Intro to Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) by Michelle Lloyd
One of the beauties of the practice of yoga is that you can do it pretty much anywhere. Nadi sodhana in your office chair, vrkasana while waiting for the bathroom on the airplane, tadasana while standing in line at the grocery store. Natarajasana on the beach, hanumanasana on a mountain top, you name it, we’ve seen it, done it, or wished we had! So why not find yourself a platform for taking your asana out into the watery womb of the oceans, rivers and lakes we’ve been graced with on planet Earth?
Enter, the SUP (stand up paddleboard). I think the first time I saw a SUP was in a glossy magazine. Jennifer Aniston was standing on what looked like a wider version of a longboard, armed with an oar and hot pink board shorts. I honestly thought it looked a little strange and well…. kind of boring. Not so!
A few years ago, I was in Mui Ne, Vietnam and decided to give it a go. I’ll admit, I went to youtube and got a few pointers from Laird Hamilton before hand. He taught me (virtually, unfortunately) paddling techniques, how to turn and importantly, to keep your eye to the horizon for better balance. My conclusion: breath, bandhas and drishti. As with yoga, so with paddleboarding. Like in an asana practice where you begin to build an awareness of your center of gravity, spatial awareness, deep steady breathing and a consciously directed gaze, these practices unsurprisingly carry over.
So if it is your first time, be patient and go slow. To get comfortable with maneuvering around on the SUP, start by sitting on your knees with your hips on your heels. Get comfortable with your balance and paddling there. Next start to stand on your knees with your hips lifted. Here you will start to feel how the engagement of your core will help steady you. When you decide to stand, keep yours eyes lifted toward the horizon and move with your breath. A calm and steady breath brings a calm and steady mind and body. Keep an awareness of your core, keep your knees soft, smile and get comfortable there! A quick search on youtube will give you some basic instructions on how to paddle and turn efficiently.
When you feel ready to try some yoga poses, child’s pose is a good place to start, to a few cat cows and building up to downward dog. Seated poses to try could be ardha matsyendrasana, agnistambhasana or simply a meditative sukhasana. Supine poses like setu bandhasana or supta baddha konasana and of course savasana. Because you are on water and not on a solid surface, you will notice minute things, like how you may have one dominant arm or leg over the other. Your ‘sweet spot’ or center of gravity may float around a little more than usual so the trick is to flow with it. How do you do that? Breath. Bandhas. Drishti. Keep the corners of your mouth turned upward, stay playful and enjoy the ride!
There are some great places to paddleboard in Vietnam. Best start is to find your way to Jibe’s in Mui Ne. http://www.sup-vietnam.com/ If you are just starting out, try to make it an early morning affair when the sea is a bit more calm and the wind down. Several resorts around Vietnam are starting to carry SUPs, so the next time you are planning a trip to the beach, inquire ahead of time.
Michelle Lloyd is Saigon's resident yoga instructor / massage therapist. For more information visit her website www.michellelloyd.com
