SUP?

• Fun in the Sun at Osha Paddle Boarding & Yoga! •

 Spotted @  Osha Paddle Boarding & Yoga

                  Sunnyside Pavillion & Budapest Park

 Who:  The lululemon Sherway Gardens team took to water for the coolest Staff Meeting ever: Stand Up Paddleboard! We got up bright and early and hit up the lake at 7 am for an intro lesson, paddle board session and some sun salutations on Lake Ontario led by Jen and Luis. Jen is Osha's energetic paddleboard & yoga instructor with a passion for all things board sports! A past lululemon educator, she has followed her passion all across the world and believes paddle boarding's balancing connection to body, breath and water compliments her yoga roots. We were certainly enthusiastic that Jen was able to share her passion with us and we had a blast exploring the waters, practicing our strokes and even mustering up the courage to try handstands - all the while trying to stay dry!

 What:  Paddleboarding is an emerging global sport with a Hawaiian heritage. The sport is an ancient form of surfing as a way to connect with the water, community and self. Done standing up on a large surfboard with a long paddle, paddle boarding is a fun way to get a full body workout while exploring and experiencing the calming beauty of water. 

Paddleboard yoga combines the elements of vinyasa yoga and stand-up paddleboarding. The lake becomes the studio, and the board becomes the mat as the yogi is challenged to cultivate a new level of stability, balance (Marlene was definitely ready to fall in moving through her sun salutations) and ease connecting one's practice with the environment.

 Wore:  We took to the water in our lululemon bikinis, one-pieces & swim trunks. LS Swiftlies, Metal Vents and shorts were the outfit of choice on this breezy morning.

 

 When:  Osha has scheduled introductory classes, paddle boarding tours and paddle flow yoga classes Monday to Sunday from sunrise to sunset. Check out the schedule for more details.

 Why Paddleboarding?  Paddle boarding is a fun and challenging full body workout - toning and strengthening your core, arms and legs, while aligning your whole body from the soles of your feet up. Paddle boarding is an activity that promotes balance and relieves stress while connecting and interacting with nature. In addition to the extensive benefits of yoga, adding the element of water and wind to the practice offers the ability to find ease and strength in every pose, with a greater focus on the mula bandha (aka core) for increased stability on the water.

Last summer Marlene even did a summer SUP bootcamp - a combo of 30 min on the water and 30 min of dryland workouts. The only downfall for Marlene was that they were at 6 am, but she still managed to get up and head down to the lake! A great way to tone up and try something different for the summer, it's clear that paddle boards are a lot more versatile than we may think!

With long summer days ahead of us, the amazing feeling of being outside with the sun on our body and the beautiful rhythms of the lake at our feet are like no other ..we bet once you're out there, you'll never want to go back to the shore - unfortunately for us we had to work afterwards!

Psst If a picture's worth 1000 words, you'll want to check out this video! 

Courtesy of the one & only, Gavin Peacock.