Paddle boarding yoga gains popularity

A NEW development at Dundee’s Waterfront is combining relaxation and adventure as a stand-up paddle boarding yoga class gains popularity.

Instructor Michaella Robb teaches the class at water sports attraction Foxlake, which opened at City Quay in August.

She said: “SUP yoga is a gentle flow of yoga practised on the water.

“It brings you fully present on your paddle board, your mind stays focused and you become very aware of each movement you create.

“There is a definite element of concentration involved, as soon as you allow your mind to wander, you usually end up in the water.

“You have this busy city just behind you – yet on the water you feel you could be anywhere.”

Michaella is one of the first SUP yoga instructors in Scotland, having completed her training in Australia in 2016. The benefits of SUP yoga include improved balance, core stability, full body strength and flexibility.

During the class, the instructor will spend the first 10-15 minutes teaching the class how to balance on the paddle board and then the yoga will start.

There is capacity for about nine people to take part in the class at a time.

Michaella added: “The SUP yoga classes we run are for all levels. People who have never done yoga or paddle boarded before to people who are advanced yogis – everyone is welcome.

“There is a real sense of serenity doing yoga out on the water – it’s like you almost drift away from the rush of the world back on land.

“It gives you the ability to disconnect from your daily life and connect more with yourself and with the beauty of nature around you.”

A fire badly damaged the mill in the 1950s, top; and, above, bulldozers move in this week.