Lifestyle

What's SUP? Yogis head to suburban lakes, find serenity on paddle boards

Posted July 02, 2016 11:00 pm

By Melissa Hollander

Enjoying the peacefulness of nature is one of the reasons participants like SUP yoga. Courtesy of Casey Thoma

Is there surfing in the suburbs?

You might think so if you stumbled across a SUP yoga class this summer at a local lake. You'd see participants balanced on boards, doing yoga poses and using paddles to propel themselves through the water.

SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard), as it is known, has seen an increase in interest in recent years. Participation in the U.S. increased nearly threefold from 2010 to 2014, according to a study by the Outdoor Foundation.

“We do various yoga poses, stretches and flows,” explains teacher Jessi Rae of Island Lake. “It is challenging, but also tons of fun. There is something really special about taking your yoga practice outside, on the water while surrounded by beautiful scenery.”

Rae teaches SUP yoga classes at Three Oaks Recreation Area, 5517 Northwest Hwy. in Crystal Lake, and at Lindy's Landing on Bangs Lake in Wauconda.

She first gave SUP yoga a try three years ago.

“I was in love right away and hooked ever since,” she said.

Casey Thoma of Wauconda owns Standup and Flow in Wauconda, which offers SUP yoga, as well as other SUP classes, at Lindy's Landing on Bangs Lake in Wauconda.

Thoma, who also is assistant studio manager of NEXT Yoga in Wheaton, started teaching SUP yoga two years ago.

“I became interested when my parents moved to a lake and I bought my first paddle board in order to spend time on the water,” Thoma says. “From the first moment I downdogged on a board, I was hooked.”

Kristin Andrews runs SUP Yoga Evanston and has been teaching SUP yoga classes for about four years.

“SUP yoga really allows us to embrace life — and its constant motion,” Andrews says. You can “leave judgment behind and have some summer fun and good laughs.”

A photo of Andrews and her dog on the board together was featured in Yoga Journal last month.

Rental of a SUP board is included in class prices, so participants don't have to bring any special equipment. Classes are open to anyone — beginners, up to advanced yogis. No prior experience in yoga or paddle boarding is necessary.

A typical class will start on the land, going over safety and some basic poses. Then participants paddle out and try poses on the boards in the water.

Rae said one of her participants' favorite part of class is a quiet time at the end — savasana — laying out in the sun surrounded by serene nature.

Proponents list the benefits: Increased balance; greater flexibility and mobility of your joints and muscles; a calming effect on the mind; building core strength and endurance; and bringing out your inner child.

“It also improves focus and forces us to be present,” Thoma adds. “It's also an amazing way to appreciate and connect with nature.”

Taking your yoga onto the water might seem daunting, and most participants are surprised at how well they do, she said.

“People always ask me how many times they'll fall in and my answer is always that they probably won't fall in at all.”

Rae, Andrews and Thoma agree that being out in nature, on the water, makes SUP yoga special.

“It truly is a magical experience,” Thoma says, “and a great way to disconnect and just slow down.”

Participants work on their balance during a class on Bangs Lake in Wauconda. Courtesy of Casey Thoma

One participant manages a backbend on her paddle board. Courtesy of Casey Thoma

Participants practice meditating on Crystal Lake. Courtesy of Jessi Rae

Jessi Rae of Island Lake says she was hooked on SUP yoga the first time she tried it. Courtesy of Jessi Rae

Kristin Andrews does a headstand alongside a remarkably calm Marley, when he was a pup a couple years ago. Photo by Pete Kassab

Stand up paddle boarding has seen a big jump in popularity. Photo by Alison Gamble

SUP yoga classes usually start on land, like this class led by Kristin Andrews in Evanston. Photo by Alison Gamble

SUP yoga classes in the suburbs

Several locations in the suburbs offer SUP yoga classes. Cold or stormy weather can lead to cancellations, so it is advised to check the company websites if weather might cause a cancellation.

Wildroots YogaWhere: Classes are at Three Oaks Recreation Area, 5517 Northwest Hwy. in Crystal Lake

Cost: $35 per class, preregistration required, multiclass packages available

When: 10 a.m. to noon Mondays; noon to 2 p.m. Tuesdays; 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays

For more details: Visit <a href="http://www.wildrootsyoga.com">wildrootsyoga.com</a>

Standup and FlowWhere: 115 Park St., Wauconda. Classes at Lindy's Landing on Bangs Lake

Cost: $35 online signup per class, $40 on-site signup per class, $20 per class if you bring your own board, multiclass packages available

When: 9 to 10:30 a.m. Sundays; 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays; 9 to 10:30 a.m. Thursdays; 8:45 to 10:15 a.m. Saturdays

For more details: Visit <a href="http://standupandflow.com">standupandflow.com</a>

SUP Yoga EvanstonWhere: Northwestern University Sailing Center, 1823 Campus Drive, Evanston

Cost:$45 per class, no signup necessary, arrive 15 minutes early, first-come, first-served; multiclass packages available

When: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sundays; 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays; 9:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays (through July 24 only); noon to 1:30 p.m. Fridays; 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturdays. (Schedule changes in September)

For more details: <a href="http://www.supyogaevanston.com">supyogaevanston.com</a>

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