For Mental Health Awareness Week 2022, we wanted to highlight two activities that have been credited as being positive influences on your mental health; yoga and stand-up paddle boarding!

Yoga's incorporation of meditation and breathing can help improve a person's mental well-being. It has been said that regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns; relaxes the mind; centres attention; and sharpens concentration.

Scientific studies have shown that simply being near bodies of water can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. This finding, combined with the obvious benefits of exercise, make stand-up paddle boarding an excellent choice for anyone who suffers from either of these conditions or simply wants to improve their mental wellbeing.

We spoke to Gill Marine brand ambassador, India Pearson; SUPYoga teacher, founder of Fin and Flow Yoga and new mother! She shared her experience of how she changed her mindset and began to use SUPYoga to help her feelings of anxiety and connect better to what fuels her soul.

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Since 2016 I have been teaching SUPYoga on all different bodies of water from lakes, canals, rivers and of course the ocean! Discovering SUPYoga was a euphoric moment for me, not only could I feel as if I was standing on water, I could now dance too!

As a former dancer this was an enlightening moment, only a year previous to discovering SUPYoga I had fled London to the Kent Coast after experiencing extreme anxiety. The unforgiving pressures that can be felt in the performance industry were not for me and after what felt like a 'mid 20's crisis' I changed my mindset and started focusing on what fueled my soul, instead of what felt expected. I followed my childhood dream to live by the sea and discovered a passion for watersports including Paddleboarding!

I found the paddleboarding community to be so welcoming, and I really felt like I belonged somewhere with like minded people from all different ages and backgrounds.

"I changed my mindset and started focusing on what fueled my soul, instead of what felt expected."

As soon as I saw SUPYoga making an appearance on my social media feed I knew I had to try it, and after just one class I knew I wanted to share this experience with others and train as an instructor. I had found a place where I could move with the grace and power that I had done as a dancer, but without any judgment - it was a beautiful moment.

SUPYoga is always practiced on calm water - which in itself is relaxing to simply look at let alone move on! I like to start my classes with a simple meditation that allows you to tune your senses into the natural world around you - from listening to the sound of the birds, smelling the salty sea air and dipping your fingers into the water which always feels very cleansing.

We all lead such busy lives nowadays and it can be easy to lose track of the present moment - SUPYoga, however, brings you back to the here and now. Not only are you tuning into nature, your mind is so focused on staying on your board there isn’t a chance to think about that work deadline or what’s for dinner! We know the act of meditation can have huge benefits on our mental health but equally it can sometimes feel a little daunting knowing how to approach it and I for one have always struggled doing it in the traditional format of sitting still and closing your eyes.

However, when it is done through the practice of SUPYoga you will be amazed how quickly you slip into an act of mindfulness without realizing it. As a new mum I have felt these benefits more than ever, and finding that time to flow on the water really helps me recharge my batteries so that I can show up and feel truly present for my daughter when I return home after a short but sweet time on my board.

"We all lead such busy lives nowadays and it can be easy to lose track of the present moment - SUPYoga, however, brings you back to the here and now."

So if you’re thinking of trying SUPYoga the next time you head out on your paddleboard make sure you are in closed water or tethered to an anchor for safety reasons. The trick is to take your yoga poses a little wider than you would naturally do on the mat to help you feel steady. Your focus will help you balance so try to fix your gaze on the horizon, or the front of your board. It’s important to wear comfortable clothing that you don’t mind getting wet, I love wearing my Gill Women's Dynamic Long Jane wetsuit because it is sleeveless so it gives my arms great mobility whilst I am moving on the board. I then like to have my Gill ThermoShield Top at hand for the end of class when we take a short relaxation as it keeps me cosy and warm whilst I’m lying still on the water.

So whether you're a practiced yogi, looking to trade your traditional mat on ground for a board on water, or a paddle boarder looking to test your balance on the board why not give SUPYoga a go and feel your worries float away as you flow on the water.

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India is the founder of Fin and Flow Yoga, based in Hythe, on the Kent Coast, England. We hope India's experience has inspired you, whether you're a SUP'er, kayaker, sailor or surfer, to get out on the water. You never know the change you'll see because of it!

Continuing with Mental Health Awareness Week 2022, check out our other blogs where we speak to some other brand ambassadors about how they deal with stress and what they do to support their mental health. We also have a list of reasons why getting out in Blue Spaces is good for your mental health, so if you need even more encouragement, you can read it here.

#ClearerMind