Sun Salutation (Full)
Even if you are not into sup yoga, sun salutations are a great way to get the body warm before a paddle, or an excellent cool down after a long endurance paddle. It opens up all the muscles and joints from head to toe and creates an inner calm, easing stress and quieting the mind. Focus on your breath throughout the movements, and don’t forget to enjoy the “sun”sation of being on the water working out!
Start standing with the feet hip width apart, with palms touching “prayer” In at the heart.
Inhale the arms over head, stretching up out of the hips and reaching through the fingertips.
Exhale and bend forward from the hips, keeping your back flat and knees with a soft micro-bend, and then drape the body forward over the legs. Inhale, fingertips to your shins and gaze forward with a flat back, exhale, fold forward again.
Plant the hands down shoulder width apart and step the feet back making a straight line with your back, and then straight line down from hips to feet for “plank pose”.
“Drawstring” at the waist, and “zip up” the low abs, pulling the low belly up and hold firm for a breath.
Then bending the elbows slowly, lower the belly chest and thighs all at once down towards the board, hovering just above the board; inhale slide the heart forward and the press the arms straight into upward dog, moving the heads of the shoulders back and rolling onto the tops of the feet.
Exhale, and tip the tail back up and press back into downward facing dog, pressing down with straight arms through the finger-pads and knuckles, and sinking the heels down and back. Hold for 3-5 breaths.
Next, lift the right leg high to the sky for “3-legged downward dog”.
Resist with the belly and step the right foot forward up to the hands, planting the back heel and inhaling arms open for “warrior 2”.
Open the hips towards rail of the board, and reach through the fingertips as arms stretch way out to the sides. Breathe for 3-5 breaths.
Windmill the arms back down to the board, stepping the feet back up together.
Inhale lengthen the spine and gaze forward, fingertips to the shins, exhale and fold forward, neck and head relaxing down.
Inhale, and “reverse swan-dive” back up to standing.
Exhale, and get ready to repeat the same sequence on the opposite side.
Performed by: Jodelle Fitzwater
[author image=”http://standupjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Jodelle-Fitzwater1.jpg”>Jodelle Fitzwater “Jodelle Fitzwater is the Midwest Ambassador for BiC SUP and Certified Fitness Trainer for SUP TV. She is also a self-proclaimed mermaid because she has no fear of depth and a great fear of shallow living. Find her instructional fitness videos by visiting SUP TV on YouTube and by visiting www.getfitwithjodelle.com “liking” on Get Fit With Jodelle on Facebook.” [/author]