I know a few women who swear up and down they love the ocean…until they get in it. After getting tousled around for a few waves, they sulk with sand in their biknis until we can hit the showers again. Not so with Marissa Rose. As a SUP yoga instructor in beautiful Laguna Beach, she not only really loves the ocean—she finds peace in it. The Philadelphia native was discovered on Instagram by SUP Company in California, who brought her out to the West Coast where she’s been schooling yoga lovers on the water ever since. “My lifestyle is yoga. I’ve been a totally yogi since the moment I stepped on my mat my junior year of college,” she says. “I love sharing and spreading the powerful benefits of yoga and inspiring others to follow their dreams.”
So if hitting the water for some Crow Poses sounds like what you’ve been dreaming of but you’re nervous about messing up and getting soaked during your first class, fear not. I got Marissa to give us the low-down on some common terms you’ll hear in your first lesson:
1) HANDLE
This is the center point of all boards. You will use the handle to carry the board into and out of the water. For proper alignment, the center of your body (belly button) will be over the handle of the board.
The paddle will be used to enhance your core work, engaging and further lengthening muscles in the body. It’s also used for extra strengthening. You’ll use your paddle for core strength exercises such as boat pose, scissor kicks, sit-ups and crunches.
3) NOSE
The nose is the top of your board. When the paddle is not being used, it will remain at the nose of the board. Don’t worry if the paddle floats away, as it will sometimes. All paddles float and your instructor can retrieve your paddle for you.
The rails are the sides of the board. These are used for balance and stability. They will provide additional support and are great to balance your body in poses that involve twisting.
5) WIDE STANCE
By taking a wider stance, hip distances apart, you’ll create a supported foundation and find more strength in your legs. Especially your first few classes, where you’ll tend to shake as your muscles work in these new postures.
6) CHAIR POSE
It’s just what it sounds like, but it’s important to keep tabs on your breathing. I can’t express enough the importance of breath on your board. I start all of my classes in a seated posture with three to five deep, conscious inhales and exhales focusing on calming the mind, soothing the body, and energetically finding stabilization on your board.
7) VINYASA
In vinyasa, you will link every movement with your breath. Vinyasa flow is essential—if you stay with your breath, you’ll be more aware of your body and this alone will prevent you from falling in the water!
8) SVASANA
Allow yourself to let go of your breath and make peace with the ocean, knowing that you are fully supported and loved by the vast body of water beneath you.
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