Monday, October 13, 2014

My #1 Mermaid Must-Have

Friends, it's official - I have a new obsession. This pretty-in-pink inflatable paddleboard by ISLE has completely stolen my heart. Not only is she easy on the eyes, but better yet, this beautiful board has been constructed with such detailed intention and mindfulness. It's the perfect compliment to the busy lifestyle of the modern-day traveling yoga girl!


My friends over at ISLE Surf & SUP introduced me to the concept of inflatable paddleboards at the beginning of 2014 and these boards have been game changer in both my personal life and professionally as a SUP Yoga instructor and teacher-trainer. When I'm home in San Diego, I'm teaching multiple classes a week and need equipment that is easy for me to carry and transport around town. Two summers ago, I suffered a really bad shoulder and elbow injury from hauling around super heavy boards all day long. Luckily, these new inflatable stand-up paddle boards are so much lighter and easier to carry. It makes the whole paddle experience that much more enjoyable!


My absolute favorite feature of the new Women's Inflatable SUP is the side sling for your paddle so it's completely out of the way when you're trying to practice yoga out on the water. For the past few years, during my SUP Yoga classes, I always have to stop the flow and have my students re-adjust their paddles, placing them across the top of the board. More often than not, the paddle ends up in the water, sometimes drifting far away or straight-up sinking. When designing this new Women's inflatable SUP (or i-SUP), I insisted on creating some sort of bungee system along the rails of the board so that during the flow, your paddle would never interfere with your yoga practice. This small but mindful change has made a huge difference in my teaching, allowing me to focus on my students and the postures, versus fumbling around with equipment.



The new Women's iSUP runs 31 inches wide, which gives you plenty of surface area to practice your yoga poses. The average yoga mat runs about 24 inches wide so those extra 7 inches of space provide you a bit more room to find your balance and center yourself. While my intention was to create a board that was spacious enough to practice SUP Yoga, I also wanted to keep it challenging and make sure you were utilizing your muscles at all times to get a true workout on the water.

In addition to teaching yoga locally at home in San Diego, California, I also travel frequently to different parts of the world leading yoga retreats abroad. When traveling to far-flung places, it can be difficult to find good quality paddleboards, if any at all! The iSUP solves that problem by folding down into the size of a large backpack, allowing you to check it as a piece of personal luggage. Even the paddle breaks down into 3 small pieces! I'm taking a big group of girls down to Sayulita, Mexico next month for our MERMAID YOGIS retreat and aside from cute bikins and organic sunscreen, this board is the most important piece of luggage to pack! Imagine landing in paradise, blowing up your beautiful paddleboard and immediately getting to explore new island chains while dolphins swim past you. Talk about embracing your inner mermaid! No more dealing with renting boards when you arrive or paying exorbitant airline fees to ship your full-sized board. The inflatable paddleboard concept really makes traveling the world that much more zen and worry free.


The beautiful thing about the paddleboarding culture is that it's inclusive to people of all ages and walks of life. I was at a paddle festival this past weekend where I witnessed a woman in a wheelchair paddling on the open ocean. Where there's a will, there's a way! That's the inspiring mantra of the ocean-minded community and as you can see, paddling is also a very family-friendly experience. Children of all ages can hop onto the front of a SUP and get an up-close and personal experience with the sea. This adorable little mermaid hopped onto my board the other day and we had a blast exploring the ocean together. The iSUP is even spacious enough for some partner yoga poses and a double down-dog!




- quick facts -
length: 10' 4"
width: 31 inches
weight: 27 lbs
pricing: $699 
(includes ~ board, adjustable aluminum paddle, hand pump and free shipping)

special offer for all my readers! 
for the next 30 days, use promo code ZENGIRL for $100 OFF listed price *offer expires 11.12.14

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