Editor's Note: We tried Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Rockaway. It was awesome. You should try it too.

It was a yoga heavy weekend in Rockaway Beach with a Saturday morning beach session and a Sunday afternoon SUP session on the bay. The crew at A-Team Paddleboarding run SUP yoga classes all summer that are accessible to all levels (starting at $35 a class which includes the board!)

After a quick lesson on paddling technique, we hopped on our SUPs and headed out on the water. After 15 minutes or so of paddling we dropped our anchors (sand filled milk jugs attached to the SUP leash by rope) to hold our boards in place while we practiced yoga.

Amy (of A-Team Paddleboarding) started us off with seated poses and some warm up stretching before we moved into some other poses gradually working our way up to planks, crow, headstands, and in my opinion the hardest move to do on a SUP: Warrior 1.

The best part of the class was the shavasana as the boards bobbed around and our arms got to rest in the water. Though there were a few passing boats, overall it was quiet with the sounds of wind and wildlife to help us completely let go. An awesome way to find urban zen. 

This piece was originally published as part of a 30-day series exploring adventurous living near Rockaway Beach, Queens.