The Best Spots to Enjoy Beach Yoga on the East End

Yoga plus summer equals yoga on the beach. The warm sun, the cool breeze and the beautiful view enhance the meditative benefits of yoga—so don’t be afraid to get a little sand on your yoga mat.

The uneven surface of a beach makes yoga postures that much more challenging, but it also intensifies the physical benefits and personal achievements.

In Southampton Village, you don’t need a beach parking permit to enjoy yoga on the shore. Road D, off Meadow Lane, offers free parking. While the spaces fill up quickly during peak hours, at sunrise or sunset you’re sure to find a parking spot so you can enjoy an inspirational scene while giving your best upward facing dog or warrior pose.

If you find yourself yearning for a stretch while on The End, visit Hither Hills State Park (164 Old Montauk Highway, Montauk). Though this park is known for RV camping and fishing, it also has an ocean beach that is perfect for daytrippers to roll out a yoga mat. Parking is $10 daily.

Located at the western end of Dune Road in Westhampton, Cupsogue County Park (906 Dune Rd, Westhampton Beach) has a lifeguarded beach as well as non-protected areas closer to Moriches Inlet where there is less crowding. Most passersby during your private yoga session will be birds. Parking is $8 daily for Suffolk County Green Key holders or $15 daily between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. through September 7. Conveniences includes a concession stand and showers—everything a yogi needs after a walk on the beach and a few triangle and tree poses.

Orient Beach State Park (40000 Main Rd, Orient) offers a choice beach for yogis on the North Fork, offering 45,000 feet of frontage on Gardiner’s Bay. The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset through Labor Day and parking is $10 daily.

To enjoy yoga on the Shelter Island Sound, head to Cedar Beach Park (3690 Cedar Beach Road, Southold) There is no fee to enter and the 2,800-foot beach is open until sunset. The waters here are calm and the mood is serene.

It’s summer. Why be indoors when so many of your favorite activities can be taken to the beach?

Many East End yoga instructors offer the occasional outdoor class. Find the Best of the Best yoga studio and yoga instructors and the Best of the Best of everything East End at DansBOTB.com.