“Yoga is my favorite way to pretend like I’m working out”
Over the Fourth of July, I decided to take my love of stand-up paddleboarding and yoga, and give SUP yoga a try. I mean, I’m great at paddleboarding, I’m good at yoga, how hard could combining the two be?
One of my finer SUP yoga moments.
Turns out, very hard. I was not good. However, I did enjoy giving it a try.
In between failed attempts and splashdowns in the lake, I did find a couple poses I could do moderately well. Kind of makes we want to keep trying.
If you’re interested in giving SUP yoga a try, you should. Rather than try for a headstand, tree pose, or something equally advanced right out of the gate, allow me to recommend three poses that are moderately easy on the paddleboard. A great way to get your feet wet, without actually getting wet, if you catch my drift.
Below are three good SUP yoga poses for beginners. I also chose these three because they’re pretty common so most who practice yoga, even beginners, are familiar with them.
1. Cobra
After you’ve paddled out to your destination, why not stay on your belly and enjoy the feeling of a good Cobra pose?
Not the finest but a good addition to the sesh.
2. Downward Dog
Another favorite of many who practice yoga, downward dog offers a ton of benefits. It’s also a nice transition from the stability of a belly-down position on your paddleboard.
3. Warrior
I’ll warn you – this one’s not nearly as easy as the other two. Getting your feet properly positioned takes a lot of balance. As you can see from my photo, I didn’t exactly master this one on my first try. But it’s worth trying. It’s one of those poses that makes you feel so strong and powerful. I supposed that’s why it’s called Warrior.
Have you tried stand-up paddleboard yoga? Was it a success or more of a disaster? Comment or tweet me, @LindsayIRL. Share your pics on Twitter and Instagram too, and be sure to use hashtag #wellirl.