Yoga Underwater: Does It Really Work?

Hello, beautiful souls, and welcome back to the mat—or in this case, the pool!

Yes, you heard it right; gone are the days of those boring yoga mats and the practice. Let’s explore the depth of waters and see how refreshing and life-changing it can be for us. Your committed yoga guide is here to lead you in a saturated body of practice that is quickly becoming more popular: underwater yoga.

You may have heard of this phrase and imagined it was something right out of a fantastical movie. And while it is surely a magical image, trust us, the benefits are very real and based on the actual physics of water.

So let’s metaphorically put on our goggles and jump into the wonderful world of aqua yoga.

The Why: Beyond the Gimmick, a Pathway to Deeper Wellness

Why would anyone give up their solid, grounding yoga mat for a buoyant, watery environment? The answer lies in the many ways water alters both our bodies and minds. And this is not just about a neat, new trend; this is a bona fide version of low-impact exercise, with so much to offer.

A Gentle Reprieve for Your Joints:

For some, traditional yoga can be tricky because of the weight-bearing nature of many of the poses. If you are dealing with arthritis, injury rehabilitation, or trying to prevent knee and ankle issues, the water is your best ally! You must have noticed that when you enter the water body, you start to float as if all your weight has gone somewhere.

The water provides an anti-gravity effect, which practically eliminates compression on your joints. Poses that may feel strenuous on land, like a lunge or forward fold, become passive, easy, and pain-free. This is why rehabilitative yoga and yoga for seniors are so effective and easy to practice while in the water.

Increase Your Strength and Flexibility:

It may seem paradoxical, but water provides constant gentle resistance from all angles. The entire time you are executing your Vinyasa Flow or holding your Hatha Yoga pose, you are working against resistance! Every lift, reach, and stretch is now a significant strength-building exercise using your body weight.

The buoyancy in the water simultaneously allows for greater development of range of motion; you can be in greater stretches and take them deeper. You will likely find that poses that have always challenged you on land are easily achievable in the water, which carries over into your on-land practice, allowing for a potentially deeper, more flowing, and more powerful practice!

The Ultimate Sensory Detox:

One of the greatest gifts of underwater yoga is the instantaneous alteration in sensory experience. The outer world falls away into muffled nothingness, and we focus inward instead. The sensations of water on our skin, the subtle shifts in our bodies as we balance, and the feeling of our breath.

These just become our primary means of awareness. This kind of heightened awareness is a form of mindfulness, a disconnection from the distractive identity of the outer state, and a real chance to connect with your inner self. This is a genuine way to practice stress reduction and promote inner peace with sensory detoxification.

A Deeper Connection to Breath (Pranayama):

In yogic traditions we often speak about the importance of breath. Duh! However, underwater, the connection becomes really essential. You will begin to regulate your breath in a way you may never have before. You will become aware of your lung capacity and how you inhale and exhale in ways you may never have experienced before.

The pliability of the body in relation to the water is spectacular. It invites you to momentarily hold your breath as you sink further into the pose and slowly release as you rise. This is a wonderful practice in self-control and self-restraint. And it will apply wonderfully to your breath in your pranayama practice and breath awareness in general. And breath is a cornerstone of yoga!

The Journey of Balance:

There are many options for balancing poses with yoga on land, such as Tree Pose (Vrksasana) and Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III), but moving into a balance pose can be difficult on a solid surface that offers little more than a bed of sand or foam support.

In the water, the underlying physics of gravity and buoyancy create a requirement to use your core and stabilizing muscles to overcome that inertia in new and interesting ways. Your center of gravity will not be dictated by the earth, but by the push of the water in and around you. The outcome is an increase in your awareness of balance and core coordination in the water and on land.

What to Expect in an Underwater Yoga Class

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Generally an underwater yoga class might begin with light stretches and movements in the shallow end to acclimatize your body with the water resistance. Progressive poses are then slowly introduced with the benefit of the water’s buoyancy to assist with balance and deep stretching poses.

Different practices may introduce weights or pool noodles for proprioception to help you figure out where the water is in relation to your balance and coordination; you could even work against resistance with pool noodles by using momentum to create opposing forces and possibly more awareness of limited movement patterns.

After the poses of the practice, there is usually a floating Savasana (Corpse Pose), providing a chance to let go of all of your weight into the water for the classic and ultimate surrender into relaxation.

Is Underwater Yoga For You?

There are many ways to consider and know whether underwater yoga is for you or not. It is undoubtedly something to consider if you’re looking for a beneficial, healing, and refreshing way to advance your yoga practice while also enjoying the depth of waters around. 

If we talk about who can enjoy this special and unique experience of flowing underwater then, it’s a fantastic choice for athletes undergoing cross-training, those healing from injuries, expectant mothers seeking mild exercise, and anyone who enjoys the water and wants to try something new.

Have you ever done yoga while floating in water? How did you find the experience? Leave a comment below! We’d be curious to know.

Until next we flow, keep flowing, keep breathing, and keep exploring the limitless potential of your body and mind!