Instructional &
Informational Posts
rut. noun /ret/: a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change.
In our column, Rut Buster, we challenge writer Valerie McTavish to climb out of the all-too-common health ruts we find ourselves in from time to time. From the running rut to the gym rut, and even the couch potato rut, join us as Valerie tosses aside the usual and takes on a variety of get-your-sweat-on activities.
I’ve never been on a stand-up paddle board. I don’t do yoga. So, what could make more sense than busting a rut by trying SUP Yoga on Lake Okanagan?
As unlikely a candidate as I was, Sarah from The Hot Box Yoga agreed to give me a little introduction (her hubby Chris graciously lent me his board). So, just a few feet off the beach, I dove into what many yoga fanatics are calling the latest craze.
Before I got started, there was one burning question – why? If yoga is a spiritual practice that is meant to ground you through breath, how exactly can you do that while desperately trying not to fall in? And, who was the crazy yogi that decided yoga and paddle boarding were like chocolate and peanut butter?
Suspending my uncertainty, I floated my board out into the bay, found my way first to my knees and then to my feet. I shifted my weight side to side finding my rocking limitations. Standing tall and sturdy, I proclaimed that I was ready to begin. Unfortunately, we started in child’s pose and I had to give up my power stance and move back down to the board. Every move required concentration – even kneeling.
As we progressed through a sequence of poses my thoughts raced from following instructions to trying not to take a dive. I’d been told that it’s best to just accept that you’ll fall in at least once, but despite the heat, I was fighting it.
As I relaxed into downward dog, I realized I’d been holding my breath - perhaps in preparation for the foretold dunking or maybe because I was concentrating too hard. I exhaled. The next sequence added more challenges and I almost kerplunked trying to reach ‘water warrior’.
Sarah tried to persuade me to relax my ‘monster toes’ but I was certain they were the only thing keeping me above board. And those little toe muscles weren’t the only ones clenching for dry life. Every little muscle was twitching and tweaking in an effort to hold the pose and stay perfectly balanced.
As I stood shaking and clinging, I got the why. SUP Yoga challenges your muscles, balance and concentration in a way that terra firma just can’t do.
It may not be the path to enlightenment but it could be the paddle to fitness.
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Valerie needs your help. Email your stories about how you busted out of a rut (fitness or otherwise). Share your successes or suggest an activity for her to try. Stay motivated together.
