Conquering yoga poses on an unstable board while floating on water and keeping balance is satisfaction guaranteed, according to one Noosa couple.
A unique fusion of stand-up paddle boarding and yoga has kicked off on the Coast, with the “accessible, healing” movement growing in popularity.
While stand-up paddle board (SUP) yoga classes have been popping up here and there over recent years, one local couple has branched out to offer consistent classes on the idyllic Noosa River.
Noosa Stand Up Paddle instructors and life partners Kent Cuthbert and Gena Kenny have been passionately running adventure yoga retreats in Hawaii, Fiji and Australia for about 15 years and they now call Noosa home.
When they decided to introduce SUP yoga to the Noosa community earlier in the year, they realised the “different experience” really struck a chord with people in the area.
Originally from America, Ms Kenny has been teaching yoga and running yoga teacher training for 25 years.
She said the response since starting the classes had been strong, with most first students rebooking for future classes.
“It’s definitely growing,” she said.
“Years ago, when I ran yoga retreats in Hawaii and Fiji, SUP yoga was part of our itinerary.
“It’s something I always enjoyed and we felt it would be a great addition to traditional SUP hire and river tours.
“It’s combining two loves: the love of yoga and the love of stand-up paddle boarding. We both love watersports and things that help us to be more mindful and present, so it links in a watersport experience with a mindful experience and those things combined are quite potent.”
The duo are currently running fortnightly classes but want to grow them into a weekly offering.
She said people should come along for an attainable challenge and something a little out-of-the-box.
“It’s a way to test focus, balance, mindfulness and some physical strength and capacity of moving the body into yoga poses while on an unstable surface,” she said.
“People learn how to be more focused and enjoy the experience of being out in nature and not boxed up in a yoga studio.
“It’s different. Doing yoga on the water adds a fluidity element, which is important for the connection to your physical surroundings but to also help the body be more fluid.”
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She said it was a good activity to do as a couple or as a single person and the offering was for everybody and all levels of ability.
“There are a couple of women who are cancer survivors and are still in their healing process and they wanted to challenge themselves in a way that gave back to their soul,” she said.
“They took classes for that sense of conquering something that’s different from their life stuff … they loved it.”
The main feedback the couple receive is that SUP yoga is not what people expect.
“People think you are just going to throw your body and move it around quickly into postures and maybe fall in,” she said.
“They thought maybe it would be mechanical and acrobatic, when in fact it’s very meaningful.
“We start by people lying on the board and being aware of their surroundings and ask them to bring awareness into their state of being and what they are bringing onto the board.
“Then we move to the breath practice, to the stilling practice and then to the standing practice, so they gradually get used to the movement of the board from a place that’s stable and safe for them. They then have the opportunity to test themselves rising to standing.
“It’s a slower mindful practice that offers a variety of options for people with different abilities.”
Mr Cuthbert, who hails from Canada, said the Noosa River was a beautiful place to facilitate classes.
“We go at about 8am … it’s so calm and quiet and a beautiful way to start off your morning and to set you up for a great day,” he said.
Find classes at SUP Yoga.
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