Whenever I actually settle myself down enough to take a yoga class I love it. It just doesn’t happen very often. My recent weekend cruise on Royal Caribbean offered a fantastic opportunity I’m so happy I took advantage of.
Most of the cruise lines schedule group fitness classes; yoga, pilates and spinning are the usual offerings. There is usually an extra charge for these, but at $10 or $12 per class it’s really no more than a class at home. I’ve taken advantage of these on previous cruises and am always pleasantly surprised by both the intensity of the class and the knowledge of the instructor. This class was no exception. Jarryd, in addition to having a New Zealand accent, was an energetic and experienced class leader.
Our group of 7 departed the Majesty Of The Seas and tendered over to the cruise line’s private island; Coco Cay in the Bahamas. The temperature at 8:30 am was already in the mid-90’s and, not surprisingly seeing it was the Bahamas in August, it was extremely humid. We settled into an unoccupied spot on the beach with our towels to substitute for yoga mats.
I hadn’t been too sure about the early start time; this was a vacation after all. In retrospect, it was the perfect way to start the day and sneak in a healthy activity amid the excess that cruises are so known for. With the searing heat I no doubt sweated out some of the toxins lurking in my body from the night before.
I don’t often get to enjoy the sights and sounds of surf and sand while doing something so good for myself. My outdoor exercise usually consists of punishing my body with a run. Treating myself to the stretching and strengthening of a yoga class while hearing the waves crash against the rocks seemed almost too decadent.
The heat quickly became a factor and we were all sweating profusely. Jarryd toned some of the poses down a bit and substituted a few prone poses to compensate for the steaminess. He assured us it was some of the hottest temps he’d ever endured while leading the beach class. I handled all of it ok and think it’s time to try that Bikram class!
