Dirtbagging 101: Three Yoga Moves to Try On Your SUP Board

Imagine this: Your day job involves tasting wine made for outdoor lovers. You live in Hood River, Oregon, one of the most picturesque places in the country. In the winter, you teach children how to snowboard, and in the summer, you head up an outdoor SUP-yoga program that teaches people yoga while balancing on a stand-up paddleboard. Bliss, right? It’s the life of Naked Winery’s tasting room manager Emma Rossoff. While she may not have a lot of stress to release, she was one of the first yogis to take her sport to the water (read my chat with her HERE!). Here she shows us three easy ways to find Zen above H2O:

Photos by Jock Bradley.

Pose: Navasana Variation

Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate

What it does: Strengthens the core muscles. Tones the legs, arms and back.

How to do it:

Sit facing the front of the board with outstretched legs. With the paddle in your hand, bend your knees and lift them as you lower your upper body slightly back. When you feel your core engage, you are there. Variations include holding this position, bringing the opposite elbow towards opposite knee and alternating, or performing a sit-up.

More moves after the jump!

Pose: Cobra Transition with Leg Lift

Difficulty: Beginner

What it does: Stretches your entire front torso while strengthening your back and legs.

How to do it:

Lie on your belly with legs together and arms at your sides. Slowly begin to lift up your torso toward the sky, lifting from the belly first, then the chest, spreading open the neck, and finally lifting the chin. Engage your legs as you press into your hands gently, fully coming into the pose.

Pose: Warrior One

Difficulty: Intermediate

What it does: Tones the legs, core, and arms while stretching the hips, groin, and oblique muscles. It also increases balance and stability.

How to do it:

From the downward-facing dog position, step your left foot forward, resting it on the centerline of the board, and sink into a lunge position. With your right heel down, open your hips and evenly distribute pressure through both feet, bringing your left thigh parallel to the board. If you feel balanced, raise your arms into a variation like the one pictured here.