Saturday 22 February 2014

Kayak yoga

 
This winter in the pool I have been helping a couple of folk play with floating and sinking. Its a great feeling when you can confidently turn your kayak over on yourself and then come gently back up to the surface, and it helps to build in the idea that the water is your friend and will support you if you let it. It is no coincidence that the most successful first attempts at this are by people who are already supple and flexible and perhaps do yoga.
 
 
On nights where it is my turn, I work through my rolling list a bit like a yoga sequence - first one side then the other - paying attention to correct posture, and of course breathing at appropriate points... 

 
It doesn't always go smoothly. One week a particular roll is simple enough to do. The next week it can be troublesome.

 
 
A lot of the time there is an underwater 'cat' lurking at the end of the pool, just thinking it through...