Paddleboard Yoga

Whether you’re teaching paddle board yoga in a controlled setting like an indoor pool or outside at a lake, river, or sea, here are a few tips to help with the journey!

You may be teaching the class on a paddle board with the participants, or on land over seeing the class. Regardless, I recommend getting on a board prior to class to practice some poses and the flow of asana movement on water. Through experience, it will help you guide participants on how to stay balanced on the board. I initially taught on land then asked to be on a board so I can better understand and instruct the participants. A cue to help when standing up is balance the weight on either foot, about hip-width distance apart, and press down through your feet as you round up to stand.

First thing is to guide the participants onto their paddle board. The center mass of the paddle board is the strap or the handle in the middle used to carry the equipment around. Instruct participants to swim up to the side, jump up to grab the handle, pull their upper body onto the board, grab the opposite side of the board, swing a leg around and then the other. Once they are on their board, you can offer they sit in ease pose, toes pose, or hero’s pose. I give these instructions prior to class starting, as well as monitor them while getting on the board to see if there are additional cues I can give to help along the process.

Always project your voice. The space is very large, along with other elements and noises in the setting whether you are inside or out. Once everyone is seated on their paddle board, I’ll ask if everyone can hear me. Sometimes the people furthest away say it’s iffy. A tip I learned during my teacher training to help project is to put your hand on your sacral chakra. This hand placement encourages you to speak from your core by projecting from your diaphragm. This places more power behind your voice rather than projecting from your throat, which over time could hurt your vocal cords.

I like to instruct a long warm-up and cool down so participants get comfortable being on the board. We want people to leave feeling empowered, to have fun. Try something challenging, yet feel good about themselves. Typically I teach for 45 minutes. Prior to class I’ll introduce myself and ask participants if they have done yoga before, if they been on a paddle board before, if there are any injuries or pain I should be aware of, and instruct them how to get onto their board.

I try my best to keep to this brief outline of class timing. The first minute or two is giving a general overview of the class. Then 3-4 minutes of pranayama. 15 minutes to warm up, 10 minutes for sun salutations and standing poses, 10 minutes to cool down, then 5 minutes for savasana and for closing the class.

If you are in an outside setting, allow some time to paddle back together. Also, be mindful of the paddle when you are doing yoga. You may not be able to do some poses, because of the paddle taking up space on the board. You do not want to knock it into the water.

For the flow of class, here is my sequencing of poses to incorporate.

Warm up:

Neck and shoulder rolls

3 spinal movements- in easy pose, hands on knees and move body in a circle both ways. inhale arms up, seated twists. move to the long side of the board (I want students to feel comfortable on the whole board) for side stretches, can be in easy pose or extended leg.

Table top, cat & cow, thread the needle, puppy pose, bird dog crunch for strength, child’s pose

Table top, camel pose into rabbit pose

Table top in plank into downward dog

Sun Salutations / Standing:

Forward fold, halfway lift, forward fold, extended mountain pose, mountain pose

Chair pose, forward fold, halfway lift, forward fold, plank, chaturanga, cobra or upward dog, downward dog

3 legged dog to forward lunge - if keep the back knee is up, keep fingers on the board to help with balance. if the back knee is down, try to place hands on knee. if comfortable with the hands on the knees, then can try to extend arms up and if want to challenge. if the arms are up, can transition with hands in prayer pose. for an optional challenge, twist the opposite elbow to the outside of front knee. extra extra challenge is forward lunge, back knee up, and arms straight up.

Back into 3 legged dog, forward lunge both sides.

Come to stand for a modified tree pose. Place standing foot as close to the middle as possible to help with balance. raise the lifted leg, toes can stay on the board for support or for an additional challenge, try to raise the foot up from the board.

After tree pose there are two sequences you can use, either pigeon or yogi squat.

Pigeon sequence:

chair, forward fold, halfway lift, forward fold, plank, chaturanga, cobra or upward dog, downward dog

Pigeon both sides

downward dog, table top

swing legs in front, extended

Yogi squat sequence:

feet as wide as the board into Yogi squat

sit down onto the board, feet together for

Butterfly

Double pigeon

swing legs in front, extended

Cool down:

Staff pose

Seated toward fold

Clasp hands behind back and open chest

Seated spinal twist

Reverse table top or plank

Boat pose to lower all the way down

Bridge pose or option for wheel

Waterfall or option for shoulder stand

Knees into chest

Happy baby

Figure 4

Spinal twists with knees together

Savasana!!

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