Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) is a great exercise that has caught people’s attention in recent years. It looks like kayaking or surfing, but typically is not done with a lot of waves around. SUP yoga is an entirely different exercise than regular stand up paddleboarding. Learn more about why people are taking up SUP yoga and what it can do for your recovery and health.
Learning to Fall
Recovery, like SUP yoga, is all about trusting yourself in the process. You may be worried to try SUP because you are concerned about falling off the board or looking foolish. The thing to remember is, the water (and board) will always catch you. You are more afraid of falling from fear than the actual risk of falling. There is little harm done in falling off the board in a pose. This gives you a sense of learning to get past the fear of falling to trust your body. Balance and stability are not about perfect. It is a reminder about the shifting of your board and how to stay in control, even when the water is moving.
Release Judgment
When you give SUP a try, you are learning to let go and release judgment from the poses. If you are struggling with SUP, you may be trying to control the poses or outcome of the poses. In truth, yoga is a judgment free zone. Even on a paddleboard, you can learn a lot about recovery by just releasing how you feel about it.
Health Benefits
Some of the health benefits of trying SUP yoga can go far beyond physical health. Your mental health can benefit from trying something new and challenging. Physically, your body is going to experience a lot of core work and stabilizing as it rests into poses on the board. The key is to go with what feels comfortable and safe for you. Don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable with. Emotionally, you can feel more confident and self-assured after trying something like SUP paddleboarding. It has a way of helping you build up your mind to be strong in recovery. Oftentimes, in recovery, you can feel like your self-esteem takes a lot of hits. The key thing to remember is that you are trying something new, outside the box, and you should be proud of yourself for giving it a try and not giving up. You may find that you like it enough to keep trying it. Yoga is not about doing it right, it is about just showing up on the mat. Most of the time, that is all you are going to be able to do. Over time, you will get the poses and feel better about that, but until then, don’t feel bad if you just show up and do what you can as you build strength and endurance for the journey.
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