7 jours en stage pour enseigner les bases du SUP yoga sur la Riviera athénienne à Glyfada, Grèce

What's different about Yoga Skyros Academy?

Have you heard of Yoga Skyros Academy, in Glyfada Seaside, Greece?

Well, it's the only place so close to the city center of Athens, seaside, and nature where you can join and enjoy all-year-round programs of restoration, as well as be taught and get certified as a yoga teacher and/or as a yoga therapist, in a traditional and authentic way, alongside the Masters Dietmar and Carmen Hellmann.

In Yoga Skyros, they respect your privacy and well-being. You will have the time and space for yourself in our beautiful and luxurious place and the areas around Glyfada. Here, they aim for and achieve high quality of the 3 T’s - Teaching - Therapy - Training, not only for the body but for the mind and spirit as well. As BKS Iyengar has stated, ''Health is the state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit''.

Yoga Skyros is different because Dietmar and Carmen teach all courses by themselves, which shows the amplitude of their knowledge, love, persistence, and inner power. Their approach to teaching and learning is ''baby steps." They are here to support you along the way, with patience and love, and as Carmen says, ''The body will always adapt to the demand we put on it'', so there is no need to rush or doubt the process."

Additionally, because quality is above quantity and each class has a maximum of 10–12 students, each individual gets to develop a traditional and authentic ''Master'' to Student Relationship, where they are connected for life no matter how many miles apart. Yoga Skyros Academy strives to share the ancient knowledge, practices, and their light within the modern world. We can all heal ourselves and one another. Join us and feel the difference for yourself.

Yoga Skyros Academy

The academy is based on the concept of small classes with a maximum of 6 students, high-quality teaching, better learning and understanding, and better connection to your consciousness and inner peace.

SUP yoga unites the sport of stand-up paddle boarding, which originated in Hawaii in the 1940s, with the ancient practice of yoga, which has its roots in India. In the short time SUP yoga has existed, it has grown to include devotees worldwide.

The first steps of starting SUP or stand up paddle boarding and yoga:

• The first one is to slow down. Move at half the speed you usually do on land once you start paddle boarding on the water. Follow your breathing pattern slowly as you stroke your arms and legs.
• The second one is to mind your position. Minding your own poses and positions is the most important thing in SUP board and yoga. You have to be aware of the paddle board’s shape and its handle to avoid falling off.
• The third one is to gaze only at the horizon. The loss of balance comes from changing gaze too quickly. Your body feels the stress and your muscles contract. In this case, having your gaze fixed on the horizon will give you the stability you need.
• The fourth one is to hydrate your body before a workout. It is vital to drink plenty of water before you proceed to workout. Since changing poses on the paddle board requires you to move all parts of your body, you will need to have enough water in your body to sweat it out as well.

The benefits

1. Promotes mindfulness

The practice of SUP boarding and yoga requires you to pay attention to your breath as well as your body movements. This is needed for you to keep a well-balanced posture while afloat on water. Focusing on your overall breathing and balance is indeed a step closer to developing a deeper level of mindfulness or self-awareness.

2. Increases breath control

The pace of this type of yoga requires you to slow down. Slowing down allows you to focus on your movements and change your poses as smoothly as possible. As you slow down on your movement, it also allows you to focus more on your breathing and increase your control over it.

3. Exercises your body

Although SUP Boarding and Yoga do not require too much physical activity, it is still proven to exercise your body. The poses that you exert generally firm up core areas such as the arms, shoulders, legs, knees, and quadriceps.

4. Gives you the feeling of refreshment

Going through the summer heat instead of lying flat on your yoga mat inside a room creates a lot of difference. It gives you a more sense of being one with the outdoors. You can easily cool down simply by having an unlimited supply of water beneath you.

5. Chance to experience the beauty of nature

Aside from the calming feeling of being afloat on water, having a beautiful landscape as your view is definitely priceless. You even have accessible fresh air around you. How can you make your yoga experience better? Well, try stand-up paddle boarding and yoga to see!

6. Fun and challenging

SUP boarding and yoga not only improve your health but also serve as fun and challenging work to do. It gives you the freedom to move depending on your desired poses. It also challenges you mentally and physically to balance your weight on the water while doing yoga poses.

7. Improves balance and flexibility

Changing yoga poses improves and maintains your balance and flexibility. It requires you to stay on the paddle board while floating on the water and to keep your body in a balanced state. Furthermore, the same is done to increase your mobility and flexibility. It requires your different muscles to strengthen with a wide range of poses. Those who frequently practice yoga are known to have excellent balancing and flexibility skills.

8. Increases blood circulation

One of the important parts of yoga is to focus on your breathing. This has been found out to increase your blood circulation. This increase helps to ease the feeling of stress and improves your overall emotional wellness.

9. Gives the yoga technique a new face

It refines the whole game of yoga by introducing a technique that allows you to go outdoors. Similar to any exercise and sport, the SUP also requires you to practice to be a master.

10. Calms your mind

Allowing your body to go with the flow of water produces a calming effect on your mind. The peacefulness of the water combines yoga with a relaxing, stress-reducing feeling. It gives the rejuvenating feeling of being in union with the water.

11. Empowers you

Any kind of exercise is found to be one way of changing your disposition. You are being empowered to be a better version of yourself by prioritizing wellness above all else. Since SUP boarding and yoga are not easy task to complete, it also requires you to work hard and be extra patient.

Sample daily schedule

• 09:00 - 10.00 Yoga class
• 10:00 - 12.30 SUP board and yoga
• 12:30 - 14.30 Lunch break
• 14:30 - 17.00 SUP board and yoga
• 16:00 - 17.00 Yoga class - style class