Indoor paddleboard yoga beats weather
WELLINGTON’S unpredictable weather has led stand-up paddleboard (SUP) yoga teacher Megan Sety to invent something unheard of in New Zealand – a board that simulates being on the water, but is used on shore.
Sety worked with the team at Fergs Kayaks, as well as a local builder and an architect, to craft a board that would wobble and rock.
‘‘It looks funny ’cause it is just a bit of plywood rocking back and forth, but it’s a lot of work.’’
Her paddleboard classes had been popular, but bad weather meant Sety had to reschedule almost every class.
‘‘So we thought of doing something inside.’’
A lot of experimenting had been involved since the first board was cut in March.
‘‘When we tested it, I thought it was too easy. We have only just got it right [this month].’’
The boards could be altered to rock more or less to suit the user’s ability.
Sety believed indoors SUP yoga was a tougher workout than on the water. ‘‘The boards on the floor never stop wobbling, but on the water, when you are low, they stop moving.
‘‘If you are not paying attention, you will fall off. You never get a break . . . Bonus is, you aren’t falling into the water.’’
The indoor classes at Fergs Kayaks were also an alternative for those who did not fancy a dip in the deep blue.
‘‘If people are nervous or fearful of being on the water, they can try this first.
‘‘Being indoors eliminates the issue and people can enjoy the yoga.’’
Sety hopped on a paddleboard for the first time last year.
Not long after, the senior SUP instructor at Fergs asked her if she would consider teaching yoga on one. ‘‘I thought it was a gimmick, a crazy idea. And then I got on the water and the combination of being outside with yoga is what sold me.’’
She is the only SUP yoga instructor in Wellington, and one of very few in New Zealand.
Sety hoped to sell the SUP yoga paddleboards in the future, unwittingly becoming an entrepreneur and businesswoman. ‘‘I just wanted to run the classes. The whole thing is so organic, it has taken off on its own.’’