Cleveland.com: 'Chin up and face to the horizon!'
‘Chin up and face to the horizon!' Lynne Nagy teaches stand-up paddleboarding and yoga
Posted Jul 15, 2020 - Cleveland.com
By Patricia Neligan Barley | Special to cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lynne Nagy learned about stand up paddleboards in 2005, when she saw Laird Hamilton, a big wave surfer on the cover of Outside magazine.
Nagy just knew it was her jam. The graduate Studies professor at Lake Erie College did some research and couldn’t find any boards around Cleveland. Stand up paddleboards, or SUPs as they are commonly referred to, were mainly on the West Coast at the time, and they were not only expensive but also heavy, costing a lot to ship.
It took until 2008 while Nagy was teaching an education professional development class at Lake that she took a trip with her students to North Carolina. The purpose of the trip was based on the tenants of Outward Bound, focusing on physical fitness, self-reliance, adventure and craftsmanship
While searching for adventure in North Carolina, Nagy and her students took surf and SUP lessons. Nagy bought an Oxbow board, heavy, fiberglass, very tippy and difficult to transport without a handle to carry the board. Her paddle was the size of a shovel. She says she fell thousands of times, but fell in love with the sport anyway, and has been paddling ever since.
Eventually she founded her company, UltraMissions Inc. to teach paddleboarding.
Nagy uses principles she uses as a professor, inviting people to engage in their own lives. Her goal isn’t to train you to competitive status, but rather be the best you can physically and improve flexibility through yoga and stand up paddleboarding.
Nagy encourages her students to “push past our limits and really take our snow globes and shake them up.”
Nagy has been practicing yoga for years and just started noodling around on the boards to see what they could hold. She now offers small SUP yoga classes.
“It is the best work out. It’s a head-to-toe workout that utilizes every muscle and it’s fun!” she said. “It’s all about balance and how to be as efficient and focused as possible, with whatever body size and shape you have. On the board, it’s so much more fun for me because of the perspective from the water, because the wind and waves, and doing downward dog and looking up at the sky and seeing the clouds move and the land from the water I think is just absolutely amazing.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, many people are trying water sports for the first time to get outside and get a little exercise. Sales of kayaks and paddleboards have soared.
Nagy said “the connection with the water, especially in these times of living in a pandemic, is safe, gorgeous and it’s right here. Lake Erie is so beautiful and it’s so challenging because it’s the shallowest of the Great Lakes, and the conditions can change quickly, and all of the places that I’ve paddled, if somebody can maneuver and understand safely our lake, then they can paddle anywhere.”
Though Nagy originally turned, in her words, “her snotty nose” up at inflatable boards, she has since switched. She says they’re safer, especially for kids, and easier to fall on.
Wondering where to begin? Nagy suggests starting with a lesson to see if you like the sport. The beauty of paddleboarding is that with some instruction, most people can stand up and have an enjoyable ride with a short amount of practice.
Nagy tells her students both on land and in the water, “Head up, chin up and face to the horizon, be open to these possibilities, to love and joy and to have adventures and to have a good time.”
10 tips for beginning stand up paddle boarding and SUP yoga
1. Start with a lesson to ensure you learn proper paddling technique. You will also learn how to properly maneuver your board as well as how to safely fall and get back onto your board. A lesson will ensure that you don’t need to go back and unlearn any improper strokes or habits. You will also learn at a lesson how to safely read the conditions of the water and the wind and which direction to go.
2. Use a leash and when not doing yoga check your state guidelines for wearing a PDF, personal flotation device.
3. Make sure your paddle is facing the right way. It’s counter-intuitive. Hold the blade so that it’s angled forward, not back. The blade of the paddle, the part that scoops the water has an angle to it. This angle should always be facing away from the paddler.
4. Stand up tall and paddle with your core. If you only use your arms you will fatigue quickly and not have as much power. You use every muscle in your body with a proper paddle stroke.
5. Look at the horizon and place your feet parallel, about hip-width apart in the center of the board.
6. Keep your head up, back straight, knees slightly bent and your body weight over your toes. There is a hinge you will learn that will help you transfer your weight from your heels to the ball of your feet.
7. Ask for help. Not sure where to begin or what type of gear or board to buy or rent? Find a professional and ask for advice.
8. If you are trying SUP yoga for the first time, don’t forget to breathe! Breathing consciously is the essence of yoga. It is through the breath that we are able to stay connected to our bodies and our boards.
9. Meet yourself where you are. Stand up paddle board and yoga is for everybody style and type. It takes time to learn a new skill.
10. Have fun! Try something new and enjoy being outdoors and taking advantage of this beautiful natural resource that we live on!