How To... Revolved Crescent Lunge on a SUP
Photo By Christine Cichra
SUP yoga has all the mind, body, and soul benefits of yoga on land, with the therapeutic advantages of being on water, surrounded by nature, combined with an extra balance challenge. Revolved Crescent Lunge (Parivṛtta Aṅjaneyāsana) is one of my favorite all-in-one poses: improving balance, presence, and posture by stretching and strengthening the back, chest, legs, spine, shoulders, and hips. As a twist, it detoxifies by stimulating the abdominal organs and kidneys, facilitating circulation and improving digestion.
Here’s how to get into it:
Start in downward dog with hands a forearms-distance in front of the handle and the paddle across the board in front of your hands. Lift your left leg and step it through your hands into a high lunge with ankle directly under knee and knee bent at 90 degrees (widen your stance for more stability). Align your pelvis over the handle for optimal balance on the board. Base your right hand under your right shoulder (or come onto fingertips for extra height). Squeeze your inner thighs for buoyancy in your hips and lengthen back through your right heel to activate the right leg (or set your right knee down to modify). Pick up the paddle with your left hand and base the blade next to the pinky toe edge of your left foot. Use the paddle as a guide; floating your left hand up its length generating a twist to the left. Move slowly and in time with your breath – inhaling into length through your torso and spine, exhaling and drawing the navel in at the end to rotate the torso around the axis of the spine. Continue to glide your left hand up the paddle as the twist naturally deepens, extending the arms and opening across the chest. You may hold onto the paddle for support, or gently pull downward to leverage yourself even deeper. Hold for a minimum of 5 breath cycles, soak in all the sensations, then release. Replace the paddle across your board, frame your foot with both hands, press back to down dog and repeat on the other side.
Written By: Jessica Cichra, Wave of Wellness
Featured In Print: Stand Up Journal
Paddle: Werner Paddles Zen in Coral