Standup Paddleboard Yoga taught in Ridgewood
AUGUST 15, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY LIZ WELLINGHORST
STAFF WRITER
On the first day of class in late July, yogis could be seen practicing downward-facing dog and cat cow poses, not in a yoga studio, but on the undulating waters of Ridgewood’s Graydon Pool.
SUP yoga combines yoga poses with surfing and is practiced on 10- to 12-foot-long boards, anchored in the water by bags of sand attached to a paddleboard. The beginner-friendly sport of standup paddleboard began in the 1940s in Hawaii, when surfers made their way through the waves with a long paddle. In the short time it has been around, yogis have embraced a practice that seems to bring a sense of blissful freedom to the centuries-old earth-bound practice.
“SUP Yoga takes a lot of physical work, but just as much mental work to perform a simple pose,” said Andrea Powers, program director and yoga instructor for SUP yoga. “A student must practice patience, concentration and focus or the board will gently remind you to stay in the present moment. When you do SUP Yoga, there is nowhere else you can be.”
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/towns/yogis-stay-afloat-at-graydon-1.1067925#sthash.PVxI0hxn.dpuf