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Paddle board Yoga is quickly becoming one of the most popular of all water sports. A combination of stand up paddle boarding and yoga, this incredible sport affords the participant the means of increasing body strength and flexibility, all the while doing something that is both exciting, fun, and healthy.
A Complete Guide to Paddle Board Yoga
Many individuals actually perform preliminary practice techniques to perfect their yoga postures and balance before engaging in this incredible new sport. Typically beginner paddle board yoga participants will create practice exercises by way of standing on a typical surfboard or paddleboard on the sands of the beach, or even on the water in a large swimming pool. These preliminary exercises are beneficial to your body’s requirements before attempting to conquer the vast and challenging waters of the ocean, lakes, or bays.
This fast emerging sport, a product of paddle boarding which was originated in Hawaii, has become highly visible in the American sports scene and is growing more and more each day. Paddle boarding began in 2005 and its newest fitness experience, paddle board yoga, is quickly being incorporated into fitness practices everywhere.
The learned technique of paddleboard yoga is rather simplistic. You begin by practicing a range of yoga positions while standing on your paddle board on the sands of the beach. Much of yoga is focused on the mind and state of being, and practicing the various positions on ground first will contribute greatly to your balance and stability when you move onto the next simple step.
Yoga positions that are frequently taught and practiced for purposes of paddleboard yoga are the “downward dog,” and the “warrior two.” Since balancing your overall body on a paddle board can be quite a challenge in itself, attempting to balance your body in varied yoga positions when on your paddleboard is indeed quite a bit more challenging, and requires a great deal of practice to perfect these poses.
Learning yoga poses, and training your body to be able to hold a pose of any type, on ground takes a great deal of concentration, focus, and a positive mindset, which explains the abundant time and dedication needed to perform these very same poses while on a paddle board rather than the ground. The ability to maintain a consistent pose while on a paddleboard on water, is every bit as challenging to the novice paddle boarder as it is to the beginner Yogi. There is truly no specific level of expertise, size, or weight that comes into play when learning to paddleboard yoga, but rather the presence of determination and proper mindset that contributes to your overall success of mastering this skillful art and technique.
Once you have spent ample time practicing these new yoga poses on your grounded paddle board, the next step is to paddle out to the middle of a lake, or comfortable body of water on your paddle board, anchor your board down, and then practice the very same positions you have just learned and mastered on the ground surface, on your paddle board now stationary in the water. This will require long hours and a great deal of patience. However, being diligent in your efforts, and using healthy mind and body focus will surely present with attractive overall results.
Once you are comfortable standing in these yoga poses on your water stationary paddle board, the next and final step is the most difficult. Venturing out into deeper waters, is your final training step in learning to effectively and safely engage in paddleboard yoga. Utilizing special paddle boards made specifically for paddle board yoga, those that are wider that a typical paddleboard and equipped with a yoga matt type material on the board’s surface, will contribute to an easier, more comfortable, and safer transition from still waters to deeper waters.
Final Thoughts
Overall yoga in itself is very healthy and beneficial for your body and mind. The inspiring sport of paddle board yoga takes yoga to a completely new level; a level of deep appreciation, serenity, and tranquility as your perform you perfected yoga poses on water surrounded by the beauty of the nature that completely surrounds you. How drastically different and refreshing this scenario is from the typical in-classroom or in-studio yoga classes.
The time is now. Don your sunscreen and bathing suit (because the first several times out you will most assuredly get wet), paddle the waters amidst a serene and tranquil backdrop, gather your mindset, and embrace the thrill and overall relaxation of connecting mind and body as you embrace your day or evening of refreshing and peaceful paddle board yoga.
http://www.paddleboardyoga.net/
