TheLoneRider
a seeker in search of Easter Eggs
yoga in Da Nang, Vietnam

Beach Yoga in DaNang, Vietnam Nov 17, 2018

Beach Yoga in DaNang, Vietnam

Location: My Khe Beach, Da Nang, Vietnam

Beach Yoga
I made a pitch to some resorts in DaNang about teaching yoga, but not surprisingly, given that it's low season, no replies. This doesn't stop me anyway from my practice. To the people I met, I offered to teach a donation-based yoga class by the beach. I thought I could do the yoga on my hotel roof top, but it was disapproved by the owner - security reasons. It's hard to do one-legged asanas on sand, but the great part is, you're conducting a yoga class in the great outdoors of DaNang by the beach as the sun picks up heat.

Beach Yoga in DaNang, Vietnam
beach yoga with Max and Alanna

Common Denominator
With a participant as a first-timer, the class had to be about theoretical cornerstones of yoga that would guide him in his continuing practice. This was far more important than doing the full asana sequence. For the intermediate practitioner, it would be a good refresher since I introduce new concepts that may be new to them.

Beach Yoga in DaNang, Vietnam
beach yoga with Max, Alanna, Lilit and Seda

Yoga Cornerstones
What I like about my approach to yoga is that it can be applied to any workout and more importantly, to life itself. Ultimately, life becomes your yoga mat where you practice the following:

  1. safety edge - it's not about that perfect pretzel-pose you see on Instagram. It's about finding your safety edge on any asana and staying there - never going beyond and not stopping short of it
  2. breath - synchronizing movement with breath, fully inflating the lungs on the in-breath and emptying the lungs on the out-breath. Increasingly, not too many studios take breath seriously - it's mostly about the pose
  3. awareness - thinking about what is being done and mentally focusing on the sensation felt by the body. If the mind is on dinner or movie, the practice is not optimized
  4. non-reaction - to be aware is one thing, but to observe and NOT react to the increasing difficulty is another challenge. This is true to poses like Navasana if held for a longer amount of time. Instead of reacting, observing sensation with a calm and equanimous mind is underscored
  5. intention - whatever is being done, stay anchored on the intention. If you are doing alternate nostril breathing on a pranayama, keep the intention that you are doing this to balance the body - fight/flight and recovery, male and female, agitation and calm. If you are chewing food, make the intention that the food nourishes your body - don't take it for granted
  6. gratitude - lastly, be grateful for all the blessings and the coming blessings. When doing yoga on a beach, thank the sun, the wind and the sand, and everyone else there for making it happen. In life, again, when chewing food, be grateful that the food sustains you and keeps you functioning
Beach Yoga in DaNang, Vietnam
Alanna doing Crow

Going Full-On
When it was just a one-on-one with a practitioner with good flexibility, I went into high-gear with more advanced poses requiring more abs, more arm balancing, more visualization and longer Kumbhakas (breath-holds). For the first time, I even taught the Tibetan Yantra Yogic breathing - the 5 Yogas.

Ending Thoughts
There is nothing more grounding to start the day than to do yoga. Add to that, yoga on the beach with the surf pounding on the shore as the sun comes up. Priceless! With everyone nearly gone, I just wish they took something from the few practices we shared to guide them through their yogic journey. Namaste 🙏

--- TheLoneRider
YOGA by Gigit Yoga by Gigit | Learn English Learn English | Travel like a Nomad Nomad Travel Buddy | Donation Bank Donation Bank for TheLoneRider



Reader Comments:

FriendFriend
(Nov 16, 2018) Thank you for today's session. I enjoyed the one-on-one much more than the group. I was starting to doubt you a little but you showed me that you really know your stuff. What you said during meditation really resonated with me and is something I will continue to practise and work on. It was very relevant - not sure if it was coincidence or on purpose but thank you for the reminder. Looking forward to tomorrow morning.

TheLoneRiderTheLoneRider
(Nov 16, 2018) In a group, I have to cater to the lowest denominator. And it can be frustrating to the advanced practitioner. Glad you liked today's session.

Max DamaanMax
(Nov 15, 2018) Thank you Gigit for showing me your ways and introducing me to yoga and meditation 🙏

TheLoneRiderTheLoneRider
(Nov 15, 2018) Welcome to the wonderful world of Yoga. Yoga is tranformative. Brace yourself for a magical journey 🙏🙏🙏

Leave a comment?

