We understand the idea of doing yoga on the water can be intimating, for a whole slew of reasons, from falling-in, to just getting wet & cold.
If you feel nervous about SUP yoga for any reason but are a little bit curious about it, read these 4 common myths BUSTED to help ease your worry:
MYTH #1 : I’M GOING TO FALL IN
SUP yoga is all about the blissful peace and fun nature of being outside on the open water letting the environment around “be what it is”. It’s not about going fast or pushing yourself too far. Falling in is unlikely, we’ll help you on the board (kneeling or sitting first). Plus, by using yoga specific paddleboards you’ll feel extra stable and have a grippy feeling surface to help your hands, knees, feet and sits bones stick. We’ll also spend 10min doing Paddleboard 101 to get your comfortable with the board, paddle & basics of paddleboarding.
MYTH #2 : I’M GOING TO FLOAT AWAY
Yikes! But no worries here, we won’t go on days when it’s too windy or the weather is bad. And we anchor all students onto one line, 6ft+ ft apart, in front of the teacher who is also anchored in. This way all students can see and hear the instructor and if we drift a little bit we all go the same direction!
MYTH #3 : I NEED TO KNOW HOW TO SUP
Not true at all! We’ll spend the first 10-15min of class going over the equipment, demonstrating the best way to move through the water, how to hold your paddle and answer any questions. Then we just have ~10min of paddling to practice your new skills, warm up our bodies & get to our anchor spot. The class size will max out at 5 students per teacher, so you can be sure the teacher will be available to help and keep their eyes on everyone.
MYTH #4 : I NEED TO DO HEADSTAND OR BE AN EXPERT YOGI
Also not true! While it’s great if you have done yoga once or are even an expert, it is not necessary. Your peak pose might be a low lunge variation, malasana aka yogi squat, boat pose with one or both feet off the board or simply downward facing dog. While we offer typical standing yoga poses like Warrior I, you only have to go as far as you like. Your instructor will be anchored in front of you watching out to help each student along the way as well. This way you can challenge yourself just the right amount, feel safe, confident and seen.
So if you like nature, being relaxed & feeling a little challenged then SUP yoga is something for you to try.
It truly is an awesome activity for anyone but you don’t just have to take a yoga teacher’s word for it…
“SUP yoga is great! As someone without experience in yoga or paddle boarding, I thought this activity may be too challenging for me. Becca and Jessica did a wonderful job making me feel secure and confident. The calming nature of doing yoga on the water is truly invigorating.”
-Mark