A new early morning yoga class is to be introduced on Swanage Beach in Dorset – and it will be free to try for the first month.
Sessions on the sand will begin on Tuesday 1st April 2025 led by Mark Anderson, whose life has been transformed in the last three years after he took up yoga himself.
Mark Anderson, who will turn 60 in 2025, has seen his life transformed by yoga since retiring three years ago
A daily dose of yoga
Following 35 years of desk jobs as an engineer and finance director, Mark found that the weight had piled on and that his middle aged mantra had become back problems, shoulder problems, and neck problems.
A daily dose of yoga and a new weight loss regime helped to turn his life around to the point that he wanted to study yoga and joined a teacher training course on an overseas retreat in France.
As a fully qualified teacher newly arrived in Swanage, Mark has decided to put his skills to good use, to offer Purbeck residents a new outdoor pursuit and hopefully to persuade middle aged men of the health benefits of yoga.
Since mentioning his idea of morning yoga workouts on the beach, around 50 locals have already signed up – but the vast majority are women and Mark is hoping that more men will take the plunge.
Mark has been practising his yoga daily on the beach outside Swanage Information Centre
“What I teach is mindful mobility”
Mark Anderson said:
“I know yoga doesn’t have a very masculine image, but if men knew what yoga could do for them, then more might see through the misleading image of lycra and contortion to realise what it can really achieve for them.
“Men are generally strong at the front but tight, and the back line of our bodies are very weak. Yoga is about balancing the body, so we can strengthen the back, and open up to become more flexible and mobile.
“If middle aged men don’t find a way to stay mobile for the next 30 years, then they will end up hunched over at 80 rather than like my mum who is sprightly and can still do handstands at 85!
“What I teach is based on mindful mobility, there are no gongs, lycra or music, it’s based around strength, balance, coordination and flexibility and during the practice we will work on those four things.”
Yoga classes will end with a mini mindfulness session
“Wasn’t in great shape three years ago”
Mark added:
“I wasn’t in great shape about three years ago, my health was pretty poor and I suffered from all the usual middle aged man problems.
“I thought I needed to sort myself out if I was going to have another 40 years here and yoga, pilates and tai chi was my way to getting myself into the best shape I’ve ever been in.
“Doing an hour of yoga every day has helped me find a level of mobility I didn’t even know existed. It translates into everyday life, all my sports feel more poised and coordinated than before, I feel balanced and stronger, and it has upped my sporting prowess.
“My knee pain has disappeared – I used to crack and creak, but now it’s like someone has oiled all my joints – is it all yoga? Well, it’s the only thing that’s changed other than me dropping some weight, and I believe it’s probably a combination of the two.”
There’s no better place to start your day than on Swanage Beach!
No need for a yoga mat or lycra
Around 300 million people around the world do yoga regularly, for lots of different reasons – some are cardio based, some are about pose and alignment, or relaxation, meditation and mindfulness.
Mark’s aim is to lead 45 minute classes starting at 8 am daily with a mixed tai chi and yoga warm up, some classic yoga flow work, a balance workshop and a mini meditation session to close.
Classes will be delivered standing up, so there is no need for a yoga mat – or lycra! – just sandals, trainers or beach shoes to protect against beach debris, leisure clothing that allows students to move and stay warm, sunglasses for bright days and some water.
Sessions will be free for the first month – although there are limited spaces as Mark is keeping classes small – and after that they will be ‘the price of an expensive cappuccino’.
Swanage’s sea swimming community has been quick to sign up for early morning yoga sessions
“Wake up with the rising sun”
Mark Anderson said:
“It’s not commercial for me, it’s giving local residents something else to do in Swanage first thing in the morning and no one else offers a class first thing in the morning to set people up for the day and get a dose of early sunlight which is so important for all sorts of reasons.
“I don’t want to be competitive, there are lots of other more experienced yoga and pilates teachers than me in Swanage and I would love for this to be a way to encourage people to access those existing classes.
“The beach is one of those wonderful places where the ground, the air and the sea all meet, a unique point in the world where you have amazing views, pure light, the soundtrack of the waves and grounding on the sand, all the things that yoga likes.
“And we are fortunate to enjoy such a beautiful, east facing bay in Swanage, the classical direction to practise yoga and a great place to wake up with the rising sun!”
The new Swanage Bay Sauna run by Tracey Waters (right) has seen an increased interest in wellbeing on the beach
“Fits in with a wellbeing culture”
Swanage Town Council visitor services and business development manager Culvin Milmer said:
“Yoga on the beach is a lovely facility to have in Swanage and fits in nicely with the wellbeing culture we are encouraging along the seafront for people who appreciate the outdoors and personal fitness.
“We have already seen the sauna prove very popular, along with a huge increase in the number of people using the seafront for a morning swim.
“Also, the pedestrianisation of Shore Road has made these ways of using the beach much more interesting to residents and visitors.
“Yoga sessions will take place when there are not too many visitors around, which is a key point, and Mark has successfully applied for a sports licence – although perhaps in future we should refer to them as sports and wellbeing licences!”
Further information
- Find out more about the new classes on Mark’s website, Stand Up For Yoga
