“There’s more to yoga than just poses.”
Then it’s a One of the brief lesson on primary goals how to properly of yoga is reduchold a paddle and ing distractions how to use it in the and eliminating Janay Aiksnoras water. Aiksnoras the things that Lake Tahoe Yoga measures everyone’s draw us outside of paddles according to ourselves, according to height and shows everyone how Aiksnoras. With paddle yoga, to stand up on their board and there’s extra focus required to how to drop their board’s anchor. get on the board, extra balance needed Once everyone feels comfortable and has to move your body into certain positions, an understanding of how to use their boards, and extra attention needed to stay in your the class paddles out on the lake together. space. All of this requires the practitioner to focus on what’s important and eliminate interruptions. Aiksnoras said the word “yoga” itself translates to union, and one of the most Depending on how quickly a class paddles important aspects of practicing yoga is out on the lake and the skill level of students connecting. When students get an opporthat day, Aiksnoras will then begin teaching tunity to connect with nature and the space the asana portion of the class for 45 minutes around them, it elevates their practice, and to an hour. Aiksnoras said the Sanskrit word when you’re out on a paddle board with asana translates to posture. “When we’re the sun shining on your face, surrounded out there on the water, we’re doing a variety by crystal clear water, it’s difficult not to of physical postures that are challenging connect. you to remain focused, remain balanced and According to Aiksnoras, yoga can be a also to push beyond your limits,” she said. therapeutic practice when done accurately. Again, the difficulty of the class and the “Everything that I’m doing as a yoga postures depends on who’s joining her that teacher is to teach my practitioners, day and their balance, body awareness and whether I see them daily or I see them comfort level on their board. just once, and I get just one moment with She said the asana portion of yoga is a them, that there’s more to yoga than just great workout, but practicing asana alone poses,” she said. isn’t a complete yoga practice which is She said there are other physical benefits why she always leaves plenty of time at the of doing paddle yoga long-term including end of each class for her students to enjoy developing core strength, balance, body a savasana. This yoga pose is a peaceful awareness and upper body strength from meditation that takes place by lying on your carrying paddle boards, but Aiksnoras back with your eyes closed. “Savasana is said that it’s more than just feeling the of the utmost importance in making sure improvements of your physical body. To you have that time to physically relax and her, paddle yoga gives practitioners a shift let your whole body quiet down and let the in perspective. chatter in your mind quiet down, so that you “This is an opportunity to enjoy time can let go,” said Aiksnoras. with people you know, with strangers,” she Obi Felton, a paddle board yoga student said. “To be doing something where you’re of three years, said that savasana is by looking around beyond your phone and far her favorite aspect of the paddle yoga really just experience this little piece of the practice. “You hear the sounds of the birds, world, and Tahoe is one of the most magical and when [savasana] is over, you look up places.” Ω at the mountains, and it’s an out-of-body experience,” she said.
Stretching it
The 2019 paddle yoga season begins in June. Classes are daily from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
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