SUP YOGA TULUM

Unmatched  calm and nature in the Boga Yoga SUP Yoga studio.

I met Nancy on the dock that juts out into Laguna Ka'an Luum, a beautiful, calm and turquoise body of water near Tulum, Mexico. She had a beaming smile from ear to ear that said, "I love life." It's a contagious demeanour that I adopted within 5 minutes of talking to her. She was excited to tell me all about her operation. This was one of a few locations that SUP Yoga Tulum operates in. They've recently attained the rights to run tours in a secluded part of the Sian Ka'an National Park by working  with the local indigenous people and are the only company allowed to do so. SUP Yoga Tulum acts as the official Boga Yoga SUP Yoga studio.
 
When our SUP Yoga instructor arrived, along with her enthusiasm and grace, we set out for the first adventure: SUP Yoga. I, along with the 3 others in the class, anchored in a gorgeous shallow area where we could see and hear a number of bird species and small fish swimming and jumping around us. In terms of birds there were Rosette Spoonbills, Herons, Egrets, Kingfishers and more. These bodies of water, called cenotes (sen-oh-tays) are  very special and only exist in the Yucatan Peninsula. There are thousands of discovered and undiscovered cenotes, all with their own unique ecosystems. Put your feet in the water in most cenotes and they will be gently nibbled clean by small Cichlids and other fish species. 
 
Our lesson was about 1.5 hours and included a short intro to SUP to make sure everyone was up to speed. We cycled through the poses which were adapted for our vessel. The balance factor worked our cores and gave us a sense of gentle movement. The environment was spectacular. I really felt a sense of unity with my surroundings especially when we were in Savasana at the end. We dipped our hands in Laguna Ka'an Luum, listened to the wind in the trees and watched the birds soar overhead. 
 
I got to hang out with Nancy and the gang for the whole day. I was lucky enough to be there when Jim Gilligan was running a SUP Acro Yoga workshop (www.supacroyoga.com). Nancy does her best to bring in new talent and offer exciting workshops throughout the season. This new phenomenon is based on Acro Yoga, which pushes a pair of brave souls to practice acrobatic Yoga postures done while balancing on top of and beside one another. This all happens on a floating board to add a few degrees of difficulty disguised as fun. 
 
We started out basic and worked our way up to some more advanced moves. Since I showed up alone, I was paired up with Valentina. We ended up being a great pair and were able to get some of the more advanced moves after falling in... A lot. Don't worry! The lagoon was warm, shallow and inviting under the warm mid-morning sun. We found as much joy in falling in as we did in finally getting a sequence down with the one to one guidance of Jim. 
 
After a few hours on the water, the group returned to the dock to lounge about and munch some delicious treats and fresh, healthy juice, compliments of SUP Yoga Tulum. 
 
I quickly discovered that this lagoon was a gathering place for all kinds of people and activities. The Scuba divers were getting ready to explore the 85 meter hole into abyss at the end of the dock and the water massage practitioners were offering free massages as we baked in the Mexico sun.
 
Tulum is truly a dream come true with a unique set of natural phenomena, wildlife and wonderful people. I must mention again, that these types of lagoons (cenotes) exist nowhere else in the world. You could explore them and the surrounding Natural Reserves for a lifetime and still see something new every day. SUP Yoga Tulum is the place to be for adventure seekers, SUP enthusiasts and Yoga practitioners. 
 
Check out SUP Yoga Tulum

Next stop: PanaSurf, Panajachel, Guatemala