SUP Yoga Teacher Training on the horizon

When Lewes resident Stacey Chandler heard about stand-up paddleboard yoga she thought “Yoga? On water? My two favorite things in one activity? I’m in!”

A registered yoga and Pilates instructor, and a certified stand-up paddleboard teacher, she traveled to East Hampton, N.Y., to study under the SUP Yoga pioneer Jessica Bellofatto. “She made it look effortless; poses are different on water,” Chandler said.  “It can be challenging at first, but once you become relaxed it is easily done with proper instruction.” She was determined during that weekend of training, gained her certificate for SUP Yoga Teacher Training, and that was enough to get her hooked.

Chandler says even though SUPs have been used for centuries by fishermen, the recreational aspect is relatively new. Add yoga to the SUP and you have an intense workout. She says it is also a lesson in acceptance and being at peace with the water. Not only do you have to balance as you would with yoga on a mat, but now you have a board on water that is in constant motion. Chandler, manager of East of Maui Surf Shop is certified by the Yoga Alliance and is ACA registered. She has become a weather and tide watcher, and puts safety above all else.

“The first thing I teach is how to fall off the board, because you will fall, and falling off is part of the fun,” she says. 

Chandler, the only certifying SUP Yoga teacher trainer in Delaware, is joining forces with East of Maui Surf Shop, and Dimitra Yoga for a certification workshop that will be offered for training teachers in SUP Yoga. The class is one weekend, Sept. 8-10. All that’s needed is an open mind and a desire to enhance your yoga practice with SUP Yoga Teacher Training. 

For information go to dimitrayoga.com or call 645-9100.