Island Yoga
Masonboro trips provide relaxing backdrop
As I stepped onto the Blockade Runner dock early one Thursday morning, the sky overhead was cloudy and the air cool. I was greeted by Captain Joe Abbate, owner of Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours and the man who would be ferrying my fellow yogis and me to Masonboro Island for yoga practice.
Stephanie Daves McKenzie, better known in the Wilmington yoga community as Goo, recently began a weekly yoga practice on Masonboro Island in conjunction with Abbate. McKenzie calls practicing yoga outdoors a “natural fit” and reminds us that yoga began as an outdoor practice.
“Returning to nature is what yoga is about,” McKenzie says. “Being united with nature is the key to happiness and health.”
And what better place in the Wilmington area to unite with nature than the unspoiled landscape of undeveloped Masonboro Island?
After docking on the sound side of the island, the group makes a short trek through the dunes to the ocean-side beach. Along the way, Abbate points out different species of plants, explaining how the colors and textures of the landscape will change throughout the seasons.
Yogis lay towels instead of mats on the nearly-deserted beach, and McKenzie leads us through a series of sun salutations with her usual heart, humor, and grace. The practice is somehow simultaneously challenging and soothing.
McKenzie has been practicing yoga for nearly thirty years and teaching professionally since she moved to Wilmington eight years ago. Fellow yoga instructor Jackie DeConti calls McKenzie’s classes “playfully versatile yet transformative” and says “Goo’s positive energy shines on everyone who has the opportunity to practice with her.”
McKenzie’s teaching philosophy begins with the idea of “yoga for the masses.” Most of her regular classes are pay-what-you-can. Donation-based classes are a way to encourage everyone to practice yoga regardless of budget. “When you got some, give some. When you don’t, come anyway; you can catch me up when you can,” her website states.
McKenzie’s classes are also designed for students of all levels. Beginners and experienced yogis alike can expect an enjoyable and challenging class that somehow feels tailored to the needs of each individual student.
If you’ve never done yoga outdoors, the trip is a good way to start. The calming, meditative sounds of the waves facilitate the concentration and inward-focus of an excellent practice. Balancing in the soft sand is an added challenge without the distractions that might exist on a more crowded beach.
After practice, there’s about an hour left to explore the island and take in nature before the Shamrock and its crew return to ferry the passengers – who’ve gone from morning bleary-eyed and slightly anxious with anticipation to calm, even-shouldered, and focused – back to shore.
McKenzie’s Masonboro Island yoga cruises meet at the Blockade Runner’s sound-side dock in Wrightsville Beach at 8:45 each Thursday morning and return at noon. The cost is $25 including yoga practice and transportation to and from the island.
