SUP Yoga - Dive in Head First

As most Yogis’ will have seen or heard recently, Stand up Paddleboard Yoga or ‘SUP and Floating Yoga’ is the new trend for the summer months around the world.  All you need is a stand up paddleboard, some relatively calm water and the courage to dive in head first to test your yogi skills on water.

For some, the thought of paddling out on to the water or ocean to try SUP Yoga brings up thoughts like, ‘My balance isn’t good enough’, ‘I’m not great in water’ or ‘I don’t want to fall in’. But I’m telling you, you will be fine and you will love it – this is the mind stuff that Patanjali tells us to be aware of and to silence in order to take those steps towards something new and something we never believed we could do.

The first bit of advice I would give to you if you are intrigued by SUP Yoga is to let go. Let go of what you think you know, let go of any fears you have of the water and ocean or the creatures that reside in it or even your yoga ability.  Like any yoga class you are guided, enlightened, given the information you need and the freedom to ask for more throughout the class in order to ensure your experience is one to remember.

Secondly, don’t worry, enjoy it and have fun! Not everyone is a water baby, just like flexibility and strength varies between people. You may fall off (although we try to keep you on the board) so just go with it.  The more you fight your emotions the less relaxed you will feel which in essence defeats the purpose of SUP Yoga.  Being on the water may not feel natural to some, but if you take a deep breath, allow your body and board to move with the water and be at one with the environment around you, you will LOVE it.  And for all you water babies already out there this could be your way into the beautiful world of yoga! 

Like most yoga classes or even standup paddleboard classes, the activities of the day are tailored towards the students and the environment or props available. Some students may wish to try a stand up paddleboard class first to get used to the feel of being on a board, but true beginners can still come along to try and learn some different yoga variations, and lots do.

The best thing about SUP Yoga by far is that you get a different perspective, a different perspective on yoga, a different perspective on watersports and most importantly a different perspective on the natural world surrounding you, as you look out from your board across the water in lotus or easy seated pose.

When in savasana tune into your breath whilst listening to the water lapping against the bottom of the board and remember that amongst all of the madness of modern society there is a place you can always escape to and go within yourself to find your very own piece of paradise.

If you are in or around the Sunshine Coast come and join me for SUP Yoga Classes in beautiful Noosa at Noosa Standup Paddle on Saturdays at 8.30 am. Follow my instagram account @yogakiss or facebook page Yoga Kiss for further updates and details on how to contact me for more information or to book your spot, places are limited. 

Get Active, Nourish & Be Grateful Ebook: A big thank you!

Firstly, I just want to say a MASSIVE thank you! 

Thank you to everyone who has supported not only my yoga and SUP yoga career but also my partnership with Nicole De Valter (nee Kropp) in creating a global community that is Active, Nourish, Grateful.

Without your support and eagerness to be part of the information sharing, the ideas, the movement and the soul nourishing goodness we would not be here today releasing our first ever Ebook. 

Get Active, Nourish & Be Grateful aims to inspire and provide an easy to follow guide to living your best life. The practical tips and guides in each of the three chapters will give you options to nourish your body and your soul and to try something new. There are no hard and  fast rules in this ebook because Nicole and I believe that everything should be done in moderation, this is something we've learnt over the years and it works - both before and after you make lifestyle changes. 

As part of this I've included a meditation mini guide which is a starting point to living a mindful and present life. You can incorporate this with your very own pranayama (or breathing) practice because let's face it, our ability to breathe is our ability to live and yet we very rarely sit down to focus on it. Better yet, use your meditation mini guide, pranayama tips and the yoga flows in the Get Active chapter to really step it up a notch. 

Nicole has done a wonderful job on using her Holistic Health Coach knowledge to provide you with guides on super-foods, your very own shopping list that you can print and some absolutely delicious recipes for any time of day that are easy to make and simple to understand. This is something that she has taught me so much about and is always able to provide an answer to all of my questions (even the ridiculous ones). 

These recipes have been developed so that there are no surprises when you read the method. This is one of the things we both felt very passionate about as we are too often disappointed after spending hours shopping and prepping our food only to find we don't have a dehydrator or spiralizer! 

Most importantly, we wanted to share this information with you because we want to continue to follow your story as you work towards your best and most beautiful self (inside and out). 

