SUP Yoga

SUP Yoga or Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga is my new obsession!

A friend and I took a class on Saturday morning and I was pretty nervous going into it, because I didn't know what to expect. I was also a little nervous, because there is a real chance you can fall into the water, so you shouldn't be wearing a lot of clothing. I'm not a fan of showing everyone my work-in-progress body! But it was such a good experience, I'm glad I pushed myself.

You can burn 500-700 calories per hour with SUP Yoga depending on the intensity and the movements. Our practice was 90 minutes (paddleboarding for the first 5-10 minutes to warm up), so I know I got a good workout in!

downward dog eka pada 

I already like yoga and find it such a good time to reflect and focus inward. I was lucky that this class was taught by my favorite yoga instructor from the Y here. Kate has a great style of teaching and does focus on the true meaning of yoga and not just the fitness aspect of it. I don't always take time to listen to my body and give thanks to it, so yoga is a good opportunity for that. You are so focused on the movements and your breathe, that you can't stress about your job, etc.

The paddleboard part of this class just made you focus on your balance and core that much more. I was on an inflatable paddleboard, so it was softer on my knees, but responded to movement much more. I did fall in on a warrior pose, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! Kate explained that it is good to fall in, because you are truly focusing on the move and fully committing to it without fear of falling. So that made me feel better!

My favorite part of yoga is shavasana at the end. If you've never taken yoga, you are missing out! Most instructors will give you a few minutes of shavasana at the end of your practice. Shavasana is total relaxation, a moment to find inner peace, sometimes referred to as the death pose :/ You lay on your back with your hands out to the side relaxed and let go of all the tension in your body. I have found that deep exhales while focusing on letting go of tension in specific parts of my body really works. After a minute or so I am totally relaxed and can just focus on the awesomeness of my body and what I just accomplished in the yoga practice. An added bonus of SUP Yoga, you are gently floating while doing this! It was just truly amazing...

My friend and I are going to commit to doing this once a month and I'm already looking forward to the next class!

Have you tried SUP Yoga? Plan to try it? Do you feel the benefits from traditional yoga? I would love to hear!