Yoga on a stand up paddle board? In Tuwanek? I had to try it. Sunshine, gorgeous scenery, balance, and breathing. I’m an on-again/off-again yogi wanabee. Child’s Pose, Downward Dog, and Tree are my favorite poses, and I’m flexible, so it mostly comes easily, but I don’t relax enough. Just breathe enough. Just be.
My first surprise: I was nervous. It looks so easy! We wore what everyone used to call “life jackets” and tied our boards to our feet at first. But the water was warm, the sun still hot, the sky my favourite bright blue, the water luscious, and Marnie told us we had to jump in and get wet. It was the right thing to dare us to do; after that we all relaxed. I discovered that I love SUP. Tuwanek is a sweet destination. And the swaying of the board over the moving water requires balance and mindfulness.
Words by Caitlin Hicks with photography by Vern Bahti Minard
For more of Caitlin Hick’s writing, visit caitlinhicks.com/wordpress (her novel “Theory of Expanded Love” will be published in June 2015.
Please visit yogabythesea.ca, pedalspaddles.ca and verhnbahtiminard.com