You can invest in our ebook by following the Active Nourish Grateful links on both of our websites or simply CLICK HERE. 

View fullsize

Active, Nourish, Grateful is BACK baby!

This is my latest blog from my shortly to be discontinued blog-site... x

I realize that I've been painfully absent from my blogging lately, but I promise it's for a good reason...

Earlier this year I met (again) the stunning and inspiring Nicole Kropp (www.mintandmagik.com) and we got talking over a couple of wines. What we realized was that our paths were meant to merge and that our individual passions which have continued to grow in our respective health and wellness fields are perfect for each other and that we were passionate about sharing that with YOU! 

Yesterday, we became a partnership. I think as soon as we made the decision to create an E-book we knew it was coming, but it was kind of like when you first start a relationship and you both know you are REALLY into the other person but you're not sure who was going to say it first. For us, it was part necessity but it made us finally take the leap into what we knew was inevitable - we were going to continue to work together to share our passion for getting active, nourishing our bodies and being grateful and present in this world. 

So what have we been up to that makes all of this time of me not sharing any blog love worth it? We have been creating an e-book to share with you all the tips, information and knowledge we have in order to live your best Active Nourish Grateful life.

The other thing I've been creating, which I'm immensely proud of and will continue to build upon is my very own website www.kathardingyoga.com - check it out and let me know what you think?! 

My website will be a place that will continue to grow so that I can share latest updates on retreats, workshops, knowledge that I am learning through my blog and more. I will also be selling the Get Active, Nourish & Be Grateful E-book on there so make sure to sign up for updates and you will be notified as soon as it's released! 

But for now... apart from maybe one or two more posts on here (which will also be on www.kathardingyoga.com) I will be discontinuing my yogakissbykatharding.wordpress.com account. 

Looking forward to seeing you on www.kathardingyoga.com! 

xx Kat 

A very brief introduction to Meditation

Check out my very short introduction to Meditation as part of the Active Nourish Grateful Challenge. This was the theme for Day 29 (so it’s a couple of days late in being uploaded). 

Hopefully it provides a brief insight and starting point to meditation especially for those who feel that they simply won’t ever be able to still the mind. 

If you want more information about Patanjali’s 8 Limbs of Yoga you can find it online, I reference Limbs 4,5,6,7 – breathing, withdrawal of the senses, concentration and finally meditation (the eight is  enlightenment, so you get where I’m going). 

The Eight Limbs of Yoga is something that was fundamental in my yoga practice and then my teacher training. Asana, or the physical element of yoga, is only one very small part of the ultimate goal, but when combined with some or all of the other limbs it can be an incredible experience for those who practice. 

Breathe in presence, Breathe out Gratitude - Guest Blog

We all hear it. Be more grateful, be more present. But do we truly understand why it is important? Do we have a tool that can directly and almost immediately bring us into the present moment? Or is it just something we think is beneficial for our health and happiness but we don’t know how to integrate.

Do I even need to state that our breath is more important than healthy food, alkaline water, green smoothies and daily exercise. Why? Our breath is our life force, with out it we die within minutes. Our lungs are our life support, and our breath is always there to nourish our body with oxygen, cleanse our body from toxins and with little or no effort at all.

Anytime we feel scattered when making choices and “big” decisions, anxious about the future, stuck in the past, or nervous tension, our breath is here to anchor us. Ground us in the present moment where we can feel, connect and find clarity. Like a life long companion waiting for you to reconnect, with open arms and abundance of energy to share. When living in presence we feel truly “here” in every situation, whether we are walking, hanging the washing up or in conversation. Like we have no where better to be than where we are at this present moment. It gives us time to appreciate what is really going on “now”. Our days don’t feel as rushed just to get to the end. We stop racing to death and start living at our full potential right here, right now.

The problem is, it is too simple. Therefore hard to see the point in just taking a few deeper, slower, longer breaths per day. Human beings breathe 21 600 times per day so by changing 3 of these each day we are changing a massive pattern, which is life changing. The best thing is, correct breathing is free. Now there is something to be grateful for.
Bodhi.

Bodhi’s passion for breath and yoga is contagious, his presence as a teacher is uplifting, joyful and deeply encouraging. A dedicated surfer, psychosomatic therapist, yoga therapist, Energetic healer and lifestyle specialist.