FabuFit has taken to the water in both Cape Town and Johannesburg to give you a full review of SUP Yoga. Our contributor Nicol-Lee Bergins tells us all about her Cape Town SUP Yoga experience and Wardah Hartley does her first SUP Yoga class in Johannesburg.
SUP Yoga – Cape Town – by Nicol-Lee Bergins
I was so excited to try SUP Yoga out but I had never been on a Stand-up paddle (SUP) before, this made me a little nervous. Most classes are held for beginners (as this is a new concept to Cape Town) and start off with a 30min introduction to the SUP followed by one hour of yoga.
When you arrive at the jetty you are treated to the magical view of signal hill through the canals of the waterfront apartments. When the class starts we are attached to a line so that the boards don’t float away. Classes can change according to the clients who attend and their level of yoga.
It is incredible the feeling you get being on the water, it has such a calming effect. The class is easy enough for beginners and if you feel you need to challenge yourself a little more, there are always the full expressions you can try. The worst that can happen is you fall in the water.
It’s an amazing feeling to float on the water and practicing with the ambient noise around you which could distract one but this just makes your practice stronger when trying to still the mind. I even tried a head stand and managed to hold it the second time I tried it. I loved the fact that after years of doing yoga I still found some of the simplest postures a challenge on the board, it adds a whole new dimension to the way you use your core and how you find stability.
The class is held right along-side the restaurant/bar area of the One & Only Hotel so if you are a bit shy, there are guests watching most of the time.
Contact: www.supyogacpt.com
Bianca – 072 245 1209
Cost: R350 (Packages available too)
When: 1hr 30mins (1hr for the advanced more playful classes)
Where: One & Only hotel (on the canals) as well as Clifton Beach & Camps Bay tidal pool
Classes change on a weekly basis due to the weather.
SUP Yoga – Johannesburg – by Wardah Hartley
I was a bit apprehensive ahead of my first SUP Yoga class. Yoga on solid ground is challenging as it is, now add a stand-up paddle board on water and it changes the dynamics drastically.
I was surprised that one could even do SUP Yoga in Johannesburg, I thought it was only done at the coast. So when I heard my yoga instructor, Steven, also gave SUP Yoga classes on Emmarentia Dam, I was excited to try it.
While Nicol says, these classes can be done by beginners, I would not agree. I have pretty strong core strength and have been practising yoga for about 8 months, I found some of the postures hard to do on the water, doing a simple triangle landed me in the water! I didn’t mind though, because it was hot and the water was great! I would not suggest you have your first introduction to yoga be on a SUP, I would suggest doing a few classes in a regular setting before taking to the water.
Our class was a mix of other yoga instructors and novices, and everyone struggled at some point. Doing Yoga on a SUP certainly gives you a new found appreciation for doing your practise on solid ground.
Go to ‘SUP Yoga on the Dam’ on Facebook for more details.
Cost: R200
Duration: 90 minutes
When: Every Saturday at 9:30am
Where: Dabulamanzi Canoe Club – Emmarentia Dam
