Find a New Perspective with Stand up Paddleboard Yoga
Practicing yoga on a stand up paddleboard perched on the water offers an amazing opportunity to float on clear blue waters and view the world from an entirely different point of view. What may look beautiful in a photograph may feel intimidating when attempting a pose on a board on the surface of the water. Some of the first thoughts you may experience could include, “Just how do I balance on a moving board?” or “How do I keep from falling in the water?”
Once you try out the practice, you just might get hooked on the breathtaking experience of once-familiar poses now becoming entirely new sensations while floating on the water.
Why Fall in Love with SUP YOGA?
Change Your Outlook
Inverted poses like downward facing dog allow us to see the world upside down while floating. This new perspective shifts my view of the world—literally—which then allows me to shift my thoughts.
Back to Basics
Practicing on a paddleboard (a floating mat) connects us to the essence of practice. Old friends like warrior one are met with a new body on the board. We enjoy the experience of taking our time to and focusing on every part of the pose.
The view!
My floating studio looks different at each different waterway. And every one is beautiful. When I practice on the water, I enjoy all of the details: a boat being pulled by the wind, a flock of birds breezing by, or the dance of the sunlight on the surface of the water.
The Magic of Balance
Balance in the familiar tree on a paddleboard is just a bit harder than on my solid yoga mat. When I just started teaching, I was showing off how quickly I gained my sea legs. One day I was demonstrating tree pose on the board to a class of 10 people (thinking I was all cool) and next thing I knew I was underwater. Cell phone and all. I just had to laugh at myself and get back up on my board soaking wet and continue to teach. This humbling experience was a reminder to me to never take this for granted, and that even though I may fall, the best response is to get back up, brush myself off, and go on.
Anyone Can Try It!
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been practicing for years or if you’ve never done yoga on land, if you’re five or 105, SUP YOGA is for everyone. In the four-plus years I’ve been teaching on the water, I’ve taken out more than 1,500 people, and most have never paddled nor practice yoga before. My goal is to always empower people to feel good about themselves by always gearing my classes to my students and their abilities.
It’s a Great Workout!
While balancing on the board, even simply standing, all of the body’s tiny muscle groups are firing to help increase your balance and coordination. From your feet all the way up, this is a full body workout. We move through sun salutations as we paddle, we paddle in chair pose, we paddle in warrior one, we paddle through vinyasa flows, we paddle in open ocean. We meditate as the sea lions, and if we’re lucky the dolphins come to play.
Tips for Getting Started with SUP Yoga or Floating Yoga (Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga):
- Begin with your feet in the center of the board. Beginning in the center of the board sets up your balance in the steadiest part of the board. Once you feel more comfortable balancing, or even while paddling, you will be able to move around more during the practice.
- Some people try kneeling on the board first. If you kneel, use your core strength and ability to find your center to stand up. To develop greater comfort, ease, and a sense of empowerment on the board, I encourage my students to move from standing to kneeling to standing again. This will be the foundation to allow you to move into poses.
- What’s the worst thing that will happen on the board? You’ll fall in. When you think about it like that, it’s not half bad (especially if you are dressed for it) there’s less reason to feel scared on the board.
- Savor the sweetest savasana. Settling into this pose on your back, floating on the water, is probably one of the coolest experiences you’ll have. Especially the first time. This is especially sweet after your first practice when you may be wiped out from learning to paddle and moving on the board. You’ll look forward to the moments to chill.
Where to Practice
Any waterway, from oceans to lagoons, marinas, lakes, rivers, streams, reservoirs, and even big pools are fair game for floating yoga. Remember safety first! And the first rule of safety is to know your environment. Beyond simply discovering if your chosen waterway is considered to be safe, pay attention. Look up the weather and observe the elements. Find out the structures in the area such as reefs, rocks, boats, animals, other people, you may encounter and be prepared.
How to Find an Instructor
Ask for referrals and search your local area for instructors; there are many new SUP Yoga instructors worldwide. Check to see that your teacher is SUP Yoga certified AND has at least a 200 hour Yoga Alliance certification and has experience teaching on the water. If there is no one qualified in your area, you can still practice on your own. Go back to basics, and start with poses like sun salutation A and sun salutation B, kneeling warrior, and spinal balance.
Find a Good Paddleboard
I’m often asked the question of how to find a good paddleboard. There are no boards made specifically for SUP Yoga, so for Floating Yoga, find a board at least 10’6” to 11 foot long and at least 32 inches wide by four inches thick. Size and materials are key. Avoid the boards made for surfing or paddle surfing as these won’t work as well for yoga.
Don’t just buy the first board you see, demo a few boards and try a few poses on each board to see how it feels. There are a number of great surf shops in Southern California. The boards I love and use for my classes are made by Hobbie, Liquid Shredder, Boardworks, Boga, or Focus.
Keep on Keeping on
It doesn’t matter if you are practicing by yourself, with friends or family, or with an amazing instructor, just keep moving and breathing. Enjoy the best part of this practice—spending time outdoors and enjoying an ever-changing yoga studio. Allow yourself to enjoy the shared love, laughter, smiles, breath, and the opportunity to find balance even amidst the constantly flowing water. Allow yourself to feel the greatest benefit of all—the subtle and not-to-subtle transformation on the board.
