Ever thought about a Yoga Retreat with Open Water Swimming?

Open water swimming has becoming increasingly popular in the UK, wild swimming outdoors in our rivers and lakes and for those of us who are lucky enough to live close to the sea. One of the reasons so may people have taken to the open water is the array of health benefits it brings us. 1. Being in the great outdoors – no restrictions, no lanes, nobody chasing you and that

awkward feeling that someone is hot on your heels, just you and your chosen

companions in open space

2. Meet like-minded people – as with yoga, open water swimming is a great way to

expand your social circle, also aligned with yoga, there is no competition, turn up, enjoy

your swim with friends and build new friendships

3. Its an achievement! – dipping your body into open water is not only mentally

challenging but also physically, but once in you will reap the mental and physical rewards

of acclimatising to water where heat loss from your skin can be up to 70 times faster!

4. Improves sleep - Cold water stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)

which helps your body to mend itself as well as improve feelings of zen. With your body

working, your mind focusing and PNS boosted, this will no doubt help you to sleep at

night

5. It’s great fun! – not sure about this, I think there are more descriptive ways of

describing the advantages

6. Better circulation - When we become cold, blood rushes to our organs, making our

hearts work a little bit harder. Every time you swim outdoors, the cold water helps to

boost your circulation by pumping blood through your capillaries, arteries and veins

7. Increased happiness - You’ll know that immersing yourself in cold water can make

your skin sting and take your breath away. To reduce the stinging sensation, your brain

releases endorphins (painkillers produced by your body), which results in a feeling of

wellbeing once you’re back on dry land. Combine this with a workout in the great

outdoors (proven to reduce stress and promote mental wellbeing) and you have a

powerful way to inject some happiness into your day! 8. Boosted immune system - Immersing your body in cold water for an hour can shock

the immune system and help produce more white blood cells and more antioxidants. This

can help to boost your immune system and reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. 9. Better skin - Cold water exfoliates the skin, flushing out impurities and making it

smoother. This all adds up to you feeling better inside and out every time you swim

outdoors.

So, we know that yoga improves the bio-mechanics of the joints, in particular the hips, shoulders and spine, yoga improves strength and flexibility, it also concentrates the mind. All these benefits of yoga transition perfectly to swimming and will give you a greater awareness of your body and reduce the likelihood of injury. So, combining yoga and cold water swimming can only have a positive outcome.

Tried and tested, here is a quotation from a very energised retreat guest:

Submerging myself into the cold water at any given opportunity during this retreat, absorbing as much water therapy that I could, I can genuinely say it was easier than I thought to jump in and embrace the cold - and my goodness it really does leave you feeling incredible after. On reflection with the retreat team, we concluded that it was ‘invigorating’ as well as leaving us

feeling ‘clear’ and ‘refreshed’.

Why not join a Wanderlust Yoga & Adventures Retreat and discover the benefits of yoga and open water swimming? Click here for more info

You should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting any form of exercise to determine if it is right for your needs.