They often come up out of the water to look at us,” says Lovechenko. “We’re not allowed to touch them and must stay alert in case they bump the boards and dump us into the water. They’re gentle, but immense.”
If basic SUP isn’t enough, onboard
yoga or Pilates can be added. “It’s easy on the joints for those with knee or ankle problems,” Lovechenko advises. Regard- less of the level of experience, “Yoga paddleboarding naturally calls for a calm mind, steady breathing and attention to balance. With Pilates, working out on a board in water that’s 10 to 20 feet deep activates a different set of muscles.”
ments (
Tinyurl.com/Hoopnotica Lessons). Instructional DVDs and classes are available to revive and enhance childhood hooping abilities. “Hooping spans genres from classical to hip-hop, tribal to lyrical, depending on who’s spinning the hoop and what’s spinning on the turntable,” says Jacqui Becker, Hoopnotica’s director of content development and lead master trainer, in Brooklyn, New York. “When I carry a hoop around town, people light up. It’s like walking a puppy, but an even better workout, with no cleanup.”
Dancing on Land Hoopnotica, on a roll here and in Europe, reintroduces play into physical fitness with fresh, fun, expressive move-
Dancing in Air Aerial silk classes take exercising to new heights. Cirque du Soleil-style and more elegant than rope climbing, students don’t have to be in peak shape to start. “Just show up and want to learn,” says international performing aerialist Laura Witwer, who teaches how to climb fabric attached to steel rigging 16 to 25 feet high in New York City spaces. “We work close to the floor for beginners,” she ex- plains. “They learn to climb, then to hang upside-down, and then tie knots. We’ve had all body sizes, shapes and ages in
class; it’s a great way to stretch and add strength.” Yoga can also
take to the air with
anti-gravity classes that position participants in fab- ric slings or hammocks that relax joints and help the body realign itself. Christopher Harrison, founder and artistic director of AntiGravity Yoga,
in New York City, is a former world- class gymnast and professional dancer on Broadway, two professions that are tough on the body. “As an aging athlete whose passion continued, but whose body had been ripped apart by numerous surgeries, yoga healed and rejuvenated my mind and body,” he remarks. “In order to take pres- sure off the joints, I took my performance company from tumbling off the ground to hanging up into the air by inventing apparatus that allowed us to fly.” Whether by land, sea or air, adven- turous souls are discovering new ways to recharge mind, spirit and body.
Connect with freelance writer Sandra Murphy at
StlSandy@MindSpring.com.
natural awakenings
July 2013
39
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