Ever since I started Yoga about four years ago, I began learning the benefits of meditation. While out on my SUP around the end of Summer this year, it was calm and peaceful so I decided to just sit on my paddle board and try to meditate. Nothing fancy, just me, my SUP, the water and the cool breeze. And it was amazing!

Meditation can be a daunting thing to do, just sit with nothing but you and your mind. However to combine it with your SUP and the open water, it can really take your practice to another level.

Meditation is a means of transforming the mind. And while meditation can be quite simple, by engaging in SUP meditation practice you can begin to nourish and focus, finding peaceful and energised states of mind and improving positive energy.

Fittingly, for us water warriors, living a balanced life is essential. We seek a connection between our mind, body and spirit which helps to aid us in the development of our own unique individual resilience. Relaxation methods, such a SUP meditation, can be powerful in promoting a sense of organic connection and can be an influential tool in inviting us to live deeper in the present moment.

SUP meditation offers a vast open space for you on your SUP without any additional distractions. The water element provides you with a sense of purity, clarity and calmness and aspires us to find our centre and balance.

To prepare to SUP meditate you need to paddle to a calm, safe and comfortable location in shallow waters. Be sure it is not windy and no strong currents. You want to be able to sit in a location and not drift too much!

Set up your meditation posture in a way that is relaxed but upright and probably cross-legged. If this is not easy you can sit kneeling or laying down (savasana). Then you close your eyes, relax, and tune in to how you are feeling. It is important to be sensitive to your experience.

Here is a simple SUP mediation to get you started on the water to OM....

1. Close your eyes and begin to focus on your breath. Breathe deeply and slow.

2. Take a few moments here then allow your focus to broaden to your body and the sensations that it's feeling; floating out on the water, the movement of the water, maybe you feel free or relaxed.

3. Now expand your focus to anything touching your body; the breeze, the heat of the sun, the cool water. Noticing these sensations.

4. Lastly, expand your awareness to everything you can hear and smell; the ocean, birds, the water lapping on your SUP.

5. Now reverse this process and come back, one step at a time to your breathe.

6. Maintain this meditation practice for 2–3 minutes!

After mastering this SUP meditation technique try exploring other meditation practices to use on your SUP.

Have you ever tried SUP meditation? Tell us below or on Facebook how you like to use meditation on your Stand Up Paddle Board.