SUP Yoga: This is how yoga works on the water

SUP yoga is yoga on a stand up paddle board. Learn more about the process and effects of the new trend sport.

SUP yoga: what is it?

Classical yoga has been around for a long time. It was practiced before our era and originally comes from India. Even then, the yoga exercises were a meditative and calming practice. For example Breathing exercises carried out, which should bring calm and clarity. Originally yoga was closely related to religion and was supposed to lead to self-knowledge and enlightenment.

With the increasing spread to Europe and Germany, yoga practice has somewhat detached from its religious roots. In the meantime, yoga has established itself as a fixed sport and is offered in almost every fitness studio. In addition to sport, it is still about meditation, inner peace and balance. In addition, new types of yoga are always emerging Hatha yoga , Acroyoga or even Laughter Yoga. In recent years, this new trend sport SUP yoga has emerged from this development. It is a mixture of yoga and stand up paddling.

Stand up paddling is originally from surfing and has its roots in Hawaii. In the middle of the 19th century, surfing became a trend there. There were also numerous surf courses for beginners. The surf instructors had to keep an eye on their participants and sometimes took pictures of them while surfing. For this they used special boards with paddles to move around on the water. This type of movement was ignored for a long time. The Stand Up Paddle Boards have only been used for physical fitness since the 21st century. Since then, the sport has become a trend and widely used.

The combination of yoga exercises and stand up paddling is relatively new. The sport has spread from Italy to Europe since 2014. It is now also very popular in Germany.

What do you need for SUP yoga?

SUP yoga is basically just yoga exercises on the water. You can practice the sport on a river, lake, or ocean. All you need is the board and a paddle. Most SUP yoga sessions take place in courses with trained trainers. If you already have experience in yoga or stand up paddling, you can of course also try it out on your own.

To carry out a SUP yoga session you need the following materials:

• Swimwear,
• sun protection on warm days (sun cream and headgear),
• functional clothing and a towel on cold days,
• a stand up paddle board with paddle,
• sometimes life jackets are also required.

SUP Yoga: the typical process

This is the typical sequence of a SUP yoga class:

1. If you take part in a SUP yoga class, you will first be introduced to the board and paddle on the shore. Then all participants go into the water and can first get used to the materials independently. When everyone is ready, the course paddles together to a suitable spot in the water. Most of the participants’ boards are tied together with a rope so that they don’t drift apart during the course.
2. The yoga session can then begin. The process is structured like a classic yoga course. You start with a focus and attunement to the lesson. This can take place both sitting and lying down.
3. This is followed by various poses and movements from classic yoga. The level of difficulty is increased by the number of points of contact with the board. At the beginning you usually take a lying position. Here, for example, poses such as the cobra or the child’s pose can take place.
4. In the course of the lesson you reduce the points of contact by sitting down and, for example, the Yoga dog or ignore cat keeping. Advanced people also perform standing poses, such as the warrior, the tree or the Sun salutation.
5. The end of the hour is usually a small one meditation or focusing. Then all participants paddle ashore again.

The SUP yoga courses are now offered in many large cities in Germany. For example, there are some in Stuttgart on the Neckar, in Wasserburg on Lake Constance or on the Rhine in Cologne. The price for a unit and the equipment is on average 30 to 40 euros. If you want to test the sport yourself, you can borrow the Stand Up Paddle Board for a lower price.

Important: Of course, the yoga positions on the Stand Up Paddle are a real challenge. It can happen that you fall into the water during the course. As a result, you should only try SUP yoga if you can swim safely.

Effects of the new trend sport

The effects of SUP yoga largely correspond to the effects of traditional yoga. However, since the sport takes place on the water, it places special demands on the participants. Therefore, additional skills are also addressed. The following effects can be achieved with the trend sport SUP yoga:

• The yoga elements during SUP yoga train your flexibility and coordination. According to the health insurance company IKK North you can use it, for example Improve posture sustainably.
• The additional elements from Stand Up Paddling, such as paddling before and after the training session, also promote your strength and endurance.
• You need additional balance on the water. Maintaining positions can be very challenging, especially when there is a swell. This is how you strengthen your sense of balance and your body tension.
• Of course, the SUP yoga practice as well as traditional yoga can have a meditative and calming effect on your body and soul. Nature also has a calming effect on many people.

Tip: SUP yoga is suitable for physically fit people of all ages.

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