Yoga poses on a paddle board.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Professional athlete Gillian Gibree developed her love for the ocean as a lifeguard on Cape Cod. Amongst the Atlantic waves, she honed her natatory skills through prone paddle boarding, ocean swimming, standup paddling, and surfing.
It was also in New England that Gibree started taking her yoga practice out into nature. As a natural extension of her affinity for both yoga and the ocean, she was one of the first pioneers to bring SUP yoga into the mainstream – a discipline that combines yoga with stand-up paddle boarding (the latter of which is colloquially referred to as SUP).
The new-age, hybrid school of yoga takes familiar poses and transposes them to an aquatic setting on top of a paddleboard.
“It’s a totally different experience than in the studio,†Gibree told Yoga Journal. “You’re out in the elements and have a total connection to nature. It’s so relaxing and meditative. It feels amazing.â€
Along with the implicit fun factor, SUP yoga also boasts legitimate health benefits. Doing yoga on a surface that is constantly in motion fortifies your core muscles, according to Gibree, and strengthens muscle groups that aren’t regularly used.
“Even Plank Pose is more challenging because your board is moving a little back and forth, and that added tipsiness activates your core and arms. You definitely feel these tiny muscles that don’t activate on the ground,†she said.
When Gibree isn’t busy teaching SUP yoga in San Diego, California, she’s competing in various ocean events around the world or working as a fitness model. Last year, she placed first in multiple events at both the Go Pro Mountain Games and the Waikiki Quiksilver Festival, and also competed as a member of Team USA during the ISA World Championships.