Interview: Why SUP yoga?

Sinah Diepold is a professional dancer, author of yoga books and teaches dance, ballet barre fitness and yoga at various studios in Munich. www.sinahdiepold.de

Do you have any favourites among the many forms of yoga?

I'm a vinyasa teacher, the flowing version: you keep moving with every breath, everything is in flow. But I also love the Hatha forms, where you stay in one posture for longer and work very precisely.

Which form is particularly suitable for SUP yoga?

Hatha, holding on is definitely easier with SUP. The more I move from one movement to the next, the more difficult it becomes to keep my balance. In SUP, you're more likely to adopt the position and you have to work a bit more with the shifting. You can't just stand still with your right foot and lift your left foot - then you're lying in the water.

Which exercises are suitable?

The more balance you need for a certain position, the more difficult it becomes on the SUP board. Something like the "warriors" are very grateful because they are very stable. Downward-facing dog, one of the yoga classics, also works very well because the stance on the hands and feet is very even. It becomes difficult when you are upside down, i.e. in a headstand or handstand - this is already not so easy on the ground. Or if you turn round - in children's gymnastics it's called a children's bridge - in yoga "full wheel", then orientation and balance become more difficult. The "tree", i.e. standing on one leg, is even more of a challenge on the SUP board than on the ground.

Does water play a major role in yoga?

For me, water has a lot to do with yoga. I did my first teacher training by the sea in Bali. Water is very powerful and it reflects a lot about our mind. The sporty side of yoga is fun, but it's actually about our mind: Coming to ourselves, calming the mind through meditation. I like to compare our breathing to the waves. The ups and downs of our breath mirror the water. Our body is made of water. When I breathe and move and come to myself in yoga and do so on the water - that is even more similar to the primordial water.

original form. And if you ever do a Shavasana, i.e. this sleeping

exercise at the end of the yoga class on the SUP board, then you know how wonderful it can be in combination with the element of water.

Do you remember the impression you had the first time you did SUP yoga?

Definitely. I was in the sea, it was warm and this mixture of play and yoga was so special. Not as meditative and serious as hatha can be. Lying on the board at the end, the fresh air and the gentle rocking, you're so safe there, it's wonderful.

What aspects of yoga are emphasised on the SUP board?

If I stay in one pose for a long time, I get what the yogis call a "monkey mind", the chattering in my head: "I still have to... and I should still...". This happens when I stand on my mat for a long time. But once I'm really in the flow on the board, I'm so present - otherwise I'd fall off - then I can't help but really just be "there".

Is SUP yoga also suitable for absolute beginners?

It's certainly easier once you've done one or two things on solid ground. But stretching your bum upwards on all fours and pushing your arms and legs through, you can do that too, if you don't call it "downward facing dog", I don't need to know the yoga terms for that.

How much more difficult is it on the SUP board?

Definitely more difficult, but not as difficult as some might imagine. On the ground, I can simply lift my right leg upwards when doing the "downward facing dog". On the SUP board, I would have to bring the other foot a bit towards the centre line, otherwise too much weight would be on the left side and then the likelihood of falling off is very high. Once you've got these tricks down, it's no longer such a mystery.

Which is better, in a group or alone?

There are now good opportunities to do this together, with yoga islands that you can dock onto. You can simply try it out on your own, along the lines of "I did this and that in Sinah's class last week, maybe I can do it on my SUP board too". Just play and try it out, even if you fall off, nothing can happen. You only fall into the water. In a group, of course, you have someone to guide you, give you ideas and provide structure.

What's the best way to combine yoga with a short tour?

I would do the tour first, paddle to a nice place. Maybe in a nice bay where there isn't much swell. The more the water moves, the more difficult it becomes to balance. If you first get into a groove on the SUP board and then do a bit of yoga and then the sleep session at the end - which I think was the smartest idea ever - then you have a nice, well-rounded programme. I'm already looking forward to it happening again this summer.

You say "summer" - at what temperatures is that fun?

Even the most experienced yogi won't enjoy it if there is a lot of wind or swell. Sunshine and bathing temperatures are actually ideal. You always have to be prepared to fall into the water.

What do you wear then?

Of course, I was in a bikini in Bali. The nice thing about yoga clothes - sports bra and leggings - is that they dry quickly. And if you're careful and maybe with a yoga island, you can do it without falling in.

Don't you float around like fish food in a pond without such an island?

In Bali, for example, we had a line with an anchor and the SUP boards were tied to it. And also to each other. But otherwise there's a risk that you'll get lost. Then you just have to paddle back to each other in between.

And what is your message about SUP yoga in one sentence?

Back to nature. We are so often indoors doing yoga. But the opportunity to go outside and then combine it with water - I always find that very special.