Next stop: Friendship, Beer and Sausages at the German Deli


Google Map

Da Nang (city), Vietnam

important places in Da Nang IMPORTANT PLACES

Da Nang International Airport Da Nang International Airport

hotels in Da Nang HOTEL

Sea Sand Apartment and Hotel - walk to the beach, newly opened, everything brand new, spacious units 402
46 An Thuong 3, phuong My An, quan Ngu Hanh Son, 550000 Da Nang, Vietnam

restaurants in Da Nang RESTO | bars in Da Nang BAR

CohibaR Da Nang CohibaR - Cuban resto bar, Salsa nights, DJ music, great BURGERS!
6 An Thuong 3 (1.81 km), 550000 Da Nang, Vietnam

delicatessens in Da Nang DELICATESSEN

M.Z. German Delicatessen M.Z. German Delicatessen - meticulously handcrafted by a German butcher using high quality ingredients available in Da Nang
38 Phan Tu (0.34 km), Da Nang, Vietnam

electronic gadgets in Da Nang ELECTRONIC GADGETS

FPT Shop Danang FPT Shop Danang - phone, laptop, tablet, accessories, SIM card, Apple, Huawei, Oppo, Samsung, Xiaomi
7-9 Nguyen Van Thoai, Bac My Phu, Son Tra, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam

DA NANG BLOGS

  1. 30-Day Mini-life in Danang, Goodbye and Thank You Dec 8, 2018
  2. The Universe Provides Dec 8, 2018
  3. Pampered Living at Sea Sand Apartment and Hotel Nov 14-Dec 8, 2018
  4. Thich Nhat Hanh in Hue, Vietnam Dec 7, 2018
  5. Goodbye Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Dec 8, 2018
  6. Beer, Burgers and Friends at CohibaR DaNang Nov 25 - Dec 6, 2018
  7. Friendship, Beer and Sausages at the German Deli Nov 20 - Dec 1, 2018
  8. Beach Yoga in DaNang, Vietnam Nov 17, 2018
  9. Danang Wall Art Nov 8 - Dec 8, 2018
  10. The Wonderful People I met in Danang, Vietnam Nov 8 - Dec 8, 2018
  11. Revisiting DaNang, Vietnam Nov 8, 2018
  12. Backpacking Da Nang, Vietnam Jan 12-16, 2015

