What it was like
The mat is on the sand. The instructor is barefoot. And the sound of the Pacific crashing behind you is doing more for your nervous system than anything in the guided meditation.
The San Diego Yoga Festival is a four-day beach yoga experience on the sand in Imperial Beach — classes held directly on the shore with the ocean as the backdrop and live music from the main stage. Beyond the practice: a vending area with healthy food, healing services including Reiki, massage, and sound healing, a dedicated kid's center for families, education on mindful products, and a community of practitioners who chose sand over studio.
Sandiegoyogafestival.com for exact dates, schedule, and registration. Imperial Beach, San Diego, CA.
If you've ever rolled out a mat somewhere beautiful and thought 'this is how it's supposed to feel,' this is four days of that — with the tide keeping time instead of a clock.