I’m heading over to meet Gudrun Hardes of WSUPToronto.ca at the Scarborough Bluffs to try out fluid yoga, a workout that pairs standup paddle boarding with yoga.

The setting for this exercise on the lake is by the float homes, Toronto’s best-kept secret. I can not believe the pristine white beach, clear water and charming float homes. How could I not know this existed? I was born in Scarborough! (In my defence, the float homes have only been here for 12 years.)

We mount our paddle boards, and the city, noise and stress of day-to-day life all but fade away in the distance. We paddle for 15 minutes (our warm up) and stop to view a nest of a trumpet swan couple awaiting the hatching of their eggs.

We then engage in an entire yoga class on our paddle boards! Yup. That’s right. Yoga on a paddle board. If you fall, you’re going swimming!

We start in child’s pose followed by some sun salutations — allowing us to find our balance. The boards, incidentally, are Canadian-designed and very sturdy with a soft top, which is great for yoga. Hardes talks about the importance of connecting with nature and all the benefits. Don’t worry, I’m already smitten!

We then do a series of lunges. It’s calm today, so we are able to practise warrior two — which is actually one of the hardest postures on the board. Then it’s tabletop, camel, pigeon, seated positions, twists and forward bends.

Hardes suggests that we try the bridge or wheel; however, I’m enjoying myself and the warm air on my skin and really don’t feel like swimming today and, so, I gracefully decline these two postures.

She then tries to encourage me to try something fun. 

“Would you like to try a headstand?” Hardes offers. 

Again. No thank you. At six-foot-two-inches, my balance is not fantastic. We finish off with seated meditation or savasana for five minutes and Zen-fully paddle back.

It really is a full-body yoga workout with the added benefit of your legs working isometrically the entire time. It was calm today; however, paddling in high winds also adds cardio and endurance.

WSUPToronto.ca has two locations — the primary one is at the Toronto Beaches and the other at the Scarborough Bluffs. Paddleboard Addict and WSUP Toronto are sister companies. They have been “SUPing” (stand up paddle boarding) for four years and have over 30 boards, making them Ontario’s largest SUP school.

Monika Schnarre is a model, actor, entrepreneur and television personality. She has appeared in over 50 television shows and films and on over 100 magazine covers.