Wasup Yoga

I took my first class this weekend with Hasne and really loved it. She’s a great instructor and it was fun to be on the water despite the turns in weather — we had rain, some wind and a little bit of sunshine, too. Hasne is spiritual in the traditional yoga way and she was great at providing feedback to all of us in the class. I bought a three-​class pass (I missed out on the Groupon, but figured it was worth it) and am looking forward to my next class. The little surf shop also has lots of cool gear there from Roxy — super cute sandals and shoes, and clothing.

I love the idea of SUP and yoga combined! However, I think they would benefit from creating a beginners class and an advanced class. For experienced paddlers and yogis this class is very slow and too basic. I want to be challenged and the class to be worth my money.

Wow! That was… SPECTACULAR.
I bought a Groupon and was surprised that I could immediately redeem it online for a class within the same week. I took Hasna’s 6pm class today and was blown away. I’m on «sabbatical» aka I quit my «grown up job» and am just bumming around indefinitely now, trying to make my heart sing.
Well, sing it did… We got started a bit late (about 8 minutes, not that I’m keeping track or anything…) and it seemed to take forever to paddle into the middle of the water where we were to do our yoga thing, but it was a great workout and definitely worth the little trouble of hauling the board, etc.
Oh I should tell you that I can’t swim. And I was kneeling while paddling my way to the middle of the ocean (or is it lake? Whatever) because I was worried of falling into the water. However, somehow, once we were tethered to the buoy line, the board «felt» a lot more stable and I found myself downward doggy-​ing on the board with no problem. It was such a surreal experience. All other on-​ground yoga sessions from now on will be lame in comparison (unless James Franco shows up to the yoga class!). Between the water and the blue sky, I felt happy to be alive. I was proud of myself for the first time in a long time, for my ability to disregard the fear of falling into the water (and drowning and possibly but highly unlikely, dying) and to focus on my yoga practice instead. Warning, this is about to get so much cheesier… But I felt connected to God/​the Universe/​the Man Upstairs/​the Higher Power and I started to truly believe that the Universe loves me ferociously, and wants me to be happy. #lifechanging (das right, had to insert a hashtag right there) OMG, is sobriety and fresh air making me delusional? There were seals okay!!! Cute seals flapping about as we were paddling into our yoga spot. And fish and seagulls. You can’t help but fall in love with nature and the Universe and life all over again… Or almost for the first time, if you’re me.
Anyway, enough about the epiphany on water I had today. The staff were great, super friendly, helpful and encouraging. The freak factor is not high (aka it’s not super hippie-​ish). I dragged my sister along and unfortunately she didn’t have as great a time as I did, but she was incredibly brave for being on the paddleboard for the first time and one of the staff (Andrew?) towed her and her board to the middle to help speed her along.
Yay Hasna and the WASUP Yoga team! You made my heart sing :)

I’ve done this a few times with WASUP Yoga and each time has been mind blowing! It is so much fun to be out on the water practicing yoga. Each time is different because the conditions are different, the group is different, the animals out and about are different, and the flow is different. My regular yoga practice & core strength have improved. I recommend this to everyone I know!

How fun! exhilarating and peaceful. Challenging and calming. Something for everyone. Beautiful yoga on the water on a paddle board. It takes a few minutes to get used to waves and water motion.
Hasma was the instructor. Her calm, careful words guide you through simple beginning. you become more confident on the board as you develop the internal awareness of slightly different core major joint muscular integration. You can do modifications– she shows them or inch yourself up. I had to inch myself up. a littl eunsteady to begin with up to a complete pose. You have plenty of time to take in the beauty of the water and see seals, boats and other paddlers.
I’m coming back. This combines 2 of my favorite things: outdoor water and yoga. I’m biking to the next one to add another favorite.

I’m with Tina. If there were more stars, WASUP Yoga would get them. There is nothing like yoga on a paddleboard. The people are wonderful too. You’ll leave feeling 100% better than when you got there.

I LOVE this place!!! SUP Yoga is absolutely amazing, and they have done it right here. The instructors are great, the experience is amazing, and you leave feeling like a new person. I was very nervous my first session, assuming I would end up in the water most of the time, but I was delighted to find that the practice was very light and focused more on mindfulness than posture. Take advantage of package deals when they are available… you won’t regret it!

I wish there were more stars. It’s the BEST thing EVER! Teachers are fantastic — class is super mindful (which is weird cause there are lotsa boats and stuff). It’s worth every single penny! I mean who sees seals, eagles and jumping salmon during a YOGA class?! AND the instructor I had tonight (Haesna — I might not be spelling it right) is the best instructor I’ve had on land or sea.
Tip: Go even if you think the weather isn’t that great cause it’s so amazing to be on the water –and I’m a huge wimp about the cold — bring a warm something to put on, you can just balance it on your board.
Tip 2: Wear shoes you can wear in the water — it makes it easier — then again you can just put ‘em on the board.

I stumbled upon this place when I was looking for somewhere in Ballard to practice yoga. I though hmm, I love being on the water paddling and I love yoga, so decided to give it a try. I fell in love with it from the start and haven’t missed a week since! The owners and teachers are really normal and down to earth people. I love taking class from the different instructors for their various techniques. Not to mention you get the beautiful mountains, seals, sea lions, starfish etc. if you haven’t tried this, i’d highly recommend you do. Just give it a chance once and you’ll understand why i love it so much. Not to mention that it is so easy to sign up for classes via their website and they are very responsive when you email.

