Yoga on the Beach – Interview with Instructor Catherine “YogaCat” Boskovic

The health benefits of yoga are widely touted, and when we heard that you could do it on the beach, we knew we had to check it out. We headed out to 12th St. Beach by Adler Planetarium to check out Catherine “Yoga Cat” Boskovic’s Yoga on the Beach class, a weekly session she teaches on Monday evenings. Catherine has been doing yoga since 1994 after finding that the practice helped her during a stressful time in her life. After quitting her corporate job, she traveled the world, studied yoga and returned to Chicago where she began teaching full-time in 2002. We asked Cat to share her knowledge of yoga with us…

What are some of the physical benefits of yoga?

Increasing Flexibility – Yoga has positions that act upon the various joints of the body, including those joints that are never really used. In addition, yoga exercises the different tendons and ligaments of the body.

In addition, Yoga also massages the internal glands and organs of the body and acts in a wholesome manner that in turn prevents disease.

Complete Detoxification – By gently stretching muscles and joints, as well as massaging various organs, yoga ensures optimum blood supply to the body, which helps flush out toixns and provide nourishment. Such benefits include delayed aging and increase energy levels.

Muscle Toning – Muscles that have become flaccid or weak are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess flab and flaccidity.

Yoga is intended to allow practitioners to improve on form and endurance over time, to the best of their ability. The body should never be strained or injured during yoga.

What are some of the important non-physical benefits of yoga?

Meditation in yoga is key

Yoga harmonizes the mind with the body through meditation and helps achieve emotional balance through detachment. Meditation creates conditions where you are not affected by your surroundings, helping create a sense of calmness and a positive outlook. Such emotional stability in turn manifests into physical benefits to the body as stress levels decrease. In essence, the goal of yoga through meditation is the unity of mind, body and spirit into a state of eternal bliss.

Do you have any yoga recommendations for beginners?

1) Purchase a good quality yoga mat: A lot of yoga postures are performed sitting, lying and kneeling, which can be hard on the body when performed on a solid surface. A yoga mat cushions all areas of the body and provides comfort during meditation. There are many yoga mats available on the market, but it is important to buy a good quality mat so it can protect you from bodily harm.

2) Purchase appropriate yoga apparel: Yoga is different from most forms of exercise because of the many postures that require the body to twist and bend in many new forms. If the clothing is too baggy, you may expose areas of the body you did not intend to, and if too tight, you may feel uncomfortable. Some yogi choose to only wear natural fabrics like cotton and hemp because they allow direct air flow to the body. Others prefer to wear clothing with lycra or spandex which cling comfortably to the body. It always comes down to personal preference but it’s a good idea to try on various clothing to see how well they work with your movements.

3) Designate an area to practice yoga at home: If you plan on practicing yoga at home, you will need to maintain a designated space to do so. A spare bedroom, sunroom or any space where you have room to move around uninterrupted will work well. Doing yoga in noisy or cluttered environments can interfere with the mind’s concentration, making the practice less effective.

4) Perform simple, daily exercises: Practice breathing on a daily basis! Sit in a comfortable seated position and focus on breathing. Breathe in through the  nose and out through the nose. Breathe in through the belly and expand the intercostal muscles between the ribs. Practice slow movements. Simple exercises, such as the Cat/Cow pose, can relax the nervous system. To increase flexibility, practice forward bens, backbends, external and internal hip rotations, as well as body twists.

A Few Beginner Poses that Cat Recommends

Warrior Pose

Triangle Pose

Dog Pose

Chair Pose