Canadian yoga instructor Stephanie Ouellette  recently flew south from Ottawa, Ontario where her stand-up paddleboard (SUP) business, Suptopia Floating Yoga, operated seasonally—mainly in the stunning lake town of Muskoka. Ouellette has also led eco-therapy Vinyasas at various yoga and music festivals in Canada, and has wandered the globe living and working on the water in countries as far as Australia, Japan, China, Malaysia, Germany, Singapore and India, as well as various cities in the U.S.

Weekly classes typically launch from the Ski-a-Rees site (behind Mote Marine Laboratory), or Overlook Point in LBK.

WEEKLY CLASSES TYPICALLY LAUNCH FROM THE SKI-A-REES SITE (BEHIND MOTE MARINE LABORATORY), OR OVERLOOK POINT IN LBK.

Now finding her flow in Florida, SUP Yoga SRQ came to light. Having launched (no pun intended) in June of last year, Ouellette teaches private and group classes three days a week where she provides waterbound yogis with BOGA stand up paddleboards—designed specifically as floating aquatic-fitness mats for supporting movement on the water—as well as paddles, dry bags and anchors in order to moor your vessel to the sea bottom and keep the group together in one safe spot. Ouellette’s classes are lower and slower than a studio class, as every pose is a balance pose on the SUP. But, combining the movement and intention of yoga with Sarasota Bay views in every direction, yogis can channel all three of their warriors by challenging their lower body, engaging their core, balancing the mind and controlling their breath.

Ouellete leads a sun salutation at sunset off the shores of Longboat Key on BOGA paddleboards.

OUELLETE LEADS A SUN SALUTATION AT SUNSET OFF THE SHORES OF LONGBOAT KEY ON BOGA PADDLEBOARDS.

“When practicing on the water, all the wobbles require all our stabilizer muscles to fire, muscles you didn’t even know you had, and your focus has to be all there,” she explains. “This heightened mindfulness helps us truly tune in to the ‘here and now.’” To start finding your sea-legged center, slow everything down. “Attune your body to the ripples and the wind, heighten your receptivity as the board whispers that you need to shift slightly to the left or right,” Ouellette says. “And just wait till you observe the horizon from Downdog—seeing the movement of the water under you and around you, and everything upside down—talk about perspective shifting.”

Find up-to-date class schedules or book a private session at supyogasrq.com or @supyogasrq

FIND UP-TO-DATE CLASS SCHEDULES OR BOOK A PRIVATE SESSION AT SUPYOGASRQ.COM OR @SUPYOGASRQ

So yes, to avoid falling in, consider micromovements for smooth transitions and focusing your gaze on a fixed point. But, in all honesty, falling in seems part of the fun. Embrace the humbling aspect of being in nature’s playing field and let the saltwater heal any literal or figurative wounds. “I wholeheartedly believe combining yoga and SUP magically bundles all the benefits together,” she says. “When I am on the water, I feel connected to and part of nature. The events and circumstances that might’ve irritated me that day fall away—it’s almost like my problems stay on shore when I paddle out and it is just me, my breath and my board.”

So whether mastering a one-foot balance in Eagle pose or gently stretching the spine in Child’s pose, being able to counteract, and react, to the unpredictable flow of the water below is a gratifying feat, culminated by a blissful, floating sensation that’s like a “mini-holiday for the nervous system.”

Anchors away and namaste.