Loved this whole experience. Some of the other people in my class complained about availability, I booked a couple of weeks in advance with no issues.

Wow — nothing but love for this place. After buying the most recent Living Social deal (3 classes for $ 35) and trying my first class with Nicole, I’ve decided I’m going to try and attend a class at least once every time I’m back in Seattle, even though they are regularly priced at $ 25 each.
$ 25, you say?! Exorbitant. Nay. Your $ 25 goes a long way towards a stand-​up paddleboard and paddle to match your height, a wet suit (complimentary with regularly priced classes), a short tutorial on paddleboarding form, a half hour’s paddle along the shore, slowly flowing past quaint beachfront houses towards the Ballard Locks, an anchored ~45−1 hour yoga session that will change the way you look at your yoga practice in the studio, and another half hour’s paddle along the shore as you make your way back to WASUP Yoga. The paddleboarding revealed itself to be a great upper body workout the next morning even though it didn’t feel like a workout at all and the yoga was great for revisiting the basics of yoga poses and really connecting to a sense of balance.
There was a pretty strong current on the day I went (well, according to the instructor, anyways; I personally have no idea what that means) but we all made it out to the anchoring site in time to have a nice long yoga practice. I was lagging behind the group sometimes and Nicole was great at waiting up for me, giving me tips on paddling powerfully, and just being upbeat and encouraging in general.
WASUP Yoga is GREAT for:
–people who are intermediate yoga practitioners and want to deepen their sense of presence and balance in their practice
–people who still need to fall in love with Seattle, its gorgeous greenery, and its bodies of water
–adventurers with a good sense of fun.
May not be so great for:
–beginner yogis who are still working on their sense of balance on land
–people with motion sickness (I found myself occasionally getting a bit crosseyed and dizzy as I was trying to move in one direction but felt the board move under me in the opposite direction (hello, Newton’s laws!) or as I was trying to focus my gaze but kept seeing wavy ripples of water in my periphery
–people who don’t have a good sense of fun and would freak out if they got wet

On mid Sunday took my first class with Hasna. If is wonderful to be out on the water and practicing yoga. My whole sense of each pose was radically shifted as my balance was challenged in a unique and unfamiliar way. When we finished the class I felt as if I could have had a harder workout, then a few hours latter my core muscles started aching (in a good, ‘we’ve been worked’ sort of way). All of the involuntary muscles that are activated when we a struggling to balance had been engaged for over an hour — this is an incredible core workout, yet subtle as well. Highly recommend it!

We tried stand up paddle boarding for the first time about a month before our class and when we found out WASUP yoga did yoga on the boards, we had to try. We’re not major yogis and still found the class to be quite enjoyable. They give you a basic course on the boards before you paddle out to the class location and then Hasna guides you through a great workout. We found the yoga itself to be the perfect balance of challenging and relaxing. If you love yoga and the outdoors, you must try this!

one word — AMAZING! Hasna is a really fun instructor… keeping it light on the water! I have never paddle boarded and decided to take this class and i would like more more more! :) Highly recommended.

Really? Am I really the first to review? How cool!
I did stand up paddleboard yoga for the first time today with WASUP Yoga, and can unequivocally say it was the coolest thing I have ever done in my life! Had never been on a stand up paddleboard, but am a self-​confessed yogaholic, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity, especially with the AMAZING 3-​Class living social deal I bought! Even at it’s regular price of $ 23 a class, it is an amazing value, you get two hours (though actual water time is really probably 1.5 hours all things considered) of stand up paddleboarding and a yoga class, when just renting a board for an hour would cost you a similar amount! The staff was really awesome and helpful, very enthusiastic and patient when I was the slowpoke of the group. They really helped me enjoy and appreciate the experience, and not get bogged down in my fear of «fallasana». The process goes like this:
First, you come and check in with the instructors, who give you a paddle based on your height. Best to come a bit early so you can take care of your things (ideally, lock them in the car but they will hold them at the counter for you if necessary) and do a last minute bathroom trip. Then, once everyone is assembled, you cross the street and head to the little beach where the instructors show you how to paddleboard (if you are new) or if you’ve been before, you just get in and go! From there, you paddleboard across the sound right by the locks for a short distance (about 10 – 15 minutes) until you get to a line that they have anchored with carabiners that you hook to your board so that you stay stable during the class. From there, it’s a one hour yoga class. You will be surprised at the things you can do on the board, and the things that are more challenging. It’s a great class yoga-​wise, easy enough for beginners but with enough challenge for the seasoned yogi. The slight waves from passing boats do make the practice and the paddle interesting at times, but that’s part of the fun! Must say, I don’t ever think I’ve enjoyed shivasana more, lying on the board with my eyes closed, feeling the sway of the water underneath me, amazing! And while I was timid on the paddle over, I really enjoyed the paddle back, and was sorry to see the end! Not to worry though, I’ll be back!
If you like yoga and the outdoors this is a MUST DO. Thank you WASUP Yoga!!!