Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

The great outdoors: On balance, you’ll find that yoga on a paddleboard on a loch is a great way to relax

© Christopher Jones/ShutterstockStrike a pose! Stand up paddleboard yoga in action
Strike a pose! Stand up paddleboard yoga in action

As if yoga wasn’t difficult enough, try balancing with one leg on a paddleboard in the middle of a breezy loch!

Much like wild swimming, stand up paddleboard yoga, (SUP yoga), has become increasingly popular as people yearn to reconnect mind, body and soul with nature.

When I first heard about SUP yoga, it felt like a good way to put my technique to the test. I’d never set foot on a paddleboard before, but I could swim – a prerequisite for when I ultimately fell in.

I enjoyed a session with Paddle Surf Scotland, who took our yoga class out for the day on Clunie Loch, Perthshire. Coaches, Mike and Matt ran the class; these brilliant instructors helped us find our balance, ran us through a number of sets of poses and kept us safe on the loch when the wind picked up.

Our class lasted 90 minutes and the wetsuits, wet boots, paddles and paddleboard were provided. We started our warm-up in the shallows – where an accumulation of lily pads conveniently kept us upright – and then it was out on to the loch for a stand up paddle to help us gain confidence on the board and then back to the shallows for the yoga session.

Our group was a mix of beginners and well-seasoned yogis – at one point a woman in the group was balancing in an impressive headstand. Nevertheless, it’s important to approach the paddleboard, as a beginner and not compare yourself to others. Yoga on a stand up paddleboard is a wildly different experience to the stability of the floor.

SUP Yoga definitely challenges your control of very small muscle movements as you stretch through the resistance of a tight wetsuit and find your footing on a wobbly paddleboard. I’d grown used to the ease of flow on a mat; a paddleboard on water has a flow of its own. I learned this the hard way when I fell back and into the loch during a side twist in forward lunge where the board slipped from my feet!

Despite the odd slip, I enjoyed the experience of yoga outdoors and letting each pose flow like the water beneath my feet.

In my opinion, there is no better shavasana – that lazy pose at the end of a class where you lay on your back and breathe – than on a paddleboard. As we relaxed into the pose, my fingertips and toes dipped into the water, and a smirr off the loch fell lightly on my face.

SUP yoga is a refreshing experience and I’ve never felt more invigorated by a class.


Kit list

Wetsuit

They may feel restrictive, but when it’s cold, wetsuits are vital. Most groups provide suits but if you’re a regular, consider buying your own.

Water shoes

Useful if you require extra grip on the board, or don’t fancy being barefoot in and around the loch where there may be sharp rocks.

Paddleboard leash

If you fall off, a leash around your ankle ensures your board won’t drift off. Doubles as a strap to secure paddles not in use.

Due to Covid-19, check official advice before planning any adventures.