SUP yoga...it's what all the cool kids are doing! I actually don't know if that's true or not, but…read moreI wanted to take my practice to the next level while simultaneously scaring myself by being out on the water with my very real fear of falling into a body of water that I cannot see the bottom of(isn't that what weekends are all about?)
My friend actually suggested this class to me after having received a flyer at a beer festival. I was instantly interested in torturing myself and told her to sign us up for the first class of the season. You can email or call Tiffany, the instructor, or you can book through their Facebook page's "About" section. There is a link to reserve your spot and pay. Easy peasy.
We arrived about 20 minutes early at Reflection Bay and sat on the beach, admiring the gorgeous morning Mother Nature had given us for our first SUP Yoga class. It's a very pretty area overall, an oasis in this desert wasteland.
Tiffany and her husband(your photographer) arrived about 15 minutes before class, introduced themselves, had us sign waivers, and gave us a quick paddle board lesson on land. Alright! Let's go be mermaids, only not actually fall in and swim or donanything IN the water.
We started out with a quick loop around the area we were going to be getting our yoga on at, to get a feel for the board and how to navigate/balance on it. I did not do any standing up paddle boarding on this initial loop. I kneeled paddle boarded because I was literally shaking from fear of falling in(yeah, yeah, the fear is in my head.)
After we did our loop, we got back to the area and hooked the back of our boards onto some ropes and secured our paddles to the back of the boards so no paddle had to lose its way in the world and float to the bottom(you really cannot see a damn thing in that water.)
Practice started with a savasana and an intention setting, which was as expected. Tiffany has a nice, soothing voice to get you into the zen zone. After savasana, we tried quite a few poses that are relatively easy ON LAND. It's a whole different story out on the water, fellow yogi bears. The balance situation is a personal test filled with shaking and sweat. The struggle is real. I managed to keep myself on the board the entire time, mostly because I was hell bent on not going overboard. Not today, Ursula, not today.
Tiffany's husband, Ben, was around taking photos the entire time. I would occasionally hear the sound of the photo being taken, but it wasn't distracting. Tiffany was incredibly encouraging, sweet, and relatable. She is a true yogi mama with a nurturing heart and a passion for what she does.
I would highly recommend a class with Tiffany. It's a gorgeous setting to challenge yourself out on the water.
