almost as if I was tracing my finger on the edge of a crystal glass. This sterling song serves as my alarm clock at 6:00am. I like to wake up with the sun, I’m an early bird by nature and the light of the sun wakes me up naturally most days. However, my wake up habit back in America has been an early 5:00am or 5:30am iPhone alarm clock, which, dependent on the season of course, doesn’t usually allow me to wake up naturally to the sun’s rays. I am grateful to wake up to the sound of the mother nature’s creatures singing one of the strangest songs I’ve ever heard.
Practicing yoga in paradise sure isn’t a heavy cross to bear, but I know that paradise won’t always be the place I call home. I think that incorporating the sound of the ocean into my practice will be something I will try to do from time to time when not living close to the sea. With the ridiculous convenience of a YouTube ocean sounds video, seaside sounds can be added to anyone’s practice anywhere, anytime. I encourage you, dear reader, if you are practicing yoga to put on ocean sounds during your next practice and work to connect your breath with the ebb and flow of the tide. I hope you find it as peaceful and grounding as I have found it to be.
“My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and take heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
