Sunset Yoga on the Salt Shore

Mats go down on a wooden deck at Sweimeh, thirty metres back from the water, at 430 metres below sea level. The air here is denser than anywhere else on the planet, which sounds like a wellness claim but is just barometry: most people notice their breathing settles faster than it does at home. Nadia leads a slow hatha sequence, ninety minutes, timed so the last twenty are done with the sun going down behind the Judean hills and the salt flats turning pink. Practical things. This is yoga, not a float session. The sea is right there and you cannot get in during class, and there is no shower on the deck, so plan to rinse at your hotel. In July and August it is still 38C at seven in the evening and we shorten the standing sequence rather than pretend otherwise. In March and April, dusk brings flies off the water for about ten minutes; bring a light long-sleeve for that. Beginners are welcome. We have taught people who had never held a downward dog and they managed fine.