USEFUL INFORMATION

Da Nang International Airport (DAD) to Downtown Da Nang
  1. the airport is practically on the edge of the city center about $3 by cab. Taxis from the airport taking you to the city will try to charge you VND 10,000 "airport fee" in addition to your fare. Don't pay it. The passenger coming in to the airport already paid for this. But drivers don't pay this when going out. We were victimized by a Mai Linh taxi in this manner.
FYI / Tips
  1. Da Nang doesn't seem to have a backpacker area like Bangkok's Khaosan Road. The establishments are spread out within the city but most of them are lined up along the river between Han River Bridge and the Dragon Bridge
  2. XeOm or moto taxis are cheap and not aggressive
Hanoi to Da Nang
  1. plane - Jetstar takes you there in 1 hour, 15 mins. Da Nang Airport is just on the outskirt of the city center...about $3 by cab
  2. bus - a bus may take 15-16 hours from Hanoi's Giap Bat station
  3. train - the Reunification Express makes a stop in Da Nang
How to Get around Da Nang
  • there are no tuks-tuks in Vietnam but you can rent a motorcycle, take a cab or hire a XeOm single motorcycle
  • most of the places within the city center can be reached by foot - recommended as you see more of the city on foot than on a motorbike
  • still, the best way to see Da Nang is on a bicycle. VND 50,000, it is not as cheap as Cambodia ($1), but it's still not bad. Or, you can check-in at a hotel that offers it for free - like Sanouva Hotel
Things to do, Places to go in Da Nang
  1. Lady Buddha - a 67m white marble statue on the slope of Monkey Mountain, similar to Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer
  2. Linh Ung Pagoda - same location as the Lady Buddha. Built in the 18th century and rebuilt by Minh Mang, the second ruler of Vietnam's Nguyen Dynasty
  3. Cham Museum - world's largest collection of Cham artefacts from the 7th to 15th century
  4. Danang Museum - free admission. Depicts life in Central Vietnam from 14th century
  5. Marble Mountains - see marble making at its finest together with an assortment of fine marble handicrafts. You can also explore the area for its many tunnels, caves and grottos
  6. Monkey Mountain - at 693MASL, it offers a stunning vista of Da Nang. You'll pass by the Lady Buddha on the way to the top
  7. My Khe Beach - fine white sand beach that stretches all the way along the eastern coast of Da Nang going to Hoi An
  8. Man Thai Fishing Village - a fishing village still using traditional methods
Da Nang Cost Index
  • VND 12,000 1.5 liter drinking water
  • VND 300,000 one hour body massage
  • VND 10,000 banh mi (baguette sandwich)
  • VND 25,000 noodle soup with meat
  • VND 10-12,000 coffee
  • VND 50,000 bicycle rental, 1 day (not readily available)
  • VND 30,000/kilo laundry
  • VND 380,000 sleeper bus to Da Nang from Hanoi (as of 2012)
  • VND 100,000 dorm bed
  • VND 200,000 double bed in a fan room, shared toilet
  • VND 3,000 internet cafe
  • VND 80,000 taxi from airport to city center by the river
  • VND 460,000 Jetstar flight from Hanoi to Da Nang (no baggage)
  • VND 150,000 seafood pasta in a decent restaurant
Vietnam FYI / Tips / Dos and Don'ts
  1. Hanoi Grapevine HCMC Update - for the latest events in Vietnam
  2. Vietnam establishments will not accept US dollars, unlike Cambodia. You have to use Vietnam Dong (US$1 = Vietnam Dong VND 23,255 = Php 53.20 as of Aug 1, 2016)
  3. Vietnamese smokers will smoke in air-conditioned establishments, air-conditioned buses packed with people including women, children and babies. They also smoke inside hospitals with no smoking signs.
  4. Vietnam ranks almost the same as Thailand and Cambodia for cheap price. Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia cost more
  5. internet speed is generally fast and reliable but during important events like Tet holiday, election, etc., it slows down
  6. Vietnamese generally do not speak or understand much English. It will be a challenge.
  7. best to dress appropriately, not revealing too much skin (Saigon is an exception - the ladies there set the trend in very short shorts)
  8. remove your shoes when entering a home or place of worship
  9. ask first before taking someone's picture. If they say no, don't persist or offer money
  10. best to carry your hotel's business card with you when going out. You can just show it to the cab driver or XeOm driver if they don't understand English
  11. leave your valuables, passport, travel tickets, etc. with the hotel's safety deposit box
  12. when lying down, don't point your feet or the soles of your shoes to anyone or to a family altar
  13. carry only enough cash for your needs that day
  14. don't lose your temper in public - Vietnamese people are warm, generous and polite. They look down on people who lose their composure
  15. don't take pictures of military installations - you can go to jail
  16. refrain from taking videos of minority people until permitted to do so
Lesser-Known Vietnam Destinations
  1. Phu Yen Province - by the beach
  2. Hoa Binh Lake - locals' alternative to Halong Bay
  3. Ninh Binh - Trang An Grottoes, Tam Coc, Mua Caves, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Van Long Nature Reserve
General Travel Tips
  1. arrive early - in case there is a snag (visa snag, documentation snag, transport ticket snag, etc.), you will have ample time to troubleshoot the problem if you arrive early (to the airport, to the bus terminal, etc.)
  2. put detailed itinerary on the Calendar apps of your smart-phone according to timelines - this is where you do all your thinking and planning. Once written down, you don't have to think anymore while you are on the journey...you just follow the steps. This frees your mind for something else that might happen while you are already en route
  3. avoiding scams - as a general rule, I ignore the touts or anyone I don't know who call out to me. The calling comes in many forms - "Hi! Where are you from?", "Excuse me! Excuse me!", "Where are you going?". I don't look them in the eye and I remain non-verbal with them. If you reply to them, you just gave them an 'in' to hound you. In order not to look rude, I smile and wave the 'not interested' hand to them, without looking at them.
  4. power bank - hand-carry your power bank. Do not check it in. You can be called in when you are already inside the plane to go all the way to the loading dock so you can personally remove the power bank...and chances are, you'll have to surrender it to them. And you might delay the plane departure!
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