Ultimate test of balance and focus
Can you do a ‘threelegged dog’ while floating on a board? Yes, it’s surprisingly do-able and rewarding, writes
Stephen Heard.
Intrigued by the prospect of standup paddle board yoga, I took to the water with registered instructors Tim Seutter, of Yoga Fire and Scotty Gundesen, of SUP Bro for the ultimate test of balance and focus.
The basics
It may sound like a practical joke created by the fitness community but stand-up paddle board yoga (better known as SUP yoga) is a commonly practised and totally legitimate form of exercise. Yoga is already heavily focused on balancing the mind and body, so when you throw in the motion of a floating vessel it naturally adds a whole new level.
The biggest misconception is that you need great balance or to be an experienced yogi to give it a go. SUP yoga instructor Tim Seutter suggests that it is an equaliser for everyone.
‘‘Even if you’ve done yoga a lot or not at all, everyone begins with wobbles and wonders how they can even do it.’’
For all of the poses the trick is to ignore the elements like water and wind, and plant yourself firmly on the board.
Giving it a bash
The class begins with a full onshore briefing, covering everything from the basics of a paddle board, paddling technique, what to expect during the class and what to do should you fall in.
Before the class, a dedicated mooring system, anchored around 100 metres offshore, is used to attach each paddle board.
Once secured, we started with a cycle of breathing to find focus and the sweet spot on the board.
Further introductory movements were low to the board, including slow transitions from kneeling to tabletop pose and downward dog. Using this sequence as a base, the session progressed through more difficult variations of each pose, with the option of sticking to the original if your confidence was low, and wobbles were frequent.
Downward dog transformed to three-legged dog and a twisting version; kneeling evolved through variations of warrior and the overreaching gate latch pose; standing welcomed some howling sun salutations and the triangle pose — a position known in SUP circles as sail pose because of its tendency to catch the wind.
Every so often loud splashes from